Chapter 9
Libby closed their front door and narrowed her eyes as she sized up her husband leaning against the wall beside the door. “What are you doing?”
“Eavesdropping,” he said shamelessly.
“What is wrong with you?”
“Can’t you hear her? She’s out there acting like I’m ruining her life because I’m trying to set her up for life.”
“No, I can’t — human, remember? And set her up for life?”
“Yes. She’s going to inherit this place, and she’s acting like it’s such a burden.
And Clay’s out there just feeding into her ‘poor me’ act.
He’s not helping, Libs. He’s telling her not to lose sight of what she wants in life, and basically to tune me out because it can’t be easy having to deal with me.
All he’s doing is making it worse. He’s trying to help her sound justified in complaining because how dare we want to give her a guaranteed income. ”
“Let me ask you something.”
“Shoot,” he said haughtily as he moved from the wall to lean against the door itself again and pressed his ear against it to better hear.
“How did you feel when you your father told you you’d be inheriting this place?”
“It was never a question, I always knew I would take over. And I was thankful.”
“Thankful, is that why you decided to join the military and travel halfway around the world?” she asked, clearly calling him out on his bullshit.
His head whipped in her direction and he stared into her eyes.
“Yeah, I was here, remember? I know how you felt.”
“It’s a gift, damn it, Libs. If I’d just have listened to my father, I might still have my leg.”
“Your leg has nothing to do with her life. Leave her alone, Travis. Leave Clay alone. Mind your business.”
“She is my business. This place is my business, our business. I thought this thing with Clay would keep her at home and make her see what it is that she has, but I’m not so sure anymore. He’s not encouraging her to accept her future.” He pressed his ear against the door again even closer.
“I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what he’s doing, but it’s her future he’s concerned about, not yours through her,” Libby snapped as she walked away from him.
“I thought you said you couldn’t hear?” he called after her.
“I can’t. But you just said he’s encouraging her to follow her heart. That means he’s right. You’re not.”
Travis ignored his mate as he focused on the conversation outside.
“I’m going to go inside. Summer’s probably pacing a hole in her living room carpet waiting for me to answer her call,” Harper said.
“Okay. Take care of you, Harper. When I figure out when I’m leaving, I’ll let you know.”
Travis heard the car door open and close when Harper got out.
“I’ll talk to you later then,” Harper said.
“Yeah. You will,” Clay answered, followed by the sound of his footsteps.
“Thanks for lunch, and for… everything,” Harper said.
“No, thank you. Absolutely perfect couple of days with one of my very favorite people. I needed this,” Clay said.
“Was pretty great,” Harper said.
“She doesn’t even sound that happy!” Travis called out to Libby who was in the kitchen.
“Stop listening!” Libby hissed at him.
“Shhh! I can’t hear!” Travis answered, pressing his ear more firmly against the door.
“Look, I can’t explain how at the moment, but I know everything is going to be okay.
Don’t let your dad get inside your head.
Just focus on what you want for your future, and don’t waiver from it.
It’ll all work out. Believe me when I say it.
Just don’t lose sight of what it is you want. It’ll happen.”
“I’ll try. Am I going to hear from you when you decide what you’re doing?”
“Yes, you will.”
“Drive safe whenever you go, okay? I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I will. And you take care of you no matter what you’re doing. I’ll be back in a few weeks after finals. I’ll keep in touch, though, when I can.”
“I will. And I’d wish you good luck on your tests, but you don’t need it. You never did.”
“She’s coming in!” Travis rushed out as he sprinted the several feet to where the sofa was.
Harper opened the front door and stepped inside.
She turned and stood just to the side of the window nearest the door for a few seconds and watched Clay as he stood right where he’d been standing when she’d come inside.
Then he went back to her car, opened the back door and got the picnic basket, the blanket, and the two water jugs out, then put them in his car, got in, and drove away.
She turned back to the living room to find her dad sitting awkwardly on the end of the sofa nearest the door. A place he never sat. The fact that he was fumbling with his phone while he tried to wake up the darkened screen made it all the more suspicious. “You alright?” she asked.
“Fine. Why? Are you concerned now?”
“I’m always concerned. It’s just never enough,” Harper said as she walked into the kitchen and picked up the old fashioned wall mounted land line phone from where it had been balanced along the top of its base. “Summer?”
“Hey! I’ve been calling you all day.”
“Why are you calling on the land line. Nobody ever calls on the house phone.”
“Did you not hear me? Because I’ve been calling you all day and you never one single time answered your phone, or opened a text, and I’m thinking you got stolen or something and maybe somebody ought to tell your parents, so I called the land line at your house. Sue me.”
Harper laughed. “Fair enough. I must have forgotten to take my phone off silent. Sorry.”
“So, what’s a-happening a-hot stuff?” Summer asked comically, adopting a really bad fake accent.
“I’m wiped out. Worked at the equine center yesterday and today.”
“You should really get someone to help you.”
“Clay helped me.”
“Clay? Our Clay?” Summer asked.
“Yep. He left the party with me yesterday and stayed to help late, then we had pizza before I dropped him off. Then this morning he was back and waiting for me before I even walked outside. We just got home.”
“Our Clay?” Summer asked again.
“Do we know any other Clays?” Harper asked.
“I don’t. You might.”
“If I did, you would, too.”
“So, why would he do that?”
“Being a friend? I don’t know. But I’m glad he did.
It was nice to have someone along with me, and I got so much done I can just enjoy the horses when I go back in a few days.
Well, I’ll have to clean the stalls, but everything else is done for a week or so.
I do have some things to tell you about, though. ”
“What things?”
“Just things,” Harper snapped.
“What are you going to do tonight?”
“Shower, sleep, and that’s about it.”
“Want some company?”
“Showering and sleeping?”
“Yeah. And you can tell me whatever things you want to tell me about. Then you can sleep and I’ll just scroll on my phone.”
“Sure, if you want to. I’ll probably pass out on you, though.”
“I’m okay with that. I’ll see you in a few.”
“You okay?”
“I’m just lonely, Harper,” Summer said, dropping all pretense of being perfectly fine.
“And I’m tired. We’ll make a good pair. I’ll probably be in the shower when you get here. Mom will let you in.”
“Tell her I’m not hungry, I’m bringing food, so she won’t cook anything. I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“I’ll tell her. But make sure it’s something she likes. You know she’ll take a little bit for herself.”
“I always do,” Summer said.
“Well, come on then. I’m excellent company, even when I’m sleeping.”
Harper hung up the phone and walked over to kiss her mother’s cheek. “Do you mind letting Summer in?”
“Of course, not. Enjoy your shower.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Harper walked past her father without another word.
Travis wrinkled up his nose after Harper walked by, sniffing the air. “She smell a lot like Clay to you?” he whispered as he continued to sniff the air.
When Libby didn’t answer, Travis looked her way.
Libby was standing at the kitchen sink, looking at him through the 70s style cutout in the wall that allowed whoever was in the kitchen to converse with whoever was in the living room, and actually had a small countertop mounted at its edge with two bar stools tucked under it.
She held her hands up at him as she made a face at him, dripping dish soap and bubbles down to elbows, asking him without words to look at her and remember who she was.
“Oh, yeah. You can’t smell it.”
“And I’d be alarmed if she didn’t! She’s been with him for two days.”
“Seems a little strong, though.”
“Travis… leave her alone,” Libby said, focusing on washing the pots she’d used to cook dinner in.
Down the hall Harper couldn’t help but hear her parents’ conversation and didn’t even stop at her bedroom.
She went right to the bathroom and started the shower.
After gathering every kind of floral scented body wash and moisturizer she had under her bathroom cabinet, she finally stepped into the steamy shower and washed her body twice before lathering again using a combination of the most heavily perfumed products she had.
When she got out, she used the moisturizing lotions over her entire body, but then added another layer concentrating on her upper thighs, her stomach and lower back.
The last thing she needed was her father or Summer noticing his scent was particularly heavy on her body.
By the time she was drying off, she heard Summer arrive and the crinkle of bags which indicated take out.
A few moments later Summer was tapping on the bathroom door. “I brought cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, and chocolate shakes. I got like a dozen of everything. I figured it’d be enough for everybody.”
“That sounds amazing,” Harper said.
“Yep. I know. I’m wonderful. I’ll see you in the living room.”
It wasn’t long before Harper walked into the living room to find her parents and Summer, already enjoying the burgers.
“I told her she shouldn’t have worried about us,” Libby said.
“But since she went to the trouble, don’t mind if I do enjoy a couple,” Travis said. He was sitting there with two burgers and an order of fries on his plate as he sipped one of two chocolate shakes sitting in front of him.