Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Harper
The dining room was lit almost entirely by candles, flames flickering against the tall windows that looked out over the snowy slope, lit up for night skiing.
Soft flakes of snow fell around the strings of lights that twinkled in the pines outside, reflecting off the glass, giving the whole place the effect of being inside a snow globe.
Trickle Creek did like their Christmas lights, but I had to admit, they really did add to the overall atmosphere and turn everything into a scene right out of a movie.
It was perfect.
I sat across from Grayson, happy I’d packed a dress suitable for the occasion. It was form-fitting, skimming my body, with just enough cleavage, but not too much. I’d curled my hair into loose waves that hung over my bare shoulders, and even applied a little makeup.
I held a glass of wine in my hand and tried to focus on the delicious-looking food. Tried and failed.
Truthfully, the food was exquisite, but that’s not what had my pulse tripping. It was him.
Grayson.
Dressed in a button-down grey shirt with the top two buttons undone, his shirtsleeves rolled up just enough to showcase his strong forearms, flexing every time he lifted his own glass, he’d never looked sexier.
But maybe it was the way the candlelight softened the hard lines of his jaw, or the slightest bit of stubble he’d let grow in over the last few days.
Or maybe it was the way his gaze lingered on me just a little bit too long when he thought I wasn’t looking.
The way he smiled at me had my stomach flipping like I was eighteen again.
And more than anything, it was how easy it all felt with him.
Laughing, teasing, and talking about nothing and everything all at the same time.
It was like no time at all had passed between us.
Even better, it was just us. No Tilley. No Grandma.
No one watching to see what we were going to do or not do.
I wanted to lean into the feeling with him. I wanted it so badly, it ached.
I forced myself to focus on the plate of steak and mashed potatoes in front of me. It was cooked perfectly, the mash creamy and flavorful. The medium-rare beef melted in my mouth. “This is delicious. I’m impressed.”
“Trickle Creek is turning into quite the destination,” he said. “We’re attracting all kinds of talent now.” He put his fork in his mouth thoughtfully. “Including some very talented chefs.” He eyed me knowingly as he chewed.
“I can’t disagree,” I said, noncommittally. “Trickle Creek really has changed since the last time I was here. A lot of things have.”
“Oh yeah?”
I set my fork down and reached for my wineglass again, buying myself a second to avoid his question. “Why didn’t you ever date anyone, Grayson?”
“Excuse me?”
I shrugged, trying to appear casual when I felt anything but. “Seriously? How are you single after all this time?”
He leaned back, studying me in the low light, then finally shook his head. “I guess, no one else ever felt right after you.”
The words hit harder than they should have, rattling something loose inside me.
I tried to laugh and lighten the moment. “You’re serious?”
He nodded. “Very.”
“No one in fifteen years measured up to silly, eighteen-year-old me?”
His mouth curved slightly, but his eyes were serious. “Not even close.” He let that sink in before he added, “And for the record, you were never silly.”
My heart stuttered, and for a second, just one, I let myself believe him.
And then the old wound opened. The one I’d worked for years to heal and put behind me. He’d walked away from me once before. He’d looked me in the eyes and told me he didn’t love me.
He’d crushed me.
Even if this—whatever it was that we were doing here—felt real…It wasn’t.
He was doing me a favor because that’s what he did. He helped people.
His words didn’t mean anything more. His touches, no matter how they lit me up inside, weren’t real.
He didn’t love me then. Why would he love me now, after all this time? He didn’t even know me.
I forced a smile to my face, in an effort to pretend that the fact he’d stayed single all this time didn’t affect me.
“You know, Harper?” Grayson lifted his wineglass. “You still show every single thing you’re thinking on your face.”
Grayson
We walked back to the room hand in hand.
I could lie and say it was because we didn’t know who was watching, and it was important to keep up the ruse of being the happy couple, but there was no need.
When I’d reached for her, Harper slipped her hand in mine as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And maybe it was, because it sure as hell felt like it.
Neither of us let go as we passed through the impressive lobby with the spiral staircase and the massive river stone fireplace that rose up through the center of the room.
We took the elevator up to the top floor, and by the time we’d reached the door of the suite, I knew I wasn’t ready for the night to end.
A fire had been set while we’d been away. Frames crackled behind the glass, warming the room. On the bar, a fresh bottle of red wine and two glasses, along with chocolate-dipped strawberries, waited for us.
“They’ve really gone all out for you, haven’t they?” Harper crossed the room and plucked a strawberry off the plate. “You must be one hell of a volunteer.”
I shook my head with a chuckle. “Like I said before, I’ve been helping out with all kinds of things for longer than I can remember, and I’ve never once been thanked so…well, not with anything more than a card. This is next-level.”
“I’m not complaining.” She placed the berry between her lips. “Oh.” Harper closed her eyes while she enjoyed the treat.
I had to look away. It had been torture enough sitting across from her in that tight black dress all night, with her tits straining against the fabric, and cleavage so deep, it was all I could do to keep myself from imagining getting lost in it.
But to hear her moan with pleasure from a simple strawberry and not pull her up against me so I could taste the sweetness on her lips for myself? It was more than could be expected of me.
I distracted myself by removing the cork from the bottle and pouring two glasses.
“Not ready for bed yet?” Harper asked.
“Not even close,” I admitted. “You?”
She shook her head as she took a glass from me and curled up on the couch, her legs tucked up under her.
I sat next to her, close enough to feel the warmth of her leg against mine. For a while, we didn’t talk, but simply stared into the fire, letting the silence stretch out between us. It wasn’t uncomfortable. Quite the opposite. Just like everything with Harper, it felt easy.
Finally, I turned toward her. “Are you happy, Harper?”
“Right now?” She tilted her head back and laughed a little. “Yes.”
“I’m glad,” I said honestly. “But I meant in general. In life.”
Her brows lifted, and her lips pressed together as she thought about the question.
After a moment, she set her wine down on the coffee table and clasped her hands together.
“With my career? Yes,” she answered herself.
“All I’ve ever wanted is to learn and grow in my craft.
I’ve wanted to challenge myself and push myself every day to be better, and I’ve been able to do that.
” She looked up at me. “And living on a yacht in some of the most beautiful places in the world has been pretty amazing, too.”
“I bet.” I couldn’t help but smile, but I hadn’t forgotten that she’d also confessed to not having a serious relationship in years. “What about everything else?”
“Everything else?” She reached for her glass again.
“Family,” I said slowly. “A home. A relationship.” I added the last part quietly.
She toyed with the stem of her glass. “It’s complicated, Grayson.”
“I don’t think it is.” When I let her go all those years ago, it had destroyed me.
But I’d done it for one reason: so she would be happy.
I needed to know whether it was all for nothing.
“There’s more to life than a career,” I said carefully.
“I’m not trying to downplay the success you’ve had as a chef, Harper.
It really is impressive. I’m very proud of you. ”
“Thank you.” She lifted her eyes to meet mine. “But?”
“What about everything else? Is there anything missing?” My voice was low, but steady. I knew I was pushing her, but I couldn’t stop myself.
Something unspoken flickered in her eyes. “Maybe,” she said softly.
I set my glass down and leaned closer to her. “What about Willa? She seems happy to have you home.”
Her face softened. “She is. More than I could have expected,” she said. “I mean, of course, I knew she always wanted me to come home, but…it was so special to have her fly out to see me, too. I got to show her the world.”
“You sure did.” The pride in her eyes was clear. “But there’s no place like home, right?”
“You’re not wrong,” she agreed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed away so long.”
“Why did you?”
I was almost afraid of the answer, but Harper only shrugged. “It was easier that way. I guess selfishly it was easier to pretend that Grandma wasn’t getting older and things were changing here, if I didn’t see it for myself.”
“And now?”
“It’s hard to see,” she admitted. “But I’m glad I did. If I hadn’t come home, I wouldn’t have been able to hire Kevin and set things up so Grandma doesn’t have to work so hard.”
I swallowed back what I really wanted to say. That she wouldn’t have to work at all…if Harper stayed.
“And us?”
Her jaw fell open.
“The pretending,” I clarified. “Is it worth it? Do you think she’s buying it?”