Page 78 of Capture The Moment

“It’s perfect,” she said.

“Wait there.”

Finn got out of his truck and came around to help her down since she was also carrying Daisy.

“Hunter’s going to be stoked that his Valentine is here too,” he teased as they walked toward the house.

Sure enough, as soon as Finn opened the door, Hunter bounded out to greet them, giving Daisy a thorough sniffing. While the dogs were occupied, Harper looked over toward the fireplace and froze.

Finn had set up a small table that he’d decorated with a red tablecloth, white china, and a crystal vase brimming with pink roses. Propped up against the vase was an envelope with her name on it.

“All this for me?” she asked, her hands crossed over her heart.

“Well, it certainly isn’t for Petunia! Here. Let me take your coat. Food’s ready. I just need to warm it up.”

“Do you need some help?”

“No. You just make yourself comfortable, and once I get the food in the oven, I’ll start a fire.”

Still dumbstruck, she nodded as he walked out of the room, the dogs trailing behind.

She sat down at the table, picked up the envelope, and stared at her name on the front. Since the card was for her, she figured it’d be ok to open it, so she did. It was one of those tiny cards that had come from the florist, and it read: I hope this is the first of many Valentine’s Days we’ll get to spend together. Finn.

“There. Dinner’s in the oven. Dogs are occupied. Now for the fire.”

He knelt in front of the fireplace, and when she didn’t respond, he glanced over his shoulder at her.

Dropping the log on the hearth, he quickly came to stand beside her. “Oh no. Why are you crying?”

Looking up at him through her tears, she waved her hands around and said, “This is just…”

“Too much, isn’t it? Damn! I’m sorry.”

Shaking her head rapidly, she stood up and hugged him around the waist.

Smoothing his hands down the length of her hair, he whispered, “I just wanted to make everything nice for you.”

“It’s perfect,” she said.

His brows creased with confusion. “You’re crying because it’s perfect?”

She nodded, her face breaking into a smile.

“Well, then get ready to shed some more tears because I’m about to serve dinner!”

Harper let go of him and watched him disappear back into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with a piping-hot bowl of pasta and a loaf of bread. He made one more trip and came back with a bottle of wine.

“I know it’s a lot of carbs, but pasta is one of the few things I know how to make,” he said apologetically. “I also bought a chocolate cake for desert.”

“This smells wonderful,” she said.

“Why don’t you dish out the food while I finish lighting the fire?”

A few minutes later, they were enjoying the food, the wine, and the warmth from the flickering fire, but more importantly, each other’s company. She was so glad that he’d decided to bring her there instead of to a crowded restaurant. Where else would she have been able to kick off her shoes, sit cross-legged on a chair in front of a roaring fire, and enjoy Finn’s company without any distractions?

Even the dogs were behaving, lying in wait for an errant crumb.

Once they’d finished eating, Harper offered to help clean up, but Finn insisted she relax while he took care of it.