Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Harper
Itossed another sweater on the bed and then immediately grabbed it back. Too casual. Too warm. Too…ugh.
Why was I overthinking this? It was a simple overnight trip with Grayson. It’s not like it was a real romantic weekend.
One night.
Just for show.
I reached for the sweater again. It had a high neck, long sleeves. I shoved it in the bag.
Behind me, Grandma’s voice carried from her chair in the living room by the window. “You’ve folded and unfolded that sweater at least three times now. Just put it in the bag.”
I glanced over my shoulder. She looked small, wrapped in her blanket; the December light made her look extra pale and frail, but her eyes were sharp as ever.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go,” I blurted, shoving the sweater back in the bag. “You seem extra tired today, Grandma, and I hate to leave you when—”
“You’re going.” She cut me off firmly. “Besides, when you go back to work, I’ll be on my own then, too, won’t I?”
She was searching for answers that I didn’t have yet.
She wasn’t the only one good at avoiding uncomfortable questions. “It’s only a few days before Christmas, Grandma.” I changed the subject. “Are you sure you’ll be—”
“You’re going. That’s final.”
I pressed my lips together. “Grandma, I’m just—”
“Harper.” She wagged her finger at me. “Don’t argue.
Erin will be here, and that chef you hired is fabulous.
Besides, half this town pops in to check on me every time they walk past the restaurant.
I’ll be fine for one night. You deserve this, Harper.
” Her tone softened. “You and Grayson need this time together.”
We didn’t. But I couldn’t tell her that. Guilt for lying to the most important person in my life flooded through me. It was for her own sake, though. More than anything, I just wanted to make her happy.
Which was exactly why I was going to go.
Never mind the fact that the idea of spending a night alone with Grayson filled me with conflicting feelings that I wasn’t sure I was prepared to handle.
I smiled despite myself, but the worry still gnawed at me. “Okay,” I conceded. “But you just seem so tired, Grandma. I’d really like to have an appointment with Doctor Samuels and discuss what we can—”
“I’m an old woman, sweetheart. And I’m unwell. Of course I’m tired. But you can’t let that keep you from living your life. Not now.”
I swallowed hard, my throat thick.
“Okay. It’s only for one night.” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince. “I’ll be just a phone call away if you need anything.”
“I won’t.” She winked then, her smile turning just a shade too knowing, like she was in on a secret I hadn’t been told.
Grayson
The suite Tilley had gifted me was way over the top. It was the kind of room that people booked for honeymoons, wedding nights, or special anniversaries. It was not the type of room you would gift a volunteer as a thank-you.
“This is unreal.” Harper stepped inside the room and took in the vaulted ceilings with the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the ski hill and beyond, down the valley. The views were breathtaking.
I stood back and watched while Harper walked slowly around the room.
She trailed her hand along the stone fireplace with large rock work that stretched all the way to the ceiling.
She stopped at the bar and the bucket of ice with a bottle of bubbly and two glasses, waiting for us.
“Interesting.” She raised her eyebrows, and I laughed.
When Harper disappeared into the attached bedroom, I forced myself to stay back, eyeing up the overstuffed couch in front of the fireplace as my potential bed for the evening.
As much as I wanted to share what was no doubt a plush, king-sized bed with Harper, I needed to keep reminding myself that even if Tilley and the entire town thought so, our relationship wasn’t real.
“Grayson,” her voice came from inside the bedroom, “you’ve got to see this bathroom. This tub is unreal.”
I shook my head and grinned. “You always were a sucker for a bath.”
“Right?” She reappeared in the living room. “A bathtub is hard to come by on a yacht,” she said. “At least, it is if you’re not a paying guest.”
“I would imagine.” I dropped our bags next to the closet. “You’ll have to enjoy a bath. Later,” I added. “First, I want to make the most out of this whole thing.”
“Oh?” She leaned against the counter, looking so damn cute. “What did you have in mind?”
My thoughts flashed to all the dirty things I definitely couldn’t get out of my mind. I swallowed hard and moved my line of thinking to a much more PG-rated track. “Snowshoeing?”
Harper burst out laughing. “Seriously? I think you’re trying to torture me with all these cold outdoor activities.”
“Hardly.” I reached for her. “But maybe I am trying to remind you just how much fun the mountains and small-town life can be.”
Something in her eyes flickered, but before I could let her think too much about it, I added, “Besides, we need people to see us, right? After all, won’t your grandma be happy to know how much we’re enjoying this little romantic getaway?”
She hesitated.
“That was the point of all this, after all, wasn’t it?”
She inhaled slowly, and when she blew out her breath, the smile was back on her face. “Of course. And you’re right. Grandma will love hearing about every detail. We can send her a photo.”
She held up her phone, framing the two of us in the shot. “Smile. Let’s give Grandma proof we’re making the most of it.”
I leaned in close enough to catch the faint scent of her shampoo and grinned. There was nothing fake about the smile on my face. Every minute with Harper was fun and easy.
She clicked the button and flipped the phone around to look at the shot. “We’re so cute.”
“We always were,” I said before I could stop myself.
Her smile faltered, but only for a second.
I was doing a terrible job hiding my growing feelings for Harper, and I wasn’t sure I cared anymore.
She sent the picture to Willa and tucked her phone back in her pocket.
“If we’re done with the photo shoot, let’s go.” I pulled my toque down low over my ears. “Before we lose the light.”
I’d forgotten how hard it could be to maneuver on snowshoes, but it didn’t take long to remember when my heart was beating fast, and I’d unzipped my coat in an effort to cool off.
“Slow down!” Harper called out behind me. “It’s not a race.”
Maybe it wasn’t. But part of me hoped that by getting my heart rate up, I could run away from the conflicting feelings crashing through me.
It wasn’t working.
“Grayson!”
I turned around just in time to get a snowball square in the chest.
I stopped in my tracks and brushed the snow off my chest. “Did you just do that?”
She grinned. “Sure did.” Harper bent over laughing, another snowball already packed in her mittened hands. “If you’re not going to slow down, I’ll slow you down.”
“Oh yeah?”
She nodded. “Yup.”
“Maybe I should just speed you up.” I took off, running in her direction as awkwardly as I could in my snowshoes.
Harper squealed and tried to backpedal, but snowshoes aren’t built for speed.
Snow crunched under my snowshoes as I quickly closed the gap. It didn’t take long before I had her cornered between two trees, her cheeks flushed and her breath coming fast; she looked adorable.
“You surrender?”
She straightened her shoulders. “Never.”
For a moment, we stood there, only inches apart, both of us smiling too wide. Her eyes met mine, and something flickered between us.
I almost leaned in. God help me, I wanted to kiss her more than anything else.
But Harper blinked, stepping past me with a playful shove. “Come on, tough guy. I’m ready for a hot drink.”
I laughed, even as the ache in my chest twisted tight, and I followed her down the path back to the lodge.
There was no way she hadn’t felt whatever that was between us.
But even if she had felt it, that still didn’t mean anything.
At least not the way I wanted it to.