Chapter 54
H arper took a deep breath and knocked on the apartment door. She pulled her gloves off and shoved them in her pocket.
The door opened on a giggle.
Gloria’s already bright eyes lit up. She was wearing Aldo’s Guard sweatshirt and leggings. Her dark hair was a tousled mess. “Harper! What a nice surprise! Come on in.”
“Am I interrupting?”
Gloria laughed and stepped aside waving Harper in. “No, Aldo’s in the kitchen making grilled cheese sandwiches and trying not to burn the place down.”
“Are you sure I’m not interrupting?”
Gloria laughed again. “Ten minutes earlier, and you would have been.” She winked.
Instead of laughing, Harper wrapped her friend in a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you, Gloria. I really am.”
Gloria returned the hug. “Me, too. I owe it all to you, you know.”
Harper released her. “Don’t be silly. You got yourself here, in a real home with a sexy man making you grilled cheese. You deserve every bit of it.”
“I’m so happy, Harper. I never imagined life could be like this.” She hugged Aldo’s sweatshirt closer. “Enough gushing. Can I interest you in a half-burnt grilled cheese?”
“Is that my old pal Harpoon out there?” Aldo poked his shirtless torso out of the kitchen.
Harper laughed. “Hey, sport. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“When are we hitting the trails again? Got a new blade that’ll leave you in my dust.”
“Nice. I actually wanted to let you both know that I’m, uh…” She swallowed hard. “Leaving.”
“Vacation leaving?” Gloria asked, her brow furrowed .
“Happy trails leaving?” Aldo offered.
“Happy trails. Or just reasonably okay trails, at this point,” Harper said, keeping her tone light.
“It’s not because of Luke and Linc’s fight to the death in the grocery store is it?” Gloria asked.
“I heard they were both banned for life after they destroyed the bread aisle,” Aldo interjected. “Buns and loaves everywhere.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “Well, the small town rumors are one thing I won’t miss.”
“Are you giving up on him?” Gloria asked, her brown eyes pools of compassion.
“I have to. For my sake. For his. I can’t change him. And I can’t stay here either.” It’s not safe for any of you if I do, she added silently.
“You have friends here,” Gloria reminded her.
“And I’m so grateful to have you all in my life. But Benevolence is Luke’s home, and me staying here is just going to be a painful reminder to both of us of what was.”
“I disagree with you, but as your friend, I will support your decision. As long as you promise to let us come visit you.”
“Of course,” Harper said with a teary smile.
“So where exactly will we be visiting you?” Aldo asked, hands on hips, still clutching a spatula.
“I’m not really sure, yet. I’m leaving Saturday, so obviously I have to have a plan then. I’ll let you know.” She bit her lip. “Listen, when I do tell you where I am, do you promise not let anyone know?”
“Anyone meaning Luke?” Aldo crossed his arms.
Harper shook her head. “No. Just anyone who doesn’t need to know. Like if a stranger asks you… or something.” She was fumbling this, making a mess.
“Are you in trouble?” Gloria asked, concern showing.
“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to tell you both personally. You’ve been such good friends to me. I’m really going to miss you.” Her voice cracked, but she battled through it. “I love you guys so much.”
Gloria wrapped Harper into a hug again. “I wish I could talk you into staying.”
“Is there room for me in there?” Aldo grabbed them both and squeezed.
“One joke about a threesome, and I’ll smack you with that spatula,” Harper threatened.
Gloria giggled. “Promise me you won’t give up on love.”
“I promise.” Harper nodded. It may have been the first lie she had ever told her friend.
If telling Gloria and Aldo goodbye was hard, telling Sophie was proving to be impossible. She couldn’t get the woman to slow down long enough to give her a chance to spit the words out.
“I don’t know, Sophie. Karaoke?” Harper listlessly stirred her coffee in Joni’s kitchen. She hadn’t been to Remo’s since she had given up her Friday shifts. She had said it was because she was working nights at the office, but really she didn’t want to face the town.
“Oh please, Harp. You don’t think Luke would voluntarily show up on karaoke night, do you? I’m worried about you. You need to get out, have a little fun. Forget about things for a while.”
As if she could forget, Harper thought wryly. Things were never out of her mind or what was left of her heart.
“How did you even get the night off?”
Sophie shrugged. “I get one Friday off a month. This was it. Are you in?”
Harper rubbed a hand over the ache that never left her chest. Well, maybe it would serve as a kind of goodbye to her adopted town. One last night in the first place that ever felt like home. She would tell Sophie then.
“What time are you picking me up?” she sighed .
Sophie whooped and threw her arms around Harper. “You won’t regret it! I promise! It’s going to be a night to remember.”
“Every night with you is a night to remember.”
“That’s what Ty says.” Sophie wiggled her eyebrows.
“Please don’t joke about sex to the woman who is facing an epic dry spell after—” How could she even label what she shared with Luke?
“Honey, the way you two have always looked at each other—the intensity. That doesn’t just go away. Especially not with a temporary breakup.”
Why did it feel like everyone else was having a harder time letting go than she was? “Soph, we’re done.”
“Never.”
“For the love of God, can we please talk about something else?”
“How about it was reported that Frank came to work this morning whistling a happy little tune and didn’t yell at anyone?”
Harper grinned. “You don’t say? Joni certainly seemed like she was in a chipper mood when she left for work this morning.”
“A well-placed source spotted them at Remo’s for after-dinner drinks last night, where they stayed until almost closing.”
Harper clapped her hands. “It’s about damn time! I asked her how it went this morning, and she actually blushed.”
Sophie squealed. “I love love. I feel like the whole town caught the bug this year. Gloria and Aldo, Joni and Frank, you and?—”
“Give it a rest, Sophie, or I’ll tell Ty what really happened to his favorite coffee mug.”
“Traitor.”
“What are you going to do when Josh is old enough to realize he’s been mommy’s scapegoat?”
Sophie shrugged. “Probably have another baby and blame everything on that one.”
“Good plan.”
Harper let Sophie talk her into the tight navy scoop neck sweater and skinny gray pants. “Why are we getting decked out for a night at Remo’s?”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “I haven’t gotten dressed up since Easter. It’s time to show this town a thing… or two.” She adjusted her boobs. Sophie turned away from the mirror and eyed Harper’s chest. “If you get any skinnier, you’re going to start losing those.”
Harper crossed her arms in front of her. “Hands to yourself, lady. I’ve been eating just fine.”
Sophie snorted. “Yeah, right. We’re getting nachos and cheese sticks tonight, just so you know.”
“Whatever you say, Soph,” Harper sighed.
Remo’s was packed by the time they got there, but they found an empty table in front of the stage. It was a pretty kind of symmetry to have the beginning and end of her story happen right here. A kind of closure.
“Are you sure we should sit this close?” Harper questioned over the music. “How good can karaoke in Benevolence be?”
“Don’t judge, Big City. We’ve got some talent in this town,” Sophie teased.
“How much talent can you have since this is the first karaoke night since I moved here?”
“Shut up.”
Sophie signaled Hazel the server and ordered two beers and the nachos and cheese sticks as promised.
“Listen, Soph, tonight’s on me.”
Sophie waved the offer away. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re here to cheer you up, and how can we do that if you’re paying?”
“I’m serious,” Harper insisted. She sighed. “I’m actually leaving tomorrow. Shaking off the dust of this little town.” The joke stuck in her throat.
“What are you talking about?” Sophie choked the words out. “You can’t leave! You have a life here. You’re family!”
Harper shook her head. “Not anymore, Soph. It hurts too much to be here. And I’m sure it’s not comfortable for your brother to have me here.” She still stumbled over his name.
Hazel returned and mercifully dropped off two beers.
“Harper. You can’t go!” Sophie slammed a hand down on the table. Harper reached across to steady the bottles.
Sophie kicked back in her chair, shaking her head. “No. Nope. You’re not fucking going.”
Harper smiled. “I’m really going to miss you, you stubborn freak.”
Sophie set her jaw in a painful reminder of her brother. Harper had seen the look often enough. It was the “no discussion, decision made” look.
“I’m not going to miss you because you’re not going anywhere. And you’re a stupid jerk for even considering it.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “If you pout, it’s just going to ruin the ‘best night ever.’ Why is it so packed in here anyway?” Glancing around, she noted that Remo’s was standing room only. “I can’t believe karaoke pulls in this kind of crowd.”
Hazel interrupted again with two baskets of food. “You two want plates?”
“No thanks, Hazel,” Sophie said with a wave. “We’re just going to pick out of the baskets like classy folks.” She shoved the nachos at Harper. “Eat before you waste away.”
Harper rolled her eyes and sampled a nacho. Her stomach just wasn’t into it. Sometimes she was scared that, even if she moved on, the hole, the ache, would never go away.
“I gotta pee,” Sophie announced, jumping from her seat. “Save me some nachos. ”
Harper watched her friend weave through the crowd. She was going to miss that woman like a limb. Sophie’s boundless energy and fierce loyalty would never be forgotten. She hoped that they could still be friends, even from a distance.
Harper nibbled on a cheese stick and tried not to mope until Fred took the skinny stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to karaoke. Tonight we’ve got a very special theme for you. Let’s see if you can figure it out.”
He exited the stage to the hoots and applause from the crowd. Harper settled back in her seat to watch the show.
The house lights dimmed, and as the first group took the stage, Harper’s eyes widened. “Is that Frank?” she hissed to no one.
Sporting a fresh haircut and his cleanest Garrison button down, Frank was accompanied by Beth, Aunt Syl, and Georgia Rae. They were all in sunglasses.
He grabbed the mic. “Yeah, okay. This one goes out to a very dear friend of ours, Miss Harper Wilde.”
The crowd cheered. Stunned, Harper looked from side to side. What was going on?
There was no one to ask because the crowd erupted when Frank belted out the first few bars of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
She knew she was gaping but couldn’t help it. Frank’s gravelly voice was certainly a departure from the Beatles, but he wasn’t bad. And when the ladies joined in as the chorus, her heart lifted for the first time in weeks.
Frank moved back so the ladies could croon in unison.
Harper put her hand over her heart. They were telling her they loved her.
The feeling was mutual.
She joined the rest of the crowd with thunderous applause when they exited the stage. One by one, the ladies stopped at her table to plant a kiss on her cheek.
Frank was last in line. “I’m glad you’re my friend, kiddo,” he said gruffly.
“Frank—” she just couldn’t get the words out. So she hugged him, hard. He patted her on the back awkwardly and disappeared as soon as she released him.
Fred was back on the stage calling for quiet. “It’s gonna be an old-school night, folks. Put your hands together for our next act, Sonny and Cher.”
Harper gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth as Aldo and Gloria took the stage in matching tie-dye t-shirts.
Hand-in-hand, they approached the mic. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Gloria and I would like to dedicate this song to the woman we owe everything to. This one’s for you, Harper.”
“We love you,” Gloria said, blowing Harper a kiss.
The music started, and Aldo and Gloria swayed together. Gloria broke into “I’ve Got You Babe” in a crystal-clear voice.
“Oh my God,” Harper laughed.
Aldo warbled, Gloria tossed her hair Cher-style, and the entire bar hummed and swayed along.
Harper felt like her smile would split her face.
As Aldo crooned about wearing his ring, he held up Gloria’s hand, and a distinct sparkle caught the light. Harper’s heart exploded along with the crowd.
She was blinded by happiness as Aldo and Gloria grinned at each other.
She could imagine them standing at the altar beaming at each other and hoped that she could be there to witness such happiness.
Gloria hopped off the stage, and Harper grabbed for her hand. The diamond sparkled like its owner’s eyes. She wrapped the tiny brunette in a fierce hug. “I am so happy for you two.”
“We wouldn’t be here without you, Harp,” Aldo said, moving in for his hug.
“So we’re hoping you’ll agree to be our maid of honor,” Gloria said, clasping her hands together .
“Are you serious?” Harper yelped. “Oh, you guys! I would be honored!”
Gloria hugged her again. “Mind if we join you?”
“Please! Sophie disappeared. I can’t believe she’s missing this.”
A third chair was magically produced, and Gloria and Aldo crowded around the tiny table.
“This is a pretty incredible send-off,” she whispered to Gloria.
Her friend smiled but said nothing.
Aldo dug into the nachos. “I was too nervous to eat dinner tonight.”
“You guys were great.”
“Wait until you see the next act.” Gloria winked.
She didn’t have long to wait. They were already taking the stage.
The Garrisons. And Joni.
Sophie was front and center with Claire and Joni flanking her. Charlie, James, Uncle Stu, and Ty crowded in behind them. They were all wearing ugly Christmas sweaters that said Garrison X’mas.
The funky ’70s beat of Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” filled the bar. The women moved toward the mic in unison.
They pointed to Harper and sang to her about family. Tears pricked at her eyes and quickly changed to laughter when the men stepped forward for their off-key chorus.
From the stage, Sophie tossed her something soft. Harper unfolded it to reveal a matching sweater. She hugged it to her chest and mouthed, “Thank you.”
The Garrisons took their bows to wild applause and the people at the front tables scrambled to make room for them.
Charlie stopped next to Harper and put his hand on her shoulder. “You’re family, kid.”
Claire swooped in for a hug, giving Harper a few precious seconds to compose herself .
“Thank you,” Harper said, squeezing Claire tighter.
“Oh sweetheart, we’re thanking you.”
“Me? Why? You’ve given me so much.”
“And this is what you gave us,” Claire said pointing to the stage.
Harper’s heart clutched. Luke stood alone in front of the mic, hands in his pockets.