Page 76 of Capture The Moment

Chapter 18

“Mmmm. You smell good,” he said, his nose pressed against her neck.

“I’m wearing the same perfume I always wear.”

“Yeah, but I never got to smell it up close before. Happy Valentine’s Day, by the way.”

“Same to you,” she said, smiling up at him.

Finn had just arrived to pick her up for their Valentine’s date, and they were standing in the foyer.

“I’m ready. I just need to put Daisy in her crate, and then we can go.”

“Why don’t you bring her?” he suggested.

“On our date?”

He shrugged. “Dogs are allowed where we’re going,” he said mysteriously.

“Ok. Now I’m more confused than ever!”

“Just grab Petunia and let’s go.”

After he’d helped her into her coat, she swung her purse across her body and scooped up Daisy, who seemed extremely pleased to be invited.

“We just have to make a quick stop on the way,” he said as he backed out of her driveway.

Harper had been anticipating this day all week long, and his evasiveness had only fueled her imagination. She had no idea what he had planned, but right then, she was happy simply to be with him. And the fact that he’d invited Daisy to come with them had only endeared him to her more.

As he drove, she kept sneaking peeks at his profile. He was all man, leaning back in his seat, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting against the window. He wore a red and gray plaid shirt, jeans, and a satisfied smile.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she said.

“Being with you? Hell yeah.”

“I meant keeping a secret, but that was a good answer.”

He laughed and shot her a glance. “It’s driving you nuts, isn’t it?”

“Little bit,” she said and laughed.

“Well, here we are!”

He’d pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall that housed an assortment of stores and businesses, but no restaurants. Two of the storefronts were empty, and he’d parked in front of the one that was located at the end of the strip.

Harper glanced around, confused. “What are we doing here?”

Chuckling, he said, “Leave Petunia there for a minute and step out.”

They met in front of the truck, where he took her hand. With his free hand, he pointed to the empty storefront. “I’m thinking about leasing this place for O’Brien Landscaping, and I wanted you to be the first to know.”

“What? Finn, that’s awesome!”

“I’ve been considering it for a while now, and I think it’s time. I’ve been running the business out of my home office, but I think a storefront would make it more professional, don’t you?”

“Absolutely! It’s a great idea.”

“I haven’t told anyone else yet because I wanted to run the numbers first, but with the business growing the way it’s been, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”