Chapter 12
Ipulled up in Harper’s driveway and put the SUV in park, scanning the house for any sign of activity. The windows revealed nothing, but movement behind the house, nearly out of my line of sight, caught my eye.
I was ninety-eight percent sure that was Harper. She’d scurried into the studio like a frightened mouse. I clenched my jaw hard enough to break a tooth. She’d obviously gone into the house while Naomi’s drunken, asshole brother was still there.
I was out of the vehicle in a heartbeat, torn between storming into the house to unleash on the brother and following her to the studio to make sure she was okay.
Concern for Harper won out.
I strode across the gravel, keeping an eye on the back door of the house, half expecting that crazy son of a bitch to burst out in a fit of anger and go after her.
I let myself into the studio and paused for my eyes to adjust to the dimness. I was in an entryway that opened onto an expansive, high-ceilinged room. At first glance, I didn’t see Harper, but I heard someone to the side. When I took a step into the room, I spotted her bending down and taking out a storage bin from a locker.
Her dark hair was pulled up sloppily, several strands spilling down along the sides of her face. She wore short running shorts that showed off an expanse of feminine legs and a cropped top that revealed the skin at her waist.
I stood there staring for longer than necessary, knowing I needed to alert her to my presence. I got caught up in the way her running clothes revealed so much of her tempting flesh. Then my gaze caught on her face. Her lips. The lips I’d had mine all over last night. Unreasonably, irrationally, the urge to kiss her again pulsed through me and nearly had me stepping toward her.
Tamping down on that idea before I did anything stupid, I scanned her for any sign of distress or injury. She appeared to be in no immediate danger.
As she pivoted around and set the box on the closest worktable, I cleared my throat, causing her to jump out of her skin.
“Sorry,” I said. “Are you okay?”
“What are you doing out here?” She glanced behind me at the door, as if expecting someone else.
“Checking on you. Did he threaten you?”
“Who? Ian?” She looked behind me again in the direction of the house, her irritation written all over her face. “I’m fine.”
She wouldn’t meet my gaze, so I wondered if she wasn’t leveling with me about the guy in her house or if she just didn’t want to see me. The thought that I might be less welcome than the volatile dude inside took the wind right out of my sails.
And yet, in the next breath, it hit me again how warranted her anger toward me was.
Now that I knew she was physically unharmed, I needed to apologize.
Harper’s focus remained on the plastic bin filled with what looked from here like colorful polished stones. She rifled through the bin, pulling out a stone here and there, laying some of them on a tray, setting some back into the bin, as if she was looking for something specific. As if she didn’t care I was in the same room.
The irony of that struck me. For most of my life, I’d been unable to walk into a room or a business unnoticed. Because I was an athlete, anonymity had been impossible from the time I was in high school. How many times had I wished to be unnoticed? Just a regular guy living a private life? And now that Harper was acting completely oblivious to my presence, I longed to be acknowledged by her.
This girl had the power to turn my life on its head.
I cautiously walked toward her table, my footsteps and her clinking of stones the only sounds in the cavernous room.
When I reached the opposite side of her worktable, I halted, waiting to see if she’d acknowledge me.
She did not.
She continued her search, setting out stones that were all a similar pinkish-purple color.
“Harper,” I said into the gaping silence, “I’m sorry I was an asshole last night. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”
Her gaze lifted to mine at last, those milk-chocolate eyes penetrating mine as if she was weighing my words. “I didn’t. I don’t.” She returned her attention to the stones, pulling out an oval-shaped one and setting it beside the others. “Thank you for apologizing.” She fiddled with more stones before adding, “I’m sorry I kissed you.”
Her words hit hard, causing a pang in my chest. Ego? Pride? “Ouch.”
Harper glanced up at me and narrowed her eyes. “You obviously didn’t want me to.”
Therein lay my conundrum. “Let’s get one thing straight,” I said quickly, hating that look in her eyes that said she thought I wasn’t attracted to her. “The first thought of kissing you came the instant you opened the door to me at your house, looking like a dream in that sexy-as-fuck dress.”
Her gaze popped up to mine again, her eyes going dark with heat.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been so honest.
There was something about her though.
I’d known her for two days, for all intents and purposes, and she already had a way of making me want to level with her like I’d leveled with no one else.
As the silence lengthened, her brows shot up. “So I didn’t read you wrong all night?”
“You didn’t read me wrong, but it’s complicated.” I cringed at the cliché.
Her chest rose with a deep inhalation as she went back to searching through the box of stones.
I could bow out right now, tell her I didn’t want to get into it, or even lay the blame on her dad for why we couldn’t be together. But that was only the simple, surface, easy reason. I’d never told anyone my reasons for not dating now that I was a father, but something about Harper Ellison made me want to show my cards. I wanted her to know it was me, not her.
I leaned my elbows on the high-top table, giving myself one last chance to not go into this sacred topic.
Harper already knew more about me than any woman I’d dated, because she’d asked. She seemed to instinctively understand me better. I knew from the get-go she wasn’t after my money, didn’t care about my previous fame. Knowing she wasn’t scoping me out as a potential husband made it easier to reveal the Max no one else ever saw.
“The reason I was such a jerk last night is because I was pissed at myself for getting distracted from Danny. I can’t let that happen. Danny comes first,” I said with all the conviction in my soul. “I intentionally haven’t dated since…since he got here.” I paused and urged the thickness in my throat to recede, wondering when the punch of Jamie’s death would have less power over me.
“Danny turned out to be okay,” she said. “You didn’t get distracted. You took your monitor with you. You were listening for him. It’s not your fault the batteries quit while we were out there.”
I could argue with that, but I didn’t bother. The monitor, Danny’s dirty diaper, those weren’t the issue. “It’s a small example of the bigger picture. A relationship takes energy and time. I can’t afford those. Danny deserves as much of my energy and time as I can give him. Jamie named me as his guardian because he trusted me to put his son first.”
Harper set down the stones she was holding and turned her full attention to me. “You’re a wonderful father to Danny, Max. I saw it last night, but even before that, I heard how good you were with him. People talk in this town.” She let out a half laugh. “All the damn time. And what I’ve always heard is how dedicated to Danny you’ve been. Like it or not, this town judges everybody, and if you weren’t measuring up, word would’ve gotten around.”
“This town often judges based on a partial picture. Limited knowledge.”
“That’s true,” she allowed. “I know I only saw you with him for a few minutes, but there’s not a doubt in my mind you love him to pieces and would do anything for him.” She walked around to my side of the table and sat on top of it, inches away from me. Touching my arm, she said, “Max.”
I met her gaze.
“Hear me. You’re a wonderful, dedicated father to Danny. He’s a lucky little boy to have you.”
That lump in my throat pulsed back even bigger than before. “There’s nothing lucky about losing both your parents before you’re a year old.”
“No.” She squeezed my arm. “No. Absolutely not. But aside from that, if that had to happen, he lucked out that your cousin made you Danny’s guardian.”
“It’s such a coincidence,” I said, my voice going hoarse with emotion. “Jamie and I were as close as brothers growing up. One reason we were so tight is that we bonded over our asshole fathers. Both of them deserted our families. Both of them pretty much forgot their kids existed.”
“Wow. That sucks. How old were you when your dad left?”
“I was thirteen. Jamie’s dad left a few years before that.”
Frowning, she asked, “Where’s your dad now? Is he still alive?”
I shrugged. “Last I knew he was living in Arizona, married to wife number four. I heard that from my mother. I don’t keep in touch with him.”
“And Jamie’s dad?”
“He’s in Memphis. He came to Jamie’s funeral, but I didn’t talk to him. Didn’t have anything to say to him.”
“That’s rough,” she said after a few quiet seconds.
“Jamie and I swore we’d be much better fathers. And he was.” My voice cracked. I fought to get myself back under control. “He was so dedicated to Danny.”
“And he knew you would be too.”
I nodded, unable to get any words out.
“That’s a lot of pressure,” Harper said quietly. “You care so much. You’re already leagues ahead of both your dad and Jamie’s.”
I grunted.
“You nearly lost your mind over Danny having a dirty diaper,” she said pointedly.
“That wasn’t the issue, and you know it. The issue was that I was out cavorting in the lake with you when Danny needed me.”
She laughed. “Cavorting?”
I might have cracked a little smile at her tone of disbelief.
“We were sitting in shallow water talking for most of that time,” she said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever cavorted in my life.”
“You were definitely cavorting.” My smile grew along with my relief at the lighter subject. Latching onto the break in seriousness, I turned my attention to the tray of magenta stones. “What are you doing here with these stones?”
“Looking for my next project.” Harper hopped down off the table, walked around it, and opened the locker she’d taken the bin out of earlier. She drew out another box, set it on the table, and removed the lid. She lifted out a tray that contained several pieces of jewelry—a deep purple teardrop-shaped pendant, a pair of smaller round earrings with light-blue-and-white patterned stones, a necklace with three triangular black stones spaced out along a silver chain. More earrings—some with clusters of smaller stones, some with single larger stones, all the pieces artfully set in silver.
“Did you make these?” I asked in a little bit of awe.
She pulled another tray out with more than a dozen rings in it, in similar styles, with colored stones set in silver. “I did. I kind of have an addiction to gemstones.”
I picked up a ring with five different-sized circular stones in deep blue, turquoise, and a translucent white.
“That’s lapis, kyanite, turquoise, chrysocolla, and moonstone,” she said.
“It’s stunning. So this is what you use the studio for? You make jewelry?”
“I dabble in a lot of mediums.” She laughed. “I’ve dabbled in nearly all the mediums.”
“Is jewelry your favorite?” I asked as I picked up a large, irregular-shaped pendant with a reddish-orange-and-white striated stone.
Harper bit her lip as she watched me run my finger over the smooth stone. “It is,” she said hesitantly.
That she’d committed now as she hadn’t been able to last night in the car didn’t escape me.
“Harper, why don’t you do this? Your creations are incredible. People would pay good money for these pieces.”
“I’ve sold a few to friends.”
“That’s a start.” I picked up an earring with a trio of dark-violet and smoke-gray stones. “You have a gift. You should do more with it.”
“Maybe.” She was back to being noncommittal.
“Wouldn’t you rather spend your time doing this than waiting tables?”
“There’s nothing wrong with waiting tables.”
“No, there’s not. It’s one way to pay the bills. But this… A lot of people can wait tables at the Dragonfly Diner. Not very many people can create unique pieces like these.”
“They’re not really that unique. Lots of people make jewelry like this.”
“This is a business in the making.”
“And that’s the catch,” she said. “That B-word is a scary one.”
“Business?”
“I know nothing about running a business. Just thinking about it gives me an anxiety attack.”
“You could learn about it though. Take a class or hire a consultant.”
“With what money?” she said, laughing. “I don’t even know what a jewelry business would look like.”
“Online would be a great way to start because there’s no overhead. Fewer expenses.”
“Right,” she said. One by one, she put the pieces back into the trays. She held her hand out for the earring I’d picked up.
“You’re just going to pack them back up? Put the box away?” I handed her the earring.
She put it with its mate, closed the box, then slid it into the locker.
“What would you suggest? Take them down to the square, put out a table, and get myself into business?” she asked lightly as she walked back around the table to my side.
“Well, no. But you should really think about the possibilities.”
“I have a lot going on right now. I have to move?—”
“Right. You’re not staying here, right? With that psychopath?”
“He’s not a psychopath. Ian and I talked. He apologized. I think last night we walked in on him when he was going through something similar to your bike destruction night, except the only thing he destroyed was his liver. He said walking into Naomi’s house hit him hard.”
If that was the truth, I could sympathize. I wasn’t ready to trust the guy though. “And you believe him?”
“I do. He seems contrite. Embarrassed. We struck a deal that I could stay here until I’m able to find a place and move out.”
“He’ll be here too?”
“For a while.”
I didn’t like it. Not at all.
“It’s fine, Max. There’s a lock on my door, but I’m not going to need it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I trust my instincts. And I’ll be cautious.”
“I don’t like it.”
The way she raised her brows made me stop and realize I had no right to say whether I liked or disliked anything in her life. We’d barely known each other before last night, and we weren’t embarking on any kind of a relationship.
“When are you hoping to move out?” I asked.
“I’m actually looking at an apartment later today. Mrs. Karasinski’s, above her store. Any chance you could go with me as a second pair of eyes?”
“I need to pick up Danny.”
“Where is Danny?”
“I left him with my brother. I wasn’t sure what I’d find out here with Naomi’s brother.”
She nodded. “You could bring him along.”
“I could,” I allowed, fighting with myself. Because a part of me wanted to go with her. “But your dad would probably find out.”
“My dad doesn’t get a say in my life.”
“But he has a say in mine if I want to keep my job.”
“He wouldn’t fire you for looking at an apartment with me.” She rolled her eyes.
“Probably not, but he could make things uncomfortable.”
Harper grabbed my T-shirt in a bunch near my navel and pulled me closer. “You know saying my dad would be bothered by us spending time together only makes me want to do that even more, right?”
Her face was inches from mine, her eyes peering straight into my eyes. I could smell her scent, not the same spice from her perfume but more purely Harper, with a hint of feminine sweat that I found disturbingly alluring. I realized I was leaning into her and tried to get control of myself.
“Do you and your dad not get along anymore? It always seemed like you did from afar.”
“We get along. We love each other. But whenever he tries to control my life, I like to get under his skin. It’s sort of a hobby.” She shrugged unapologetically, grinning like the troublemaker she was.
Then her lips were on mine, and without thinking, I put my hand on her waist and pulled her closer. I reveled in the sweet-tinged taste of her, the softness of her curves against my hard angles, the feel of her delicate but talented fingers running through my hair.
When I could convince myself to pull away long enough to speak, I said, “I’d tell you you’re trouble, but I think you know that. I think you thrive on it.”
Her lids slowly opened halfway, and she peered up at me. “If trouble means I like kissing you, I can own it.”
“I like kissing you too. But we can’t keep doing this. I can’t do a relationship, Harper.”
“Same. I don’t do relationships. But if you keep chasing after me, I’m probably going to kiss you,” she said, her tone playful.
I growled. “Chasing after you?”
“First to the lake last night, then here.” She shrugged. “It’s like you have a hard time resisting me or something.”
“I have a hell of a hard time resisting you.” Which meant I needed to stay the fuck away from her after this. I couldn’t resist going in for one last kiss though. “I have to leave now,” I finally said, managing to end the kiss again, fighting to back away from her.
Harper seemed as reluctant to stop as I was, but she merely nodded, as if she knew we were about two heartbeats from taking things further.
“Bye, Harper,” I said. I walked toward the exit, stopped when I was almost there. “Keep your guard up around Naomi’s brother.”
“Yes, sir.” A smart-ass to the end.
I couldn’t deny I liked that about her. I liked a lot about her.
That didn’t mean I could have her in my life.
I walked out the door. Breathing in the steamy summer air, I felt as if I’d avoided a close call.
If I didn’t want to get burned, I’d have to do better at staying away from the open flame named Harper.
It’d been a wild couple of days, but I had game film to review, algebra quizzes to grade, and most importantly, a little boy to raise.