by Evie Nichole
“Maybe later,” she said. “Window.”
The window groaned as he rolled it down. Enough rust had accumulated that it took more effort than he anticipated. He grumbled the entire time about how primitive it was to still have a hand-operated window.
Honestly, Harbour had felt a little guilty when she had caused him to face-plant on the dashboard, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying his yelp of surprise when a bundle of white leapt through the now open window. Jareth was a towering dog of pure white and he didn’t waste any time in whirling around to smother Derek with licks.
“What the hell?” He grabbed Jareth by the thick fluff that looked a lot like mutton chops and pulled him back.
Jareth pushed forward with all the strength of a sled dog and Derek had a hard time keeping him back. When Jareth realized that he couldn’t get any closer, he unfurled his long tongue to cover the distance.
“Jareth, meet Derek. Derek, this is Jareth.”
At the sound of his name, Jareth turned all of his slobbery attention onto Harbour. The new position and limited space meant that Derek ended up getting hit with Jareth’s overly fluffed tail each time he wagged it. Eventually, Harbour took pity on him, looped her arm around Jareth’s flank, and toppled him over.
Derek wiped his face and glared at the dog. “Jareth? Seriously? When are you going to get over that crush?”
Her hands froze from where they were roughing up Jareth’s neck. No. No way. There was no way he would know about that.
“What?”
“The goblin king from the movie Labyrinth, right? The guy with the huge hair who always wore tights. I would have thought your interest in him would have faded out by now.”
“I never . . .” Derek’s smile grew mocking and Harbour narrowed her gaze. “Who told you?”
“I always wanted to know. Was it Jareth specifically, or David Bowie?”
“It was.” She changed tactics mid-sentence and slammed on the gas. “Why would you want to know that?”
Jareth protested the quick lurch but soothed as Derek gave him a quick scratch.
He shrugged. “Boredom makes me curious about a lot of odd things. So, was it the tights? Do you have a thing for guys in tights?”
“Why don’t you wear a pair and find out?”
Even as she refused to look over, Harbour knew exactly what kind of look Derek was casting her way right now. It was way too smug and made it very tempting to slam the brakes again.
“So why do you let Jareth just run about? What about all those wild animals you were just gushing about?”
“I wasn’t gushing. And we try to keep him in the yard, but he always escapes.”
She reached down to rub Jareth’s ears and smiled as the thumping tail hit Derek in some uncomfortable places. With a gruff grunt, he tried to push Jareth off of the bench seat. The attention just reminded him that Derek existed and within a few seconds he was back to licking Derek’s face.
A few more twists and turns and the forest opened to reveal the Quintana home. The night sky was a starlit backdrop to the overgrown manor. As much as Harbour hated the place, she had to admit that they had one hell of a view.
As she pulled up around the fountain that severed the driveway, a motion sensor light flicked and flooded the yard with a blinding glare. The second the wheels stopped turning, she threw open her door and hopped out. Derek took his time and seemed more interested in riling Jareth up than getting to his luggage.
“You know I can’t get this stuff out by myself,” she said as she pulled down the back bar.
It flopped down with a scream of rusted hinges and a cloud of dust. Derek looked at it with a raised eyebrow before turning to face her.
“I thought we were getting pizza and beer.”
“No.” Harbour managed to find a bag that she could lift, and hurled it over the edge. “I’m getting beer and pizza. You can do whatever you want.”
He seemed to think about it for a moment. “I could go for beer and pizza.”
The next bag was heavier and almost dragged Harbour over the rim with it. Derek still didn’t come any closer but now watched with her struggle with amusement.
“Pizza and beer night is something I do with my parents. It’s a family thing. And I only agreed to bring you up here, not run errands. Actually, no. I didn’t even agree to take you home.”
What was he putting in these suitcases? There were two left and she wasn’t able to lift either. Hunching down, Harbour put her shoulder to one of the bags and forced it across the flatbed like a line-backer. It toppled over the edge. But before it could hit the ground with what she had hoped was going to be a satisfying thud, Derek caught the handle. He only needed one hand to take the weight, and she didn’t try to hide how annoying that was.
“I think there’s some beer inside.”
“Great for you,” she huffed.
The final bag was positioned a little way from the truck’s cabin, so she slid down behind it, braced her back against the cabin wall, and shoved it with her legs. What had started as a strategic move quickly deteriorated into a series of aggravated kicks.
The truck rocked as Derek finally hopped up and took the bag, once again taking the weight with a frustrating amount of ease. Harbour glared at him, but that only seemed to encourage his smirk.
“I’m trying to be polite and thank you for the lift,” he said.
“And I politely decline. I need to get back home anyway. My parents are heading off on a holiday tomorrow and I really want to spend some time with them before they go.”
His eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “Do you still live with your parents?”
“One, housing here is ridiculously expensive —”
“So you’re really into this counting down thing now.”
“Apparently so,” she dismissed. “Two, I help them with the B n’ B, which is also our home, so it only makes sense to stay there. And three . . . shut up.”
“Well said.”
When Derek smirked again, Harbour contemplated kicking him. But before she could decide, he held out a hand and she let him help her up. His fingers engulfed her palm and she felt tiny as he swiftly pulled her to her feet. She wasn’t really all that surprised that his skin was smooth. Callouses were something you had to earn and she doubted he had ever had to do anything with his own hands that would cause them to chafe.
The chill of the night couldn’t compete with the heat that radiated from Derek. It slid from his fingers and curled into Harbour’s skin in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
“I think it’s kind of nice,” Derek said abruptly, his smug expression melting into something almost wistful. “I love my parents, but living with them is kind of a nightmare.”
The sudden shift in attitude was disarming and she wasn’t sure how to respond. The floodlights danced off of his eyes when he looked at her from under his ebony lashes. She was suddenly very aware that he still held her hand.
“Don’t you owe me money?”
It was a bit easier to breathe as casual disinterest forced all traces of vulnerability from his face.
“Right. Hold on.”
Suitcase still in hand, he jumped over the rim of the truck and headed towards the house. Jareth trailed along beside him, nuzzling his hand until he was granted a light pet. In a moment, Derek disappeared into the darkened house, white dog still close by his side. Harbour had time to push the end of the flatbed back up and secure it in place before he re-emerged.
“$200, right?”
“Yes. You lost $200 to me in a bet about who’s the faster swimmer.”
He paused as he held out the bills.“I remember what it’s for.”
“I know. I just like to say it. Mention it. Might even cross-stitch it onto a throw pillow for one of the guest rooms.”
“You don’t win that often, do you?”
She snatched up the money and shoved it into the back pocket of her jeans.
“No. I’m just a very petty winner.”
He forced himself to frown, but it was clear he was biting back a smile.
“Well, you just enjoy it then.”
“Damn straight.”
Jareth trotted in front of Harbour as she moved around the truck to the still-open driver’s side door. He leapt in without prodding and she was a little relieved he didn’t put up a fuss. Figuring that she should at least say goodbye, Harbour turned back around. A startled cry escaped her and she jerked back, heart in her throat. She hadn’t heard Derek move, but he had kept only about a foot of distance between them.
“You need a bell.”
“Maybe you need to pay more attention to your surroundings,” he countered. “So, tour tomorrow?”
“Nope.”
“Harbour.”
She scoffed at the warning in his tone. “Storm’s rolling in tomorrow. The rain’s supposed to start in the morning and just get worse from there. Tours will be cancelled. So I guess you can critique Piper or something while I go and haul in all the equipment.”
“The equipment?”
“You can’t leave all the boats and stuff out at the end of the season. Seriously, how do you not know that?”
“I guess you’re right.” He nodded. “Fine. I’ll help you.”
“What now?”
“Are you saying you’re unable to teach me anything?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Oh, I can teach you things you’ve never heard of.”
“Again, very confusing.”
“Just assume I am insulting you until told otherwise.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “So there’s a possibility that you’ll be making a pass at some point?”
She snorted. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“It’s a little confusing when you make noises like that.”
“I’m adorable at all times, thank you.”
“You’re arguing that I should always find you attractive?”
“No.” She turned on the engine and hoped that the shadows would hide her blush.
It was just embarrassing to lose a contest of wits to Derek. Waiting patiently by the open window, he flashed a smile that was way too pretty to be so irritating.
“What time tomorrow?”
She held a hand up to her ear like she couldn’t hear him and thanked God that she had been putting off the truck’s service. The engine roared like a beast. She threw the truck into gear but he leaned in through the window, keeping her from going anywhere. Pulling out his phone, he tapped a few keys and then turned the glowing screen to her.
What time do we have to be down there?
It was quite possible, and probably likely, that he knew she could hear him, but she had made the commitment at this point and decided to see it through. She held up seven fingers.
Derek nodded and tapped out a message again. Pick me up at six. We’ll get breakfast.
With that, he took a few steps back and smiled. When Harbour opened her mouth to yell that she wasn’t his taxi service, Derek held a hand up to his ear in a mimic of her earlier gesture.
Her fingers gripped the wheel tightly. Was it worth it to admit that she could hear him? She could turn off the truck and yell at him, but that would only be encouraging him. It would actually serve him right if she did rock up tomorrow, since there wasn’t a chance in hell it was a serious offer.
Derek was still watching her, interested in seeing what decision she came to. For a moment he actually looked disappointed when she waved goodbye and urged the truck forward.
Chapter Four
Derek watched the truck until it reached the curve in the road and the headlights simply disappeared. For the first time since coming back, he was well and truly alone, and that solitude weighed on him a lot more than he had thought it would. He supposed he could head back into town, maybe have dinner at one of the diners, but he didn’t think he could take all of the less- than-subtle attention again. There was always beer and trash TV.
He stood in his indecision for so long that the motion lights clicked off. The soft glow that spilled out from the open front door didn’t quite reach his feet, but did play across his suitcases. He looked down at them and, after a moment, turned on his heel and headed for the house. A night outside wasn’t going to bother the bags.
His footsteps echoed as he crossed the threshold. The ceiling towered over Derek, the open place putting the roof a good two stories high. The back of the house was made of glass and left the room open to the full splendor of the night. A plump full moon cast a silver glow over the forest that separated him from the small clustered lights of the town. The calm harbor shifted and danced under the moonlight and a lone lighthouse winked on a distant peninsula.
He hadn’t put his phone away and had taken to absently turning it over in his palm. It had been years since he had thought about Phil or Ron. Perhaps it was being back here, but he now felt their absence like a dull ache. At the time he had been too proud to ask what had shifted in their friendship, what had caused them to drift apart. The truth probably wasn’t all that mysterious. Who really remained best friends with everyone they knew from high school? Eventually, people grow apart, and he guessed that Phil and Ron just grew before he did.
The cell bounded off the cushions when he tossed it over the back of the sofa. It wasn’t like he still had their numbers anyway. He couldn’t even recall when he had lost them, but he had changed phones enough times over the years to know that they were gone.
Unlocking the looming glass doors at the back of the house, Derek exited out onto the balcony that stretched out over the sheer cliff-face. The night air carried a deeper chill as it whipped up from the river that curled around the base of the cliff. During the day it was possible to watch that river trail through the woods back to the lodge and then on to the harbor. But for now, it was lost to shadows and trees.
He leaned his forearms against the metal railing and let it take his weight. The last residue of Harbour’s heat evaporated from his palm, a ghost of a past presence. He curled and released his fingers as he felt it fade.
There was something different in seeing Harbour now. Separated from her, Derek could almost convince himself that his memories lied, that he had handled the situation differently. But after seeing her again, the memories were sharp, clear, and unescapable.
Had that day changed Harbour as much as he suspected it changed him? Probably not. She’d had the moment, but not the fallout. Derek had always seen the shadow of the woman she could grow to be, but he had questioned whether she could do what was needed to make that promise flourish.
By first appearances, his doubt was unfounded. He smiled to himself, eyes drifting down to his open palm. It was going to be fun to test how deep the changes ran.
***
Harbour had just entered the kitchen when her mother appeared in a whirlwind of activity, asking questions so fast that they all sort of blurred into gibberish. Her father sat at the nearby dining table, watching it all with interest, but not enough to actually comment.
After a moment of bewilderment, Harbour managed to catch the general theme of her mother’s questions and groaned. Derek. Of course.
“What did he do now?”
Her mother stopped short. “He came back to town. You didn’t know? Piper said that you two were hanging out tonight.”
“Well, you have been grossly misinformed. We weren’t ‘hanging out.’ I just gave him a lift home.”
“Hear that, Kimmy?” her father mumbled.
“Well, excuse me for being excited. I got swept up in the romance of thinking our little girl finally got to go on a date with her childhood crush.”
“Excuse me?” Harbour cut in as she threw the pizza on the kitchen island. “I did not have a crush on Derek.”
“Are you sure?” her dad asked as he reached out a hand, waiting for her to drop a can of beer into it. “I remember you talking about him a lot.”
“She did,” Kimmy confirmed.
“I was not talking
about Derek. I was ranting about Derek. He tormented me.”
“Well I remembered something about Derek,” he said as he took the offered can. “Count that as a win.”
Kimmy rolled her eyes at her husband. “Way to be involved, George.”
“Hey, your memory wasn’t much better.”
Harbour stood between them, not sure if she should be horrified or insulted. “Am I the only one who remembers what a jackass he was?”
George tilted in his chair to look around her and meet his wife’s gaze. “Is she too old for us to care about her language?”
“Probably.”
“Can someone please focus?” Harbour snapped. “The man filled my locker with seaweed. I never got the smell out of my books.”
“I remember that,” her father noted with a faint smile.
“You know what?” Harbour cracked open her own beer can. “Why don’t we change the subject to, I don’t know, anything else? I’ve got dinner; you guys are finally getting your trip to Europe in the morning; and the season is almost over. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
They managed to get halfway through the pizza before the conversation once again rounded back to Derek. It started off innocently enough, with Harbour’s mother mentioning that Derek might have trouble getting used to Nowhere’s limited menu choices. Her father asked her what she had picked up for dinner and Harbour made the mistake without thought.
“What do you mean nothing?” Kimmy asked.
Her father shook his head with amusement. “Did he get his cleaning service to stock his fridge?”
“I don’t know about that,” Harbour mumbled around a mouthful. “I didn’t go into the house.”
“So you left him up there with no car and nothing to eat?”
Harbour swallowed and turned to her mother. “No?”
“And here I was thinking we raised a nice person.” The smile on George’s lips took the edge off of his words, but Harbour still glared at him.
“He had all day to get something. It’s hardly my fault.”
“Get the casserole out of the fridge and take it up there,” Kimmy said as she reached for another slice of pizza.
