Chapter Seven
Harper smiled as she watched Shelley and the others send their texts. It had been a wonderful evening. These women were different from her friends back in New York, but if she were honest, she maybe felt more at home with them.
Her friends in the city were people she'd met through work — editors and agents, people in the publishing industry. She’d known them for years, and she had a lot in common with them. Perhaps too much, she realized as she looked around at the women.
Of course she loved that she got to spend time with Shelley, who’d been her best friend since they'd met in college.
And she'd always been interested to hear about Shelley's career as a lawyer.
Ari was another lawyer, or at least she used to be before she moved to Montana. She was sharp and insightful.
Candy worked in the bakery. She was maybe the most motherly one of the group.
Like Harper, she'd grown up in the foster care system and never had kids of her own. But while Harper had never looked back after she escaped the system at eighteen, Candy had gone on to become a foster parent when she was married. She’d been a foster mom to Spider and Rocket, who owned the bakery where she now worked, and now all these years later they were still a real family.
Candy had found a way to be a mom.
Harper looked away. Then she smiled again as she watched Retta – Retta was a sweetheart. She was quieter, but Harper had a soft spot for her.
And then there was Libby — who was from Montana and had grown up here in the valley. From what Harper knew, she'd lived here her whole life.
As if she felt Harper's eyes on her, Libby caught her gaze. "Look at them all texting their men to come get them." Her smile faded. "Wait — how are you getting home?"
Harper laughed. "Cash, apparently. He said he was going to hang out with the guys this evening, so he'd give me a ride home afterward since—" She caught herself before she gave away where he was living. "Since he has to pass the cottage on his way home." That wasn't a lie. She didn't like to lie.
Libby frowned and looked down at her phone. "Looks like you're coming with me then."
"What do you mean?" Harper asked.
"He texted me a little while ago to say that he'll give me a ride back into town."
"That's fine by me," said Harper.
While the others chatted and finished their drinks as they waited for the guys to arrive, Shelley pulled Harper aside.
"What's up, girlfriend?"
Shelley laughed. "Have you had one too many?"
"Nope."
"Are you sure?"
Harper shook her head a little too adamantly. "I'm positive I've had two too many. But that's okay. How about you?"
"I think I'm the same," said Shelley. "I always say I'm going to take it easy when we come out. But once we all get talking and the wine starts flowing, I forget how my head will feel in the morning. But listen — I wanted to ask you. I was surprised when you showed up with Cash."
Harper laughed. "So was I. But don't go reading anything into it."
"No?" Shelley asked with raised eyebrows.
"No — come on, you know there's nothing like that between us. I mean, I joke about it, but only because I know it's safe. He's not interested in me. And no, before you ask, I'm not interested in him."
"So why the sudden change? When we spoke earlier, you said you were driving yourself."
"And I was about to, when Cash arrived and said he was coming this way anyway, so why not?"
Shelley pressed her lips together. "I mean, if you and he were..."
"But we're not," Harper said with a laugh.
"Good, because I like Cash. Don't get me wrong — but there's something about you and Emmett that just..."
Harper glanced over at the others before she lowered her voice. "If you want to know the full story, that's part of the reason that Cash wanted to give me a ride here. Apparently, he likes the idea of me and Emmett maybe seeing each other, too."
"He does?"
"Yeah."
"But you're still not convinced."
"It's not that I'm not convinced for me, it's just... I don't know."
She glanced over at the others again. Ari caught her gaze and waved. "I don't think it's fair that the two of you are keeping secrets, you know. I thought we all shared everything."
Harper grinned at her. "Almost everything. And I'm sure it'll be absolutely everything at some point soon. But you have to give me a pass — I haven't known you ladies all that long. Shelley and I are getting close to our fortieth anniversary."
"Damn," said Candy. "I knew you were old friends, but..."
"Now we sound like we're just old," Shelley said with a laugh.
"I think it's amazing," said Retta. "I never really had any friends until I got to know you ladies."
Libby slung an arm around Retta's shoulders. "But now you're making up for lost time. You have all of us. And we all have each other. I love it."
Ari looked down at her phone. "Get ready, ladies — they're just pulling up outside."
Candy was already pulling her coat on. She hugged each of them in turn.
"I'm going to grab Deacon and run. I know I don't have to be at the bakery as early in the morning, but I still want to get in there to help out.
I'd rather have an extra half hour of sleep than stand out there saying goodnight to everyone.
Hopefully I'll see you all at the bakery tomorrow afternoon. "
Instead of waiting for the guys to come in like they usually did, the women trooped out after Candy.
Deacon came straight to Candy and spun her around, much like the young cowboy at the airport had done with his girlfriend the other day.
Ace went to Ari and cupped her cheeks in his hands as he pressed a kiss to her lips.
Travis scooped Retta up as if she were his bride and strode away to his truck with her calling, "We'll see you guys soon.
" Trip came and took Shelley's hand, and it was only when Shelley gave her a meaningful look that Harper realized Cash wasn't the only guy left waiting.
She did a double take, and the world seemed to tilt sideways — but she wasn't just imagining it. Emmett was standing beside his truck, staring right at her while Cash spoke to him.
Shelley called goodbye, and Libby came to her.
"I know you prefer to keep your secrets — tell me to keep my nose out if you like — but are you and Emmett...?"
Harper shook her head rapidly.
"But is there something there?" Libby insisted.
Harper met her gaze and held it. "You want the truth?"
"I wouldn’t be asking if I was happy to guess."
"Okay. The truth is that I don't know much more than you do at this point, but I'm hopeful. But if you think it's a terrible idea—"
"Hell no," said Libby. "If something happens between you two, I'd be so happy. I know we haven't had a chance to get to know each other that well, but you have my number. Use it. If there's anything at all I can do to help push the two of you toward each other, I'm on board, okay?"
Harper hesitated. "I don't want to push him anywhere."
Libby reached out to touch her arm. "That's why I'm saying it. I think you and I are alike in a lot of ways — we don’t need anyone’s help, and we go after what we want, but only after we put everyone else first. It's obvious what Cash has done tonight, isn't it?"
"Oh, hell yeah," said Harper with a rueful smile.
"You'll get used to him."
"I think I already am."
"And are you okay with it? You can still ride along with us while he drops me home if you prefer."
Harper glanced over at Emmett again. At first, he'd looked kind of shell-shocked. Now he seemed a little more relaxed. "For myself, I'm more than okay with it," she told Libby. "I'm more than happy for Emmett to give me a ride home — as long as he is."
Libby smiled. "Looks to me like he is. Cash is good at maneuvering everyone like pieces on a chessboard, but he hasn't been able to do it with Emmett for years.
Well — that's not entirely true. He's put him in a couple of situations, but Emmett just turns around and walks away if he doesn't want to go along with it.
" She jerked her chin toward him. "If he didn’t want to be here, he’d be back in his truck and on his way home.
He's waiting for you, Harper. He's not going anywhere. "
~ ~ ~
As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, Travis grasped Emmett's shoulder and gave it a shake. "It was good to catch up with you, bud. I'll give you a call next week, okay?"
"Okay." Emmett was a little surprised when Travis jumped out and strode away without another word. Although, when the women came out of the restaurant, he understood. The guys were greeting them—claiming them.
And in his usual style, Travis headed straight for Retta and swept her up off her feet, carrying her away to his truck with nothing more than a wave.
His heart ached as he watched the others—Ace with Ari, Deacon with Candy, and Trip with Shelley.
He fastened his seatbelt and started the engine again, figuring it was better to just ride away and leave them to it.
But before he could put the truck in gear, his door opened, and Cash stood there. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Home. You don't need me, do you? You're taking Libby now, right?"
"I am. But that doesn't mean I don't need you."
"What for?"
Cash inclined his head toward the entrance to the restaurant, and Emmett inhaled sharply when he saw Harper standing there with Libby.
His thoughts scattered for a moment, but it didn't take him long to figure out what Cash was up to.
"I could be so mad at you right now."
Cash just smiled. "You could, but if you were, you wouldn't have unfastened your seatbelt already. Come on out."
Emmett did as he said, but then stood beside his truck, not knowing what to do. "Is she expecting me?"