Love So Perfect (The Lawson Brothers #5)

by Marquita Valentine

  Heck, half the time, people forgot she was a McCoy since her mother had taken Harper’s father’s last name as her own. And she sure didn’t look like any of the McCoy women. Her hair was so dark a red that it looked brown most of the time, her eyes were a colorless grey, and her figure was on the plumper side.

  Austin cleared his throat, his gaze expectant. “If it’s forbidden, just let me know so I won’t keep making a fool of myself.”

  Oh Lord. She had to answer him. Gosh, she really didn’t want to look like a fool either.

  Chapter Two

  Austin waited for the curvy, little teacher to answer him. He liked Harper. Liked how she looked in her dark jeans and colorful sweater. Snowflakes marched across her chest, highlighting just how impressive her breasts were. She wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever encountered, but she was a looker. Only, he had to take a closer look before the full effect of her quiet beauty hit him.

  Even with her light grey eyes, auburn hair, and pink lips, she wasn’t a flashy type of pretty. If they had been in a crowd, his eyes wouldn’t have been immediately drawn to her.

  But when she spoke, he couldn’t help but listen. When she smiled, he couldn’t help but smile right back. And when she blushed, he wanted to see how far that rosy color would go down her body.

  “No, it’s not against any rules for volunteers and teachers to have drinks. I’m sure you and Penny will have a great time.”

  “Who’s Penny?”

  Harper’s eyes widened. “The teacher you’re taking out for drinks.”

  Did she think he was merely feeling her out for info? “She’s not the teacher I want to take out,” he slowly said.

  “Jamie Lynn, then.”

  “No.”

  Her forehead wrinkled adorably. She really didn’t have a clue. “Then who? I don’t know of any other teachers who are single.”

  Shit. That was why she didn’t assume it was he was talking about her. She was taken. The lack of ring on her finger only meant she wasn’t married—not that she didn’t have a boyfriend.

  “Ah, apparently the teacher I wanted to take out is already taken. No worries then, I’ll text one of my brothers,” he said, trying to extricate himself from a potentially embarrassing situation. He didn’t want things to be awkward—

  He caught her frown. What had he said wrong?

  “I’m sure you’ll have a great time.” She moved closer to the door.

  “Do you have plans?” He wasn’t sure why he asked her that. It was none of his business. And did he really want to hear about what she and her boyfriend were going to do this weekend?

  “Only with my dog Libby,” she said with a rueful grin. “I like living on the wild side.”

  “You have a dog?” Austin always liked animals. He wished like hell he could have one, but life on the road combined with his normal schedule wasn’t fair to an animal that needed attention.

  “Yes. She’s three years old. Sweetest thing ever.” Her hand twisted the doorknob. “I adopted her last year, and we have a standing date every Saturday afternoon at the dog park.”

  “What does your boyfriend think of Libby?” Shut up, Austin. Just shut up and take the hint.

  “I don’t have a boyfriend,” she said quietly, looking away.

  Well, damn. Except... “If you don’t have a boyfriend and your only plans are with your dog, why can’t you have drinks with me?”

  Her pink mouth dropped open in surprise, even as her gaze flew to his. “You wanted to have drinks with me?”

  “Thought I was pretty obvious about it.”

  She shook her head. “No, you asked if it was okay.”

  “I was attempting to flirt a little, and yes, I did need to know if it was okay. Didn’t want to get either of us into trouble,” he admitted, moving nearer to her. Up this close, he could smell the floral scent of her perfume. See the smattering of freckles across her nose. The creaminess of her skin. Harper Bell was the quintessential girl next door.

  Suddenly, it hit him. Harper Bell was the answer to his public image problems. Finley would love her.

  And if he and Harper could have some fun along the way... bonus for both of them. Of course, he would tell her up front. He didn’t feel her to feel used. It would be her decision to see him again. Or not. He hoped like hell she would see him again. Maybe for dinner next time.

  Her throat worked as her chin tipped up. “Ask me again.”

  Tension of the sexual kind filled the room. The best kind of tension in Austin’s opinion. Why wait for next time to have dinner? “Have dinner with me tonight, Harper Bell.”

  “I thought it was drinks.”

  “Changed my mind.”

  She licked her lips. “Yes, I’d love to have dinner with you, Austin.”

  “Run along to class before we get in trouble for kissing in the principal’s office,” he heard himself say.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.” He flashed her an apologetic grin. “I might have a history of getting in trouble at school. A lot.”

  “Do you?” She arched an eyebrow. “I don’t have that kind of reputation.”

  Reason number two he would do his best to convince her to go out with him again. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t tease her.

  Leaning in close, he dipped his head a little and said, “I’m hoping to change that.” He put his hand on top of hers and opened the door, tossing out a, “I’ll pick you up at six,” as he left the office.

  His older brother Tristan met him at the front entrance of the school, holding a box of books. “In the principal’s office again, huh? Looks like some things never change.”

  Austin grabbed the box, and the two of them began to walk to the parking lot. There was a line of cars out front, and more than one curious parent stared at them.

  “Man, people can’t stop staring at the Cotton Queen’s husband,” Tristan said, pride evident in his voice.

  “Pretty sure they’re staring at the star quarterback of the Avengers,” Austin corrected. Some things really didn’t change—like good-natured sibling rivalry.

  “Oh please, everyone’s dying to meet Trina Williams,” a voice said, sounding exasperated.

  Austin gave the crossing guard a look. “The weatherman, er... woman?”

  “She was the guest speaker at school today for all grade levels. Even brought her infamous umbrella,” the woman said before motioning for them to cross. “Have a nice day.”

  “Never thought a meteorologist would outrank a beauty queen’s husband,” Tristan grumbled.

  “Yeah, exactly my thoughts, too,” Austin wryly replied. His brother had it bad, but that was okay in his book. Husbands were supposed to have it bad for their wives. He followed Tristan to his truck, putting the box in on the passenger side while Tristan got in.

  Tristan rolled his window down. “You coming to dinner on Sunday?”

  “Do I have a choice?” Austin asked.

  “Nope.”

  Austin rolled his eyes. “Then why did you ask?”

  “Because I like giving my little brother a hard time.” Tristan grinned.

  Apparently, their entire family enjoyed giving him a hard time. “You’re not the one who will be subjected to questions about meeting a nice girl.”

  “Get married and they’ll stop.”

  “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that.” Austin rubbed the back of his neck. “Did you uh... happen to watch the You Tube video of Bianca and me?”

  “No, but Mason did. He said you looked like an asshole.”

  “It was edited.”

  Tristan raised a brow.

  “Okay, so it was mostly edited. I called her a bitch, but I apologized for it. However, she didn’t bother to include that part in the final copy.” Damn, but admitting that to his brother was way worse than admitting it to Coach and Finley.

  “We all have our moments.”

  “Except we all don’t have them go viral.” Austin put a hand on t
he door. “I’m home because I’m being punished. Not that it’s a punishment to be home,” he added hastily.

  “Is that why you’re here, too?” Tristan nodded at the school.

  Austin shrugged one shoulder. “Thought it couldn’t hurt. Besides, I like kids.”

  “I know you do,” Tristan said, and then started up his truck. “And I like my wife’s relatives, too.”

  It was a warning about Harper. His brother’s wife was a McCoy and, therefore, Harper’s cousin. Tristan must have seen the two of them in the office. “I promise not to hurt her.”

  “Brother, as much as I think you’re a good man who would rather die than break his word, there are some things in life you cannot guarantee.”

  Austin stiffened. “Is that an insult?”

  “No. It’s a fact. You can’t promise things won’t go bad if the two of you get together.”

  “Geez, Tristan. It’s not like I asked the woman to marry me.”

  “And that’s exactly the problem.”

  Color him confused. “Didn’t realize I had to.”

  “Your lifestyle isn’t conducive to healthy relationships, much less lasting ones.”

  Austin wanted to take offense at that, but based on what had happened to him and the few guys he knew who were monogamous, he couldn’t. “I promise to be up front with her—is that better?”

  “Marginally, but I wished you hadn’t asked her out at all,” Tristan said, his tone even.

  “How in the hell did you know I asked her out?”

  “My wife texted me after Harper texted her.”

  That sure as hell was fast. “Oh.”

  “Oh is right. Things like that go viral around here just as quickly as a YouTube video. Best keep that in mind, little brother.”

  Austin gave him a smart salute. “Yes, sir.”

  Tristan made a face. “Shut up.”

  After he closed the door, Austin turned his full salute into the one-fingered kind. Tristan rolled the window down. “Hey, genius, you’re still at school. Put it away.”

  Jerking his head around, Austin shoved his hands into his pockets. Thankfully, everyone’s eyes were on Trina. “No one saw.”

  Tristan gave him a look. “Anyway, remember what I said, and I’ll see you at church on Sunday.”

  “But not dinner,” Austin groused. It wasn’t that he hated Sunday dinners. On the contrary, he loved his momma’s cooking, but his parents liked for everyone to hang around until bedtime when all he wanted to do was go back to his townhouse and watch television without having to wear pants.

  “Already got plans with the wife,” Tristan said with a smirk.

  Austin would bet his last dollar that Tristan’s plans didn’t involve wearing pants.

  They said their goodbyes. Austin turned, striding to his truck. After cranking up the engine and the radio, he bypassed the carpool line and turned onto Fourth Street, mulling over his conversation with Tristan.

  Maybe his brother was right and he shouldn’t have asked Harper out, but what was done was done. He wouldn’t back out of it, but he wouldn’t ask her out again.

  Quite simply, they would have drinks and a great dinner. Maybe even some good conversation. At the end of the night, he’d take her home. Come Tuesday, he would be the most professional volunteer the school had ever seen.

  It was the perfect plan.

  ***

  Harper’s cozy cottage was only two streets away from school, so unless the weather was horrible, she walked each day. It was good exercise and, usually, it gave her time to get in and out of teacher mode. She needed that time to decompress, to compartmentalize. It wasn’t as though she disliked teaching, but she was rather fond of her alone time.

  Although, lately, all her time had been spent alone, but with Austin’s invitation to dinner, it looked as though that was about to change.

  Lemon McCoy Lawson waved at her from the porch. “Harper!”

  “Thank you for coming over on such short notice,” Harper said, catching her cousin up in a hug. Then she stepped back, taking note of the purple shadows under Lemon’s eyes. “I woke you up, didn’t I?” She groaned a little. “I feel so bad.”

  “Don’t feel bad. Besides, I needed the exercise.” Lemon put a hand on her very pregnant belly and laughed. “It’s best to do as much as I can before I can’t do anything at all.”

  “I bet Tristan will carry you and the babies around once they’re born,” Harper said as they moved to the front door. She unlocked it and held it open, “Let’s go inside so you can put your feet up.”

  Libby came bounding down the hall, her tongue hanging out and her tail wagging. But as soon as she got within petting distance of Harper, she sat down and patiently waited. Whoever had taken care of Libby first had trained her well.

  Harper crouched down, taking Libby’s furry face in her hands. “How’s my sweet girl? Did you miss me today?”

  Libby’s tail thumped excitedly on the floor.

  “I think she did,” Lemon said, moving past her. “She’s such a good girl. I never have to worry about her jumping on me.”

  Harper gave Libby another affection rub and went to the back door to let her out. She took off at once, running to the opposite end of the fenced in backyard.

  With a shake of her head and a smile, Harper shut the door. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Tea, please.”

  Once Lemon was comfy and Harper had fixed them both a glass of sweet tea, Harper sat down. “I have a date. But you already know that.”

  “I do, and I’m very happy you’re so excited.” Lemon’s hazel eyes were clear and pure. There was no dishonesty there. No making fun of Plain-Jane McCoy as she was oftentimes referred to in the family. “Is there something particular I can help you with?”

  Harper shrugged. “Everything?”

  Setting her glass down on the table beside the chair, Lemon made a noise. “Harper Bell, you don’t need to change a thing.”

  “Yes, I do—at least for tonight... I have no idea what to wear for dinner with Austin. Supposedly, he’s a famous athlete.” Oh gosh, she sounded ridiculous, but at least she was only sounding that way in front of Lemon. “I’m nervous.”

  “That’s okay. I think you should wear your prettiest dress and curl you hair. Add some lip gloss and you’re as perfect as can be,” Lemon said with such authority that Harper began to feel better.

  “Are you sure that’s all I need?”

  Lemon’s gaze flicked to Harper’s chest. “Sugar, he asked you out while you were wearing a teacher’s uniform. Of course that’s all you need.”

  “This isn’t my teacher uniform.” Harper glanced down at her chest. “I love this sweater.”

  “It’s charming,” Lemon agreed.

  “You hate it.”

  “I don’t hate it.”

  “You’d never wear it,” Harper insisted.

  “That’s because if I did, the snowflakes would turn into a family of Abominable Snowmen,” Lemon said with a straight face.

  Harper laughed. “Stop it.”

  Lemon smiled. “We don’t have to agree on fashion, but you have to admit that the man asked you out at the end of a workday. While you are gorgeous, the rest of us are mere mortals.”

  While Lemon exaggerated about how gorgeous Harper was, she did have a point about the timing. When she taught school, she wasn’t a woman, she was a teacher—a caregiver... In other words, she was not sexy or at her dating best.

  Sure, she looked nice for school, but it was work appropriate... and her work came with hazards like sick kids, snotty noses, and classrooms spills. No matter their age in elementary school, students depended on their classroom teachers to mother or father them while they were in their care—along with teaching them.

  “Would you at least help me decide which dress to wear?” Harper asked.

  “Of course.” Lemon clapped her hands. “I love fashion shows, but first, can we have a snack?”

  An hour and
a half later, Libby was sitting by the fireplace and gnawing on her favorite lovey, Lemon’s hunger was assuaged, and Harper was trying on the third dress on her list. She hoped this one would work, mainly because it was the last one on her list.

  Stepping out of her bedroom and into the hallway, she quickly moved to the living room. “What do you—?”

  “That’s lovely,” Lemon said. “It’s the perfect one.”

  Harper let out a pent-up breath. “Thank goodness. I was running out of options.”

  Lemon gave her a sheepish smile. “I liked the other ones, too, but I wanted to see them all. Sorry.”

  Planting her hands on her hips, Harper attempted to give Lemon a stern look, but she couldn’t manage to keep a straight face. “I can’t believe you’d do that.”

  “Told you I love fashion shows.”

  “But this is the one I should wear for tonight?”

  “Yes.” Lemon punctuated her answer with a firm nod. “The violet brings out the red in your hair and the silver in your eyes.”

  Glancing at the clock on the wall, Harper took note of the time. She had less than an hour to finish getting ready. “Ack. I have to finish getting ready!” She dashed to the bathroom, calling out along the way, “Do you want me to take you home, or—?”

  “Tristan will come get me as soon as I text him.”

  Harper went into hyper-action mode. She curled her hair and her eyelashes, putting on makeup that had never been opened before today. Spritzing on perfume, she eyed herself in the mirror.

  Not bad, she thought.

  The violet did make her hair look red instead of a dull brown, and her eyes didn’t look so washed out. She couldn’t do anything about her figure though. It would never be supermodel worthy like the women Austin usually dated.

  Yeah, she had cheated and looked at pictures of his ex-girlfriend, Bianca. While Harper was a size eight and stood at five foot four, Bianca was almost as tall as he was and had to wear a size zero. She looked like a ballet dancer... while Harper could score a job as a burlesque dancer if she had mind to.

  Honestly, there was nothing wrong with his ex’s figure... it was just the exact opposite of hers. Either he liked petite, curvy women or he didn’t.