Page 75 of Capture The Moment

Smiling, she said, “We’re going to see each other in two days.”

“Feels too long.”

Giggling like a school girl, she said, “Sorry, but we both have to work.”

“I think I need to delegate more.”

“Me too.” Harper had thought about hiring another photographer. maybe even an aspiring student she could train, but work was something that had given her comfort during her darkest days, and she was reluctant to let go of it. Not to mention that she truly loved her job.

“Two days isn’t that long,” she said, although she’d missed him too. And because he sounded so sweet and she was feeling brave, she added, “I’m excited for Valentine’s Day.”

“Me too,” he replied, followed by, “I’ve got the whole evening planned.”

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

“Nope.”

“Do I need to dress up?”

“Only if you want to.”

“I’m not sure I like surprises.”

“I promise you’ll have a good time.”

Of that, she had no doubt. They talked for a couple more minutes, until she pulled into the county park in nearby Waterford where she was doing the photo shoot. When she hung up, she realized she was still smiling and she felt energized just from talking to Finn. She’d forgotten how good it felt to have someone—other than Daisy—be so eager to see her.

Her positive mood continued throughout the photo shoot for a teenaged girl’s senior pictures. Harper didn’t usually take jobs for senior photos, but she’d done this one as a favor for a friend of a friend. It was a sunny winter day, with the temperature hovering in the low forties, so it was perfect for a winter shoot.

The girl, Chelsea, hammed it up for the camera while her mom and boyfriend stood nearby and cheered her on. Then, Harper showed them a few of the photos she’d snapped to make sure they were satisfied before departing.

Afterwards, she’d planned to go straight home, but when she was at the park exit, she hesitated. She could either turn left toward home or turn right toward the cemetery. Cemetery. She’d hated the very sound of the word since as far back as she could remember, but it was even worse now because that’s where her husband was.

Since he’d died, she’d only visited the cemetery a handful of times—yet another reason to feel guilty. But going there didn’t make her feel closer to Blake. It only made her feel empty. She’d much rather look through pictures of him or of them together than sit on the hard ground and stare at his grave marker. She’d delicately explained this to Trish shortly after he’d died, and Trish had gladly accepted the responsibility for maintaining his grave. Unlike Harper, Trish seemed to gain solace from going there, so it was an acceptable solution for everyone.

But today, for some strange reason, Harper was inclined to turn right, so she did. They’d chosen the hillside cemetery for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it was located halfway between where she lived and where Blake’s parents lived. Even if it had been closer to her, Harper doubted that she’d have visited more. But she was there now, compelled by a voice deep inside, and so she drove through the grounds until she reached Blake’s gravesite.

Sure enough, it was blanketed with fresh flowers, and the snow had been swept off the gravestone. A fresh set of footprints was visible, and she bet they belonged to Trish.

She trudged through the snow until she reached Blake’s resting place and then slowly traced her gloved fingertips over the words that were engraved on the stone. In the past, just reading the epitaph would be enough to make her cry, but today, she didn’t. Instead, she inhaled deeply and began to speak.

“Hi. I guess I could have done this at home, but I was nearby, so…” Oh God. That soundssostupid. “Anyway, there’s something I need to tell you. Although, maybe you already know. It’s about Finn.” And then she stopped talking for a moment as a car went by.

Sighing, she continued. “We’ve become…closer since you…well…he’s been there for me since you’ve been gone. You might have expected that. I don’t know. But recently…” This is harder than I thought. Gathering courage, she finished her sentence. “Recently, we’ve become intimate.”

There, she’d said it, and suddenly, it was easier to breathe. “I never expected it to happen, and I don’t think he did either. But it did, and now…well…I guess we’re sort of together. I hope that doesn’t upset you.

“I was so confused at first, and I guess, in some ways, I still am. But he makes me happy, Blake. And he’s a good man. But you already know that. He loved you so much, and he’d never want to hurt you, and neither do I. I still miss you, and love you, and think about you every day. But I think it’s time for me to move on with my life. That sounds so cliché, I know. But I’m pretty sure you’d want that for me too.”

And then, Harper heard a flutter of wings, and glancing up, she saw a robin alight in the tree overhanging Blake’s grave. The sight of the robin’s bright red breast stood out in stark relief against the snow-covered tree branches, and her first impulse was to reach for her camera, but she’d left it in the car. The robin stared down at her, seemingly unaffected by her presence, and then she had a strange thought. But no, it can’t be.

“Is this a sign?” she asked, looking back down at Blake’s headstone. Robins returning to Michigan were a sure sign of spring, but she wondered if the robin’s appearance meant something more. Shaking her head, she said, “Anyway, I just wanted you to know what’s going on even though I have a feeling you already do. I love you, Blake, and I always will.”

And as she turned to leave, the robin took flight too. When she pulled out of the cemetery and back onto the road toward home, she realized that today had been the first time she’d been able to talk to Blake without crying. And even though she’d entered the cemetery with a heavy heart, she’d left feeling lighter.

Now she could finally focus on something other than her grief and her work—or, more specifically, a certain tall, rugged, dark-haired man with striking blue eyes and a sexy grin. Finn O’Brien. Funny, even his name made her smile.