Chapter Eleven – Harper
Harper
I couldn’t help but laugh at Declan. “You want to be there when I tell your mom it was all for show?”
“Hell yeah, I do.”
Frowning slightly, I asked, “Don’t you think it’ll make your mother feel bad to know that one of her sons is so afraid to stand up to her, that he’d actually rather lie than be honest?”
Declan’s smile faded. “I never thought about it that way.”
I gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I don’t want to be the one to tell her, but I have a feeling Sean isn’t going to say anything.”
“And in the meantime, if Caroline ends up breaking up with her guy, Sean won’t hesitate to cut you loose.”
“I know! He already humiliated me with the real breakup. I’ll be damned if I let him do it with a fake one.”
Declan sighed. “I’m starving. Do you want to go get something to eat?”
“Do you like pizza?”
He raised a brow. “Does anyone on this Earth not like pizza?”
I grinned. “My sister Amanda hates pizza.”
“That’s not right.”
Standing, I reached for his hand and guided him back into the house and down to the kitchen. “How about we make pizza instead of going out?”
“And miss the town gossips questioning why you’re out with me and not my brother?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Can you even imagine the gossip?”
He laughed. “I can. What do you need me to do?”
Jerking my chin toward the counter with the cookbooks, I asked, “Can you grab the one with the red spine?”
“Sure.”
I took out the ingredients I needed from the pantry and set everything on the counter. “Have you ever made pizza dough?”
“I have. One of my buddies I lived with loved to cook. The guy was good at it too. If he ever gets out of the Marines, he needs to open his own restaurant.”
“That good?”
“Oh man, the guy could cook , Harp. He’d make some crazy different dishes, too, just experimenting. And he made a killer pizza dough.”
“Wish I had his recipe.”
“Do you have one in here?” he asked, holding up the cookbook.
I nodded. “Yeah, there’s one in there.”
“Wait…you know what? Let me call him and see if he’ll give us his recipe.”
Declan set the cookbook down and took his cell out of his pocket, stepping away. A few moments later, he was talking.
“Hey, Lenny, how’s it going?” He laughed at something before saying, “It’s going great. It’s different. Quiet, which is a good thing. Yeah, it’s nice, that’s for sure. Listen, do you happen to have your pizza dough recipe on hand? I’m making pizza with…”
When his voice trailed off, I glanced over at him. He was standing in the middle of the living room, staring at me. I smiled, and he returned the gesture.
“I’m making pizza with a friend, and I told her you had the best recipe. Yes, she is. Very. No, we’re not. It’s complicated.”
I rolled my eyes. That was one word to describe it. While Declan spoke to his friend Lenny, I got everything together for the sauce. I’d memorized the recipe years ago, ever since Amanda and I became responsible for the sauce recipe on family pizza night. Candice got to make the dough with our father because she was the oldest. Amanda and I never thought that was fair, but we still loved pizza night.
“Okay, he texted me the recipe. Said his grandmother used to use this one for her pizza dough.”
I rubbed my hands together. “Ooooh. Let me hear it.”
As Declan read the ingredients, I checked to be sure I had everything. Once we had our ingredients measured out, Declan got to work on the dough, while I started the sauce and cut up the veggies.
“Anything you don’t like?” I asked.
“Nope, I like everything, so whatever you prep is good with me.”
We worked in silence. I realized I hadn’t ever felt this comfortable with anyone else, not even Sean. Not that dating him wasn’t great…at first. The first few months with Sean were awesome. He’d been my first long-term boyfriend, but after a year I realized that while I loved the idea of a boyfriend, in my heart of hearts, I knew Sean wasn’t the one.
“So tell me, when did you decide you wanted to take over your mom’s flower shop?” Declan asked, as he spread sauce over his two small pizzas. He’d decided to split the dough into four small rounds, two for each of us, that we could both make up however we wanted.
As I sprinkled fresh garlic onto my second pizza, I smiled as I fondly remembered the day I told my mother I wanted to take over running the shop. “Gosh, I think I was like fourteen or so. I knew early that I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps. I grew up with flowers and plants, so it was easy to fall in love with the idea of being surrounded by them every day in the shop.”
“What about your sisters? Candice is older. She didn’t want to run the shop?”
A snort of laughter slipped free, and I covered my mouth as I felt my cheeks heat. “Sorry! Not very ladylike.”
He winked, and my stomach pitched one way and then the other. I had to force myself not to lay my hands over it to calm it down.
“Candice hates flowers. She’s allergic to practically everything, I swear, so she hardly ever came to the shop. Mom had to move so many of her plants outside once they learned about Candice’s allergies. Amanda and I were pissed because we had some in our bedrooms that our parents said we had to take out, too, since Candice often came into our rooms. I actually refused and put a sign on my door that told Candice to stay out.”
Declan chuckled. “Did she?”
“Yep! She had no choice. My room was filled with plants. Plus, I regularly picked fresh flowers from my mom’s gardens and put them in vases in my room. I loved being surrounded by flowers.”
“Still do?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said with a firm nod. “I still do. I don’t think I could ever tire of working with flowers and plants. And when someone orders a bouquet for whatever reason, I love being a part of that process. When someone looks at a bouquet of flowers, it always brings a smile to their face. There’s something so gratifying about that.”
“I get that. It was really nice, hearing all the people commenting about your arrangements during the Memorial Day barbecue.”
Smiling, I turned to Declan. “That’s good to know.” I glanced at his pizzas. “Are you ready to put them in the pizza oven?”
“You have a pizza oven?”
With a grin, I pointed upstairs. “On the roof.”
He slid his pizzas onto the pizza peel I gave him, and we headed back up to the roof.
“It won’t take long for them to cook,” I said, as I put Declan’s in first. As they baked, I went to the rooftop kitchen and opened a cabinet, pulling out two plates, some silverware, and some ranch dressing from the small refrigerator.
“Man, you’ve thought of everything.”
“I have to admit, my father helped with the kitchen items for us here. It was my idea for the pizza oven, and to keep ranch stocked at all times.”
“A girl after my own heart.” Declan bent to peer into the pizza oven. “Looks like these are about done.”
He slid the pizza peel in and pulled his out, then I slipped mine in. “Don’t wait on me. Go ahead and start eating.”
Declan ignored me, waiting for my pizzas to be finished before he took his over to the table. I followed behind.
“What’s with the silverware?” he asked.
“It’s for the pizza.”
His brows drew down in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Picking up my fork and knife, I cut a piece of pizza and popped it into my mouth. “Um…to eat ? You’ve never used a fork and knife for your pizza?”
Declan stared at me in disbelief. “How are you a New Yorker? You fold it in half and eat it that way.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “No, that’s only for that thin, greasy pizza in New York City. My pizza, you eat with a knife and a fork.”
“You’ve never been to the right pizza place in New York. I’ll have to fix that.”
My brows shot up. “Are you asking me to go to New York with you for pizza?”
He’d just taken a big bite of his pizza, and was now chewing while I waited for his response. After wiping his mouth, he set the napkin down. “I guess I am. Would you be down for it?”
“A spontaneous trip to New York City? Hell yes, I would!”
Declan’s face broke out into a wide grin. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
We continued to eat and talk. My phone rang when we were just about done, and I took a quick look. “It’s Brystol. Do you mind?”
“No, I don’t mind at all.”
“Hey, Bry, what’s up?”
“A few of us are heading to The Muddled Moose for trivia night. Did you want to come?”
“Trivia night at The Muddled Moose, huh?” I said, as I gave Declan a silent, questioning look.
“Sounds fun,” he whispered.
“Count us in.”
Brystol moaned. “Please don’t bring Sean. You know I can’t stand the guy, and it would just be for show anyway. Trust me, his mother won’t be there.”
I laughed. “I wasn’t going to bring Sean. I was going to bring Declan.”
A loud squeal came through the line, and I pulled my phone away from my ear. Declan clearly heard it because he chuckled.
“Did Sean finally work his balls out of his ass and tell his parents the truth?”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “How do you own a children’s toy store with that mouth of yours?”
“What? I’m not even at the toy store! I’m home. Surely I can speak the way I want in my own home.”
Sighing, I replied, “Of course you can, and no, I don’t think he’s told his mother yet. I’m about to, though.”
“That’s the Harper I know! Okay, be sure you’re at The Muddled Moose by seven-thirty.”
“Do we need to bring anything for the game?”
“Just yourself. See you soon!”
“Sounds good. See ya later.”
I hit End and set my phone on the table. “Do you think Sean will tell your mother?”
Declan leaned back in his chair. “Honestly?”
“Of course.”
“No. He doesn’t have the guts to stand up to Mom.”
Closing my eyes, I sighed.
“But who cares? That shouldn’t stop us from having a great night tonight. Besides, there’s no way in hell my mother will be at trivia night at The Muddled Moose.”
After a few seconds of staring at one another, we both started laughing. “Yeah, I can’t see your mom there either.”
Declan reached for my hand. “Then I say we go and have fun. To hell with what the gossips in town will say. Let them think you’re dating two brothers at the same time.”
“My father might have something to say about that.”
Laughing, Declan nodded. “He is my boss, technically, so…maybe we don’t want to give him any reasons for disliking me. Because I fully plan on dating his daughter.”
I chewed on my lower lip. “I like the sound of that.”
Declan stood, taking my hand in his and pulling me up. He cupped my face and leaned in, his eyes meeting mine. “Now, I’m going to kiss you, Harper Browning.”
My hands smoothed up his arms, and I held on. “Stop talking, Declan, and just kiss me, will you!”
He smiled, and everything in my world felt so right. Our lips pressed together, and I moaned when his tongue met mine.
It started slow, but quickly turned hot and needy. My hands slid down his chest and under his shirt as Declan did his own exploring, dropping one hand and cupping my breast, giving it a soft squeeze that nearly had my legs buckling out from under me. His other hand lowered to my rear end, pulling me closer, and when I felt his arousal, I dug my nails into his chest.
When Declan finally broke the kiss, we stared at one another, panting as if we’d just finished a marathon.
Best. Kiss. Ever.
Declan ran next door to his apartment to change before we headed out for trivia night. After quickly changing into jeans and a sweater, since it was still a little chilly at night and we’d be at a rooftop bar, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and refreshed the little makeup I had on.
My phone buzzed as I finished, and I picked it up to see it was Sean.
“Hey.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Getting ready to go out with friends, why?”
“Can you cancel?”
I swore, I instantly saw red. “Why have you not told your mother? Sean, so help me, I’m going to do it.”
“I will, but Declan came over earlier today and caused a scene and—”
“Sean, I’m not doing this. I want to move on with my life, and I can’t do that if I’m pretending to be your girlfriend.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you need to tell your mother tonight. If you don’t, I’ll tell her tomorrow.”
“What’s the rush, Harper?”
“The rush is I don’t want to do this anymore! I’m tired of this game.”
He huffed. “I got you season tickets.”
“You can have them back, Sean. I’m. Done. And by the way, I’m going out with Declan tonight.”
The line was dead silent for a moment before Sean cleared his throat. “You’re going out with my brother?”
“I am. We’re going to meet some friends for trivia night. So, as you can imagine, I’d like for this charade to be over.”
“I just need more time!”
Frustrated, I asked, “For what, Sean? Your mother is never going to stop wanting you with Crystal unless you man the hell up and tell her you like Caroline. That Crystal is like a sister to you. And fake-dating someone else isn’t changing anything. Does Caroline even know you like her?”
“I haven’t said anything since she has a boyfriend.”
“Did she have one when you broke up with me?”
He cleared his throat but refused to answer.
“I’ll take that as a no. But you were afraid your mother wouldn’t be happy if you asked her out.”
“You have no idea what life is like with my mother, Harper.”
“Oh, I have a great idea, Sean. I dated you for several years, remember?”
He let out a long breath. “One more day, Harper. Please.”
“No. I was an idiot for even going along with this. It’s over. You’ve got until tomorrow morning to tell her, or I will.”
I hit End and pushed my phone into the back pocket of my jeans, checked my makeup once more, then stared at my reflection.
“You’re doing the right thing, Harper. He has to tell his mother. He has to grow up.”
The doorbell for the back door rang, and I grabbed my purse and a light jacket and headed down the steps. When I opened the door, my heart stumbled at the sight of Declan. He was so damn handsome, and so…manly…but his smile gave him a boyish look that I loved.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I’m so ready. Did you want to walk down? That way we can both have a drink.”
“Sure, it’s just a few blocks, and God knows I could use as much fresh air as possible.”
As we started to walk, Declan reached down and took my hand in his. My pulse instantly kicked up in rhythm, and the warmth of his touch spread across my entire body.
“Were you deployed in parts of the world without fresh air?”
He shrugged. “Not fresh like we’re used to. Hot deserts, muggy forests, and sometimes even the frigid tundra.”
I shuddered. “I can’t do cold.”
Declan stopped, causing me to stop as well. When I faced him, he gave me a quizzical look.
“What?”
“You can’t do cold, yet you live in Upstate New York? Close to Canada? Where the winters can be brutal?”
I giggled. “Okay, yes, I see what you’re saying, but I hate the winter months. Hate them. I can never get warm enough, ya know?”
“I do know what you mean. It seems easier to cool off than to warm up.”
“Yes!” I said as we started walking once again. “It feels like it takes me forever to warm up. That said, I love it when we get that first snow, and everything is so beautiful. It looks fresh and clean, and when the sun hits the snow, it reminds me of diamonds.”
“There’s something magical about that first snowfall. I wonder at what point in life we stopped waking up to find snow on the ground, all excited to play in it, and groaned at the sight of it, instead. Grumpy because the sidewalks need shoveling, the car needs cleaning off. I miss that part of childhood.”
“I guess you don’t have to wake up groaning. Wake up and decide you’re going to go out and play in it.”
“At thirty-five?”
Laughing, I nodded. “Why not? There are no rules about who can and can’t enjoy the snow. I don’t see why we, as adults, can’t go out and have a good snowball fight, build a snowman, or even make snow angels.”
Declan squeezed my hand. “I wish everyone thought that way. I was right earlier.”
We stopped outside of the Moose Village Hotel and faced one another. I looked up at Declan and asked, “You were right about what?”
He placed his palm on my cheek, and I leaned into it on impulse. “When I told Sean that he didn’t deserve you. You’re an extraordinary woman who deserves to be treated like a queen.”
My brows shot up as I tried to ignore the way my heart felt like it might beat right out of my chest. “A queen, huh?”
“Nothing less.”
Lifting onto my toes, I brushed my lips against his, then whispered, “Thank you for the sweet words. Now, let’s go kick some trivia ass!”
Declan kissed me quickly and motioned for me to walk through the door first.
The Moose Village Hotel wasn’t huge, but it was the pride and joy of the town. Luke Banks had bought the place several years ago and made some wonderful changes. He also owned Moose Village Inn, which was more like a motel and less fancy. We walked into the lobby, and like always, I was struck by how beautiful this place was. To the left was the restaurant, with its famous bar that had been used in so many movies and commercials. My mother said it was the original bar, the same one she used to come in and sit at for root beer floats as a kid. I glanced down at the black-and-white-checkered granite floor, and smiled. I loved the floor. It just screamed historical.
Besides the restaurant, the hotel’s first level held a gift shop, and a small coffee and sandwich shop.
“Did you know they made the basement into a huge library?” I asked.
“I did know that. My dad is good friends with Luke, so he helped when it came to the budgeting of the remodel. When he said they were converting the basement into a library, I thought it was a great idea.”
“It was. I can’t tell you how often I’ve walked down here with a book and just sat by the massive fireplace to read.”
Declan put a light hand on the small of my back as we entered the elevator and hit the button for the roof. “I heard Liam Turner’s the one who opened the rooftop bar and restaurant. Is that true?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yeah. He opened it while he and Hope were still living in New York City. I think they’d always planned to move to Moose Village after having kids.”
“Wow, that’s great. I went to school with Liam’s older sister, Lorie.”
“She owns Timeless Cup now. Did you know?”
“I didn’t,” Declan stated. “When did she buy it?”
“Just recently. She divorced Mitch and decided she wanted to do something completely different from teaching elementary school.”
Declan nodded. “That’s different, all right. A complete one-eighty.”
The doors opened to a small foyer area. Directly in front of us were the restrooms, and to the left was the entrance to the restaurant and rooftop bar.
The hostess smiled as we walked up.
“Welcome to The Muddled Moose. Are you here for trivia night?”
“Yes!” I said, with probably a bit more excitement than needed. Not that the hostess noticed. She could barely pull her eyes off of Declan.
“I see our friends over there,” I said, pointing to Brystol. She was sitting at a table with a guy I didn’t know, along with Aurora, Cadie, and Kian. Or maybe Aurora was sitting with the guy? I wasn’t sure.
“Great,” the hostess said, bringing my attention back to her. “Have a fun night!”
“We will,” Declan said, as he took my hand again, and we started to make our way through the tables.
My focus was on my friends, and not the other patrons around us, so when I heard both my name and Declan’s being called, it took me a moment to realize it.
Declan, on the other hand, let out a low groan. When I looked at him, he gave me an apologetic smile.
“Guess I was wrong about my mother being here.”
I was positive my eyes nearly popped out of my head. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Declan? Harper? What are you two doing here? And why are you holding hands?”
We both turned slowly to see Maddie, Declan’s mother, standing there with her hands on her hips and a perplexed look on her face.
“Shit,” Declan and I said at the same time.