Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
H arper had waited until the last minute to get ready for dinner. It wasn’t that she wasn’t looking forward to it. She was. But Kyle’s book, Cold Blue Murder , was so good she didn’t want to put it down.
At the moment, she was sitting at the kitchen counter, glued to her tablet while she waited for Frankie to come down. Willa had graciously offered to take Archie out for a bathroom break so she could keep reading.
Harper heard footsteps coming down the stairs but didn’t take her eyes off the page in front of her.
“Are you still reading?” Frankie asked.
“Yes,” Harper muttered without breaking her concentration. “Shh. I need to know who the killer is.” She had her suspicions, but she was probably wrong. She read on, sensing her sister was hovering close by but Harper was in no mood to chat.
Frankie cleared her throat softly. “I hate to interrupt you, but what wine are we bringing? Red?”
Harper inhaled and quickly reread the sentence revealing the killer. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Okay, fine, no red.”
Harper looked up. “I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to the book. I can’t believe what I just read. I had it totally wrong. I thought— You know what? Never mind what I thought. I don’t want to ruin it, because you should read this.”
Curiosity sparkled in Frankie’s eyes. She leaned in. “Yeah? I thought it was top secret client stuff.”
“It sort of is, but I’ll ask Mitch tonight and see what he says.” Harper held her hand up. “Hang on, I need to read another paragraph or two and make sure I truly read what I thought I did.”
“M’kay,” Frankie said. “I’ll be right here with the red wine.”
Harper took in a few more paragraphs, confirming the killer genuinely was the police officer. “Holy cow. It was him. That’s crazy.” She looked up at Frankie. “Sorry. I needed to know.”
“No worries.” Frankie held up the bottle. “This okay?”
“That’s great. Is there more than one bottle? There’s going to be eight of us.”
“Um…” Frankie bent down to look in the wine rack where the reds were. “No, but there’s two bottles of a merlot.”
“Let’s bring that.”
Archie raced up the steps. Willa was a few paces behind him. “He did his business.”
“Good boy, Archie.” Harper looked at Willa. “Thank you. Give him a cookie, then we should get going.”
Willa snagged one from the basket. “Sit, Archie. Good job, baby.” She fed him the cookie, which he carried to his blanket on the couch, then settled in to enjoy it.
Harper turned her tablet off and took one of the bottles of wine. “Are we ready?”
Frankie nodded. “I think we are.”
They headed downstairs and out the door, following Harper as she led them through the path between the trees and shrubbery.
As soon as they reached the door, she knocked.
Mitch answered, smiling at them. “Good evening, ladies. Come on in. The main event is upstairs. Lucas is already up there.”
Harper let Frankie and Willa go ahead of her so she could hang back and talk to Mitch alone. “I read most of Kyle’s book. I’m nearly to the end.”
Mitch took a breath, then seemed to hold it. “And?”
“And it was good . I could not stop reading. Have you finished it? Do you know who the killer is?”
“I did and I do. Crazy, right?”
“So crazy! I thought it was the guy working—”
“With the reporter?”
“Yes! I was so wrong. I had no idea your son could write like that.”
“Neither did I.” Mitch grinned. “I’m so glad you liked it.”
“I love it. I’m not quite done but I had to stop reading to come here. Which reminds me.” She thrust the wine at him. “This is for you.”
“Sorry.” Mitch chuckled as he took the wine. “And thanks. Any other constructive criticisms?”
She nodded. “Sure, a couple of things. The voices of the female characters all kind of sound the same. That could use some work. And there are a few spots where there’s too much description. It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but you don’t expect that much poetic description in a thriller. Usually. You know what I mean?”
“Completely. And I agree. Once you finish, maybe you could write something up for me?”
She laughed. “You mean like a book report? Sure, I can do that. Hey, would you mind if Frankie read the book? I think she’d love it.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“Thanks.” She was smiling a lot, but she couldn’t stop herself. Being around Mitch just did that to her. The sounds of chatter and laughter came from upstairs, along with the delicious smells of the roast beef and the other goodies they were about to enjoy. A good reminder that it wasn’t just the two of them this evening. “We should probably go join the party.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Am I allowed to tell Kyle what I think? He knows I’m reading it, right?”
“He does. And yes, you can tell him. I’m sure he’d love to hear what you have to say.” Mitch gestured toward the stairs. “After you.”
They went up the steps. Mitch took the wine into the kitchen, where Lucas was talking with Joyce and Beryl. Harper went toward Willa and her sister in the living room. Frankie was holding Ruthie.
Frankie glanced up as Harper joined them. “Harper, look at this child. Isn’t she just perfect?” Frankie smiled at the baby in her arms. “Yes, you are. You’re just the most perfect, beautiful baby ever.”
Kyle stood nearby, beaming with pride. “I know she’s not really the most beautiful, but she is to me.”
“Kyle,” Frankie started. “Let me tell you something. All babies are not beautiful. That’s the truth a lot of people don’t like to admit. Some of them are downright ugly, bless their little hearts. Some of them need time to grow into their features. But this one? Absolutely perfect. A real cherub.”
He laughed. “I’m glad you think so.”
Willa rolled her eyes. “Mom.”
“It’s true, Willa. Your brother was not a handsome baby. Thankfully, he grew out of that weird-shaped head.”
Willa snorted. “Mom!”
Harper went closer to Kyle. “Your book is fantastic. I’m not quite to the end, but I could not stop reading it. Great job.”
Still smiling, he bit his lip. “Thanks. That’s really kind of you to say. You had to find some things you didn’t like, though, right?”
“Nothing I didn’t really like. A few spots that could be condensed a little, and your standard handful of typos, the usual stuff. The voices of your female characters need some work, so that they sound different from one another.”
“Okay.”
“But overall, it was so readable I did not want to put it down. I only did because we had to be here. I’ll finish it tonight and get some notes together for you.”
“Yeah? Thanks. It’s nerve-wracking having someone you don’t know read something you wrote.”
“I bet.” She smiled at him. “Just wait until it’s out there in the wild.”
“Long way to go before that happens.” But he still looked as happy as could be.
“Well, congratulations on such a good book.”
“Thank you. And thank you for reading it.”
“You’re welcome.” She gave his arm a little squeeze, then went toward the kitchen next. “Hi, Joyce. Hi, Lucas. Joyce, this must be your sister, Beryl.”
“It is!” Joyce wiped her hands on a towel, then came around the counter to stand between them. “Beryl, this is Harper Calhoun. She owns the house next door. Inherited it from Arlington Marsh. She’s a friend of the family.”
Beryl looked appropriately impressed with Joyce’s introduction. She offered her hand. “Lovely to meet you, dear.”
“You, too. Joyce has been singing the praises of your baking skills.”
Beryl’s mouth bent in a barely suppressed smile, and she cut her eyes at Joyce. “Oh, she likes to talk, that one.”
“Because you’re a brilliant baker,” Joyce shot back. She nodded at Harper. “We’re having her sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce for dessert. You’ll see.”
“Sounds amazing. I can’t wait. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Joyce opened the oven so Lucas could lift the roast out. “Get yourself something to drink. Maybe your sister, too. We’ll be eating in just a few minutes. I have to make the Yorkshire puddings while the meat rests, then we’re set.”
Harper rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait.”
Mitch uncorked a bottle of wine, then held it up. “Who wants red?”
Harper stuck her hand in the air. “I’ll take a small glass.” She moved to stand by him. “How was the writing today?”
“Good.” He poured wine into one of the big balloon glasses on the counter. “Didn’t get as much done as I should have because I was reading most of the day, but it was all for a good reason.”
“I’ll say.”
He handed her the glass. “There you go.”
“Are you having some?”
“I am.” He poured his next, then lifted his glass. “Thanks for reading Kyle’s book. And for being such a good friend.”
She raised her glass and clinked it against his. “It was my pleasure.” Now felt like a great time to talk to him about…the future. She searched for the right words to start that conversation as she put the glass to her lips.
He took a quick sip of his wine as well. “What’s your schedule like? Would you be available to work with Kyle on his book?”
She swallowed. The wine was good. “I already told him I’d write something up for him tomorrow. My notes on Cold Blue Murder, that is.”
Mitch nodded. “Great. But I was thinking something more than that. Not as much as you do for me. I don’t think he needs that just yet. But he could probably use some brainstorming help. I’ll pay for your time, obviously. He’s not in a position to do that. But chances are good that any publisher who takes him on will want to know what he’s going to write next. They’ll at least want a synopsis of the next book. I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but it could be something he’d like assistance with. Then possibly some beta reading in the future, that sort of thing.”
“I’d be happy to do that for him.” She wasn’t going to get a better opening. “Do you think you’re going to keep employing me for a while? I ask because I’m seriously considering not going back to California. I’d love to stay here but doing that will mean I’ll inevitably lose clients. Those who want access to me in person.”
He nodded. “And you want to know what your financial situation will be like.”
She grimaced. She hated putting it so bluntly, but there it was. “Yeah. Sorry to bring up money.”
“Never apologize for something like that. Everyone has bills to pay and yet no one likes to talk about it. Yes, I plan on employing you for a while.” He smiled. “I have no plans to quit writing, either. I’ll probably die with a book unfinished. Not to mention the movie that looks like it’s going to happen.”
“Congratulations!”
“Thanks. It’s exciting, for sure. And now, if Kyle gets into the business… anyway, yes, there will be work for you.”
She exhaled. “Okay, great. Thank you. Then I guess it’s official. I’m staying in Hideway Bay.”
“Good,” he said firmly. “Because I cannot imagine anyone else living beside me. You know I don’t like people.”
“Right,” she said, almost laughing. Clearly, he was joking. Sort of.
Kyle called out to him. “Dad, can you stick a bottle in the warmer for Ruthie?”
“Yep,” Mitch called back. “I’m on it.” He smiled at Harper, his face alive with radiant joy. “Grandpa’s on the job.”
Harper laughed softly, watching him as he went into the kitchen. Being a grandfather had given him a new purpose in life. He’d never been more attractive, and although she hadn’t said anything to him, she couldn’t imagine living beside anyone else, either.