13. Harper
CHAPTER 13
Harper
It had been a quieter than usual day at the bakery, but I didn’t mind. The slower pace had given me a chance to get ahead on special orders. Although it was only May, wedding season was already in full swing. Aunt Doris had come in for a few hours to decorate wedding cakes, which had also helped ease the stress of deadlines. Plus, it was great to see her feeling up to it.
I finished boxing up the day’s leftovers to take to the food bank and put them in a paper bag. There wasn’t a lot, so I took some bread off the shelf that could have sold the next day and added it to the top. I grabbed my things, switched off the lights, and with a contented sigh, let myself out the back door.
Although I was tired from the long day, I wasn’t going straight home. I had a hair appointment at a local salon, Timeless Beauty. One thing my mother had given me was thick hair. I kept it long—less maintenance, and I could pull it back or wear it up to keep it out of the way—but the ends were looking pretty sad. I was overdue for a trim and looking forward to a little pampering.
The salon was walking distance from the bakery, but I wanted to leave the food bank donation in my car, so I went to the parking lot behind the building. I dropped it off, leaving it in the back seat, locked the doors, and headed through the alley to the sidewalk.
He’d never been far from my thoughts, but with the busyness of work over, Garrett Haven rushed into my mind like a tidal wave.
I’d been surprised to see him when he’d come to my house. But nothing could have surprised me more than what had happened next.
That kiss. Those hands. His lips had been a little salty, his body hard and warm. As soon as his mouth had hit mine, I’d wanted him. All of him.
And the way he’d backed me up against a wall, like he was desperate for me? My panties had come off in a hot second and I had zero regrets about that.
Honestly, I’d always thought the sex up against the wall thing was a myth. No one could actually do that, right?
Garrett Haven could.
And he hadn’t just managed it. He’d blown my mind.
The memory made my cheeks warm and my stomach tingle as I walked. I still felt a hint of giddiness, the warmth and contentment lingering. How had I gotten so—
Nope. I wasn’t going to say lucky.
Regardless, I’d been in a great mood ever since. The only downside was how much I wanted to see him again. Not even just for the up-against-the-wall passion, although I’d happily do that again. I missed him.
That part was mildly disconcerting. I didn’t want to get too attached too quickly. Something always seemed to go wrong. I hated feeling like I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. But it always did, so…
At least he hadn’t gotten a sudden job offer in another country, or the promotion of his dreams that also meant he had to break up with me .
A squirrel with something stuffed in its cheeks darted in front of me and raced up the drainpipe. I blinked and glanced around. The salon was behind me. Lost in daydreams of Garrett, I’d walked right by.
“Thanks, little buddy,” I said as the squirrel disappeared onto the roof.
I turned around and went back to Timeless Beauty. A little bell above the door tinkled when I went in and a woman with long, dark hair smiled from behind the front counter.
“You must be Harper?” Her voice was friendly and professional.
“Yes, I have an appointment with Marigold.”
“I’ve got you all checked in. She’ll be right out.”
“Thanks.”
The salon was elegant, with a velvet chaise, ornately framed mirrors, and vintage artwork on the walls. Two women came out from a back room. One wore a navy dress and wedge sandals and her long brown hair hung in loose waves around her shoulders. The other, with blond hair and a pretty floral top, looked younger. Maybe twenty at the most.
“Night, Brielle,” the first woman said. “Thanks for your help today.”
“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.” Brielle gave her a hug, then left.
The brunette had an infectious smile. “Hi, Harper. I’m Marigold. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
I shook her outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you, too.”
“Come on back and we can talk about your hair.”
She gestured to a chair and I took a seat, then pulled out my low ponytail.
“The ends are so dry. I like the length overall, but it needs a trim.”
She ran her fingers through my hair, then held a section between two fingers and inspected the ends. “If you’re comfortable with it, I can take off about two inches and make you feel like a new woman.”
“That sounds great.”
She took me to the washing station and I relaxed while she washed and conditioned my hair. The scalp massage she gave me was worth whatever the haircut was going to cost. When she finished, she wrapped my hair in a towel and took me back to her station.
She got started combing out my hair. “I don’t know if you remember, but you did my wedding cake.”
My eyes widened in recognition. “I do remember. That was the day I first got into town.”
“We thought we might be without a cake until you arrived. And it was delicious, by the way.”
“Thank you so much. I’m glad I was able to get it to your reception on time. Sorry about that.”
“Oh goodness, no need to apologize.” She set the comb down, picked up her scissors, and started cutting. “How’s your aunt doing? I heard she’s had some health problems.”
“She’s doing quite a bit better now that she’s not working such long days.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.”
“Congratulations on your wedding, by the way.” I paused, putting the pieces together. “Wait, you’re married to a Haven, aren’t you?”
Her smile lit up her whole face. “Zachary.”
I almost blurted out, what a coincidence, I just slept with his brother! Fortunately, I stopped myself. “He’s Garrett’s brother?”
“He is,” she said, her tone lifting, as if to say, go on.
“I kind of went out with him the other night.”
She gasped, her eyes widening. “You’re kidding!”
“No. Why?”
“Sorry, I’m just surprised. Last I heard, he stood you up and then stubbornly insisted he’s not interested in dating. This is a lovely turn of events.”
“Thanks. We had a good time, so, um, hopefully…”
She raised her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth lifting.
“You know how it is when things are new, right? I haven’t lived in Tilikum very long, and I’ve had a string of bad luck in relationships. Actually I’ve had a string of bad luck in general, so it’s a little scary to get hopeful about something like this.”
“I completely understand.”
“And I’m not usually one to let temptation take over, but he stopped by yesterday, kind of randomly, and let’s just say things got a lot hotter than I expected. I’m talking, up against the wall hot. Marigold, I didn’t even know that move was real. It was incredible. I’m talking the best orgasm I’ve ever had.” I stopped, my eyes widening. “Why am I telling you all this? I’m so sorry, we just met, this is so inappropriate, I need to stop talking and I can’t seem to.”
She put down her scissors and squeezed the sides of my shoulders. “Don’t be sorry. This happens all the time. I promise, it’s all safe with me. What’s said in the sacred chair of hair, stays in the sacred chair of hair.”
“You’re just very nice and so pretty, it makes me want to trust you.”
“You can trust me.” She squeezed my arms again, then went back to my hair. “You can trust Garrett, too, by the way. He’s a really good guy. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my brother-in-law. He helped save my life once.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “He did. His loyalty is unmatched. Plus, he’s a great dad and a well-respected deputy.”
“That’s the thing, it’s all too perfect. Things like this don’t work out for me. The other shoe always drops.”
“It sounds like Garrett is exactly what you need. Besides, sometimes the best thing comes along when we least expect it.”
“Is that what happened with you and Zachary?”
“You could say that.” She fluffed out my hair. “Let’s get you dry, then I’ll finish up.”
She blow dried my hair and I loved how she made it so shiny. It already looked so much healthier. And despite the fact that I’d unintentionally told her too much—best orgasm I’d ever had?—it had felt good to tell someone.
Starting over in a new place was hard.
Before I paid, she gave me her number and suggested we get together sometime. I loved that idea and hoped she meant it. Starting a new relationship was great, but the way I’d babbled to her reminded me I probably needed to try a little harder to make some friends.
I left, feeling pretty, and not quite skipped down the sidewalk back to my car. I got to the parking lot behind the bakery and paused. Something red and shiny caught my eye. It was a gift bag, hanging from the driver’s side mirror of my car.
My first thought was Garrett. Had he left me a surprise gift?
The bag was glossy, a dark red background with lighter red hearts that caught the sunlight. It looked like the sort of thing you saw in stores around Valentine’s Day. And it seemed a tiny bit odd. Maybe a touch too on the nose for a guy like Garrett Haven.
Then again, despite the fact that I’d happily let him take me up against a wall, and again on my couch, I didn’t really know him all that well. Not yet. Maybe gift giving was one of his love languages.
I untied the string holding the bag to the mirror. There wasn’t any tissue paper or other filler, and I pulled out a brown teddy bear with a bright red ribbon around its neck.
Huh .
I checked the bag for a note, but didn’t find anything. There wasn’t anything attached to the bear, not even a little scribble on the tag. And no sign of a note or card on the ground, either.
The bear was kind of cute, if you liked that sort of thing. I didn’t want to be ungrateful. If Garrett had thought I’d enjoy a stuffed animal, I absolutely appreciated it. But it looked a bit worn, as if it wasn’t brand new. With a tickle of apprehension in my stomach, I brought the bear to my nose and sniffed. It had a hint of mustiness to it. Definitely wasn’t new.
I glanced around again, wondering if the gift giver was watching me. It couldn’t have been Garrett. Could it?
If it had been, I was going to start questioning some very big choices I’d recently made. Particularly the one involving a wall and a lack of underwear.
I dropped the bear back in the gift bag, got in my car, and locked the doors. It felt weird to stand in the open air with that thing. But I had to know. I dug my phone out of my purse and called Garrett.
“Hey, Harper.”
“Hi. You’re probably working and I’m so sorry to bug you. But… did you leave a gift on my car?”
“No. What is it?”
“A teddy bear.”
He hesitated, as if he were as confused as I was. “There was a teddy bear on your car?”
“It was in a gift bag hanging from the side mirror. Whoever it was, they didn’t leave a note. I wonder if it was a mistake and they put it on the wrong car.”
“Okay, walk me through it. Did you discover the bag just now?”
“Yes.”
“What were you doing before that? Did you just leave the bakery?”
“No, I went to the salon and got a haircut. ”
“Got it. Did you drive to the salon or was your car outside the bakery the whole time?”
“It was outside the bakery. I walked to the salon.”
“When you left the bakery, did you notice anything on your car at that point? Did you look?”
He was totally using his cop voice. It was such a turn-on.
“There wasn’t anything there. I’m sure of it. I brought the day’s leftovers to the car before I went to my appointment and didn’t see anything.”
“So whoever left it on your car must have put it there after you left for your salon appointment. What time was that?”
“Um, I guess I left the bakery at about five-thirty. My appointment was at five forty-five.”
“Okay, I want you to check the bear. Are there any zippers, buttons, or other openings?”
I turned it over and around, inspecting all the seams. “No.”
“What about the neck?”
“Nothing there, either. It has a bow, but it’s just a ribbon and there’s nothing underneath.”
“Squeeze it. Anything hard inside?”
“Are you thinking it has a camera in it or something?”
“Yes.”
I started squeezing it all over, including the stubby arms and legs. I hadn’t even thought about a hidden camera. But why would someone give me a bear with an old school nanny cam in it? It wasn’t like I had a bakery rival who wanted to steal my recipes or something.
“It’s soft all over. I don’t feel anything. Just stuffing.”
“Got it.”
The seriousness in his voice made me smile. “Are you writing all this down like you’re investigating a crime?”
“I’m documenting, yes.”
“So professional. ”
“I’m just trying to put the pieces together to see if we can figure out who did this.”
“I know. I’m just saying, you must be very good at your job.” My tone was light and flirtatious. “You’re certainly good at other things.”
The way he cleared his throat was so cute. Had I flustered him a little? “You bring out the best in me.”
I leaned back against the headrest, my cheeks warming as heat burst between my legs.
“But listen,” he continued, “I’m concerned about this. Are you home?”
“Not yet. I’m still in the parking lot.”
“Lock your doors.”
“I already did.”
“Good. Head home but watch for any sign that you’re being followed. If you see anyone, don’t go home. Come here to the sheriff’s office.”
My back tightened. The situation, and his response, was making me increasingly nervous. It had to be a mistake, right? Someone left it on the wrong car. I barely knew anyone in Tilikum. Who would leave a weird teddy bear in a shiny heart bag?
“Okay, I’m going home now. I’ll call you if anything else weird happens.”
“Do that. It might be nothing, but let’s not take any chances.”
I could tell by his tone that he didn’t think it was nothing. Of course, that was his job, to find the something—the who and the why in every situation.
“No chances. Doors are locked. I’ll watch behind me and go to the sheriff’s office if there’s anything sus. I mean, suspicious.”
He chuckled softly. Wow, I loved making him do that.
“Talk to you later,” he said.
“Yeah. Bye. ”
I ended the call and left. Instead of going straight home, I took a round-about route. There weren’t any cars behind me until I was already a mile or so from downtown. It was a guy in an old truck and he didn’t stay behind me for long—just a few blocks—before turning left. I clearly wasn’t being followed, not even at a distance.
Once I was safely home, I parked and gave the gift bag the side eye. On a whim, I held the bear up and took a picture, then texted it to Owen.
Me: Look what someone left on my car. Tell me that’s not weird.
Owen: Who left it?
Me: I don’t know. No note.
Owen: Sus
Me: That’s what I said!
Owen: Did you tell my dad?
Me: Yeah. He thinks it’s sus too.
Owen: He’d know.
Me: It’s so creepy. Not even brand new. Like someone had this in a closet somewhere.
Owen: Looks like a bad prank. I’d blame my uncles, but they’re better than that. That’s just sad.
Me: If it’s a prank, I don’t get it.
Owen: What are you going to do with it?
Me: I don’t know. Probably show it to your dad for evidence or something.
Owen: Sounds about right. Be careful, K?
Me: I will. Don’t worry.
Owen: Don’t bring it in the house. I’m not saying it will come to life at night, but…
Me: With my luck, I’m not taking any chances. It lives outside.
Owen: Good plan. Garage, maybe, so the squirrels don’t steal it.
Me: Tilikum squirrels on the loose with a creepy bear? Sounds like a horror movie.
Owen: Exactly .
Laughing, I put the bear back in the gift bag. Owen cracked me up.
Of course, there was no way I was bringing that thing inside. I didn’t really believe inanimate objects could come to life at night. But still, why tempt fate? Especially when I was still under the dark cloud of the bad luck curse. If anyone was at risk of being murdered by a creepy teddy bear, it would be me.
I got out and deposited the gift bag in the corner of the garage. I stepped back, eying it for a second, then found a moving box I hadn’t recycled yet and put it over the top. If it did come to life after dark, I didn’t know if a cardboard box would stop it. But the barrier, however flimsy, made me feel a little better.
So did the text from Garrett that came through a moment later.
Garrett: Did you make it home okay?
Me: Yep. Nothing unusual. I’m leaving the creepy bear in the garage though.
Garrett: Good. I’ll take a look at it when I can. I’ll also see if any of the businesses have a camera on that parking lot. See if I can pull footage.
Me: It’s okay, you don’t have to go to all that trouble.
Garrett: Yes, I do.
That made me smile. His concern was comforting.
Me: I don’t think Aunt Doris ever put up cameras, but maybe one of the neighboring buildings did.
Garrett: Let’s hope so.
I didn’t want to stop talking to him, even just over text, but I wasn’t sure what else to say. I went inside and made sure to lock the deadbolt on the door from the house to the garage. Not because I thought a murderous bear would come rampaging inside. But because it was weird that someone had left it on my car. And while no one had followed me home, this was a small town. It wouldn’t be hard for anyone to find out where I lived.
The whole thing was just strange.
But I felt a lot better knowing I had Garrett Haven looking out for me.