10. Harper
CHAPTER 10
Harper
Was this date a good idea or a bad idea? I was so torn.
All day, I’d waited for something bad luckish to happen. Nothing. No failed timers, no burnt cookies, no smoke alarms or evacuations.
In fact, it almost seemed as if my day had been filled with good luck.
Every batch of cookies had turned out perfect and my cupcakes looked magical. After the morning rush, things had slowed down just in time for me to take an actual lunch break. My blinker randomly started working again, and when I came back to work after grabbing some food, my spot in the parking lot was still open.
Bad luck had to be lurking, just waiting to strike.
Which meant this date was probably going to be a disaster. Or he was going to get a huge promotion in another country tomorrow and I’d never see him again.
There was a knock at my door and I glanced at the clock on the microwave. He was right on time, to the minute.
Wow. Okay. So, not blowing me off, missing our date due to work, or anything in between. That was a good start at least .
With a deep breath, I smoothed out my black dress and fluffed my hair, then answered the door.
Garrett Haven stood on my doorstep, looking like a dream in a dark gray coat over a button-down shirt with the collar undone and a pair of extremely well-fitting gray slacks.
I don’t know why it surprised me so much to see him out of uniform. Of course he’d be dressed in regular clothes.
And of course he’d look that good.
Wow. Again.
He gave me that smile of his and I hadn’t even said anything. The words I’m so lucky ran through my head.
Wait. No. I wasn’t lucky. Like, ever.
“Hi.” His voice was pleasantly deep. “You look beautiful.”
My cheeks warmed and I felt a pleasant fluttering in my stomach. “Thank you. So do you. I mean, you look nice.”
“Thank you. If you unlock your car, I can get that blinker replaced for you.”
“You know what’s weird? It works now.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I checked it a couple of times to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. But it works fine. I don’t know what was going on yesterday.”
“All right. Are you ready, then?”
I nodded, grabbed my purse, and put on a jacket since it was raining. He led me to his car—not his patrol car, of course, it was a dark SUV—with a light touch on the small of my back, making the butterflies in my stomach take flight.
We got in and I let out a small breath. Feeling this jittery, I was bound to be the cause of my own bad luck. Self-fulfilling prophecies and all. I didn’t want to trip over my feet or blurt out something embarrassing, not because of the mirror curse, but because I let myself get too flustered.
I glanced at Garrett as he drove. At his strong stubbly jaw and broad shoulders.
Flustered it was. I couldn’t help it. He was such a heady combination of handsome, intimidating, and drop dead sexy. The kind of man who made you contemplate breaking the law just so he could arrest you.
Excuse me, deputy? I think you need to handcuff me…
“How was your day?”
I startled at his voice and blinked away the fantasy. “My day? It was… fine. Busy, but that’s just my life. How about yours?”
“It was all right. Long.”
“I hope you didn’t have to let any bad guys get away to pick me up on time.”
He cracked a smile. “Not this time.”
We made a little more small talk on the way to the restaurant. It wasn’t far, on a side street downtown near the bakery. I glanced at the parking lot up ahead. It looked packed. There wasn’t any parking on the street, either. I wondered how long we’d have to circle before we found a spot, or how far we’d have to walk.
And how wet we were going to get. Bad luck about to strike?
As if the rain knew we were about to get stuck in it, it came down harder. Garrett turned up the windshield wipers and slowed as we approached the restaurant.
“I might have to circle—” He stopped as reverse lights lit up in front of us. “Never mind. They’re leaving.”
The spot was right in front of the restaurant. That was… I wasn’t going to say lucky. Convenient. It was convenient, especially with the rain.
Garrett parked, then told me to wait and ran around to my side to open my door. He used his jacket to shield me from the rain as we ran to the entrance.
We went inside and he draped his coat over his arm. The restaurant was cozy, with a low hum of conversation filling the air .
I smoothed down my hair, although it hadn’t gotten wet. “Thank you.”
He smiled.
So many butterflies.
Although the restaurant looked full, there was a table available and we were seated right away. The ambiance was charming and romantic, with white tablecloths and flickering candles. We perused our menus for a few minutes and I waited for the jittery feeling to let up.
It didn’t.
Was I nervous because this was a first date? Or because I was convinced something was going to go wrong?
Maybe a bit of both.
The server came to our table and we ordered wine and dinner. I almost knocked over my water glass handing the server my menu, but Garrett grabbed it before it could splash all over me. I thanked him with a laugh.
When it happened again—that time just trying to pick up my wine glass after the server had poured—I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“Sorry. I don’t know why I’m so clumsy all of a sudden.”
His smile was soft and so genuine. “It’s fine. No harm done. So how did you become a baker? Did you go to culinary school?”
“I did, but I mostly learned from my aunt Doris. When I was a kid, my sister and I used to come stay with her sometimes. Aunt Doris and I would spend most of our time baking.”
“She did the world a service. The cookies you sent home with us the other day were probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
I smiled, and a warm, giddy feeling spread through me. “Thank you. Owen was a big help.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Absolutely. He did everything I asked without a single complaint. I think he might have even enjoyed himself when I let him scoop the cookie dough.”
“It would be nice if he could bring some of that good attitude home when it’s time to do the dishes.” There was humor in his voice and the corners of his lips lifted in a grin. “He is a great kid, though.”
“He is. You’ve done a great job.”
A flicker of surprise crossed his face. “Thank you.”
My curiosity about Owen’s mom was growing, but it felt awkward to bring it up. Aunt Doris had said Garrett was divorced. But was she still around? Did they share custody? If Garrett and I actually started dating, would it be complicated?
I’d thought about that before, when Doris had set us up the first time. But knowing Owen made it all the more real.
But this was just one dinner. I didn’t need to dig into his past if this wasn’t going anywhere.
The server brought our dinners and we started eating.
“How did you get into law enforcement?”
“It’s what I wanted to do since I was a kid. I was always the good guy when my brothers and I played. Always the cop, catching the bad guys.”
“How many brothers do you have? Owen said he has a lot of uncles.”
“Five brothers and one sister.”
My eyes widened. “There are seven kids in your family?”
“We were three and three at first. My dad had me and two of my brothers, Josiah and Luke, with his first wife. And my mom had three boys, Reese, Theo, and Zachary. Then they got together and had our sister, Annika.”
“Kind of like the Brady Bunch, except… different.”
“Yeah. We were all close in age too. It must have been chaos. I don’t know how they did it.”
“That’s amazing.”
He chuckled softly. “I mostly remember it being loud. ”
“With six little boys, I can imagine. What did you all think of your sister?”
“We loved her. We tended to torture each other, but we protected her like it was our job.”
“That’s so sweet. Are you all close now?”
“Yeah, I guess you could say we are. Most of us, at least. Zachary and I used to get into it a lot, but we went through some stuff together and it changed things. And now that he’s married, I probably won’t have to arrest him again, so that helps.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’ve arrested your brother?”
“Yeah. A couple times.”
“For what?”
“Disorderly conduct. He used to have a tendency to start trouble, especially when alcohol was involved. He was never booked or had charges brought up or anything, but I had to haul him in a couple times to break things up. Didn’t make him like me all that much.”
“But you get along better now?”
“Yeah.” His lips turned up in a subtle grin. “I was the best man at his wedding.”
“Wow. I love that. What about your other brothers?”
“They’re good guys. Josiah got married in January. He’s not exactly a people person, but his wife Audrey is great. Theo coaches football at the high school. He played professionally for a while but he got injured.”
“He’s not married?”
“Nope. Neither is Luke. He owns a custom auto shop. Rebuilds classic cars and that sort of thing. My sister, Annika, is married, and has been for a while now.”
“Oh, to the firefighter?”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“He was one of the responders when the fire alarm went off at the bakery. Owen said he was his uncle.”
“Levi Bailey. He’s a great guy. ”
“Does he have a twin or was I hallucinating?”
“Yep, identical. That’s Logan.”
“Okay, things are making more sense. So there’s you, Zachary, Josiah.” I started counting off brothers on my fingers. “Theo, Luke, and who was the other one?”
“Reese.”
“What does he do?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. He left town a long time ago and never came back.”
I could hear the hurt in his voice. It was subtle, as if he were trying to hide it, but it was definitely there.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. I’ve always assumed he had a falling out with Dad, but I don’t know what actually went down. Or why he’s stayed away so long.”
“That’s sad. I bet your parents miss him.”
“Mom does for sure. I think he’s contacted her a few times over the years, just to let her know he’s still alive. But he could be anywhere. What about you? Just the one sister?”
I nodded. “Her name’s Holly. Obviously my mom had a thing for H names.”
“What about your dad?”
“I don’t really know him. I don’t want to say my mom dated him just long enough for him to get her pregnant because she wanted a baby. But I think that’s what she did.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I try not to be judgy about it, but I’m pretty sure that’s what she did with my sister’s dad too. Of course, she doesn’t describe it that way, exactly, but Holly and I both have the same theory. My mom is… interesting. She’s super independent. I think it was hard for her to share her space with her own kids, so the idea of letting another adult in her life permanently was sort of unthinkable.”
“But she had you two on purpose?”
“Yeah. She wanted kids, so she found a way to make it happen. And she was a good mom, in her own way. I love her, but we’re not very close. I’m so different from her, and my sister. Neither of them really get me. There’s no animosity or anything, our relationship is friendly. But it’s just that. Friendly. That’s probably why I’m close to my aunt. We both love baking and we’re, I don’t know, weird in the same ways.”
He grinned a little. “How are you weird?”
A tingle of nervousness swept through me and I let out a breath. Vulnerability is hard. “Okay, so I’m a little bit superstitious. And by a little bit, I mean a lot.”
He kept smiling at me. “What are you superstitious about? Like walking under ladders and stuff?”
“Oh, I’d never walk under a ladder.”
“Black cats?”
“No, black cats aren’t a problem. I don’t know why, it makes sense in my head. But if I spill salt, I always toss a bit over my shoulder. Whenever I start baking anything, I have to take a pinch of flour and toss it on my work surface. And I knock on wood whenever necessary.”
“Is that it?”
I wondered if I should tell him about the mirror curse. If he didn’t believe me, he might think I was a little bit crazy. And if he did believe me, he might not want to risk it rubbing off on him.
“There’s probably more, but that’s what I can remember off the top of my head.”
“That doesn’t seem too weird.”
I smiled. “Thanks. That’s good to hear.”
We spent the rest of dinner chatting about all sorts of things. He told me stories about growing up in Tilikum, especially pranks he and his brothers played on the Bailey brothers in the days of the feud. I shared some of my ideas for new cookie flavors, and about the time I’d worked for a chef who’d barked orders like a military commander. We laughed a lot and it was just so… easy.
As the evening went on, it felt less and less like a first date with someone I barely knew. Somehow, he felt like someone I’d known for a long time. Like something in him was deeply familiar in a way I couldn’t explain.
I didn’t want our evening to end, but it was getting late—for me, at least. Such is life when you start work at four in the morning.
When I barely hid a yawn, he asked if I was ready to go. I wasn’t—I was really enjoying myself—but I didn’t want to nod off and bump my head on the table. Or make him think I was bored.
The rain had stopped by the time we left the restaurant, so he didn’t shield me with his jacket. But he did open the door and offer his hand to help me in. It was such a sweet gesture, and when I caught a glimpse of his subtle smile, I almost melted into a puddle.
Why thank you, Deputy Dreamy. Now, about that crime I committed earlier. Are you going to cuff me?
I rested my hands on my thighs on the drive back to my place, hoping he’d reach over and hold my hand. Silly? Maybe. But I was craving contact with him, wishing he’d initiate even a light touch. His presence left me feeling warm and content—and wanting more.
When we got to my house, he walked me to my door, and it occurred to me that nothing bad had happened all night. Sure, it had rained, but that wasn’t bad luck, just weather. I’d almost spilled on myself—twice—but hadn’t. No dropped forks or food in my teeth or tripping on the way out.
Maybe dating Garrett Haven wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Or maybe I just hoped it wasn’t.
Because looking up into his blue-gray eyes, I realized something. I really, really liked this guy. And I didn’t want my bad luck to ruin it.
Okay, luck , I thought, silently projecting out into the universe. If you’re going to mess this up, go ahead and do it now. Show me he doesn’t like me and I can move on, before I get too attached.
“Look, I need to be really honest with you.” His gaze was intense, and my heart sped up.
Oh, no. Here we go. “Okay. Honest is good.”
“I don’t know if I can make a relationship work.”
My heart sank. Okay, luck, you win.
“But,” he said vehemently, and hope surged like a wave. “I don’t know what it is about you. I keep telling myself I don’t have room for this, I don’t have time. And it’s like something in me just won’t listen. I can’t get you out of my head. And the truth is, I don’t want to.”
I could feel my pulse in my neck, beating hard. He shifted closer, ever so slightly, and my breath caught.
His eyes didn’t leave mine. “Can I see you again?”
Words, Harper. Say something. “Yes. I’d love that.”
The way his mouth turned up in a smile sent tingles down my spine. He moved in and I tilted my chin up, ready for his kiss.
His phone rang and he paused, his lips just inches from mine.
“Sorry.” He straightened and pulled out his phone. “Just in case it’s Owen.”
“That’s okay.” My voice was breathy and my head slightly dizzy.
He answered. “Hey, bud. Is everything all right?”
It was Owen. Totally understandable. I loved that he kept his phone on to make sure his son could reach him.
“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks for asking first. I’ll be on my way in a minute.” He ended the call and pocketed his phone. “Sorry about that. ”
“Don’t apologize. Tell Owen I said hi.”
His smile was back. “I will. So, I’ll call you?”
Or maybe come inside?
No, don’t say that, Harper. Too soon.
My body protested, my lady parts trying to usurp control from my rational brain. Our night had gone so well. And I wasn’t just interested in him, I was insanely attracted to him. I’d never been one to jump into bed with a man, but for Garrett Haven, I would have made an exception.
However, my bad luck was still lurking. I needed to be careful.
“That would be great,” I said. “As long as you mean it.”
“I’m a man of my word. I’ll call you.”
Swoon city.
“I had a great time tonight. Thank you.”
“I did too.” He took a deep breath, and I hoped he’d move in to kiss me again, but it seemed as if the moment had passed. “Goodnight, Harper.”
“Goodnight, Garrett.”
I went inside and paused, listening to the sound of his car leaving. That had been the best first date I’d ever had.
But I sighed, knowing what that probably meant. He’d call, sure. To tell me he’d just been offered a job with the FBI and had to move to Washington, D.C. or something.
Or maybe not. He seemed to have sidestepped—or averted—my bad luck all night. Maybe the mirror curse had just met its match.