Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
“A restraining order?” Natalie’s eyes widened as she stared at Harper’s tear-stained face. “That’s why Carson was looking for you this morning?”
Harper nodded with a sniffle. “Apparently some woman I don’t even know said she’s afraid for her life.”
“Why?”
“Because I supposedly wrote about her in my book…”
“Did you?” Natalie asked.
“No! And then she went on to cite some random incident I barely remember happening. She said I fought with her husband at a village meeting.”
“Did you?” Natalie repeated her prior question.
Harper wobbled her head. “Not really. If it’s the incident I think she’s talking about I was annoyed her husband was laying into Stone about getting a notice he needed to keep their lawn mowed.
The man went on and on about it. Honestly, he could have mowed the damn lawn twice over in the time he took to come to the meeting and bitch to the board about it.
So I told him to just mow his damn lawn.
It wasn’t a fight. I didn’t yell at him.
It was a five-word comment. Nothing more.
But his wife told the sheriff everyone who’s ever had words with me, as she put it, is either dying or dead. ”
“Well, that’s not true. Margaret Trout is alive and well,” Natalie said, leaving out the words for now.
She wasn’t sure if her observance was helpful or not as Harper let out a huge breath.
“Who knows. Maybe I deserve everything that’s happened.
The restraining order. The lawsuit. Half the town hating me.
Actively avoiding me. If I could take it all back, I would.
Believe me. After the events of these past few weeks, I’ve never regretted something more than I do writing those dumb books. ”
The slump of Harper’s shoulders, the defeat in her voice, had Natalie stepping forward and wrapping her arms around her friend.
“I’m so sorry.” She pulled back to address Harper face-to-face. “You know what you need? A bottle of wine and a nice long marathon binge watch of something stupid on TV while snuggling on the sofa under a blanket with your man. Where is Stone anyway?”
Harper let out a snort. “That’s the other thing.
Stone was out in the field on the tractor and I was at the farm stand grabbing some vegetables when I got served.
When he came in and heard about it, he completely lost it.
He took off in the truck for the sheriff’s office.
He’s pissed at Carson for serving the order to me in front of all the customers at his family’s farm market.
I can’t blame him for being angry. You should have seen the looks I got from everyone who watched me get officially served with a restraining order.
It was humiliating for me. But it could cost his family their livelihood. ”
“You’re right. There shouldn’t be a restraining order at all. That’s bullshit. But to make a spectacle of it in the Morgan’s place of business… that is totally unacceptable.”
“I know. You’re right. But what if Stone ends up punching Carson and gets thrown in jail because of me?
Everything is all my fault and there’s nothing I can do to fix it.
” Renewed tears glistened in Harper’s eyes.
“Nobody can fix this mess. I’ll just go into debt paying lawyers to fight the lawsuits and to get Stone out of jail for assaulting a deputy sheriff--”
“Stop. You don’t know Stone will assault anybody. Right? He’ll calm down. Have you heard from him since he left in the truck?”
Harper nodded. “He texted he couldn’t find Carson but that he gave the sheriff a talking to, then was going to run errands. I couldn’t stand waiting for him to get back, I’m too nervous, so I came over here. I’m sorry to keep bothering you with my problems.”
“You’re no bother. I’m glad you’re here. Oh and I forgot. I have good news. Liam called the hospital and they said Alice is doing really well and they could bring her out of the coma any day now.”
“Thank goodness. Batty old woman, speeding around on that trike like a person half her age. And these roads around here are not the best. Neither are the sidewalks. It’s no wonder she flipped.” Harper shook her head.
“Thank you for saying that. I was feeling responsible for her accident because I came up with the citizen patrol idea.”
“No. It’s not your fault, Nat,” Harper emphasized. “You need to believe that.”
“Same, Harper,” Natalie said with a pointed stare. “None of this is your fault. You need to believe it too.”
“Okay.” Harper nodded. “Thank you.”
Natalie lifted one shoulder. “That’s what friends are for.”