Page 13 of Capture The Moment

“That’s what Finn said too.”

“Finn?”

“Yeah. You know, tall, bossy, overprotective.”

“You told him about your date?”

“I kind of had to. He’d taken it upon himself to set an appointment for me at a car dealership for the same time I’m going out with Will.”

“Oh boy.”

“I know. It would’ve been nice if he’d asked me first.”

“How did he react about Will?”

Harper decided to leave out the part about Finn’s nickname for Will. “Surprised, mostly. I don’t think he’s used to the idea of me going out with someone else. His loyalty still lies with Blake.”

“Hmmm.”

“Hmmm, what?”

“Just wondering if that’s all there is to it.”

“What else would there be?”

“Oh, nothing. Never mind.”

But Julia had already set the wheels in motion. Great! Could be another sleepless night. Deciding that a change of subject was in order, Harper said, “So, you never did tell me about your date the other night.”

“That’s because there’s not much to tell.”

“Why are you being so secretive about this?”

“I’m not being secretive. I went out and had a couple drinks with the guy, and that was about it. I’m not even sure we’ll go out again.”

“Why? Didn’t you have a good time?”

“Yeah, we did. But that’s all this guy is about—a good time. And I’m not sure I want to get involved with a guy like that.”

“Are you attracted to him?”

“Oh, yeah. But that doesn’t mean he’s good for me. He’s kind of like a hot-fudge sundae—tempting but full of ingredients I shouldn’t have. At least, not on a regular basis.”

Harper laughed. “Good analogy!”

“Thanks. Anyway, I’ll let you get to sleep now. Just wanted to check in about Will.”

After they hung up, Harper shut off the phone and snuggled back under the covers. She started to pick up her book again but thought better of it. She’d been reading self-help books since Blake had died, and frankly, she was getting tired of them. Maybe it was time for a trip to the bookstore for some new reading material. Something that didn’t involve death and grieving. Something that featured a tall, strong, handsome leading man and a likable, attractive heroine who were destined to be together. Yeah. That sounded like just the ticket! And then she jolted upright in horror, realizing that the man she’d just been visualizing was Finn!

“Welcome to A New Chapter,” an attractive woman with strawberry-blonde hair said as Harper entered the store. A New Chapter was the closest bookstore to Brandon Township, where Harper lived, and she had arrived just after they’d opened for the day. After having a disturbingly sexy dream about Finn the night before, she’d decided that a trip to the bookstore was pertinent. It seemed like her female urges were waking up after a long slumber, and she’d decided that diverting them to a fictional character was much safer than the alternative. So, she’d looked up the store hours and made sure she was there right when it opened.

“Good morning,” she said with a groggy smile.

“Is there anything I can help you find?”

The woman seemed genuinely friendly, and Harper couldn’t help but warm to her. “Yes, actually. I’m in need of a light fiction book, maybe even a romance novel.”

And then another woman appeared through a doorway behind the check-out counter. “Did somebody say, ‘romance’?” she said.