Chapter 9
A s promised, Harper’s last paycheck arrived at the office. Whatever Luke said to Ted must have scared him bad enough to stop calling, too, because her phone was blissfully silent.
And as promised, she took Luke to dinner.
She researched restaurants beyond the borders of Benevolence before settling on a cozy steak place fifteen miles east. There would be no quiet dinner in town with the attention she and Luke stirred up.
It wasn’t a “real” date, she reminded herself, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t go to a little extra effort to be presentable.
Harper kept her outfit casual with capris and ribbed v-neck in emerald green. She added a little more curl to her hair, letting it hang loosely past her shoulders. A hint of smoky eye and a slick of lip gloss, and she was ready to go.
She checked her reflection in the powder room downstairs and realized she had forgot to put in earrings. She went back upstairs to the bedroom and was rummaging through the drawer when Luke came in from the bathroom.
Wearing only a towel.
Droplets of water clung to his chest. The ink on his arms, as always, drew her eye. The towel hung indecently low on his hips, showing off the plains of his chiseled abs.
The silver hoop she was holding slipped through her fingers and clattered on the floor.
“I… uh…” She stooped and picked up the earring. “Um. Sorry.”
Cheeks flaming, she hurried out of the room, leaving Luke grinning after her.
Harper dashed into the kitchen and stuck her face in the freezer to cool the blush until she heard him on the stairs. She made a show of filling and drinking a glass of water from the faucet and avoided eye contact when he came into the kitchen.
“Ready to go?” he asked, sliding his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
He was wearing jeans and a gray striped button-down with the sleeves rolled up. Harper wondered if he had just reached into his closet and grabbed or if he, like her, had gone through several options. Either way, he looked good enough to undress right here in the kitchen.
“Sure, let’s go.”
She led him outside to her car in the driveway. Luke paused next to the Beetle. “You want me to ride in this?”
“I asked you out. Therefore, I’m driving.”
“Okay.” He folded himself into the passenger seat with a wry smile. “Let’s get this date started.”
Harper felt a nervous flutter in her belly.
When was her body going to remember that this wasn’t a real relationship?
It should stop overreacting to the stimuli that was Luke Garrison.
She sighed and climbed in behind the wheel, trying to ignore how close they were and how good he smelled.
She should have let him drive. The center console of Luke’s truck provided a better barrier.
The Beetle started with a coughing tremor that had Luke’s eyebrows raising. A belt squealed under the hood for a few seconds before Harper shifted into reverse.
“Jesus, what’s wrong with this thing?”
“Don’t listen to him.” Harper patted the steering wheel. “You’re perfect the way you are.”
“Baby, this car is older than you are. Don’t you think it’s time to put it out to pasture? Maybe get something less like a tin can?”
“I love this car. It just needs a little maintenance, which I’m saving up for, and she’ll be good as new.”
“How many times has it let you sit on the side of the road?”
Harper cranked up the radio and grinned. “What? I can’t hear you. Radio’s too loud.”
He shook his head and shifted in his seat. His knee grazed her hand as it rested on the gearshift. Neither made the effort to move.
Luke finally leaned forward and punched the button, turning the music off.
“So how are things going at the office?” In just a few days, Harper had made a significant dent in the back work, but there was much more to be done.
“Good, so far.”
“Any areas you see we need to improve on yet?”
Harper glanced at him to see if he was joking. “You want my opinion?”
“You sound surprised.”
She tried to remember the last time a guy had asked her opinion. Ted certainly was never interested at work or at home. When she tried to talk to him about changing his bookkeeping software, he told her not to worry her pretty little head about it.
“I’ve only been there two days.”
“You’re a smart girl.” Luke poked her leg, and Harper prayed he didn’t see the goosebumps that cropped up everywhere from his touch. “Don’t hold back. You won’t hurt my feelings.”
Harper eyed him suspiciously. “Okay.” She cleared her throat. “There’s a few areas that could stand some attention.”
“Go on.”
“Well, your software is pretty old-school. I think we could find some kind of integrated package that would replace your job costing and invoicing systems, plus your database, with one Swiss army knife tool that does it all. So you’d only have to enter changes once instead of two or three difference places.
It shouldn’t cost much more than you’re spending now, and you could really develop a CRM. ”
“CRM? ”
“Customer relationship management system. Say Frank is on the job site and a client mentions they’re thinking about upgrading to granite in the bathrooms. Frank can grab his iPad or laptop and plug that into the system so it kicks a notice back to the office to price out the upgrade.
The next day, the pricing and options are in the CRM and Frank can walk through it with the client. ”
Luke nodded. “It’s not a bad idea.”
“It’s better than Frank forgetting all about it and the client changing his mind and sticking with whatever the regular countertop is.”
“What else can a CRM do?”
Harper took a deep breath and launched into the basics. She could tell she was losing him when his frown deepened. “Just think of it as a robot assistant,” she said.
Luke nodded. “I like robots.”
“So tell me about Frank. What’s his deal?” She adjusted the visor against the sun.
“You mean, why is he so pissed off all the time?” Luke grinned behind his sunglasses. “It’s just part of his charm. He giving you trouble?”
“Not really. I kind of like him. I was just curious. He seems …”
“Insubordinate?” he supplied.
“Well, yeah.”
Luke sighed. “Frank and I go way back. I’ve known him since I was a kid. He’s a good worker. One of the best. He knows more about the ins and outs of this business than anyone. He’s just a loudmouth pain in the ass.”
Harper snorted.
“How is it working with your dad?”
Luke shrugged. “It’s good.” Harper looked at him pointedly, waiting for him to continue. “He ran a contracting business for years and I always knew I wanted to build. So about ten years ago, we decided to give it a go and started the company.”
“You’re awfully nonchalant about it. ”
Luke grinned. “About what?”
“I’ve only had a peek at your books and the incoming checks, but it looks like you’re quite the thriving builder, buddy,” she teased.
“We do okay.” He smirked.
Harper rolled her eyes. Since when did she find smirking sexy? Since right now, apparently.
“With as busy as you are, how did you not already have a full-time office manager?”
Luke shrugged. “We really started growing about three years ago. And Beth — you’ll meet her tomorrow — used to be full-time office help until she had the twins. Now she’s part-time and just does the bookkeeping.”
Harper slowed and pulled into a gravel lot. Luke took in the renovated barn that backed up to grassy fields. The smell of steak hung thick in the air.
“Nice place. What made you pick it?”
It was Harper’s turn to smirk. “I thought we’d draw less attention here than Benevolence.”
“Good call.”
“Are you some kind of famous bachelor or hometown hero? Everyone seems to be incredibly interested in you.”
His gaze leveled with hers, but instead of the laugh she expected she saw a coolness. “Have people been talking?”
Harper tilted her head. “Talking about what?”
“Nothing.” His demeanor changed and he reached over to squeeze her leg. “Come on, I’ll let you buy me dinner.”
The hostess, a tiny pixie with dark framed glasses and purple streaks in her hair, led them back to a cozy corner booth next to a window overlooking pasture and pond. The sun was just beginning to sink behind the trees.
Luke glanced around at the textured walls of stone and plaster and the thick ceiling beams. “Nice place.”
“I thought you might like it,” Harper said, grabbing the beer list. “Meat and a cool building seemed like the right way to say thank you for everything. ”
“Are you ever going to stop thanking me?”
“Are you ever going to stop doing things that deserve gratitude?” She batted her eyelashes.
“Smart ass” Luke grinned.
They ordered draft beers and steaks as a small band set up in the adjoining room.
“So tell me about yourself, Harper,” Luke said, stretching his arm across the back of the booth.
“You’re taking this date thing pretty seriously. What do you want to know?”
The waitress returned with their beers, and Harper took a sip.
“Well, we are fake dating, so I should know some things about you. Like, when’s your birthday? Where did you go to school? What was it like growing up without parents? Why are you the way you are?”
Harper laughed. “That’s a lot of questions.” She snagged his beer and sampled it before sliding it back across the table.
Luke spun the glass around before picking it up, tasting. Harper wondered if he purposely drank from the same spot she did. “I find you interesting.”
“That sounds like it’s not really a compliment.”
“I also find you smart, beautiful, funny, and brave. But I can’t figure you out. How does someone who goes through everything you’ve gone through walk around with a permanent smile on her face?”
“You mean because of my parents?”
“Your parents, the fire, your idiot of an ex. Your resiliency is impressive. How does that happen?”