12. Harper
Harper
I do see Jace a few times over the rest of the summer.
Somehow, our paths continue to cross, and he slowly becomes a fixture in our little town.
He even went out to Shaina and Daniel’s one evening to help them remove a tree that fell during a storm.
Shaina is ready to adopt him and keep him forever, I think.
I don’t even know when they met, but secretly, I’m relieved by the way he’s fitting in here.
A small flicker of hope swells in me each time I see him, not as a visitor, but as a member of our town.
The demolition on the property was completed over the summer, and now it's mid-September, the framing is all done, and the facade is taking shape. It’s situated just down the block from The Toasted Bean, and I might go the long way around from the spa to the coffee shop to check out the progress and possibly spot the contractor.
I’m passing by Ray’s Real Estate office, trying to surreptitiously look for Jace across the street when the door opens, and I walk right into it.
The thunk of my forehead connecting with the glass rings in my ears.
“Shit, Harper! Are you okay?” Jace’s worried voice reaches my ears.
“Mhmm.” I nod, rubbing my head. Why does this man always have to be around when I make an ass of myself?
Why couldn’t he have been at last year’s Christmas pageant when I caught the boy playing Joseph in the nativity scene as he fell off the stage?
You know, strong, put together Harper! But no, of course he sees crumb spitting, word vomiting, running into doors face first Harper.
“Are you sure? That was a loud smack. Let me see.” Gentle hands pry my fingers away from my face. “It’s pretty red. Maybe you should see a doctor or put some ice on it, at least.”
I laugh at his concern. “I’m not going to the doctor for running into a door. If I went in for every clumsy event leading to a bruise, the poor man would never see anyone else.”
“At least let me get you some coffee and a pastry to make up for swinging the door onto the sidewalk without looking.”
“I actually was on my way to see Bree, anyway. You are welcome to join me, but there’s no need to pay for my drink. It was as much my fault as yours.”
Bree spots my red forehead as soon as we walk in. “What the hell happened to your head, Harper?” She comes around the counter, meeting us halfway.
“Funny story, I walked into a door.”
She looks at me and Jace, then busts out laughing. “For real?”
“Yep.” I pop the P at the end. “Jace was walking out of Ray’s, and I was looking elsewhere, then slammed right into it like a bird.”
Bree continues to laugh at me but promises us both a free drink and pastry for my trauma, and Jace’s ability to not laugh.
Bree disappears into the back, leaving Jace and me alone in the cafe. “So, what were you doing in Ray’s?” I ask, hoping my voice sounds nonchalant and polite.
Jace rubs the back of his neck. The movement causes his shirt to come up, and I get a peek at the V leading into his jeans.
If this were a different life, I would slather his body in hot fudge and lick it off him, starting with that damn V.
Blinking, I peel my eyes from his body, only to be met with a cocky grin.
Whatever had him hesitating before is gone as he catches me drooling over his body.
“I’m looking at a property to possibly build a new house.”
“For another client?” I hold my breath, willing myself to not get my hopes up.
“For me. Portland is closing in on me, and I’m starting to dread having to go back to my apartment there. I’ll have to figure out if I can run my business from here, instead of the city, but I’m looking at options.” My insides do a happy dance at his words.
“What property are you looking at?”
“It’s on Misty Pine; he called it the Schuller property. The directions Ray gave me are rubbish. Do you happen to know where it is?”
“Oh, yeah. Take Elm all the way out of town. Turn onto Larker Road. When you pass the big red barn, you’re gonna bang a uey, and it’s the little road to the right. I believe that house is the only one on that road. It’s a dead-end that doesn’t go too far back from the street.”
Jace cocks his head, studying me like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. “Where are you from? My roommate in college was from the Northeast and he used to say that too, never heard it around here otherwise.”
“And here I thought I’d left all of that area in the rearview mirror.” I laugh as I take my coffee from Bree. “I was born and raised in Maine.”
“You know, I’ve never been there. Is your family still there? Do you visit often?”
A band winds around my chest, making it hard to breathe.
I rarely allow myself to think of where I grew up or my family and the trauma inflicted there.
Slowly, I tap my thumb on each finger, breathing at the end of each round.
Jace’s hand is on my back, and I know I probably look like a lunatic.
These attacks used to be much more frequent.
Even in high school, the pressure to be perfect was suffocating, leading to paralyzing panic attacks.
They resurfaced after getting pregnant but had been pretty infrequent for the last couple of years.
Why did one have to happen now, in front of him?
After a few seconds, the band loosens. Bree is in the kitchen doorway, watching, just in case I need her.
Nodding her way, I let her know I’m good.
I’m embarrassed he saw this, but decide to push past it, not even acknowledging the moment, or the fact that his hand soothed and grounded me in a way no one else ever had been able to.
“Yes, my family all still lives there, but no, I never go back.” Holding my breath, I wait for the questions, the concern, the comments that will make me feel three inches tall. Instead, Jace lets out a low whistle.
“Whew, glad it seems no love lost for the area. I was just being nice. I don’t really want to visit the Northeast. From what my roommate said, there are a lot of pretentious people out there.”
Smiling sadly, I lean over, bumping shoulders with Jace.
I’m grateful that he doesn’t press me on my family and take the pass he is offering me.
“He’s not wrong there. I better get back to the shop.
” Stepping back and heading for the door, I meet his gaze.
“Good luck with that property, Jace.” I give Bree a wave and head out onto the sidewalk with a smile I can’t stop from spreading across my face.
Finding out he’s looking at a property here almost made running into a door worth it.
Almost, I think as I rub the spot on my forehead