Chapter 29
Friday morning at five after seven, I was giving myself a private pep talk as I headed toward the diner’s coffeepot that had just finished brewing. My heart was heavy, but lamenting over my life wouldn’t make me feel any better. All week I’d been forcing a smile at work and reminding myself about two hundred times a day I was going to be okay and this broken-heart bullshit would eventually get better.
I pivoted to take coffee to the two tables that were already occupied and nearly dropped the pot when Dakota walked into the diner.
Patrick, the other server on shift, met her inside the door to seat her. They small talked. Then she pointed to the counter and made her way toward it. After filling everyone up on caffeine, I beelined back to the counter.
“Is something wrong?” I asked Dakota, who’d settled on one of the middle stools at the otherwise empty counter. “Did we get another no on the shop?”
Dakota smiled sleepily. “Nothing’s wrong. Can’t a girl get some breakfast?”
When I’d left the apartment twenty minutes ago, she wasn’t stirring yet. I’d thought nothing of it because she was never up before nine or ten. Her blond hair was thrown up in a messy bun on top of her head, her face unmade-up. I’d be more alarmed if she’d taken more time on herself.
“A girl can get some breakfast,” I said, relaxing a notch. “I’m just used to you getting yours closer to lunchtime. Waffles and bacon?”
“You know it.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the door as Luke Durham and Chance Cordova walked in.
I jotted down Dakota’s order and poured coffee in her mug, not needing to ask her whether she wanted some, then pushed the creamers closer.
“Goddess. You guys need bigger mugs though.”
“Talk to Monty.”
“It didn’t do any good the first twenty times,” she said. Again, she checked the entrance behind her. “There she is.”
Cambria entered, looking chipper and a lot more awake than my roomie. She spotted us and headed toward the counter.
“Hey, Cambria,” I said. “So you two have a breakfast date?” I hadn’t seen Dakota last night because she’d closed Henry’s and I’d gone to bed early. She hadn’t told me she was meeting Cambria.
“And you too,” Dakota said. “While you work, so a sort-of breakfast date. Hi, partner.” She directed the last to Cambria.
“Morning, ladies.” Cambria side hugged Dakota, then settled onto the stool next to her. Reaching across the counter, she held out her hand, and I took it. “How are you doing, Harper?” she asked, concern in her eyes.
That was all it took to arouse my emotions that seemed to be perpetually bubbling right under the surface these days. I forced a smile and nodded as I waited for the tightness in my throat to ease. When I could answer without crying, I said, “Doing okay.” I squeezed my lids shut on potential tears, refusing to go there at work. “Happy to see these two gorgeous faces so early in the morning.”
“Bet I can make you even happier,” Dakota said. “Ian decided to keep the property. The studio’s safe.”
I sucked in a gasp, my mouth popping open. “Really?”
“Really. He’ll find someone to manage it and run it like a business.”
“That’s fantastic news,” Cambria said.
“The best,” I agreed. “Your wiles worked.”
Dakota laughed. “I doubt that’s it.” She sobered. “He’s got some weird stuff going on, I think. Like, regrets with Naomi if I had to guess.”
“That wouldn’t be surprising,” I said. “We all owe you a big thanks anyway.”
“That’s not all,” Dakota said, her eyes lighting up as she looked from Cambria to me. She leaned in closer. “He’s considering financing us.”
“What?” Cambria grabbed Dakota’s arm.
I stared at my roomie, waiting for more.
“I don’t know yet. It’s too early to get our hopes up, but…my hopes are up.”
I shook my head, trying to wrap it around the idea of the sullen, keep-to-himself guy I’d lived with for two weeks doing something so generous. “What does he want from us?”
“His percentage is reasonable, just like what we talked about.”
Cambria and I looked at each other, our eyes wide.
“That’s the best news we’ve had,” Cambria said. “How can we convince him?”
Dakota laughed. “If I knew, I already would have. But we should get together to strategize.”
“For sure,” Cambria said.
“Order up,” Monty called from the window, dragging me back to work before anything could really sink in.
When I turned around with the plates, I saw the diner was filling up faster than usual. Ben Holloway and West Aldridge and his three little girls had joined Luke and Chance. Dean Miller and Lisa Brimm, math teachers at the high school, were at a table close to the counter.
I delivered the food to Cash and Ava Henry. When I whirled around to greet the math teacher duo, I noticed my dad entering and sauntering toward the counter, so I greeted him.
“Hi, honey,” he said, planting a kiss on top of my head as I passed.
“You know it’s Friday, right?” I asked over my shoulder. He was a Monday regular, saying a good breakfast was the best way to start off a week.
“Sure do.”
I’d just finished taking orders from Dean and Lisa when another group coming in the door caught my eye. I felt a pang in my chest at the sight of Max with Danny in his arms. Next to them were Max’s mom and his brother, Levi.
I couldn’t imagine why Max was here when he knew the odds of me working were high. Biting down on my lip, I turned my focus to another party to get their drink orders, fighting hard not to pay attention to Max’s family as they walked behind me.
I heard Max greet Dakota and missed the drink orders I’d asked for. Had she known her whole family was coming?
“Getting busy early today,” I told the customers, flashing them an overfriendly but distracted smile. “I’m sorry, can you repeat those?”
I wrote down their beverage requests and asked if they were ready to order food.
“We’ll need a bit,” the grandfatherly man said.
“Let me know if you have any questions,” I said, hoping they’d give me an excuse to stay put for a bit longer.
When they merely nodded, I headed toward the pickup window behind the counter to see if any of my orders were up. I made a point of not looking in Max’s direction—he was sitting on this side of Dakota, his family lined up on the stools between her and my dad, who sat on the end—and felt self-conscious and flustered instead of like the competent veteran server I was.
“I think that’s mine,” I told Patrick as he picked up the platters.
“I got it for you, sweets,” he said, winking.
Which left me off-balance as I tried to avoid looking at the man behind me whose presence I found nearly impossible to ignore.
Orders. I’d just taken orders from two tables. Put the food order in and get the flipping drinks, Harper.
The Dawson family and Cambria were engaged in a lively conversation I did my best to tune out as I poured juices, coffees, and a hot water for tea, then scurried away to deliver them.
As I straightened from serving the last beverage, the little counter bell to get service during slow times obnoxiously rang repeatedly. I turned toward it, expecting to see an unsupervised kid. My mouth fell open when I realized it was Max, standing at the end of the counter, near my dad, staring right at me.
“Hey, everyone,” he said loudly.
I froze where I was, unsure what was going on, not knowing what to do. I glanced to the kitchen window to gauge Monty’s reaction. My boss had a smile on his face and gave Max a thumbs-up. What the…?
“Sorry to interrupt your breakfast,” Max continued as the customers gave him their attention. “I’ve got something important to say.”
I realized Dakota was staring at me, so I gave her a look that said, What is going on?
I couldn’t read the smile she sent me, and then I couldn’t think about it anymore because Max said, “Harper, would you mind coming over here?”
Beyond confused, I walked toward him, hoping to end the disruption before someone complained.
“Hi, Max,” I said, acting as unbothered as possible as I came up next to him, my insides shaky.
Everyone at the counter had their gaze locked on me.
“I, um, have some tables who need to order,” I told him.
“I’ll handle your tables for a few,” Patrick called out.
“What’s going on?” I asked Max, darting a look at my expectant dad and starting to get the idea that everyone knew what was happening except me.
“I need to get some things off my chest,” Max said, still at broadcast-to-the-whole-restaurant volume. “I screwed up and I want to rectify my mistake.”
“I’m at work.” I glanced toward the pickup window again, but Monty stood there watching us like everybody else.
“Hear him out,” my boss said.
“As my sister so aptly told me,” Max said, “I was a big dummy a few nights ago. I messed up.” He let out a self-effacing chuckle. “I’ve been messing up for weeks, actually.”
My heart raced, and I tried to catch my brain up.
He looked over the counter to the single dad group along the wall. “Chance, Luke, Ben, West? This is her. This is the lady friend I was so afraid of getting attached to. Just wanted to tell you the joke’s on me. It’s too late. I’m already attached.”
My eyes widened. Then I looked to Dakota. She watched us with avid interest, her eyes less sleepy, more sparkling with expectation.
“I was lucky enough to have Harper in my life for several weeks,” Max said.
An audible reaction filtered through the diner.
“I insisted on keeping it secret, and that wasn’t fair to Harper. I realize now it probably seemed as if I was embarrassed or ashamed of her. I wasn’t. I was being a big, dumb coward, hiding my feelings even from myself. I’m sorry, Harper. And I’m sorry I led you to believe your dad didn’t approve.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded, too confused, too overcome by this very public revelation to figure out what to say.
“Mills?” Max continued, his attention going to his colleague. “You called it correctly. I’ve been a jerk all week at work. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.”
“Anytime,” Dean called out, then ducked his head as if he didn’t like the spotlight.
I could relate but…what was Max doing? I hardly dared to get my hopes up, but it sounded like…
“Bob.” Max addressed my dad now. “You gave me your blessing to date your daughter. Told me you thought I’d be good for her, but here’s the thing. She’s the one who’s good for me.” He took my hand, entwined our fingers. I held on to him, his strong hand so familiar it made me catch my breath. I stepped closer to him without thought.
Staring into my eyes, Max continued, “Harper keeps me on my toes and makes me laugh. She helps me take myself less seriously. She reminds me when I need to be easier on myself and go with the flow.” He paused for a few seconds as if searching for the right words. “This woman has shown me what it looks like to have courage, to try new things, to take new risks that are uncomfortable and scary as you-know-what but have the potential to pay off thousandfold. Harper makes me a better person.”
“That’s my girl,” my dad said quietly. I couldn’t miss the pride in his voice. For me.
I slid my glance to my dad to acknowledge those words I didn’t remember him saying about me for years, if ever. Then I looked back to the gorgeous man who’d pulled me even closer.
I held my breath, no longer doubting what Max’s purpose was but not wanting to miss a second of his memorable, swoon-worthy speech.
He entwined our other hands, putting us face-to-face, as if no one else in the place mattered anymore. “I love you, Harper. Will you give me another chance to show you how much?”
My eyes teared up and my insides melted to liquid. I nodded with zero hesitation. “I love you too, Max. I’m… You planned this, didn’t you?” I laughed and waved a hand at the crowd, understanding he’d ensured certain people who were important to him or me or both had been here for this. “Like a formal unveiling.”
He brushed his knuckles over my cheek in the most tender, loving way. My eyes fluttered closed momentarily as I reveled in it.
“It doesn’t make up for my stupidity in the past,” he said in a low, more private voice. “I need you to know that was solely about me. Never about you.”
“What changed?”
With a sheepish chuckle, he said, “Well, to start with, there was an ass-kicking by your nosy roommate.”
We both glanced over at Dakota, who was holding Danny now and said something in his ear. Max’s adorable little boy pointed his index finger at us, grinned, then ducked his head into Dakota. I wiggled my fingers in a special wave just for him, making him giggle.
Max laughed, then sobered and turned his attention back to me. “I’ve missed you like crazy, Harper. Been miserable without you. I realized I need to be brave the way you’ve been brave these past few weeks if I want to be honest-to-God happy.”
He leaned down and kissed me, a lingering, longing, but PG-rated kiss. We were in the middle of the diner, after all, with his son looking on. Even so, our friends and family applauded us, making me laugh again.
“I can make that a whole lot more tempting later if you’ll let me,” he whispered so only I could hear.
“After this?” I gestured to the crowd in the diner. “You know I will. I can’t wait.”
We kissed again, just a short promise of a lip-lock this time.
“One more thing,” Max said when the kiss ended. He stepped toward the customer side of the counter, pulling me with him and attracting Dakota’s attention again, then nodded toward Danny.
Dakota set Danny down, bending over him, pointing at Max, and saying something to the boy. Danny nodded. Then Max squatted, arms out for his son, who dashed over to us.
Max stood with Danny in his arms. “You remember Harper?”
The boy nodded shyly.
“Hey, favorite boy,” I said to him. “I’m happy to see you.”
“Hoppa,” he said, attempting my name for the first time ever. I’d never guessed how one word from a child could grab my heart and squeeze. Beaming, I caressed his pudgy cheek.
“Harper, I’d be honored to have you be part of my son’s life too. I’m sorry I ever tried to keep you away from him.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I know it’s a big step.”
“It is. I’m ready. I trust you.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more emotional, I had to dab tears out of my eyes. Because that meant the universe to me.
“What do you say we take Harper out on a date tonight?” he asked Danny. “Maybe for a boat ride after work and dinner on the lake?”
“Boat!” Danny said with glee.
“That’s the best idea ever. No football?” I asked.
“It’s a bye week. We’re all yours if you’ll have us.”
I kissed Danny’s cheek. Then I ran my hand over Max’s jaw, stood on my toes, and gave him another quick kiss. “I’ll have you two handsome gents all day every day, for as long as you’ll let me.”