Pretend You're Mine: A Small Town Love Story

by Score, Lucy

  “Oh please, Harp. You don’t think Luke would voluntarily show up on karaoke night do you? I’m worried about you. You need to get out, have a little fun. Forget about things for awhile.”

  As if she could forget, Harper thought wryly. Things were never out of her mind or what was left of her heart.

  “How did you even get the night off?”

  Sophie shrugged. “I get one Friday off a month. This was it. Are you in?”

  Harper rubbed a hand over the ache that never left her chest. Well, maybe it would serve as a kind of good-bye to her adopted town. One last night in the first place that ever felt like home. She would tell Sophie then.

  “What time are you picking me up?” she sighed.

  Sophie whooped and threw her arms around Harper. “You won’t regret it! I promise! It’s going to be a night to remember.”

  “Every night with you is a night to remember.”

  “That’s what Ty says,” Sophie wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Please don’t joke about sex to the woman who is facing an epic dry spell after —” How could she even label what she shared with Luke?

  “Honey, the way you two have always looked at each other — the intensity. That doesn’t just go away. Especially not with a temporary breakup.”

  Why did it feel like everyone else was having a harder time letting go than she was? “Soph, we’re done.”

  “Never.”

  “For the love of God, can we please talk about something else?”

  “How about it was reported that Frank came to work this morning whistling a happy little tune and didn’t yell at anyone?”

  Harper grinned. “You don’t say? Joni certainly seemed like she was in a chipper mood when she left for work this morning.”

  “A well-placed source spotted them at Remo’s for after-dinner drinks last night, where they stayed until almost closing.”

  Harper clapped her hands. “It’s about damn time! I asked her how it went this morning, and she actually blushed.”

  Sophie squealed. “I love love. I feel like the whole town caught the bug this year. Gloria and Aldo, Joni and Frank, you and —”

  “Give it a rest, Sophie, or I’ll tell Ty what really happened to his favorite coffee mug.

  “Traitor.”

  “What are you going to do when Josh is old enough to realize he’s been mommy’s scapegoat?”

  Sophie shrugged. “Probably have another baby and blame everything on that one.”

  “Good plan.”

  ***

  Harper let Sophie talk her into the tight navy scoop neck sweater and skinny gray pants. “Why are we getting decked out for a night at Remo’s?”

  Sophie rolled her eyes. “I haven’t gotten dressed up since Easter. It’s time to show this town a thing … or two.” She adjusted her boobs. Sophie turned away from the mirror and eyed Harper’s chest. “If you get any skinnier, you’re going to start losing those.”

  Harper crossed her arms in front of her. “Hands to yourself, lady. I’ve been eating just fine.”

  Sophie snorted. “Yeah, right. We’re getting nachos and cheese sticks tonight, just so you know.”

  “Whatever you say, Soph,” Harper sighed.

  Remo’s was packed by the time they got there, but they found an empty table in front of the stage. It was a pretty kind of symmetry to have the beginning and end of her story happen right here. A kind of closure.

  “Are you sure we should sit this close?” Harper questioned over the music. “How good can karaoke in Benevolence be?”

  “Don’t judge, Big City. We’ve got some talent in this town,” Sophie teased.

  “How much talent can you have since this is the first karaoke night since I moved here?”

  “Shut up.”

  Sophie signaled Hazel the server and ordered two beers and the nachos and cheese sticks as promised.

  “Listen, Soph, tonight’s on me.”

  Sophie waved the offer away. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re here to cheer you up and how can we do that if you’re paying?”

  “I’m serious,” Harper insisted. She sighed. “I’m actually leaving tomorrow. Shaking off the dust of this little town.” The joke stuck in her throat.

  “What are you talking about?” Sophie choked the words out. “You can’t leave! You have a life here. You’re family!”

  Harper shook her head. “Not anymore, Soph. It hurts too much to be here. And I’m sure it’s not comfortable for your brother to have me here.” She still stumbled over his name.

  Hazel returned and mercifully dropped off two beers.

  “Harper. You can’t go!” Sophie slammed a hand down on the table. Harper reached across to steady the bottles.

  Sophie kicked back in her chair, shaking her head. “No. Nope. You’re not fucking going.”

  Harper smiled. “I’m really going to miss you, you stubborn freak.”

  Sophie set her jaw in a painful reminder of her brother. Harper had seen the look often enough. It was the “no discussion, decision made” look.

  “I’m not going to miss you because you’re not going anywhere. And you’re a stupid jerk for even considering it.”

  Harper rolled her eyes. “If you pout it’s just going to ruin the ‘best night ever.’ Why is it so packed in here anyway?” Glancing around, she noted that Remo’s was standing room only. “I can’t believe karaoke pulls in this kind of crowd.”

  Hazel interrupted again with two baskets of food. “You two want plates?”

  “No thanks, Hazel,” Sophie said with a wave. “We’re just going to pick out of the baskets like classy folks.” She shoved the nachos at Harper. “Eat before you waste away.”

  Harper rolled her eyes and sampled a nacho. Her stomach just wasn’t into it. Sometimes she was scared that even if she moved on, the hole, the ache would never go away.

  “I gotta pee,” Sophie announced, jumping from her seat. “Save me some nachos.”

  Harper watched her friend weave through the crowd. She was going to miss that woman like a limb. Sophie’s boundless energy and her fierce loyalty would never be forgotten. She hoped that they could still be friends, even from a distance.

  Harper nibbled on a cheese stick and tried not to mope until Fred took the skinny stage.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to karaoke. Tonight we’ve got a very special theme for you. Let’s see if you can figure it out.”

  He exited the stage to the hoots and applause from the crowd. Harper nibbled on a cheese stick and settled back in her seat to watch the show.

  The house lights dimmed, and as the first group took the stage, Harper’s eyes widened. “Is that Frank?” she hissed to no one.

  Sporting a fresh haircut and his cleanest Garrison button down, Frank was accompanied by Beth, Aunt Syl, and Georgia Rae. They were all in sunglasses.

  He grabbed the mic. “Yeah, okay. This one goes out to a very dear friend of ours, Miss Harper Wilde.”

  The crowd cheered. Stunned, Harper looked from side to side. What was going on?

  There was no one to ask, because the crowd erupted when Frank belted out the first few bars of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”

  She knew she was gaping, but couldn’t help it. Frank’s gravelly voice was certainly a departure from the Beatles, but he wasn’t bad. And when the ladies joined in as the chorus, her heart lifted for the first time in weeks.

  Frank moved back so the ladies could croon in unison.

  Harper put her hand over her heart. They were telling her they loved her.

  The feeling was mutual.

  She joined the rest of the crowd with thunderous applause when they exited the stage. One by one, the ladies stopped at her table to plant a kiss on her cheek.

  Frank was last in line. “I’m glad you’re my friend, kiddo,” he said gruffly.

  “Frank —” she just couldn’t get the words out. So she hugged him, hard. He patted her on the back awkwardly and disappeared as soon as she released
him.

  Fred was back on the stage calling for quiet. “It’s gonna be an old-school night, folks. Put your hands together for our next act, Sonny and Cher.”

  Harper gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth as Aldo and Gloria took the stage in matching tie-dye tshirts.

  Hand-in-hand they approached the mic. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Gloria and I would like to dedicate this song to the woman we owe everything to. This one’s for you, Harper.”

  “We love you,” Gloria said, blowing Harper a kiss.

  The music started and Aldo and Gloria swayed together. Gloria broke into “I’ve Got You Babe” in a crystal clear voice.

  “Oh my God,” Harper laughed.

  Aldo warbled, Gloria tossed her hair Cher-style, and the entire bar hummed and swayed along.

  Harper felt like her smile would split her face.

  As Aldo crooned about wearing his ring, he held up Gloria’s hand and a distinct sparkle caught the light. Harper’s heart exploded along with the crowd.

  She was blinded by happiness as Aldo and Gloria grinned at each other.

  She could imagine them standing at the alter beaming at each other and hoped that she could be there to witness such happiness.

  Gloria hopped off the stage and Harper grabbed for her hand. The diamond sparkled like its owner’s eyes. She wrapped the tiny brunette in a fierce hug. “I am so happy for you two.”

  “We wouldn’t be here without you, Harp,” Aldo said, moving in for his hug.

  “So we’re hoping you’ll agree to be our maid of honor,” Gloria said, clasping her hands together.

  “Are you serious?” Harper yelped. “Oh, you guys! I would be honored!”

  Gloria hugged her again. “Mind if we join you?”

  “Please! Sophie disappeared. I can’t believe she’s missing this.”

  A third chair was magically produced, and Gloria and Aldo crowded around the tiny table.

  “This is a pretty incredible send off,” she whispered to Gloria.

  Her friend smiled, but said nothing.

  Aldo dug into the nachos. “I was too nervous to eat dinner tonight.”

  “You guys were great.”

  “Wait until you see the next act,” Gloria winked.

  She didn’t have long to wait. They were already taking the stage.

  The Garrisons. And Joni.

  Sophie was front and center with Claire and Joni flanking her. Charlie, James, Uncle Stu, and Ty crowded in behind them. They were all wearing ugly Christmas sweaters that said Garrison X’mas.

  The funky ’70s beat of Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” filled the bar. The women moved toward the mic in unison.

  They pointed to Harper and sang to her about family. Tears pricked at her eyes and quickly changed to laughter when the men stepped forward for their off-key chorus.

  From the stage, Sophie tossed her something soft. Harper unfolded it to reveal a matching sweater. She hugged it to her chest and mouthed “thank you.”

  The Garrisons took their bows to wild applause and the people at the front tables scrambled to make room for them.

  Charlie stopped next to Harper and put his hand on her shoulder. “You’re family, kid.”

  Claire swooped in for a hug, giving Harper a few precious seconds to compose herself.

  “Thank you,” Harper said, squeezing Claire tighter.

  “Oh sweetheart, we’re thanking you.”

  “Me? Why? You’ve given me so much.”

  “And this is what you gave us,” Claire said pointing to the stage.

  Harper’s heart clutched. Luke stood alone in front of the mic, hands in his pockets.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  It hurt to look at him. The perfect face, the body that had been so familiar. Now he was someone that she used to know. It broke her heart all over again.

  He was watching her, oblivious to everyone else in the bar.

  “I’d like to dedicate this song to one of the women I’ve been lucky enough to love in this lifetime. I don’t deserve you Harper, but I hope you won’t hold that against me, because I love you with every piece of me.”

  The crowd whistled and whooped, but Harper didn’t notice. There was only Luke standing there, telling her he loved her.

  She could barely see him through the tears.

  He cleared his throat as the first bars of “Angel Eyes” played. The women in the crowd aw-ed. Harper brought her hands to her face. He was her dream come true.

  She watched Luke as he sang the words she had longed to hear. Her heart filled until it felt like it would burst. As the last guitar note faded, Luke held out his hand to her. Harper stood, but the crowd was so big, there was no way to get to him. Ty and James solved the problem. They lifted her onto the table and Luke met her on the other side, plucking her off and holding her against him, her feet dangling.

  “I love you, Harper, and I’m done hiding. Can you forgive me?”

  Words failed her, but she could nod, which she did until she felt like her head would snap off.

  Luke grinned up at her. His dimple winking into existence. He let her slide a little lower so his lips could find hers in a salty, sweet promise.

  Neither of them noticed the crowd erupting, the lack of dry eyes, or the way that the couples in the audience scooted a little closer to each other. They only had eyes for each other.

  ***

  Luke said he wasn’t ready to let her go for the ride home, so they left her car at Remo’s and a different circle closed.

  When they pulled into the driveway, Harper grabbed his arm in a death grip. “Christmas lights!”

  The entire front of the house was covered with white lights. Candles burned in the windows. A cheery wreath adorned the front door. Harper’s green garland on the porch’s railing was threaded with more lights. There was a giant inflatable Santa waving at the street from the front yard.

  “You put up lights.” Harper couldn’t drag her eyes away from the perfect spectacle.

  “I wanted you to have the perfect Christmas. I figured more is definitely more.”

  “It’s perfect.” She turned back to him and started to reach for him, but stopped.

  He shook his head and pulled her closer. “You don’t have to be scared, Harper. You can touch me, I’m not going to go away again.” His grip tightened on her arms. “And I’m not letting you leave either. I owe you so much, and the biggest apology in the world is just part of it. Come on.”

  They got out of the truck and walked up the front porch. “Before we go in, I need to say some things.”

  Harper crossed her arms against the cold and nodded. “Okay.”

  Luke took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’m sorry for hurting you on purpose. I was scared. Down to the bones. I felt things for you that I never thought would be possible to feel again and some things were completely new. I thought that by loving you, I was being unfaithful to Karen. When I lost her, I thought it was my fault that she died. I vowed that I would never forget her and the price she paid for my decisions.”

  Harper reached out to him and put her hand over his heart.

  He covered her hand with his own. “I thought that meant living my life alone. Never loving again. But it was so easy to love you. I don’t even remember ever not loving you. I think I loved you the second I saw you launch yourself at Glenn. Something in me said ‘she’s finally here.’ You’re what I’ve been waiting for. You’re the light that got me through the dark, and I’m not willing to go back to a life without you.”

  He let out a shaky breath. “I know that you don’t owe me anything and that even though I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make this up to you, it still won’t be close to enough. I know all that, but I’m still asking you to please forgive me. I love you. I want you. I need you. And I’m so sorry for hurting you, baby.”

  Harper launched herself at him. She pressed her tear-streaked face against his chest and just let herself breathe
him in. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry, Harper. I’m an asshole. But I’m an asshole that loves you more than anything in this world.”

  “I love you, Luke.”

  “Do you forgive me?”

  “I did that ages ago.”

  He shook his head. “How the hell did I ever get so lucky?”

  “You might not think that when I tell you this,” Harper said, pulling back.

  “You can tell me anything.”

  “I can’t stay here.”

  “Why the hell not?” he gripped her shoulders.

  “It’s not safe. There are things you don’t know —” she started.

  “Baby, do you really think a 62-year-old with a failing liver can get through me to get to you?”

  Harper took a step back. “How did you … I don’t understand.”

  “Clive Perry will never be a threat to you again.” Luke gently brushed her hair back from her face. “He’s never getting near you. We made sure of it.”

  “We?”

  “Melissa says to call her tomorrow.”

  “Oh crap. Are you kidding me? You met Melissa?”

  “Oh yeah. She wasn’t impressed with the ‘asshole’ who dumped her friend at first, but we’re good now. He’s never getting out, baby. And if you’re okay with it, tomorrow we’ll file a PFA with Ty so he can’t send you any more letters. We can do it after we pick out a Christmas tree.”

  “How —”

  “I’ll tell you later, okay?” He hugged her closer and buried his face in her hair. “I meant it when I said I wouldn’t leave you again. Aldo and I officially retired.”

  “Oh my God, I don’t think I can physically handle any more surprises.”

  “Let’s go inside.”

  “Why? Is there a marching band and the Publisher’s Clearing House guy in there?”

  “God I missed your smart mouth.” He laid his lips on hers. “Let’s go in. You’ll freeze to death if I start taking your clothes off out here.”

  Luke kept a tight hold on her hand until they crossed the threshold. He closed the door behind them and pulled her in to his arms. “This is where you belong.”

  He kissed her on the top of the head and slowly turned her around.