Chapter Eight
Three weeks. That’s how long it had been since Linc had kissed her .
. . sort of. But he hadn’t attempted to do so again, and Harper didn’t understand why.
Well, she kind of did, actually. Her hours were very irregular, and she was on edge from working in retail around the holidays.
She wasn’t in any kind of mood to be intimate with anyone, barely had enough energy to make sure Kash was doing his homework and eating properly.
Thank goodness for Linc. He’d taken responsibility of watching over Kash as if he’d been doing it since the kid was born. He may not have wanted children, but he was doing a damn fine job as surrogate father to her son.
He’d even taken Kash to downtown Rockville to see the lobster trap tree the town put up every year.
It was exactly what it sounded like: lobster traps stacked up in the shape of a giant Christmas tree, with lights wrapped around the entire thing.
It was quirky and cute and something Harper remembered from her own childhood.
The town had also put up a lobster buoy tree, stringing up the iconic buoys in the shape of a tree as well.
Harper loved Christmas in Maine, and loved that her son was getting to experience all the things she had when she was a kid. She just wished she could enjoy all of it with him.
The only positive thing about working so much in December was the way her bank account was growing. Harper had even been able to splurge and buy Kash a subscription to something called a Hack Pack, which he’d raved about at dinner one night.
He’d learned about it from other kids in his robotics club. It was a science-based box that came every other month, and it integrated engineering principles into programmable robots the recipient had to make, using components like an infrared receiver, an H-bridge, and a stepper motor.
Harper had no idea what those things were, but Kash did, and he’d been super excited as he’d described them during that dinner. And anything that got her son that excited about learning was something Harper desperately wanted to give him.
So she’d bit the bullet and paid the exorbitant—at least for her—amount of money for the subscription. Now she couldn’t wait to see the excitement on his face when he opened the first box, which had come earlier in the week and was hidden away in her bedroom.
She’d been able to get a few smaller things for his stocking, to open on Christmas Day, as well. It was going to be a very good holiday for mother and son. One like they hadn’t had in years. And Harper was proud that she’d been able to make things work.
Of course, she couldn’t have managed it without Linc. He’d taken her and Kash in when she’d been desperate for somewhere to go. And in the process, her relationship with her dad had improved by leaps and bounds. Apparently they were just a little too alike for living together to be viable.
Today was Chad and Britt’s wedding. They were having it out at Lobster Cove, and Harper had been touched and shocked when Britt had asked if she’d be part of the ceremony.
They weren’t having bridesmaids and groomsmen, per se, but of course, Chad’s three brothers would be at his side, and Britt had asked Marit and Harper if they’d stand up with her.
Britt didn’t want anyone to have matching dresses and said she didn’t care what colors they wore. All she wanted was to spend the day with the people she loved the most while she married her soulmate.
Harper had agonized over what to wear. It wasn’t as if she had a ton of options.
Once upon a time, it was her goal in life to wear designer clothes and high heels on the world’s most famous runways.
Now? She mostly wore khaki pants or jeans with a polo shirt .
. . and of course, the blue vest she hated.
Her shoes were cheap joggers she’d picked up secondhand, and it had been so long since she’d worn a pair of high heels, she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to walk in them anymore.
Her life had changed so much, it was almost hard to believe.
It had taken her a while to readjust to small-town living, but honestly, being here in Maine, living a slower lifestyle .
. . she liked it. Didn’t mind not having to worry about what to wear and who she might see if she went out.
And she definitely didn’t miss the constant noise, the pollution, the lack of trees, the crowds, and the increased crime rates.
But she did want to look nice for Britt and Chad’s wedding.
They’d been so kind to her, especially considering they were well aware of the history between her and Linc.
They’d been forgiving and gracious, and Harper appreciated that more than they’d ever know.
Not to mention the way they’d taken Kash under their wing.
How they’d welcomed him into the Young family even before Harper knew about his fort on their property.
She’d found what she thought was a pretty dress last week at work, while walking around on her break looking for stocking stuffers for Kash.
Years ago, Harper would’ve rather slit her wrists than stoop to wearing anything from the big-box store.
The clothes were cheap and ill-fitting, and she and her friends were too snotty to shop at her current workplace.
But now, having experienced what it was like to literally feel as if she were starving, she wasn’t nearly as picky.
And when she’d tried on the dress, she was shocked to find it actually looked good on her.
It was a dark green—always a good color with her hair—and the hem stopped just above her knees.
It was formfitting around her chest and waist, and the skirt flared out a little, flattering her figure.
The neckline showed just enough cleavage to be sexy, but not slutty.
Most importantly, when she’d slipped it on, Harper felt pretty for the first time in longer than she could remember.
Shoes were a little trickier. Chad and Britt were getting married a week before Christmas.
While shopping, Harper had to consider the day of the wedding could be snowy, or it could be raining buckets.
It might also be a freak warm day, with the sun high in the sky.
Figuring if it was either of the first two, she could wear boots and change shoes once she arrived at Evelyn’s house, Harper had bought a pair of silver platform heels.
They were more sturdy than traditional heels and weren’t uncomfortable when she’d tried them on.
Now, having just finished putting on makeup—something she hadn’t bothered with in ages—she stood back as far as she could in the bathroom at Linc’s house, trying to take in her entire outfit. She felt good, but a little uneasy.
What if everyone could tell her dress was from Walmart? What if the shoes she’d bought fell apart after she took more than a few steps? There was always that possibility. Had she overdone her makeup? Would everyone think she was trying too hard?
Doing her best to shake off her uncertainty, Harper turned her back on her reflection and looked at her watch.
They needed to leave soon, so they could get to Lobster Cove in time to help out wherever they could.
She was fairly certain Evelyn had things well under control, but she was eager to do whatever needed doing once she got there.
To her surprise, Linc had taken Kash shopping, insisting he’d take care of his clothes for the wedding.
Her son had seemed excited after the outing to the shops in downtown Rockville, but he wouldn’t show her what Linc had bought for him.
She’d tried to pay Linc back, but he’d actually looked offended when she offered him money, so she’d let it drop.
Eager to see what her son had chosen to wear, Harper took a deep breath, then exited the bathroom. Kash’s bedroom door was open, and he wasn’t inside, so she assumed he was downstairs with Linc, waiting on her. She grabbed her purse from her room, then headed for the stairs.
Her gaze went to her son as she descended the steps—and she almost couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She was so used to seeing Kash in jeans and T-shirts, or sweatpants and hoodies, it was hard to reconcile the person she saw standing in the living room, talking to Linc.
“Kash! You look awesome!” Harper exclaimed with a huge smile.
He had on a pair of what she thought were new jeans, but they were black.
His long-sleeve button-down shirt was dark green, almost perfectly matching her dress.
And to complete the look, he was wearing a bow tie.
An honest-to-God bow tie. Seeing her little boy look so grown up was a shock, but it also made her extremely proud.
“Look, Mom! My tie has the Milky Way on it! Linc ordered it online for me. It’s specially made just for me.
The material really should be black like space, but it wouldn’t match as well, so we decided to make it dark green like my shirt.
And it’s a real bow tie. Not a clip-on! Linc taught me how to tie it.
It took me like a million times to get it right and it’s still crooked, but it’s so cool!
Like Bill Nye! You know, the Science Guy?
I loved that show so much when I was little. ”
Harper did her best to control her tears. To her, Kash was still little, but it was obvious he was growing up. A little too fast for her liking. Before she knew it, he’d be moving out to go to college. “It’s wonderful, Kash. You look great. And we match!”
“Yeah, I hope you aren’t mad, but I snuck into your room and took a picture of your dress before I went shopping with Linc. Just enough so he could see the color though, I know you wanted it to be a surprise. We matched the color of my shirt as best we could to your dress. I think we did good.”
“You did amazing, baby.”
“Not a baby,” he muttered with a roll of his eyes.