“You know way too much about how guys think. How could you have ever thought your instincts were off? The lines in the bar scene are spot-on, babe. And I loved the way you handled the scene when she found out the guy she was dating wanted a threesome. But please tell me that’s not how it really happened.”
In the scene, the heroine was contemplating finally sleeping with her boyfriend, and she received a package before their date. The gift was a pair of leather pants and a corset. She thought it was strange, but she played along because they had a fun, quirky relationship. She wore the outfit to his house for dinner despite being uncomfortable, having a wedgie, and almost tripping in her heels because the pants were too tight. The guy answered the door dressed in a suit. When he opened the door wider, she noticed he was holding a leash that was attached to a leather collar with spikes around another man’s neck. When the woman finally picked her jaw up off the floor, she casually mentioned needing to retrieve her whip from the car and then hightailed it out of there.
“Of course not!” Harper exclaimed. “But I figured the more outlandish the better. Relationships start with swipes these days. You never know what to expect.”
He pulled her into his arms and said, “It’s brilliant, Harp. Absolutely genius.”
“Really?”
“Really!” He spun her around as they kissed. When he set her down, she was smiling so big it had to hurt. “You should ask Emery if Ethan can help you get it out there.”
She shook her head, pacing again. “No. I’m not going to use any contacts like that. I have to earn this on my own or I’ll always wonder if my writing is good enough or if Emery just called in a favor. I have contacts. And I met that guy on the plane, remember? What if he does work somewhere big? For all I know, he could work with Netflix.”
“The guy you chewed out?”
“Mm-hm. But I’m getting way ahead of myself. I can’t think about any of that until it’s done and the writing is perfect.”
“Then let’s get started.” He headed into the bedroom to grab a sketch pad from a drawer.
“What are you doing?”
He came out of the room waving the drawing pad. “You’re not the only one who’s found their muse.”
“Did you get more ideas for Ocean Edge?”
He reached for her hand and said, “I think it’s time I start doing a little decorating around here. But first, let’s push the couch into the sunroom.”
Her eyes lit up. “The couch? What a great idea! We’ll be even more productive and comfortable.”
“Especially when we try to help each other through those mental blocks we’re sure to encounter.” His hands slid down to her butt.
“Mr. Wheeler, are you trying to distract me from writing?”
“No way. I fully support this endeavor and plan to give you lots of inspiration. Just tell me one thing: If I send you a leather outfit, what are the chances you’ll wear it for me?”
“That depends. Does it come with a whip?”
“You are a dirty girl.” He nipped at her lip, chuckling.
“Only for you…”
Chapter Fourteen
THE CAPE CHILDREN’S Amphitheater was located down a wooded road on the outskirts of Brewster, on the personal property of an eccentric retired actor, Harvey Fine, whom Harper would be interviewing after the show. Harvey’s father, who was also an actor prior to his passing, had built the amphitheater for his personal use. Sometime after inheriting the theater, Harvey began allowing local performing arts groups to hold performances there. Harper had fond memories of watching Jana onstage there when they were younger. She looked at her beautiful blond sister, sitting on the edge of her seat beside her in a flowing sundress and cute colorful sandals, watching children perform The Wizard of Oz. Jana’s hand rested on her belly. She was glad Jana had agreed to join her. It was Wednesday afternoon, and they’d lucked out with a warm, sunny day.
When had her rebellious little sister grown into such a mature mama-to-be? She wondered what would have become of their friendship if she’d stayed in LA. Would Harper have inevitably changed to fit in with the people there? Would she have become a workaholic like Gavin had when he was away from his friends and family? Luckily, she’d never have to find out.
“They’re magnificent,” Jana whispered. “I was never this good at their age.”
“You were better.” She used to be jealous of Jana’s ability to flawlessly mold herself into any role, while Harper could only be herself. She was no longer jealous of that ability, as she had her own qualities of which she was proud. She was capable of writing great stories, and sure, she’d lost sight of that for a while and some of her stories were crap, but that was all part of finding her voice.
My muse.
Her mind drifted back to her weekend with Gavin. Her thoughts never strayed far from him. They’d ordered Chinese food Sunday evening and eaten it in the sunroom while they worked. Gavin had begun sketching designs for his house, pointing out color schemes and textures online and asking for Harper’s opinion as much as she’d asked for his when she’d read him excerpts from her story. She’d never imagined feeling so partnered with anyone. She loved sharing all parts of her life with him.
“We should have done something like this,” Jana said softly, eyes on the stage.
“You did exactly this.”
Jana looked at Harper and said, “No, I mean you and me. You write, I act and dance. We should have done our own theater.”
“Like the plays we used to put on for Mom and Dad in the living room?”
“No, for real. We should have done it years ago.”
Harper was sure her sister had lost her mind. “Years ago we were two broke blondes, and I’m not too far from that now.”
“We could have made it work. The guy who built this place always did.”
“He was a billionaire.” Harper glanced at the back of Mr. Fine’s balding head. He was in his late eighties, with failing health, but he still managed to watch nearly every performance, sometimes from the window of his library. Today he was perched in a wheelchair in the front row. An umbrella shaded him from the sun.
“Shh,” the woman beside Jana said with a discerning look.
“Sorry,” Jana and Harper mumbled.
Jana turned so the woman couldn’t see her smirk and shrugged at Harper like she used to when they were little, as if to say, Oops. A minute later she leaned closer and said, “I bet her kid has the lead.” She was quiet for only a moment before whispering, “I still think we could have done it. You and me in business together? We’d have had so much fun.”
The woman glared at them again.
About five minutes later Jana leaned closer and said, “By the way, your one-word responses to my texts about the other morning sucked. I want the lowdown on what happened after you ran off from breakfast to meet Gavin.”
Harper and the woman on the other side of Jana both shushed her.
Jana mouthed, Sorry. She managed not to whisper for most of the remaining show.
After the show and two long rounds of applause, Jana joined the audience and the actors in the food tent for a buffet lunch next to the most spectacular gardens Harper had ever seen. They were overflowing with flowers and greenery, untamed and bushy, which she loved, although each garden was well defined by a large mulch bed.
Harper hurried across the lawn, notebook in hand, and fell into step with Mr. Fine’s faithful assistant of the last decade, Jack Steele, who was younger than she imagined and looked to be in his early thirties. He was sharply dressed and strikingly handsome—tall and dark, with an air of mystery like a Hollywood movie star.
“Hi, Mr. Steele? Mr. Fine? I’m Harper Garner with the Cape Cod Times.”
“Jack, please,” Mr. Steele said in a dignified voice that caused Harper to stand up straighter. He stopped pushing the wheelchair to unhurriedly, yet firmly, shake her hand. His hand was warm and soft, the kind of hand caregivers should have. “It’s a pleasure to meet
you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.” Harper shifted her gaze to Harvey Fine, also sharply dressed in a gray cardigan over a white button-down. His legs were covered with a plaid blanket. He had a slightly long face, and the hair on the sides of his head and the few strands on top were winter white and looked downy soft. His hands and face were speckled with age spots, and his skin was translucent. An oxygen tube snaked from beneath his nose, over his ears, to the oxygen tank attached to the back of his wheelchair.
“Thank you for taking the time to chat with me, Mr. Fine,” she said. “My sister used to act on your stage, and I’ve enjoyed many performances here.”
He lifted bushy brows over friendly gray eyes and said, “I don’t have much time left, so I hope you’re a fast talker. And please, call me Harvey, and call him Jock.”
Jack rolled his eyes.
When Harper raised her brow, Harvey said, “Don’t look at him like he has a choice in the matter. His name’s been Jock for a decade. Just look at the handsome creature, for goodness’ sake.”
“Okay, Harvey and Jock it is,” she said. “Don’t worry. I can be as quick as you’d like.”
Harvey’s thin lips curved up and he glanced at Jock to say, “How many times have you said that to a woman?”
Harper felt her eyes widen. She stifled a laugh.
“Not as many times as you’d think,” Jock said with a drone of boredom, as if he’d heard it a million times, although there was no missing the affectionate glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
Harvey lifted his frail hand, pointing one birdlike finger at Jock. “Ah, but how many times did they believe you?”
Harper laughed.
“I knew I could make you laugh,” Harvey said as they headed for the house. “A pretty young woman like you should be laughing all the time. There’s not enough laughter in the world anymore. Everyone’s worried about making their mark or what the big guys in positions of power are doing. What happened to the days when kids were the focus? When laughter was more important than the daily news? That’s what the world needs more of.” He waved his hand dismissively as Jock pushed his wheelchair up the ramp beside the front steps of the house. “Have I rambled enough yet?”
Jock pushed a button beside the door, and the two front doors opened. “You surpassed enough about ten years ago.”
“Smart-ass,” Harvey said with a rough laugh, which led to a raspy, hacking cough as they entered the house.
Once inside, Jock crouched beside the wheelchair with one hand on Harvey’s shoulder, his eyes laden with concern, as he handed Harvey a monogrammed handkerchief. Harvey held it in front of his mouth as he slowly regained control. Jock took another handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed wetness from around Harvey’s eyes.
“Are you okay?” Harper asked.
“Yes, I believe so.” Harvey winked at her. “Aging gracefully is not easy, but you should have seen how charming I was as a younger man.” He started coughing again, and when it finally subsided, he was wheezing.
“I can do this another time if you’d like,” Harper offered.
“He’s okay,” Jock reassured her, giving Harvey’s shoulder a squeeze. “This is just the universe’s way of telling him to stop flirting with younger women.”
Harvey cough-laughed. “Probably right, son.” He tipped his face up to Harper and said, “Unless, of course, you’d like me to flirt with you?”
And so began one of the most intriguing interviews Harper had ever experienced.
ON THE WAY back to Jana’s house, Harper told Jana about the interview. “Every article I’ve ever read about the amphitheater has focused on the property, which is why I focused on Harvey. Jana, Harvey is such an impressive and kind man. He worked on Broadway, and he didn’t want to live on the Cape. He reluctantly took over here—his word, not mine. Nobody has ever published anything negative about his father. Apparently he was a real prick, and horrible to Harvey. When Harvey came here from New York, he intended to sell the property, but then he met Adele, who later became his wife. He called her his goddess of sweetness.” Her throat thickened thinking of the love she’d seen in Harvey’s eyes when he spoke of her. “She lost both her legs in a car accident on their seventh date.”
“Oh no.” Jana’s face crumpled. “I performed there many times, and I never even knew he was married.”
“That’s not surprising. He lost her to cancer just eight years after they were married. Her ashes were spread over the gardens, and he stayed in the area to be closer to her. When I was leaving, Jock told me that Harvey has never talked about Adele to anyone. I felt funny about putting any of that in the article, but Jock said Harvey knows his days are numbered and that by telling me about Adele, it means Harvey trusts me to give his love for Adele a voice for the world to hear.”
“That’s tragically beautiful.”
“I know. My heart hurt during the whole interview, even when he made me laugh. Harvey said it was a good thing he’d fallen in love with Adele the very moment he’d met her, because after the accident she was in so much grief over the loss of her legs, she could barely stand being around herself.” Harper’s eyes teared up just as they had during the interview, and she blinked them dry. “He said it was during her recovery that he learned how important laughter was. From then on, he made it his goal to help Adele see the humor in life, and since losing her, he said he laughs to remember her. That’s why he opens the amphitheater only for children’s plays and why he hosts buffets afterward, so the children can be with their friends and run around. He and Adele never had children. He said he surrounds himself with the people who laugh the most.”
Jana rubbed her belly. “Kids.”
“Exactly. You should have seen him with Jock, and the way Harvey’s face brightened when he talked about his great-niece, Tegan, who he hopes will one day take over the property. Can you imagine facing all of that loss and coming out with an outlook like he has?” As she said it, she knew she would do the same thing if something were to happen to Gavin.
Jana nodded. “I can, actually.”
“Me too…”
Jana studied her face like she had at lunch. “You feel that way about Gavin, don’t you?”
Harper felt herself smiling.
“I knew it! It’s about time you fessed up. Did you really think you’d get away with telling me everything was fine or good when you took off after breakfast last weekend? When you ran off, I told everyone I’d never seen you like that. You’re glowing, Harper, and you’re not even pregnant.” Her eyes widened. “Are you?”
“No!” Harper laughed. “I’m happy, but I’m also a little…something. Confused? Hesitant? I don’t know.”
“Okay, let me help with that. It’s all good if you do it with someone you love. Ties are for wrists; ball gags are for—”
“Stop! I know all that.” Harper felt her cheeks burn.
“Oh, does my prim-and-proper sister have a naughty side?”
Yes. “No!”
“Poor Gavin,” Jana said with a pouty face.
“I’m naughty enough. Can you please focus for a second?”
When the Brewster Scoop came into view, Jana yelled, “Stop! Ice cream. I need it.”
“I can see focusing is even harder when you’re preggers.” She pulled into the parking lot.
“I will focus like a laser beam once I have some sugar.”
They got ice cream cones, and Jana suggested they walk down to Breakwater Beach, which was around the corner. “I promised myself I’d work off any extra calories I ate, and I’m eating a lot. I never stop. I swear I’m going to be eight hundred pounds after I have this baby.”
“And you’ll still be gorgeous,” Harper said as they walked past the Brewster General Store and turned down Breakwater Road, a residential street lined with pretty cottages.
“Hunter seems to think so.” Jana licked her ice cream and said, “So, give me the lowdown on you and Gavin.”
Harper sighed dreamily.
“Remember how you and Hunter toyed with each other for a long time before you finally realized you both wanted the same thing?”
“You mean tortured, don’t you?” Jana said. “We were stubborn. Neither of us would admit what we really wanted. But you knew. You’re the one who told me to lay it all on the line and confront him.”
“Yeah. You were always crazy about him, but you got off on the whole oil and water thing that defined your relationship. Gavin and I are the opposite of you and Hunter. There are no games, no pretending or posturing. Or at least mostly.”
“Mostly? What does that mean? He better not be fucking with your head or—”
“Calm down.” Harper licked her ice cream. “I love that you’re so protective of me, but you don’t have to be with him. It’s not him. It’s me. He wants more togetherness, and I do too, Jana, more than you can imagine. We spent the whole weekend together, every single minute of it.”
“This sounds promising. In bed or out?”
“Both,” Harper admitted, and for the first time in her life she wanted to share something intimate, because being with Gavin was too good to hold in. “We made love a lot. Being with Gavin is heavenly. I never knew it could be like this, but he’s loving and sometimes demanding in a really wonderful way. He’s rough and sweet at once, and…” She snapped her mouth shut, realizing how much she’d revealed.
“About damn time I get to hear you say that. Harper, this is fantastic! I always worried you’d end up with some guy with a pocket protector or something.”
“Ohmygod, really?”
Jana laughed. “I don’t know. You were always so straitlaced.”
“That’s just it. I was. I just…It’s him, Jana. I think I’m like Harvey. He fell in love with his wife the first time he saw her. And the first time I saw Gavin, the first time I talked to him, I knew he was different. He’s amazing. But it’s not just that—we’re so alike. He’s a hard worker, but he doesn’t get lost in it, although he said he used to and that really messed with him.” She told Jana about Corinne and the pregnancy scare and how Gavin had become a workaholic, not finding his way back to his family and having a life until years later.
Bayside Romance (Bayside Summers) Page 17
