Epilogue
HARRISON
What is that noise?
Dropping my bag on the sofa in the den, I make my way over to the sliding glass doors. As I pull them open and step onto the deck, the noise gets louder. A broad grin crosses my face as the reason comes into view.
Harlow, Shay, and Sadie are all dancing on the beach as Lil Nas X belts out through their Bluetooth speaker about how these days are too lonely, and he wants someone to love. Apparently, they agree. I chuckle. Turning, I head for my fridge, hoping I can get a cold one while I watch the rest of the show.
The refrigerator is stocked with amber bottles of ale, fresh fruit, yogurt, cheeses, cold cuts, olives, and juice boxes. Life is quite different than it was this time last year. And to think Harlow thought I rented this place with a bunch of other guys. As I suspected, she assumed I worked for the construction company. Our connection had burned so fast and furious that neither of us even knew the other’s last name until after we reconnected. Even considering for a moment she’d be like Stephanie was a joke. Harlow doesn’t have a greedy, entitled bone in her body.
Knowing that I owned the company allowed Harlow to have a better understanding of the stress I was under while Mom was alive. Not that it was any excuse. Many of our issues could’ve been addressed simply by talking to her. Braxton was right. Communication was the key. I’m just glad it didn’t take Harlow and me years to figure it out.
Returning to the deck, I take a seat in the teakwood chaise in the corner out of sight as the three of them sing along with Shania Twain. Well, singing might be a stretch. Squealing along to the lyrics, waving their fingers in the air as if lecturing their invisible mates that any man of theirs better walk the line. I snort.
They ain’t kidding.
But I think that’s one of Harlow’s most attractive qualities. She’s strong, independent, and loves with her whole heart. But you best do the same if you’re going to be lucky enough to be in a relationship with her. And that I am.
Damn lucky.
As caught up in each other as we’ve been from day one, we’ve managed to force ourselves to slow down. Granted, being pulled hours away to job sites along Florida’s coasts has helped. But we’ve really tried to get to know one another.
While Harlow was welcome to bring the boys over and enjoy my beachfront home whenever she wanted, she refused to accept a key until we hit the six-month mark in our relationship. She and the boys still live in their little house near her mother, but Justin and Alec have taken over two of the guest rooms on the second floor and spend time here on weekends when I’m home. They could move here full time if it were up to me, but Harlow insisted she wanted to keep their place until we hit our one-year anniversary.
Which is this weekend.
The boys are with their dads at the moment. Harlow hadn’t been wrong when she said they were like two big man children. I’ve tried to stay back and let Harlow handle them. Because as much as I think of those boys as mine, Jimmy and Rob are their dads.
They’ve come a long way since I met them. Jimmy turns his phone off when he’s with Justin, and Rob steps up to take the boys when Harlow is working or wants a night out with the girls. He even had the two of them at his place without Jimmy one night. Because he blew my phone up with texts all night. Some messages asked things like How late is too late to feed them? As if he hadn’t been taking care of them for years. Although, I’m afraid to consider how late these boys were fed in the past. Other messages were directed at future social activities with the boys. I’ve never feared for Justin and Alec’s safety following his inquiries for advice. It merely felt as if he needed reassurance that he could do this on his own.
More and more, I started to think Rob was just lonely. Hell, I’ve been there. I should know. Yet if interacting with him when he was insecure about things kept Rob from interrupting Harlow on her rare night out with the girls, I’m fine with it. He’s not a bad guy. He simply needs a little push. When the constant bzzz of my cell signals another message from Rob, I try to rationalize reaching out to the boss is simply one of the perks of working for Hightower Construction.
Rob Pierce is now our jack of all trades guy. He’s currently assigned with Gus and the crew, doing any manual labor they assign to him. Turns out, he takes direction well and works hard. Over the last year, I feel I’ve gotten to know him better. His father had run out on his mother when he was young, and apparently his mother did what she could to get by. Probably where he learned that helping yourself to things in restaurants was okay.
Hot mess or not, he’s proven to be a work in progress worthy of dedicating the time and effort. Had he been blessed with a mother like mine, who knows what he could’ve accomplished. And as long as he keeps showing up to work, I’m happy to have him on the payroll.
The song below changes to one by Lewis Capaldi and the three of them start shrieking like cats with their tales stuck under something large. Despite their drunken performance, I’m able to listen to the lyrics and it gives me pause. This beautiful girl should never have to sing a song asking her love to hold her while she waits for them to decide if they’ll stay. The tune is set to an upbeat tempo, but the words cut through me as he says he wishes he was good enough, wishes they cared a little more.
As the girls dance around, hopefully impervious to the lines he sings, I reach down and tap the little square box in my pocket. More to prevent that cavernous throbbing from ever returning to my chest again. Because none of those girls deserve to wait on any man, Harlow most of all.
That she’s still here after the way I treated her is a miracle. Then again, so is the fact I met her at all. She embodies the very things I loved most about my mother. Her determination, her self-respect, and the endless devotion to her two boys. Boys who could’ve easily turned out as carbon copies of her ex-husbands had she not tirelessly shown them they were worthy of more.
The music stops and the girls all come together, hugging one another, appearing fatigued by their festivities in the summer sun. I’ll have to see just how tipsy Harlow is, or this little box might have to stay tucked away until tomorrow.
Unable to keep away from her a moment longer, I put down my beer and push off from the chaise to make my way down to the beach.
And to my mermaid.
“God, Harlow. You sure have one hard hat hottie on your hands,” Shay says playfully.
“Hi, Harry.” Sadie waves as I come closer.
“Girls,” I greet, my eyes never leaving Harlow’s. Reaching behind her neck, I cover her mouth with mine and kiss her hungrily. I can’t even be bothered to worry about the two hens beside me with their mouths hanging open. As the kiss ends, I whisper over her lips. “I thought you’d taste like fruity cocktails. Watching you three, I was certain you were drunk.”
“They might be.” She points to her friends. “I’m only intoxicated on life.” Her soft lips curl into a smile, the warmth radiating from her outdoing that big yellow orb in the sky.
“I guess that’s our cue to go.”
I’d apologize, but I need Harlow all to myself. “Do you want me to get you an Uber?”
“Nah. Barnacle Bob said to call him when we were ready to go,” Shay says. “He promised me he’d lay off Mongolian food today.” She giggles. I’m afraid to know what that means.
Sadie and Shay gather their things and give Harlow a hug before heading up to the house. They seem like good girls. I’m glad Harlow has them, even if she doesn’t see them as often these days.
My girl has started taking classes to gain her Nurse Practitioner license. It took a bit of convincing, but she’s cut back on work at the ER and is only working on an as needed basis. Which, if it were up to them, they’d need her every day. But with drill weekends once a month, her classes, and the boys, she’s trimmed her hours significantly. It’s bad enough I’m away so often, but coming home to find her working all of the time was maddening.
“I hope you aren’t all danced out.”
She snickers. “Why is that?”
Grabbing my phone from my back pocket, I cue the song I’ve been listening to lately, connecting it with the Bluetooth speaker, and pull her gorgeous body against mine. “I need to dance with my girl.”
“Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur begins to play, and I sway back and forth, clutching her tight. He sings of how every day is getting better, and I can relate. I’ve never felt more certain of anything than I am of spending my life with this woman. God, I’ve missed this. Once we’re official, there has to be a way to bring her and the boys with me. I don’t want to waste these precious moments. Fitting them in around everything else.
It’s time everything else should have to fit around Harlow.
“I brought you something,” I whisper as I nuzzle her ear.
My brazen girl reaches over, squeezing my dick. It had already perked up being this close to her bikini-clad body, now there’s no stopping him.
“Besides that,” I huff.
“Oh.” She giggles. Pulling back enough I can see her blue-green eyes twinkling in the summer sun, she bites on that luscious lower lip for a moment in contemplation. “More panties?”
Throwing my head back, I release a hearty chuckle. “I’m so predictable.” It’s selfish, these gifts. But hell does she do something to me when she wears them.
“Well, you aren’t the best gift giver.”
I stumble backward in shock, clutching my chest. “What? And here I thought you liked them.”
“Oh, I do. But I only get to enjoy them for like a hot minute before you’re taking them off. Then I never see them again.”
“Hence, why I need to keep buying more.”
Shaking her head as I pull her body back against mine, she asks, “What are you doing with my panties?”
I lower my palms to her delicious, curvy ass covered in tiny hot pink bikini bottoms, gripping them possessively. “Dreaming of the beauty who wore them.”
We continue to dance, listening to the song on repeat, and my heart warms. I’m so proud of us. For staying committed to slowing down and learning how to talk to one another. For putting the other’s needs above our own. As James Arthur sings that he knew he loved her back then, but was afraid to let go, my heart clenches.
“You know, I loved you almost from the beginning.”
“I know.”
Slowly drawing one brow up, I give her a smirk, leaning back to tell her I’m not kidding when something in her melancholy expression stops me. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, causing me to hold her tighter.
“Your mother told me.”
My breath catches. “What?”
“I stopped by to see her before my evening shift when she was in rehab. Don’t even remember why, but I noticed her nails were bare and it felt imperative to paint them.” Harlow reaches up as a tear escapes her lower lid. “All of a sudden, she said Harry.”
Hell, something tells me she’s not the only one who’s going to be crying in a minute.
“I thought someone had called out to you in the hallway. But when I went back to her fingers, she said Harry loves you. That was the last thing I ever heard her say.”
Doing a quick scan of my memories around that time, it hits me. “She spoke to me a little that day too. She said, She’s pretty. I corrected her, thinking she was talking about her nails. But I bet it was you.” I pause, trying to recall that afternoon. “Unless she spoke with Joyce after that, those were probably some of the last words she ever said.” I blink back the moisture in my eyes, but it’s worthless. I’m done pretending. This woman can bring me to my knees. Knowing my mother knew it too, makes this moment feel all too right.
Dropping to my knee, I reach into my pocket to retrieve the biggest ring the jeweler had in his shop. There will be no doubt going forward that Harlow is all mine. “Harlow, there were so many times I’d wanted to reach out to you when we first met. I wanted to bury myself in you and forget the rest of the world existed. But it wasn’t only my life that was a mess back then. I was too.”
I inhale a shaky breath, trying to get my emotions in check. “I’m so in love with you. Full of pride at how much I’ve grown with you.” The boulder wedged in my throat is getting harder to push words around. It’s not nerves, but overwhelming gratitude at all I have in my life. I hope I can communicate it well enough for her to truly understand how much she means to me.
“There were so many times when you came back into my life that I wanted to beg you to never leave me.” My voice cracks. Whew, this is heavy. “But I needed to grow up, be someone who could offer you as much as I knew you’d give to me.”
Flipping open the ring box, I lift it up as tears rain down the trembling hands covering her mouth. “Instead, I promise to be the man you deserve, so you’ll never want to let go.” Lifting the large emerald cut diamond so she can see the inscription on the platinum band, I pray she won’t keep me waiting for an answer.
I choose you.
“Harlow, will you marry?—?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” She throws her full weight on me before I can get my bearings, and we both end up in the sand. “I’ve been regretting saying we needed a year for the last six months.”
It’s hard to get a word out, smothered by her windblown hair, salty tears, and sweet kisses. “I hope this means we don’t have to endure some long engagement. Harlow, I want you and the boys here with me. I want to find a way to take you all on the road.” Reaching up to move her hair out of the way, I realize I still have her ring in my grip. “Give me that finger, woman. This mermaid is off the market!”
Pushing up off of my chest with one arm, she shakily holds her left hand out to me. As the ring glides down her finger, there’s a sense of pride filling my chest like I’ve never known.
“I love you. And so do the boys. They’ll be excited to officially move in.” She buries her face in my neck. “I’ve never been happier in my life, Harrison.”
“I’d say me too, but…” My face contorts in pain.
Her head springs up alarmed.
“I think something just bit me on the ass.”
Harlow jumps off of me, and I roll to confirm I was right. A damn crab is attached to the back of my pants. “Well, don’t just stand there cackling, pull it off of me.”
Doubled over in laughter, Harlow’s more concerned about finding her phone to capture this moment than freeing my ass cheek from its grip. Holy hell, this hurts.
“I thought you were supposed to be an ER nurse. Some help you are.” I start to rip my pants off when she bats at it with her phone and it drops onto the sand.
“Come on. Let’s go inside where I can take a good look at it.” She licks her lips. Normally, I’d be ready to pounce, but nothing deflates a boner like crab claws.
Harlow grabs her towel and places her things in the beach bag before strutting in front of me. That hot ass, barely covered in neon pink nylon, swaying provocatively, and her tattooed arm shining in the summer sun, soon, have me forgetting everything else. Everything but the woman who agreed to continue turning my world upside down for the rest of my life.
The End.