Chapter 10 #2
“Yeah, you did. Did you really think that I wouldn’t hear about it because I’m two years younger than you? I was on varsity since I was a sophomore. I heard them talking about it in the locker room. And unlike Sebastian, I pay attention.”
Clay just stared at Cruz for a few moments before he lifted his hands in surrender before dropping them back to his sides as he looked away.
“It’s nothing. We’re just friends.”
“You even kind of smell like her. And horses. Spill…” Cruz said.
“Been with her all weekend, of course, I do. And there’s nothing at this point to spill.”
“At what point is there something to spill?”
“How about you mind your own damn business and stop looking at my phone.”
Cruz watched Clay, eyes narrowing as he sized him up. “There’s something else going on here.”
“Yeah, your imagination.”
“Come on, Clay. What’s happening here?” he asked, leaning toward Clay and sniffing deeply.
Clay shoved him away. “Cruz, the moment I know what’s happening, you’ll be the second one to know.”
“Why second?”
“Because she’ll know first.”
~~~
“Breakfast will be up in ten!” Travis called out just after knocking on Harper’s door.
“Wonderful,” Harper said sarcastically as she threw her covers off her legs and huffed out an irritated breath.
“I forgot sleeping at your house means a predawn wakeup call from Daddy-Dearest,” a muffled voice said from the other side of the bed.
Harper turned her head toward the other side of the bed and grinned at a completely disheveled Summer, sleep mask half on and half off, her hair tangled in part of it, a piece of her false eyelash stuck to her cheek, lipstick smeared on her chin and a boob sticking out of the side of the tank she’d borrowed to sleep in.
A few seconds longer of looking at her and Harper was full out laughing as she reached for her phone.
She had just enough time to snap a picture — of the face — not the boob, before Summer snatched the sleep mask off her face to glare at Harper while whining and reaching for her head where a clump of hair had just been yanked out by the mask. “That hurt,” she complained.
Harper was checking her messages, while Summer continued to rub at her head. “What hurt?” she asked distractedly.
“That stupid mask pulled my hair out,” Summer whined again.
“No, you pulled your hair out when you yanked off the mask.”
“Same thing,” Summer said, looking down as she straightened her tank top and covered her boob. “Sorry about the early morning flash. They just don’t stay where I put them. Do you have that problem?”
Harper laughed. “I don’t have boobs, I have bumps. And they don’t fall out of anything. Stop bitching. You could be me.”
“That is true,” Summer agreed.
Harper made a face, then laid her phone aside.
“Who you expecting a message from?” Summer asked suspiciously.
“Nobody.”
“Then why have you been checking your messages all last night — before you passed out anyway, and again this morning before making a face about it.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“Don’t think so,” Summer said.
“Honestly, I’m just expecting a text from Clay. He was going to let me know if he was leaving last night or this morning to get back to school.”
“Since when does he check in with you?” Summer asked.
“He doesn’t check in with me. We just spent a lot of time this weekend together and he said he’d let me know when he was heading back.”
“Ah. Okay. And why would you care?”
“Because he’s Clay. I care that he gets there safely.”
“Mmhmm. Are we developing a soft spot for Clay?”
“We’ve always had a soft spot for Clay, just like the rest of our Pride.”
“You know what I’m saying, Harper,” Summer said. “And don’t evade the questions. I’d have all the answers already if you hadn’t fallen asleep before we talked about whatever it is you wanted to talk about.”
“No, I don’t know what you’re saying. Besides, I think he’s found his mate. Stop making a big deal of it.”
“Who is she?” Summer asked, sitting up in bed.
“I don’t know. He just implied that he’d met her, but she didn’t know yet.”
“Well, gee, don’t sound so happy for him,” Summer said, lying back again.
“I am happy for him,” Harper said.
“You sound like I just went storming out of here. You know, like, lost your best friend.”
Harper shook her head and made a face at her. “I think I said stop making a big deal out of it.”
“Yes, ma’am. Right away, ma’am.”
“Are you getting up or not?!” Harper asked, playfully swiping at Summer’s arm, before she rolled herself out of bed to stand beside it and stretch a few times.
“No. Doesn’t he know that you worked all weekend with the horses? You should be able to sleep in,” Summer complained, reaching for the covers and pulling them up to her chin.
“My dad? That’s usually when he works me harder.”
“He’s a…” Summer lowered her voice and glanced around the room before she finished her statement, “not so considerate father.”
Harper burst out laughing. “That’s the best you can do?”
“With him possibly listening? Yes.”
“Are you moving in there? Breakfast is ready!” Travis called from the kitchen.
“Are you coming with me?” Harper asked, looking at Summer hopefully.
“Do I have to? I’m tired,” Summer said.
“Please come with me,” Harper begged.
“I don’t want to get up,” Summer whined.
“Fine. I’ll just post this on my social media,” Harper said, quickly turning her phone toward Summer so she could glimpse the photo Harper had taken while she was still sleeping.
Summer squealed angrily. “Where did you get that?!” she demanded.
“Right when we were waking up and you hadn’t moved yet,” Harper said.
“Don’t you dare post that!” Summer threatened.
“Good news is, when Dad cooks breakfast, he makes everything he can find, including pancakes, bacon, eggs, hash browns. I mean, we can’t even consider eating again until about 2.”
Summer lifted her nose into the air and sniffed. “Ohhh, it does smell heavenly. Hang on, I think I smell Clay.”
“It’s your imagination. Come on. Let’s get moving,” Harper said, on her way to her bathroom to lock herself in and slather more scented lotion on herself.
“Hey,” Summer said.
Harper paused and looked back at Summer.
“It’s not that bad of a thing if you’re kind of feeling Clay. He is really pretty, and very sweet.”
“I didn’t say that I’m feeling any kind of way about him.”
“You didn’t have to, Harper. I see it. But don’t worry, nobody knows you like I do so I’m sure they can’t see it.”
“I think I will post this,” Harper said, waving her phone at Summer over her shoulder as she quickly left the room, which caused Summer to get up and quickly follow her out of the bedroom, after she grabbed Harper’s robe to wrap around herself.
Moments later Harper finally left her bathroom, leaving a light cloud of English garden scents in her wake as she walked into the living room. “Morning,” she said.
“Morning,” Travis answered,
“Good morning,” Summer said, as she walked out of Travis and Libby’s bathroom. “I couldn’t wait until you got out and was pretty sure I’d choke on all the flowery crap floating out of there. And do not post that picture!”
Travis looked up quickly. “Summer’s right. It’s a little strong. Y’all hungry?”
“Starved,” Summer said as she sat down in the chair at the dining table that she’d always sat in since she was a little girl. “Delete that picture.”
“Good! I have blueberry pancakes, warm syrup, and butter. I have biscuits with cinnamon honey butter, or sausage gravy or both. Bacon — lots and lots of bacon, because, it’s bacon.
I made country style potatoes with peppers and onions, and I have grits loaded with cheddar cheese, and some scrambled eggs, too. ”
“I may never leave here. Why don’t I sleep over all the time?” Summer said, as she picked up her napkin and placed it on her lap.
“Because I take pictures of you sleeping to blackmail you with.”
“What pictures?” Travis asked.
Harper produced her phone and showed it to her father.
Travis laughed and shook his head. “That’s just all kinds of wrong. But regardless, you’re welcome to sleep here whenever you want.”
“Thank you, Uncle Travis.”
He disappeared into the kitchen and moments later approached the table with more platters of food. “Y’all serve your plates. Whatever you want, dig in. Now, do you want coffee, juice, or chocolate milk?”
“Coffee, please. And maybe some chocolate milk on the side,” Summer said.
“Coming up,” Travis said, as he went back to the kitchen. “What are you going to have, Harper?”
“Coffee, please.”
“I’ll bring it to you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Travis was back a few moments later gripping two mugs of coffee by their handles in one hand, and a tall glass of chocolate milk in the other. He set them on the table and hugged Summer. “It’s good to see you, baby. You should come by more often.”
“Aw, thank you, Uncle Travis. I would if any of us had more time. Harper is always working, and I’m always… well, I’m doing something somewhere. But I do invite myself over when I realize I miss her.”
“I miss you, too,” Harper said.
“We need to make a standing sleepover night each week or two,” Summer said.
“We should do that. Sundays? You want to set up Sundays?” Harper asked.
“Yeah. And we could do movies one night, too. I miss going to the movies.”
Harper sat there looking at Summer. Her head canted to the right a little, then she reached out and laid a hand on Summer’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. You said you wanted to come over because you were lonely, and I fell asleep. I’m so sorry, Summer. I’m always here for you.”
“Oh, it’s not a big deal,” Summer said, waving her off. “We don’t always talk when we’re together anyway. I just needed to be with a friend, you know?”
“I do. And you can sleep over every night if you want to.”
“You might want to hold off for a couple weeks if it’s Harper you’d be wanting to spend time with,” Travis said, from his place at the head of the table where he’d already served his plate.
“Why’s that?” Harper asked.