by MJ Summers
Wes turned to Harper. “What the hell did you do to Dad while I was gone?”
Thirty
Evan returned from Tucson in the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. After days apart from Harper, he wanted to have her all to himself, but the evening was to be spent at the Chevaliers’. The foursome had planned to go out, but Megan and Luc couldn’t find a babysitter.
“Well, it wasn’t so much that we couldn’t find a sitter,” Megan confided when she and Harper were alone in Amelie’s room together. “Luc won’t trust anyone other than my mom to watch the kids.”
Harper giggled as she held Amelie’s little hand while the baby was getting her diaper changed. “Is your daddy a little bit overprotective? I think he is! Yes, he’s a little bit crazy, isn’t he?” she said in a high-pitched voice. Amelie beamed at her, displaying her four teeth.
“There! All changed,” Megan said, fastening the last snap on Amelie’s cozy sleeper. “Now, will this child please go to sleep easily tonight?”
“She can’t go to bed yet. It’s her first New Year’s Eve! She needs to stay up and party with her auntie.” Harper lifted the baby off the change pad and carried her out of the room.
When they reached the kitchen, Luc cleared his throat. “I’ll have you know that I’m not crazy. When you have your own baby, we’ll see if you find it easy to just leave her with some random teenager who might start doing drugs as soon as you leave the house.”
Harper looked confused for a moment before Evan pointed at the monitor on the kitchen island. “Ah. Baby monitor. I see. That was just a little girl talk, Luc. Nothing for you to worry about.”
Evan walked over and made a huge smiley face at Amelie before starting a rousing game of peekaboo over Harper’s shoulder. Amelie squealed in delight, reaching for his nose.
“So, what’s it like to not have Elliott home?” Harper asked her friends.
“Very odd,” Luc answered.
“Quiet,” Megan added. “Too quiet. But he’s having fun. He’s called every day since we dropped him off at the ranch.”
“What ranch is he at?” Evan asked, gently taking the baby out of Harper’s arms.
“Some friends of Ian’s, Ben and Alicia, own it. Well, they’re more like Ian’s only family. Ben played ball with Ian when they were just starting out and his family basically adopted Ian. They have a guest ranch near Colorado Springs. Ian asked if he could bring Elliott there for the week.”
“That sounds really nice.”
“I think it has been. He’s gone horseback riding and has been staying up late playing board games. Georgie, Ian’s girlfriend, is there, so Elliott’s getting a chance to get to know her a little. Ian’s doing much better these days, so they can start having a real relationship.” Megan seemed happy as she spoke, but Luc wore a concerned expression.
“Yes, well, we can only hope he doesn’t relapse,” he said.
Megan looked over at her husband. “Luc’s worried about it. I am, too. It would be horrible if Ian started using again and dropped out of Elliott’s life. But we have to meet him where he’s at and hope for the best, right? For now, he’s doing really well and Elliott’s in a safe place. The Mitchells would never let anything happen to him. And Georgie seems terrific. From the sounds of things, she’s pretty good for Ian.”
Harper gave her friends a thoughtful look. “I can only imagine how tough it would be to have all those worries on your mind. From the outside, parenting seems like a gut-wrenching experience.”
Evan, who was holding Amelie above his head, making her laugh, interjected. “I don’t know. It looks pretty amazing, too.”
The three adults in the room all turned to him, surprised expressions on their faces.
“What? I like kids. Is that so hard to believe?” Evan’s voice was a little defensive.
“Not at all,” Luc answered for everyone. “You’re terrific with our kids.”
“Thanks, Luc.” Evan nodded in his direction before looking from Megan to Harper, both of whom were trying to avoid eye contact with him.
“What? Harper, you know I like kids. You’ve seen me with kids before.”
Harper glanced up from the hors d’oeuvres that suddenly held her full attention. “I know you do.”
Megan hadn’t looked up at all from her position in front of the oven, peeking in on the rack of lamb.
Looking at the baby in his arms, Evan spoke to her, his eyes wide. “Can you believe this, Amelie? For some reason, these ladies think I don’t like kids.”
“Nobody said that, Evan,” Megan retorted. “It’s just that you’ve made it pretty clear you’re not interested in getting married and having a family.”
“I’m not going to do the marriage part, but the children thing I could do. Could be fun,” he answered.
Luc, who had been waiting for Amelie’s bottle to reach the perfect temperature, took it out of the bottle warmer and dried it with a dishtowel before securing its top and testing the temperature of the milk. “I’ll give you one word of advice about having children. Don’t wait until you’re as old as I am. Having no sleep is harder to bounce back from when you’re past forty. So if you’re going to go for it, get started right away.” Giving Evan a knowing look, he handed the bottle to Megan.
“I’m going to get this little pumpkin to bed,” Megan said, as Amelie reached for the bottle and popped it into her mouth. The others bid the little girl good night with lots of kisses to her chubby cheeks before her mom took her upstairs. Luc continued the dinner preparations with the skill and flair of a chef. Harper excused herself to go to the washroom, leaving the men alone.
“More wine?” Luc offered, holding the bottle out to Evan.
“Thanks, I think I will,” Evan answered. “So, Harper said you’re selling your nightclubs.”
“Yes. I don’t want to be away from home so much. I’m trying to sell all of them but the one in Aspen. It’s much easier for me to go there than to Europe. I’ll keep my real estate holdings. They don’t need as much of my attention. I’ve been looking for the right buyer for months now, but I can’t find anyone I would trust. I’m not going to turn the clubs over to just anyone. I want someone reputable who will treat the staff well.”
“That’s good of you. Most people would just take the best offer and run.”
Luc trimmed some mint leaves with herb scissors as he considered Evan’s comment. “I think turning your life’s work over to someone who will honour your accomplishment and take care of those who helped build it is much more satisfying than a few extra dollars. From what Megan has told me, you are also someone who cares about those who work with you.”
Evan nodded. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t get very far without them. Having a loyal, skilled crew is worth every effort to keep them.”
“I agree. I’m also of the opinion that it takes a certain kind of boss to inspire dedication and hard work on a continuous basis.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Evan answered.
“From what Megan tells me, you’ve gone above and beyond to earn their loyalty. No matter how things turn out, at the end of the day you’ll know you’ve lived a generous life and made sacrifices that matter.” Luc paused for a moment to take the lamb out of the oven. “You know, that’s what it takes to be a good husband and father. Generosity. Selflessness. Commitment. You would be an excellent candidate for both roles.”
“I was a husband once. And once was enough for me,” Evan answered.
“But it was with the wrong woman. Maybe with Harper . . .”
“Harper’s going back to New York. Besides, marriage isn’t for me, Luc. I’m not really the type to commit. I’m more of a ‘keep it simple’ kind of guy.”
Luc smiled. “You remind me of me. All my life, I thought I would never be capable of committing to anyone. But you know, I realized that I was already committed to those close to me—my friends, the few relatives I have, my employees. I had been doing it without really realizing it. And if I’m not mistaken, you
seem to have many people in your life who depend on you.”
“That’s different.”
“Yes. Those other commitments don’t require the same risk, do they?”
Evan tilted his head a bit, considering Luc’s words. “I think I know where you’re going with this but, honestly, our situations aren’t really all that similar. You and Megan already had a child and were living together, so it wasn’t exactly a big jump to get married.”
“It was, actually. For me, it meant the end of my pessimistic view on love. Finally letting go of how I grew up—very bitter and hurt. I had always been so convinced that falling in love and getting married were the stupidest things you could do with your life, a meaningless ploy to sell diamonds. Getting married to Megan was like telling the world that I was wrong. And I was. Because when you find that one person who will always love you and care for you no matter what, you know it and you want the world to know that she is yours and that you would do anything for her. For the rest of your life. And more importantly, you want her to know.” Luc paused as he started to dish roasted potatoes onto the dinner plates. “But that’s me. Feel free to disagree about the matter. That’s your right.”
Evan nodded a little, trying to digest Luc’s words. The collar on his shirt suddenly felt tight. He had been so hell-bent on protecting himself, but what was he really protecting himself from? Maybe all he’d been doing was letting Avery stop him from moving forward with his life. And there was no way he should allow her that much power over him. She had decided not to share his life, so he sure as shit shouldn’t be letting her decide how he spent the rest of his days.
He watched as Harper walked back into the room. She was so lovely in a black cocktail dress that perfectly highlighted her curves. She had her hair down in soft curls and he could see she’d just reapplied her lipstick. The sight of her tonight was enough to take his breath away. How could she still have that effect on him? They’d been together for months now. He should have grown used to seeing her face and yet every time he saw her, it was as though it were for the first time. His eyes followed her as she crossed the room. Suddenly it hit him with a violent force. He was in love with her. How had he not realized this before?
She sauntered over to the fridge and reached for a jug of water to put on the table. Evan took it from her and gave her a kiss on her cheek. “You’re amazing,” he murmured in her ear before filling the waiting glasses. It was a statement he’d started making without realizing it—they were the words he spoke when “I love you” was on the tip of his tongue.
* * *
The next morning, Evan woke Harper with a lingering kiss on her neck. Nothing had changed since the night before. The fear hadn’t returned. He felt only relief at admitting to himself that he was in love with her. He wanted her to be his forever. Incredibly, instead of being scared off by the thought, he was brimming with a warm happiness. She was lying on her side, facing the other way, and the sight of her under the white sheet was irresistible to him. His hand roamed down the front of her naked body as he pressed himself into her back.
“Mmm, morning.” Her voice had the sleepy, raspy sound he loved. His cock twitched with excitement as she wriggled in closer to him.
“Morning,” he murmured. “Hope you don’t mind me waking you up so early. You’re just so delectable, I couldn’t resist.”
“I’ll put up with it this time,” she answered, taking his hand and guiding it over her sex. She pressed his hand slowly and firmly along her warm skin as he nibbled on her earlobe. Together, their fingers indulged her masterfully. Their bodies intertwined as they moved together. He wanted to feel himself inside her. The need was as intense as it had been the first night.
They stayed like this for a long, perfect moment as he brought Harper to the edge of ecstasy and then gently pushed her over, feeling her body writhe with pleasure. “Yes, Evan!” she called as the waves built up and passed through her over and again. As she started to come down from her high, Evan pushed himself into her wet, throbbing sex, gripping the wrought-iron bed-post with one hand to propel himself up and into her. He felt the effects of her orgasm as he began to move. He angled himself so he could get in deeper still, and he could tell another climax was building in her by the way she tightened her muscles around his thick length and her breathing became more frantic.
He thrust himself into her more forcefully now, deeper, slowing down and then building his rhythm again as he glided up and down behind her. Their bodies glistened as the morning sun brought a warm glow to the room, bringing an openness to the moment, to the intimacy of seeing each other like this, in their truest and most honest form. Nothing to cover up, nothing to hide from each other and no need to. Even without giving words to it, they loved each other deeply and purely. It was a love so strong and unconditional that it could heal every pain of the past, every feeling of doubt about forever. The intensity of it had him calling out her name as he finally gave in to his own powerful release. She went with him to that place where time stopped, the world stood still and only they existed. It was perfection.
* * *
Harper slid into the hot water of the bath, replaying how Evan had woken her. She could feel a lump forming in her throat. Something had shifted in him the night before. She had seen it when she walked back into the kitchen. There was something new in his eyes, a sureness that hadn’t been there before. The way he held her had felt different. But he’d yet to say it. Maybe she was imagining what she secretly hoped was there.
Sinking down until her head was under the water, she tried to shut out these thoughts. Attempting to tell herself that she could handle this whole thing wasn’t working today. Overnight, things had become intense in a way that terrified her. Suddenly, it was all too much. She felt her chest constrict as fear crept in. Deep down, a voice was telling her to start looking for a way out before he could crush her heart.
Later, as she combed out her wet hair, she reminded herself that neither of them had crossed the line. No one had ventured an “I love you,” and she would make sure that no one would. She could control the direction this was heading. Bring it back to where it all felt safe. And if she couldn’t, she could run.
Thirty-One
“Okay, guys, I need to go take care of a few things. Phone if you need me,” Evan called as he walked out of the office trailer and headed to his truck, opening the door for Boots to jump in. For once in his life, he was taking the afternoon off. He needed to go somewhere to clear his head.
It had been over a week since the New Year’s Eve dinner, and Luc’s words about love and marriage had been flooding Evan’s brain ever since. He had never considered the possibility of getting married again and having kids, but now that the idea had crept into his mind, it was starting to take shape. If he was ever going to have a family, he wanted it to be with Harper. Even though he had yet to say it out loud, he was completely in love with her. She was the one. And if, by some miracle, she decided to stay with him, maybe she’d want all that too.
Parking in front of his property in the country, he got out of his truck. Boots sprang out of the cab and bounded into the snow as Evan climbed over the gate. He made his way through the trees to the clearing on the other side. The crisp air filled his lungs and there was nothing to hear other than the sound of snow crunching as he walked. He laughed a little as the dog ran in a huge circle, clearly thrilled to have the space to do so. It was the perfect spot to build his dream home—their dream home. Five acres, with rolling hills and lots of mature trees surrounding the property. He would situate the house so that the bedrooms, kitchen and back deck faced west to take advantage of the sunset. The house would be solid, built to last. He wanted a lodge feel to the place, something warm and welcoming, somewhere a person could really relax and put their feet up. High, wood-beamed ceilings in the living room and master bedroom, a long wraparound covered porch, a hot tub just off the deck to soak in with Harper after a long day’s work. But hell, if she wanted some postmodern
glass house, he’d build that for her, as long as she would stay.
Evan could imagine them there together, snuggled up in the hot tub, watching the sun go down. Making love. There would be no neighbours nearby to intrude. No Mrs. Morley to pry. Just him and Harper. Here, he could shield her from the bad memories. Save her from all of that. Then, maybe not too far down the line, a couple of kids. He’d like that. They could all walk down to the creek and drop a fishing line in, and he and Harper could lie on a blanket together and watch the kids play.
Everything became so clear to him. He was starting over fresh, only this time he would do everything right, beginning with the right woman. The woman who saw him for who he really was and loved him exactly the way he was. At thirty-eight, he felt like his life was finally beginning. He filled his lungs again with fresh mountain air, then released it in one long, satisfying push, letting go of every fear, every reservation he’d had about making a life with Harper. Standing there in that moment, he knew. His gut told him it was going to be okay. He just needed to approach the whole subject carefully so he wouldn’t scare her off.
* * *
“So, you are never going to guess what just happened!” Blaire spoke quickly, her voice brimming over with excitement.
“I’m all ears,” Harper answered as she took the turn toward home from the consult she had just finished. She turned up the volume on her hands-free as she slowed for a yellow light.
“There’s been a huge shakeup. Cybill’s been fired, along with Tina and the head of ad sales and some junior staffers. It happened just this morning.”
“What? Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. Three more clients pulled ads this past week, and circulation has dropped fifteen per cent in the last six months.”
“That’s insane,” Harper answered. “She’s been there for over thirty years! Who the hell is going to torment the fashion industry now?”
