Better Together

by Jessie Gussman

  She stepped back and looked into Wyatt’s eyes. “Thank you.”

  He moved forward, sliding his hand over her hair. After a brief pause, he lowered his head and tenderly touched her lips with his.

  “Thank me later.” He winked before striding out the door.

  Harper stood with her fingers on her lips, staring at the door. She couldn’t wipe the bemused smile from her face.

  Remembering her lunch, she burst into action.

  Thirty minutes later, Harper grabbed her purse and walked out. She’d put off the position she’d been offered this summer, she couldn’t afford to lose the one for this fall. Not if she wanted that tenure vote to swing her way. Which, of course, she did. Unless she moved to Chile.

  That thought came out of the blue. It startled her. She had no intentions of ever moving to Chile. At least she didn’t think she did.

  She’d had fun in Chile. If she were working with the menus and meals, she’d be somewhat using her degree. It wasn’t the same as the farm, but if Wyatt was there… Still, she was so inept. Surely Wyatt would get tired of her incompetence. Frustrated with her complete lack of athletic ability. She could work her butt off to learn to ski, but she’d never be a natural. As for snowmobiling, well, she had to admit, she wasn’t exactly longing to go for another ride.

  Kayla’s face popped into her head. Her life and zest for adventure. They matched Wyatt’s. Harper would hold him back. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she kicked at the carpet with her toe. It was selfish to take Wyatt for herself when what he really needed was someone who could offer him more adventure and fun. Someone who matched his abilities and would challenge him in a good way. Someone who loved the life he loved. The right thing would be to let Wyatt go.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “We’re packing up. We’ll be home in a few days.”

  “They’re finally letting you come home Uncle Fink?” Wyatt lay on his back in the apple orchard. After her meeting, Harper had needed to make a trip to the library. He’d come down to check the apples, but it’d been so nice, he’d stayed for a nap. Then Uncle Fink had called.

  “Yeah. We need to either come home or start paying property taxes.”

  A soft breeze rustled the tall grass around him. He’d need to mow it before he left. The Summer Rambos would be ready to pick soon.

  The scent of corn pollen hung, thick and heavy, in the air. Such a summery smell.

  He focused on the conversation. “I hope you’re not pushing it too hard. You don’t want to relapse. That won’t help anyone.”

  “Don’t you want us back?” Fink said with a tease in his usually serious voice. “I’d think you’d have itchy feet by now.”

  A cloud shaped like a dragon floated lazily in the blue sky. He’d probably better give his uncle a hint. It wasn’t the semi-relationship with Harper he’d have trouble with. It was the fact that it couldn’t be permanent, not with him leaving and Harper staying, and the chance they took that things might never be the same for their mixed family.

  He put a hand behind his head and studied the mountain rising beyond the river. He opened his mouth to tell his uncle he was in a relationship with his wife’s daughter, but that’s not what came out. “Do you own all of that mountain beyond the apple orchard?”

  “All but the part that the tunnel goes through.”

  “How many acres?”

  “I think it’s around a thousand or so. It borders state game land on both sides. Why?”

  “Just lying here in the apple orchard, looking at it.” He thought of the old permit on the desk Harper and he had found when they were looking for the envelope with the passwords in it. A crazy idea popped into his brain. Too crazy. Even for him.

  “I’m dating Harper.” There. Now it was out.

  The line stayed silent.

  His relief turned to concern.

  Wyatt breathed deeply, closing his eyes. Waiting on his uncle to pronounce his fate.

  “I always thought you two would be good together.” Fink cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “But how, exactly, is that going to work out? Did you decide to not go to Chile?”

  “No.”

  “She’s going with you?” Fink’s voice hitched up an octave.

  “No.”

  Again, that ominous silence. “I kinda thought you had a little more respect for Harper than to let her be a summer fling.”

  “I do.” Even as he said the words, guilt punched him in the gut. That’s what the relationship he had with Harper amounted to—a summer fling. It sounded so cheap when his uncle said it.

  “Then what does this look like long-term?”

  Fink had been like a father to him, but he’d also been like a father to Harper, whose real dad had died when she was young. This was Harper’s dad talking to him now.

  He couldn’t lie. “It looks like nothing long-term.”

  “I’m disappointed in you, son.”

  There wasn’t really a defense, but he had to give one anyway. “I’m not sleeping with her. We’re just hanging out.”

  “Then you’re going to walk away.”

  He put an arm over his eyes, like he could block out the truth. But it was still there. “Yeah. My dad’s expecting me to fall into the family business. I have to go.”

  “Well, you’re both adults, and Harper’s always had a good head on her shoulders.” He paused and Wyatt braced himself. “But she already has a tendency to hide herself away. Being hurt by you is not going to do her any favors. Not to mention my wife is not going to be happy to watch that play out.”

  Fink’s words made Wyatt feel lower than an oil well. “I’m sorry. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I should have talked with you first.” He knew Harper would be hurt when he left. Heck, he was going to be hurt when he left. But somehow, it had all seemed worth it at the time. “I’ve just had the biggest crush on her since I met her, and she finally looked at me like…”

  “Like a man instead of a kid brother?”

  “Yeah.” The look on her face as she told him he was handsome meant everything to him. The same look said she respected him. That he made her laugh. It was the kind of look that could make a man move mountains just to see it again. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for Harper. But there were a few things he couldn’t do. Like stay here.

  “Did you talk to your dad?” Fink asked.

  Wyatt bent his knees and planted his feet. The dragon cloud had morphed into a peeled banana. He hoped it wasn’t some sort of sign. “He’s expecting me to come down there to stay.”

  “Did you tell him you didn’t want to?” Fink asked.

  He blew out a breath. “I don’t think it matters.”

  “So, you didn’t?” he asked.

  Wyatt pulled a blade of grass out beside him. He answered before sticking it in his mouth. “No.”

  “Why don’t you call and talk to him about it?”

  He chewed on the grass stem. “It wouldn’t do any good.”

  “Are you hoping Harper will change her mind and go with you?” Suspicion gave Fink’s voice a sharper edge.

  Wyatt sat up and spit the grass out of his mouth. “I would never ask her to do that.”

  “I’m glad. She’s spent a lot of years building a life here. One that will work for her.”

  “I know.”

  Fink’s voice lowered. “I could talk to her, though. If you want me to.”

  Wyatt’s mouth fell open. His heart hammered against his ribcage and he struggled to get the words out. “You’d ask her to go to Chile with me?” He didn’t want Fink to do that.

  “I could feel her out and see if she’s even considering it.” He could almost see Fink running the repercussions over in his analytical brain. “That’d be hard on Ellie, though.”

  “Yeah, I know. And Harper is such a homebody. Even if she agreed to go, she wouldn’t be happy down there.”

  “I suspect you’re right, son.”

  He stood and tossed down th
e blade of grass. “I just wanted a little time with her. I knew it couldn’t last. I just couldn’t pass it up.”

  “I understand. Not saying it’s good or right, but sometimes you want something so bad, a little bit is better than nothing at all.”

  His stomach lay against his backbone like a lead brick. “Yeah. That’s how I feel about Harper.”

  “She must feel the same way about you, son.”

  Leave it to Fink to point out the obvious thing he’d not thought about. “She must.”

  “Well, we’ll be back soon. What’s done is done.”

  He swiped his phone off just in time to hear Avery calling his name.

  “Over here.”

  “Oh, my gosh. Wyatt.” She hurried toward him, her fancy cat strapped to her front, its tuft of hair bouncing with every step she took. “The worst thing ever has happened. I just don’t know what we’re going to do!”

  Wyatt stood.

  Avery bounced to a stop in front of him. She hadn’t quite been a Godsend when it came to working on the farm, but she worked harder than anyone he knew and had latched onto it with a fierce loyalty that he respected. It wasn’t her fault she didn’t know which end of a rake was up.

  He brushed his jeans off. “What happened?”

  “I just checked the pumpkins.” Avery gulped in several lungfuls of air. Her eyes got big and she stretched her hands out. “They’re green!”

  Wyatt blinked. He wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to say to that.

  “What are we going to do?” She hopped a little on her feet. Her concern was sincere, but completely unfounded. Wyatt considered how to tell her.

  Before he could open his mouth, she spoke again. “I’m not blaming you. I know with Fink being gone everything just got dumped in your lap, and maybe he even ordered the wrong ones, for all I know. Do those packages have pictures? Maybe it was false advertising. I’m just not sure. Whatever happened, it’s happened, and all we can do now is try to fix it the best we can. After all, people don’t buy green pumpkins. I’ve never even seen them in the store. This must be a fluke kind that people in some other country must like or buy or something. But we need orange pumpkins. People won’t pay money for any other color. Well, maybe white…”

  She kept babbling on.

  He had to set her straight. This wasn’t the problem she thought it was. But she wouldn’t quit talking. Finally, Wyatt interrupted her with one word. “Paint.”

  Her eyes snapped to his. Her hands flew to her cheeks. She paused for just a moment. “You’re right. You’re right. Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? I can paint. We’ll get orange paint and we have time. We’ll just paint the whole darn field.” She nodded at Wyatt, still muttering to herself as she turned and walked away.

  He would stop her before she started painting the pumpkins. Of course.

  He rubbed his chin. He’d been worried about Fink and Ellie and the boys. Harper would be worried, too. But Avery, as much as she needed to learn, might be the best thing that happened to the farm all summer. If she was willing to paint five acres of pumpkins orange just to be able to pay the taxes, she might be willing to stay around. If she were willing to stay, someone else might be willing to go.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Do you think this is going to be confusing for the boys?” Harper sat beside Wyatt on the porch step, her warm body pressed against his from hip to shoulder.

  He contemplated the empty driveway. Fink and Ellie and the boys would be coming home any time.

  “It probably could be.” He put his arm around her and she lay her head on his shoulder. “But I’d rather not do any more pretending, if that’s okay with you.”

  She laughed. He’d figured she would after the debacle of the lie he’d told his dad. Still, nerves pinged in his stomach. Fink knew, and Wyatt assumed he’d told Ellie. He had no idea what Ellie would think.

  He ran his hand up and down Harper’s arm, enjoying the evening birdsong and the easing of the humidity that had plagued them all day.

  They sat in silence for a half an hour until Fink and Ellie’s van pulled in. With its arrival, Wyatt would have to face his girl’s mother, knowing that he wasn’t offering Harper anything more than a few more days with him.

  Boys tumbled out of the sliding doors as the vehicle pulled to a stop. Wyatt and Harper stood. Dan, the oldest at eight, ran to them, grabbing them both in a big hug. Bert and Kent piled on behind him, yelling their names and talking over each other so fast and loud it was impossible to understand anyone.

  Wyatt kept one arm behind Harper to steady her.

  Ellie’s eyes took in the picture as she got out of the driver’s side—her boys, her daughter…and him. She met his gaze. His stomach puckered.

  Her lips turned up. Her eyes crinkled at the corners.

  Harper’s arm slipped around his waist.

  Ellie’s eyes dropped to his waist, then slid back up. She tilted her head, and her look softened, radiating love.

  Wyatt felt humbled as he’d never before in his life. He’d thought she might be angry. Or resentful at the very least. He hadn’t expected acceptance, yet alone warm affection.

  Ellie broke the spell when she turned and shut her door, walking around the van to help Fink get out.

  Wyatt squeezed Harper’s shoulder. As the boys continued to clamor and talk, he spoke in her ear. “I think your mom’s okay with us.”

  She stood on tiptoe and whispered back, “She’s always loved you.”

  “Knock, knock,” Ellie called through the screen door of Harper’s apartment.

  “Come on in, mom,” Harper answered from the kitchen. She dropped a tea bag into each of the two mugs of hot water on the counter.

  Ellie opened the door and walked in.

  “Sit down on the couch. I’ll be right in.” Harper put cream but no sugar in her mom’s cup and carried the tea into the room.

  “Here you go.” She handed the cup to her mom. “Wow, the boys were wound up when you got here.”

  “Yeah. That’s a long drive.” Ellie took a tentative sip. “But they’re finally out for the night. And Fink is sitting at the table with his leg propped up, talking to Wyatt.”

  “Ah, that’s why you texted me. You needed to get away from the man-talk.”

  Ellie glanced at her over her cup. “Well, they were talking about women.”

  Harper wrinkled her nose. “Even worse.”

  “So, I thought maybe we should talk about men.”

  “Not men.” Harper couldn’t contain her smile, even though her heart hurt since their separation loomed. “Man.”

  Ellie set her cup down along with any pretense that she had arrived to talk about anything else. “Oh, Harper. Wyatt’s the best man I know. And I love him like a son. I’d love nothing more than to see you together. I just wish it wasn’t so impossible…unless you’ve decided to go to Chile with him?”

  Harper shook her head.

  “He’s staying here?”

  “I won’t go, he won’t stay…”

  “Why can’t he stay?”

  Harper pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’d understand if you went to Chile and saw it. His dad is dead-set on him helping. I mean, Wyatt had barely set foot on the place, and his dad had him out working, teaching classes, interacting with guests. Plus, Wyatt loves everything about it. He glows when he’s there.”

  She stared over her mother’s shoulder. Wyatt had never actually said he wanted to go, but Harper knew him better than most people, and she knew he loved it. Maybe he wished his dad’s resort wasn’t in Chile, but he loved the resort itself.

  “Don’t you think you could be happy there?” Her mom’s gaze seemed to go past the surface and probe her heart.

  Harper had to be honest. “I could, I suppose. It feels like all I need is Wyatt, and I’d be happy anywhere. But then I look at all the work I’ve put into my career here, and I think I’d resent having to give that all up.” She traced the rim of her tea cup.
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  “You think?”

  Harper bit her lip and lifted her hands in the air. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t stand the thought of losing him, but I could have tenure. A great research position. Everything I’ve worked so hard for is right there, right within reach.” She lowered her hands, placing them deliberately in her lap. “Plus, I love this old farm.” Her mom nodded in understanding. “I hate to leave it to even go to the store, yet alone, to leave the country. On top of that, I’d be leaving my family, too. I’d never see you and Fink and the boys.”

  Her mom’s face lost a little of its serious cast as she grinned. “Oh, we’d send the boys down. Every summer.”

  “Another reason to stay here.” They laughed together. Harper loved her brothers, and everyone knew it. But they could be exhausting. “I’m kidding.”

  Her mom’s smile faded. She reached out and took Harper’s hand. “Listen, honey. I know better than anyone how much of a homebody you are. You don’t have to tell me how hard it would be for you to give it all up. I just hope you’re clear about what it means.”

  “What?”

  “The research. Tenure. Even this farm. Do you not want to give it up because you love it? Or is it because it represents security for you?” She squeezed Harper’s hand. Harper squeezed back.

  Ellie shook her head. “I know I made some mistakes early in my life. I was pregnant with you at fourteen. Maybe I preached a little too long and a little too hard about security. About home and family. About having an education and a good, steady paycheck. After all, those were things that I didn’t have when I brought you into this world. I was scared, and I felt like I was all alone. Maybe you picked up on that. You seem to be determined to do the opposite of what I did.”

  “Maybe.” Harper studied their linked hands. She didn’t explicitly remember her mom lecturing about an education, family, security. But she couldn’t remember a time when those things weren’t important to her.