Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
HARPER
“You thinking Sea Breeze or Gulf Water?” Chase’s voice vibrated through the bare walls of the bungalow’s shell as he held out two paint chips. My chest tightened when I met his gaze. The flecks of green in his irises held me captive. I bit my lip and touched a finger to the Gulf Water.
He smiled, the same one that had me in bed with him after years of pretending there wasn’t an itch to scratch. “Good choice. I prefer that one too.”
“I thought you weren’t one for blues.”
Chase shrugged, leaning closer than necessary to examine the sample. “Maybe they’re growing on me.”
He was certainly growing on me. I swallowed hard, trying to shift back to the safety of our professional relationship, but Chase was already dismantling that wall with a sledgehammer.
“It’s easier to work together now,” he said, both playful and probing. “Now that we’ve cleared up those… plumbing issues.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop a laugh. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Not a chance.” Then his smile fell, and he dropped his eyes quickly to the ground. “Actually, there’s something else I need to tell you.”
My stomach flopped disconcertingly. “What?”
He hesitated, clearing his throat like the words were stuck in there. “I, uh… I told Eli last night.”
My heart skipped. “About us?”
He nodded, wincing a little. “I didn’t want to keep it from him. He’s my best friend, Harper. And I know we agreed to talk later, but I want to keep this going. You and me.”
The initial shock melted into a mix of emotions that tangled inside me—relief that the cat was out of the bag, anxiety about Eli’s reaction, and a sense of elation expanding like a balloon. Because I’d also given up on us going back to what we’d been before. “Me too. How did it go?”
“He took it better than I expected.”
“That’s a good sign.” My mind was still spinning at this new reality.
It figured that Chase would feel the need to be honest with Eli.
And that wasn’t at all a bad thing as far as I was concerned.
I had way too much experience with a man who couldn’t handle the truth right in front of him.
“I guess with Eli knowing, that’s one down. ”
Chase stepped closer, his eyes searching mine as if trying to gauge how much trouble he was in.
I tilted my head. “What exactly did he say?”
Chase rubbed the back of his neck, looking both amused and exasperated. “A lot about treating you right and kicking my ass if I didn’t.”
A relieved laugh bubbled out of me. Of course Eli would play the overprotective brother. “And he was okay? Really?”
“Once he was done warning me, he seemed fine. But you and I both know we can’t keep this a secret. Not if we want to see where it goes.”
I nodded, relieved to have the truth acknowledged. “We can’t pretend nothing happened. Or keep sneaking around like teenagers.”
“I can’t have any more hidden closet meetings,” he said, a flush creeping up his neck.
A laugh tumbled out of me. “That was your idea, remember?”
He rubbed his chin, looking adorably sheepish. “Not the image I’m going for.”
“Or me,” I agreed. “We need to act like the professionals we are at work. Save other things for other times, maybe?”
“Maybe we try a real date instead of our usual room-under-renovation meeting?” His suggestion was hopeful and warm, the playful spark in his eyes grounding us.
“Okay. No more pretending. And we agreed to get together later this week, so how is Friday night for you?”
Chase’s grin widened, the kind that made my heart do ridiculous things. “Friday works. No paint samples or construction dust allowed.” He reached out and squeezed my hand, a simple gesture that held the complexity of everything we didn’t need to say. “And don’t worry. I can handle your brothers.”
“That makes one of us,” I muttered, but his confidence was contagious.
I followed him to the door, the shift between us like a breeze clearing away storm clouds. As we stepped outside, I spotted Austin, Braden, and Ben clustered around a newly planted section of hibiscus and palm trees. The sight of them gathered like that twisted my stomach into anxious knots.
Chase caught my eye, his expression a mix of encouragement and empathy. “Looks like you’re up.”
“I guess so. See you Friday, then?”
He stroked my arm, a light, lingering touch. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
I realized I had no idea where we were going. “What should I wear?”
His smile turned wolfish, and I had to laugh. Then his expression softened as he looked me up and down. “I want to take you somewhere nice. Wear whatever you think is appropriate.”
Somewhere nice? My wheels were already spinning, mentally going through all my mom clothes and finding nothing appropriate. I might have to dig into the very back of the closet. “I’ll be ready at six. See you later.”
I smiled and broke away, focusing on the three figures ahead.
Austin leaned against a palm tree, his rugged face and intense gray eyes taking everything in with a quiet, reserved presence.
His arms were crossed, a subtle shield against the world.
Next to him, Braden shifted impatiently and checked his watch, probably eager to get to Tidal Hops for the day.
His hair was a shade lighter than Austin’s and Ben’s but darker than Eli’s.
His easy grin matched his energetic blue eyes and restless ambition.
Ben stood slightly apart with one arm resting on the handle of a shovel, his observant gaze missing nothing.
The image of them together should’ve been intimidating, but I’d never backed down from the brotherhood before.
Taking a deep breath, I walked purposefully toward them. They turned as I approached, the noise of construction fading. Their attention felt like something physical, the manifestation of the secret I was about to unload.
“Morning, Harper.” Braden’s voice carried a teasing lilt. “Did you bring us breakfast?”
I held out my empty arms. “Does it look like it? You’re all grown men, you know. You’re on your own.”
Austin nodded hello but remained silent. His gaze shifted pointedly past me toward the bungalows, then back to my face, a single eyebrow lifting almost imperceptibly. He hadn’t missed Chase and me emerging from Bungalow Four. Damn his fisherman’s eyes. He saw everything.
Ben shifted position, his expression thoughtful. “Did you come to rescue us or recruit us?”
“Maybe both,” I said.
“How’s the bungalow construction going?” Austin asked.
“It’s going well,” I said, my voice steady and determined. “Which brings me to why I came over here. Chase has already talked to Eli, and I wanted you to hear it from me. Chase and I started seeing each other. Uh, romantically.”
The words hung in the air, and I watched as they landed.
Austin’s reaction was subtle but immediate.
His gray eyes narrowed, not in anger, but in sharp assessment.
A vertical line appeared between his brows—concern, maybe?
Or just his default state of guarded evaluation.
He shifted his weight but said nothing, his silence a heavy blanket of unspoken thoughts.
Typical Austin. He’d process it internally before saying anything out loud.
Ben, predictable in his own quiet way, met my gaze steadily.
His evaluation was swift, his decision seemingly made in an instant.
He gave that slow, deliberate nod I knew so well.
“Chase is a good guy. You could pick worse.” Then he added the inevitable Coleridge caution, “Just… be careful. Lots of complicating factors here.” His acceptance, quiet but firm, felt like solid ground beneath my feet.
He trusted Chase, or at least trusted my judgment enough not to interfere immediately.
Braden, however, reacted as I might have predicted Eli would have, minus the immediate threat of bodily harm to Chase. His grin exploded across his face, wide and full of surprised amusement. “Seriously?” He barked a short laugh, shaking his head. “Wow. Took Ashworth long enough.”
I blinked, thrown by his enthusiastic lack of concern. “Huh?”
“Are you kidding?” Braden scoffed as he picked at his Tidal Hops T-shirt. “The way you two have been dancing around each other? The arguments over faucet finishes? Total foreplay, sis. Obvious to everyone.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. “We have not been—”
“Oh, please,” Braden interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. “The tension was thicker than the stout I brewed last week. Austin saw it, right?” He nudged our notoriously pensive middle brother.
Austin shrugged, his expression unchanging and offering no confirmation or denial.
“See?” Braden declared triumphantly, apparently taking Austin’s silence as agreement. “Anyway, good for you guys. Chase is solid. Good business sense too, investing like that.” His focus had already shifted, characteristically, to the practical, business implications.
While I appreciated his lack of drama, his easy dismissal felt odd.
It was almost too casual. Did he really not see the potential complications?
The minefield of mixing family business with a relationship involving Eli’s best friend?
Or did he just assume Chase, being successful and stable, was automatically a “good catch” and therefore uncomplicated?
It felt like he was skipping over the emotional risks entirely.
“It’s… complicated, Braden,” I said quietly.
He shrugged again, already glancing back toward Tidal Hops.
“What isn’t, with this family? Look, as long as it doesn’t mess up the renovation timeline or my beer delivery schedule, I’m good.
Just try not to have any dramatic breakups in the middle of the brewpub, okay?
” He winked, then clapped Ben on the shoulder.
“Gotta run. Those kegs won’t clean themselves.
” With a final jaunty wave, he headed off, leaving me with Austin and Ben.