31. Harper #3
Wren watches them through the window, half shadowed by the frame.
A soft smile plays at her lips as she watches the pair.
Her silhouette is softened by the warm golden light spilling from inside.
“He’s really good with her,” she murmurs almost to herself before she turns to me, like she just remembered I was still here.
“Lizzie is going to have a little army of protective men watching over her.” She laughs softly, obviously deep in thought.
“You know, most of the crew have been sneaking her sweets today. She has them wrapped around her little finger.” She wiggles her pinky at me and smiles, before her gaze is pulled back to the scene inside.
“Have fun getting her to bed tonight with all that sugar coursing through her.”
Wren gives her head a shake then spins to me, rubbing her arms against the chill that has settled over the house as the sun sets.
“Aside from the dead bird as a center piece,” she eyes me smiling, “today was pretty perfect. It really felt like a little family in there, or at least, I think it did.” Settling beside me on the swing, she works the inside of her cheek.
My pulse quickens slightly, wondering if she’s going to talk about Blake.
Maybe I’ll be a little matchmaker for the two of them and help them see how good they are together.
“I want to hire Maia for the position at the spa,” she blurts out in such an un-Wren-like manner.
It takes me a second to switch gears from matchmaking to work. “Maia? Is she the one that has experience working in Washington?” My nose scrunches in thought, making me smile. I had never noticed I did that until Jace’s comment last night.
Wren hesitates before answering, “No, she was the walk-in at the end of the day.”
“Oh, Wren,” I sigh, hating to burst her bubble. “She seemed nice, and I’m sure she would work hard, but she has no experience and isn’t a licensed masseur.”
“I know,” she breaks in, laying her hand on mine.
“The whole point of taking on another person is to ease the workload for both of us and give you the chance to step back to do more healing and yoga classes.” Shaking my head sadly, I prepare to pull the boss card and say no.
“Harper, I know you don’t necessarily subscribe to the reiki healing and auras aspects of things, and most people just scoff and laugh when I discuss it.
‘There goes Wren being a flower child hippie again,’ but Maia’s aura was pulsing red.
There was just so much pain and fear surrounding her.
She needs us. Everything in me is pulling me to her, and I’m asking you to trust me. Trust my intuition and beliefs.”
I open my mouth to speak, but she rushes on, “I’m willing to work extra hours without overtime pay and put a pause on the other ventures until she’s licensed.
” She pulls a folded piece of paper from her pocket, with a long list on it.
“In the meantime, she can still be a valuable asset. Doing admin and desk work, running errands, we can move linen washing in-house instead of contracting it out. We also have talked about adding a red-light therapy room. She can run that, which would add another stream of revenue. She doesn’t have much experience, so we can pay less, which might leave enough in the budget to hire Jane, who is looking for part-time massage hours while her kid is in preschool for the next year. ”
Placing my hand on the paper, I stop Wren’s spiel. She turns to me, eyes wary but hopeful. “It really means that much to you?” I ask.
“It really does.”
“Okay. Call her Monday to start the onboarding process.” Wren flings herself into my arms.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Harper. I’ll make it up to you, I promise, and I really think this is the right thing to do.”
“Wren, I want us to be partners, and part of that is trusting you. And just so we are clear, there will be no unpaid overtime. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for everyone else all the time, you know.”
The weight of my words visibly affects her. “I know.” Her words are quiet.
“Do you? I’ve seen you take on the weight of others too many times to count without ever asking for help. I hope you know you are worth looking out for, too.”
I’m wrapped in another hug, the moment shifting our relationship.
The front door swings open, and Blake is there taking in the way Wren is hugging me. A smile tugs at his lips. “Sorry to break up the party, but Bree is ready to serve dessert, if you two are done.”
Wren and I turn, both dissolving into a fit of laughter.
Blake is wearing a pink tiara, clip-on earrings, a necklace, and someone has even put makeup on him.
“Jace’s sister is a menace. Who buys a four-year-old a makeup kit?
” he questions, pointing to his face. This sets us off again.
Blake gives us a curtsey and heads back inside.
“He’s something else, isn’t he?” I nudge Wren before standing.
“Yeah, he is.” Her tone is not nearly as light as before.
It takes all my self-control to not push her on the topic of Blake, but I know now isn’t the time.
With I sigh, I follow her into the house to the family I have built all gathered around laughing together, and the sight fills my heart with gratitude.