Chapter 17
I stand in front of the full-length mirror, scrutinizing every detail of my outfit, as if I’ll magically look different from the last fifty times I've checked.
Nope. Same outfit. Same hair. Same foolish Harlow who thought it was a good idea to make a deal with her lifelong enemy.
“Maybe I should change,” I worry, glancing at Ellie, Penny, and Hollis, who are perched on my bed like my personal hype squad.
“Don’t you dare,” Ellie fires out. “You look perfect.”
She’d say that even if I didn’t.
“She’s right,” Hollis chimes in. “You look great. Don’t change a thing.”
Penny nods her agreement, always the one to stand in solidarity.
It would be easier if I knew what he has planned. Since I don’t, I played it safe with something that could pass for dressy or casual: a flowy maxi skirt, fitted tank, and my favorite broken-in denim jacket that always makes me feel a little more like myself.
It felt right at the time, but now, with the clock ticking down and my nerves creeping in…I’m not so sure.
I throw my hands up, frustrated at myself. “I should just call the whole thing off. I’m insane for even agreeing to this.”
So, why did I? Why didn’t I just say no? Who cares if I went back on my word. It's Linc, and he’s done far worse.
Because it has nothing to do with your word, and you know it…
I push the pesky little voice away, hating what a bitch she can be sometimes.
“Okay, that’s it.” Ellie pushes from the bed, slightly struggling under her belly weight.
It’s adorable, and something I would tease her about, if she didn’t look like a woman on a mission.
She comes to stand before me, planting her hands on my shoulders, and levels me with that steel-core stare of hers. “It’s just a date, Harlow. That’s it. A date.” Her words are slow, like if she says them calm enough, I might believe them. “It doesn’t have to be anything more or less than that.”
If only it were that simple, but with Linc, it never is.
They don’t understand that because they don’t know everything. Sure, they know about Vancouver. I had to tell them after the bowling alley blowup, something I still feel guilty about.
What they don’t know is how unforgettable that night truly was. How every kiss, every touch, every whispered word carved its way into my soul. It stripped me bare, leaving me vulnerable in a way I swore I’d never be with him again.
“There’s something I never told you,” I whisper, my throat tightening.
Their eyes lock on me, the air thickening.
“Vancouver wasn’t the first time something happened between us…”
Gasps ripple through the room.
“We also kissed at Heart Mountain.”
Silence crashes over the room.
Ellie and Penny’s eyes wide.
Hollis, though, doesn’t miss a beat. “I knew it!” she exclaims, scrambling to her knees. “The second you said you kissed a guy there, I guessed it was Linc. I told them!” She jabs a finger at Penny and Ellie. “Neither of you believed me.”
Ellie finally finds her voice. “I didn’t believe it because I thought I’d know.” She gives me a light shake. “How could you keep this from me, Harlow? Me, of all people.”
Guilt floods my chest. “I’m sorry. Really, I am. It just…happened.”
“When?” Penny presses.
“A few days before I moved.”
I go on to tell them everything. About the fight with my parents.
About how he followed me to the mountain and stayed.
How he was kind in a way I didn’t expect, how the kiss felt almost magical.
For a few stolen minutes, I thought I’d been wrong about him—that maybe he wasn’t just the boy who made my life hell.
Until I went to say goodbye and found out he was out on a date with Jessica Mason.
“Ouch.” Hollis winces, her bravado dimming.
“Wait.” Ellie frowns. “I don’t remember him dating Jessica.”
“He says he didn’t.”
Penny tilts her head. “You don’t believe him?”
“I do. It’s just…” I hesitate, trying to find the right words. “It’s hard to forget that feeling, ya know?”
Penny’s gaze softens with understanding.
“I get it,” Ellie says. “Trust can be scary, especially given the history you and Linc have.”
I grunt at the understatement.
“But sometimes what scares us most can turn into something unexpectedly beautiful.”
Penny cuts back in, her voice low. “Or it can leave you with scars that never heal.”
We all know she’s thinking about Dawson. What Ellie and Hollis don’t know is the truth she once whispered to me, a secret so devastating she’s never shared it with anyone else, not even Dawson.
“You’re right, it can hurt,” Ellie agrees, her gaze softening. “But if you could erase it all, to never have loved him, would you?”
The room stills at the question, all of us eager to know her answer.
“No,” Penny whispers, eyes falling to her lap. “I’d still do it all over again. I’d still want the good times.”
Hearing that only makes my heart hurt more for her.
Ellie’s eyes meet mine again, soft with understanding. “It’s a risk, but that doesn’t mean it has to end in regret. You’ll never know unless you take the chance.”
“You also don’t have to decide that right now,” Hollis adds gently.
“She’s right,” Penny agrees. “Just go on the date. See where it takes you. Maybe things will feel clearer after tonight.”
Leave it to these ladies to put everything into perspective.
“Thanks, guys.” I smile, feeling lighter than I have in days. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
They’ve always been my safe place—the family I used to wish for. The kind I once had with my sister, before everything changed.
“Anytime.” Ellie pulls me into a hug, her arms warm and comforting.
Hollis and Penny pile in until we’re all tangled in a giant group hug.
That’s when it happens—a sudden thump against my stomach. Two quick taps from Ellie’s belly.
We all jolt back at once.
“Oh my god…” I gasp. “Was that—”
Ellie’s mouth curves into a knowing smile. “Baby gymnastics on my bladder?” she offers with a laugh. “Yep.”
Hollis squeals in delight, and in the next breath we’re all reaching for Ellie’s belly, hands pressing gently to the swell. Another kick flutters beneath our palms, sending us into a burst of excitement.
“This is so fucking cool,” I breathe, completely in awe.
There’s something so magical about it.
“It is,” Penny whispers, emotion catching in her voice.
I meet her eyes and offer a quiet, knowing smile—something only the two of us share—before Ellie cuts in.
“Yeah, cool, except at three in the morning.”
We all laugh, the sound soft and full, still wrapped in the wonder of the moment…when a sharp knock rattles my front door.
Panic crashes back through me, hard and fast. “Crap, it’s him.”
Ellie’s hands settle on my shoulders again, her gaze as firm as her voice. “You can do this, Harlow. Do you understand? You’ve got this.”
I nod, because right now, that’s all I can manage.
“Good. Now go out there and have fun.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Penny adds. “We’ll slip out the back.”
They all spring into motion, grabbing purses and shoes in a blur of practiced chaos. By the time I reach the front door, they’re huddled at the back, giving me exaggerated thumbs-ups and grins before slipping out.
I hold onto the warmth they leave behind as I open the door. Then, I lose all ability to breathe.
Linc stands before me in a pair of dark, well-worn jeans and a black Henley that fits like it was made for him. Rugged, effortless, and that masculine confidence wrapped in a cocky grin that shouldn’t undo me after all these years.
“Hi,” I mutter, aiming for annoyance because I don’t know how to be anything else around him.
Unless, of course, he’s got me naked beneath him…
Don’t think about that, Harlow.
“Goldilocks,” he returns, stepping inside like he owns the place.
Before I can react, his arm slips around my waist, lifting me just enough for him to brush a quick, unapologetic kiss on my mouth.
It’s so fast it’s over before I can even think about protesting.
Not that I would.
“You look nice.” His tone dips, eyes sliding over me with heat that sinks straight to my core.
“Thanks,” I manage, sounding embarrassingly breathless.
“Brought you something.” He pulls a fistful of dandelions from behind his back, their seeds mostly gone, stems wilted.
I laugh, both amused and touched.
“I know, they’re a little worse for wear,” he grumbles, misreading my reaction. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep these little fuckers in one piece? Walk too fast, and poof—they’re dust.”
Smiling, I take the half-naked bouquet. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“But you’re impressed,” he counters, smug.
I don’t bother denying it. “And touched. Thank you.”
His grin eases into something warmer. “You’re welcome.”
For a long beat, neither of us move. Just his eyes on mine, that pull between us stretching taut. The kind that doesn’t fade, no matter how much I want it to.
“So, where are we going?” I ask, breaking the connection first.
“Dinner. I got us a reservation at Solara.”
My brows lift. “The new place over in Glacier County?”
“The one and only.”
“I heard they’re booked solid until next year.”
His grin returns. “They are. Lucky for you, I’ve got connections.”
I roll my eyes at his arrogance.
He chuckles, warm and amused. “They’re hosting a lantern festival over the lake for the grand opening. Figured we’d head down to that after dinner.”
Excitement sparks through me. “A lantern festival? Really?”
He nods. “You ever been to one?”
I shake my head. “But I’ve always wanted to.”
From pictures I’ve seen, they look positively magical. I’ve even tried convincing a few of my clients to do them, but no one ever bites.
Amusement lingers in his eyes. “Guess it’s your lucky night, Goldilocks.”
He’s so damn cocky I can’t resist knocking him down a peg. “Lucky is the last word I’d use to describe tonight, Masters.”
His laugh bursts out, deep and boisterous, tugging a reluctant smile from me.
He slings an arm around my shoulders. “Come on, smart-ass. Let’s eat.”
The move is so easy, so natural, that I don’t bother fighting it.
I decide to do the same for the rest of the night—go with the flow, have fun, and let it be what it is.
The rest, I’ll figure out later.