Chapter 26
twenty-six
HARPER
T hings have been strained between Finn and me since the dressing room incident. Telling him we couldn’t do anything like that again went against everything I felt inside. But it was the right thing to do.
I’m the screwup. No, I don’t mess up enough to land myself in jail or anything.
But if there’s a mistake to be made, I usually make it.
Like the time I accidentally put unleaded in my cousin’s truck because I wasn’t paying attention.
Or the time my dad asked for help with dinner, and I got distracted, causing the entire grill to go up in flames.
Once I referred to my brother’s girlfriend by his ex’s name, which caused a whole thing.
Well, Easton should thank me for that one. She wasn’t near good enough for him.
The point is, I can’t trust myself yet. If I want something, it probably means it’s the wrong decision to make. Sure, we all laugh about it, and no one is mean to me or tries to make me feel bad. They just think that’s how I am, that bad things happen to Harper, but what if I’m the cause of them?
So, I won’t screw this up. This is my child we’re talking about, and I can’t afford to do anything that could possibly lead to me messing up my relationship with his or her dad.
I don’t want her or him to be living in a situation where their parents can’t be in the room together.
I want a mature relationship, one where we have a great friendship.
It’s a shame though.
It really is.
Because what we did in that dressing room was one of the hottest things to ever happen in my life.
I’m sitting at the breakfast bar, moving my oatmeal around with my spoon, daydreaming about what went down, when the front door opens. A quick glance at the clock tells me it’s a little after eight in the morning, so it must be Finn.
He’s been at the firehouse since yesterday morning and is just coming off his shift. When he walks in wearing his black uniform, it does absolutely nothing to ease the desire I’ve been denying.
“Morning. I grabbed you a decaf coffee at Brewed Awakenings and scored the last green tea donut from Sweet Suga Things.”
It’s not just his looks and our chemistry that attracts me to him, but things like this. He’s thoughtful and considerate, and he’s been nothing but supportive.
“Thank you. How was your shift?”
He sets the drink and donut in front of me. “Pretty boring. Which is a good thing. Just makes for a long shift.”
“Yeah, I suppose a busy day for you is a bad day for someone else.”
He chuckles and sits on the stool next to me. “Hey, good news. I have a lead on a place in town. One of the guys at the station bought a house and is moving out of his rental at the end of the month. Said he’d talk to the owner for me.”
“Oh… yeah, that is good.” I force myself to smile.
I know this was the plan all along, but his words take me by surprise. The truth is, I don’t want Finn to move out. He’s been easy to live with, and we get along. But I suppose it’s for the best. Maybe a little distance will help me remember what this is and is not between us.
Besides, I think Maven’s been keeping her distance with Finn here. She’s barely home these days. I don’t think she’s uncomfortable having him here, but I think she assumes we have things we need to work out between us.
“With any luck, I’ll be out of your and Maven’s hair in no time.”
I give him a tight smile then take a bite of my donut to prevent myself from begging him to stay. My phone buzzes on the counter beside me, and I take the opportunity for the distraction, picking it up. I see that it’s a text from Palmer, so I unlock my screen to read it.
OMG were you and Finn getting it on at the maternity store?
My eyes widen. “Oh, shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Finn asks from beside me.
I set the donut down, lick my fingers clean, then clench my phone in both hands to pull up the Buzz Wheel app. Usually I check the app most nights, but I was tired and bored last night with Finn at work, so I went to bed early and haven’t seen what they posted.
“What? The baby?” Finn’s worried voice permeates my thoughts, but I can’t look away from the screen.
BABY BUMPS AND BABY DADDY
I have it on good authority that Harper Bailey, along with her baby daddy in tow, visited Anchorage to do a little maternity clothes shopping.
But from what I’m hearing, they walked away with more than just some new outfits.
Things got pretty hot and heavy in the dressing room from what I’m told.
Does this mean these two are an actual couple now?
Has Finn gone from baby daddy to boyfriend?
Time will tell. Either way, good for you, Harper!
Pregnant women deserve to have some fun.
I groan and pass my phone to Finn, feeling the tension in his body ratcheting higher as he reads.
When he’s done, he sets my phone on the counter. “There really is no such thing as privacy around here, is there?”
“We were in Anchorage. We should have been fine,” I grumble.
“This is my fault. I should have never…”
“It’s not like I was an unwilling participant, Finn.
Maybe I wasn’t as quiet as I thought.” I glance at him to see his nostrils flare, his jaw set.
He hasn’t been quiet about his feelings for Buzz Wheel.
“I’m sorry you have to deal with this. That this kind of thing goes with the territory around here. ”
He frowns. “You don’t have to apologize.”
“You’re angry. I should know better.”
Finn cocks his head. “I’m not angry.”
“Then why do you look so intense right now?”
His shoulders relax a little, and he chuckles. “Because you brought up how loud you might have been, and that made me remember you coming in that mirror and how hot it was. I’m not angry, Harper, I’m horny and trying to tamp it down.”
All the air rushes from my lungs. I don’t know what to say. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.” He has an amused grin. “Anyway, how do you want to handle this? Like what do I say if someone brings it up?”
“Just deny, deny, deny. That’s all you can do. No one will believe you but deny it anyway.”
He gives me a sharp nod. “Okay.”
I pick my phone back up to type out a message to Palmer.
I’ll fill you in later.
I set my phone down, and it buzzes again almost immediately, but I ignore it. She’ll have to wait for the juicy details.
The two of us eat in silence for a few minutes, both in our heads.
“Are you going to the gym tonight?” I ask once the silence feels too awkward.
He shakes his head. “No, actually I have to work.”
I frown. “Shouldn’t you have a few days off?”
“Remember how I told you I was going to talk to the captain about flying down to Vermont to pack up the rest of my things and drive my truck back here?”
I nod and pop the last piece of my donut into my mouth.
“He said I could take the time to do so. I’ll leave in a couple of days.”
“Oh, that’s good.” I ignore the way my chest pinches at the thought that he’ll be gone for a bit. “So, you have to pick up some extra shifts before you go?”
“Sort of? He said that if I go do the annual safety and first aid presentation at the Northern Lights Retirement Home, then I can take the time I need to drive back.”
I try and fail to keep a burst of laughter inside me.
Finn’s forehead wrinkles. “What’s so funny?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure I know why he agreed.” I continue to try to stifle my laughter.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been there, Finn. You saw the residents.”
He shrugs. “They were definitely interesting, but they’re just a bunch of senior citizens. How bad could it be?”
Any filter I had to not laugh breaks. “They’re going to eat you alive, Finn. I need some entertainment, so I’m going with you.”
He rolls his eyes. “Harper, I’ll be fine.”
“Even so, I’m coming.” I shake my head and slide off the stool to grab a paper towel to clean up all the crumbs on the counter.
“Be ready to leave at six.”
“Will do.”
I don’t need reality television. This will be like watching a reunion of my favorite show.