Whatever You Do

by Stephanie Smith

  “It’s fine, Mum.”

  “I would never let Harper walk around the city alone where it’s unsafe, Mrs. Lindell.” I try to take some of the heat off Harper. “I actually got her a top-of-the-line in safety four-wheel drive so she should have no reason to be walking or catching cabs.”

  “Oh, God,” Harper breathes as she drops her head into her hands. I look down at her in confusion before her father pulls my attention away.

  “You bought her a car?” he asks sternly. Shit. “How long have you really been together?”

  “Only a few weeks Sir, but—”

  “Do you buy all the girls you date briefly a car?” He interrupts me.

  “No, Sir. It’s just—”

  “Don’t you think it’s highly inappropriate for you to be buying her things?” he pipes in again. God, he is intimidating. “Leviticus twenty-one, nine. ‘If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.’”

  “Daddy,” Harper yells.

  My eyes are wide, and I’m sure mouth is hanging open and my tongue is flopping out. This is it. This right here is where her issues have stemmed from. Harper hasn’t mentioned it, and I doubt she has even connected the dots. I could never tell her and kill whatever remains of this tarnished relationship between her and her parents, but this is where it all began.

  This is why she finds it hard to trust, to depend on anyone. Home is where you should be able to run to, no matter what, and know you’ll get support there. Support, love, and respect. Harper gets none of that here, and I can see her so clearly now. I can see why she falls heart-first into toxic relationship after toxic relationship. She wants to feel loved, cherished, wanted.

  Well, it stops here. From here on out, I’m going to be the one to give it to her. I wasn’t talking shit when I told her she was my family now, and I want to be hers. I want to be the one she comes to to feel support, loved, and wanted. Her safe place; her haven. The place she can come home to, no matter what, and find acceptance.

  “Is this what you’ve been doing in the big city, Harper Louise? Sleeping with men who buy you things?” Her father’s sharp tongue spits.

  I stand from the couch, my body tense, and my jaw tight as I clench my fists. There’s no way I can listen to any more of this.

  “Tate,” Harper breathes grabbing my hand and forcing my palm open. She intertwines her hand with mine, forcing my eyes down to meet hers. “Please.”

  “Dinner’s ready,” Harper’s mum calls from the entry. I didn’t even notice her leave the room.

  Harper’s dad stands and completely ignores us as he makes his way to the kitchen.

  I wrap my arms around Harper, breathing heavily. I need to hold her, protect her. I pull her in tightly against me, as if I can ward off the horrible things her father said to her, and I take in her sweet scent.

  “Holy fuck,” I breathe. “I completely underestimated the situation.”

  Harpers body shakes, and soon girly giggles are floating through the air. “Oh, my God, it’s funny, really. It shocks me but it doesn’t. They will find something wrong with everything. I’m used to it. It’s just their crazy way.”

  “That’s a whole truckload of crazy, Daisy,” I say seriously, which only causes her to laugh even more. Holding her tighter, I whisper into her ear, “Is it totally wrong I’m hard as a rock after watching you quote all that scripture?”

  “Tate,” she admonishes, confirming that yes, it is, in fact, definitely wrong.

  I give a light kiss to the tip of her nose. “I don’t know if we’re going to last two days here.”

  “We’ll be fine. Tomorrow, we’ll spend the day out. I have something I want to show you.”

  “Okay.” I sigh deeply. Releasing her, I let her lead me to the kitchen. Reaching the entryway, I quickly pull her hand back, causing her to stop mid-step.

  “You don’t think that, do you?”

  “What?” She narrows her eyes at me.

  “You don’t think I got you that car for sex?”

  She laughs. “Trust me, Tate, I know I’m not that good in bed.”

  I smirk at her. “Daisy, if we were basing it on that, I would’ve bought you a fucking Ferrari.”

  She chuckles and pulls me into the kitchen.

  Harper’s parents are already sitting at the kitchen table, waiting, when we walk in. Pulling my hand from Harper’s, I slide out her chair for her. She drops down into it, and I make my way around the table to sit in my own seat across from her, Harper’s dad eyeing me up with a raised eyebrow.

  I don’t attempt to touch the food on my plate in front of me, as I know we will need to say grace.

  “Shall we bow our heads and thank the Lord?” her father asks.

  We all bow our heads as the minister leads grace. I dare not open my eyes to look around as he speaks. It’s short and sweet and we begin eating, but it’s in an uncomfortable silence. I’m not sure whether it’s better or worse than the awkward questions and heated conversation. Fuck, Daisy is lucky that I’ve already completely fallen head over heels in love with her, or I’d be doing a runner for sure.

  The silence continues all through dinner and coffee afterwards. I now find myself at 8:30pm on a Friday night, lying on a thin mattress on an old cot, staring at a picture of Jesus in Harper’s dad’s office.

  The door creaks open and the most beautiful face with the sweetest smile pops in the room. Yeah, she makes this totally fucking worth it. Closing the door with skilled silence, she turns to me with the cheekiest grin.

  “You’ve done that a few times.” I open my arms up for her and she crawls into them, pretty much lying on top of me in the child-sized cot.

  “Just a few.” I feel her smile against my chest, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Everything seems better when she’s in my arms.

  “This room freaks me out.” I gesture to the walls. Pictures of Jesus and Mary cover the walls, bible verses written all throughout, and there are wooden and metal crosses all around, some with a Jesus nailed to them, some without.

  “It’s a little much, isn’t it?” She laughs.

  “Yeah, just a little.”

  We drift off in silence and I hold Harper against me all night, sleeping as well as I do in my own bed when she’s in my arms—except I wake early without her. I assume she made her way back to her room so the minister didn’t find us. God, only one more night, and I can have her home and in our bed. Yes, I said home and ours, and if everything goes according to plan, it will be official by the end of the weekend.

  I’m sitting at the kitchen table when Tate wanders out. His sleepy eyes meet mine, and his face lights up. Walking over to me, he leans down with a huge smile on his face. “Morning, Daisy.” He kisses me.

  “Morning.” I smile shyly as my mum and dad watch from the kitchen counter. I don’t think Tate noticed their presence when he entered the room.

  “Oh, good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Lindell. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

  “Good morning, Tate,” my mum responds as my dad grunts at him before exiting through the back door.

  Tate’s face drops, and my heart breaks for him. He was so excited to meet my parents. He knew exactly what it meant, what I was saying by asking him to come, and he was so happy about it. Now my parents have completely broken his spirit.

  I hate he can’t be himself here. He’s not the happy-go-lucky, laidback guy I love so much. I hate that they do that to him.

  “You better go and get showered and dressed.” I stand from the table and make my way over to him. “We need to go as soon as you are ready.” Giving him a chaste kiss on the lips, he gives me a small smile before turning and leaving the kitchen.

  I don’t say anything to my mum as I storm across the kitchen and straight out the back door. I find my dad relaxing in his rocking chair, looking over the back garden.

  “What is your problem?” I spit at my father.

  “What is it now, Har
per?” he sighs exasperated.

  “You. Why are you being so rude to Tate?”

  “Just tell me one thing. Did you bring him here just to push our buttons?”

  “What?”

  “How hard was it for you to find a man who is the complete opposite of everything we stand for?”

  “Are you joking?” I scowl at him. “Listen here . . .” His eyes meet mine for the first time since I stepped outside, shock and anger flashing in them. “I know you think I make all my decisions around what’s going to piss you off—”

  “Harper,” he scolds me.

  “But I don’t. I make my decisions for me. Yes, it was hard to find a man like Tate. A man so loving, caring, genuine, and loyal. Trust me, I’ve been through many more who don’t even come close to measuring up to him.”

  Dad’s eyes soften and I continue. “I love him, Dad. I love him so much, and we are serious. I think he is it for me and with the way you are treating him, this won’t only be the first time you meet him, but the last.” I turn to walk away, but quickly turn back. “One John four, seven. ‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.’”

  I don’t wait around for any response. Stalking back into the house, I go straight to my bedroom, flopping down on my bed to try and calm my breathing. My chest is heaving and I don’t think I have ever been so mad. Maybe we should get out of here? Go home and pretend this weekend never happened?

  I don’t know what I have to do to please them. Actually, I do know what I have to do. Move back home, marry one of the church parishioners, and pop out ten babies. A straight-laced, boring, balding man. Then they’d be happy.

  After I’ve been stewing for a little while, I realise I haven’t seen Tate, and it must have been nearly half an hour since he went to shower. Standing up from my bed, I take a deep breath and make my way out to the kitchen.

  “He’s out with your father,” my mother tells me, sitting at the kitchen table, reading her bible.

  My eyes widen at the thought of Tate alone with my father. Rushing to the kitchen window, I peek outside and see Tate sitting in my mum’s rocking chair next to my father. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but they look calm, each of them wearing a subdued expression.

  “Let them be, Harper Louise, let them be,” my mum says softly.

  I sigh deeply and drop down into the chair next to hers.

  “Sir, I love your daughter. I love her more than anything. I want to care for her and protect her. I can understand I’m not exactly the picture of your perfect son-in-law, but I—”

  “Stop,” Harper’s dad interrupts. “You do not have to justify or prove your love for my daughter. I can see it. Anyone within a one-mile radius could see it. I am ashamed of my behaviour.”

  I sit in silence, shocked at the direction this conversation is taking. It’s not at all how I expected it to go.

  After I’d showered and dressed, I went looking for Harper and found her lying on her bed, staring into space. She didn’t even notice me, she was so caught up in her own thoughts. I decided I needed to come and have it out with her father. If this thing between us kept growing it would only affect my and Harper’s future, and I didn’t want that. I meant it when I told her she’s my family now, but this is still hers.

  “I don’t know what bothered me more,” he continues. “That you were the total opposite of what I wanted for my daughter, or that you were exactly what I wanted for my daughter.” I’m confused, angry, and elated all at once.

  I take his comment for what it is and decide to bite the bullet. “I want to ask Harper to move in with me.”

  He nods thoughtfully. “I can’t give you my blessing on that one. I don’t agree with it and can’t condone it.” He pauses, looking out to the garden. “If it’s what you both decide, Harper’s mother and I will not visit your home, and it will not change the sleeping arrangements when you come to visit here.”

  “No, Sir, of course not. This is your home and I would never dream of disrespecting it like that.” I’m a little shocked that they would refuse to visit their daughter’s home but choose to put it aside. It’s not like they visit her now anyway.

  Harper’s dad stands and holds his hand out to me. It throws me off-guard for a second before I reach out and take it. “Welcome to the family, Son. I have no doubt it’s where this is going.”

  I nod, wide-eyed before he goes inside and I sit there in shocked silence long after the screen door has banged shut. I’m staring into space when Harper sits herself in my lap and wraps her arms around my neck.

  “Hey, baby,” I say, coming back to reality.

  “What did you say to Daddy? He gave me a hug and told me to do what I felt was right,” she says, her mouth agape and her eyes wide.

  “So, that did just happen?” I ask her.

  “Well, I don’t know.” She chuckles. “What did happen?”

  “I think the minister just kind of told me he loves me.”

  Harper cracks up laughing and I silence her with a hard kiss. “I love you, Daisy.”

  “So, do you want to drive?” Tate asks, holding the car keys out to me.

  “Really?”

  “Of course.” He laughs. “You need to get used to the car, plus you know where we’re going.”

  Grabbing the keys out of his hand, I rush to the driver’s door. I start the car before Tate is even settled in the passenger seat, and he laughs at me as I adjust the seat, the rearview mirror, and the steering wheel until I’m perfectly comfortable. Tate watches on with a huge smile.

  Easing the huge car out of the driveway, I head towards Main Road. We stick out like a sore thumb between all the old trucks and station wagons lining the street.

  Pulling the car into park in front of the local market, I turn to Tate with a huge grin on my face. “I love it.”

  “I’m glad.” His eyes light up. “It suits you. You look pretty sexy behind the wheel.” He leans over and places a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth.

  He goes to pull away but I wrap my hands around his head and pull him back to me. I kiss him with fervour, letting everything I feel for him flow out of me. We pull apart, breathing hard, and I become aware of Mrs. Bradbury and Mrs. Maxwell, two old grannies from my dad’s church, sitting on the bench out front of the market watching us with wide eyes.

  Tate’s gaze follows mine as he spots the older ladies. “You really need to control yourself in public, Daisy,” he says, seriously.

  “Shut up. Come on, let’s go.” We hop out of the car and head towards the market. The two oldies haven’t taken their eyes off me, and I can’t avoid them. “Hi, Mrs. Bradbury, Mrs. Maxwell.”

  “Hello, Harper Louise,” Mrs. Bradbury says first.

  “Your father didn’t mention you were coming home,” says Mrs. Maxwell.

  “Well, here I am,” I respond with a sweet smile to them both while continuing on into the market.

  “Ladies.” Tate nods at them wearing his killer smile.

  “Harper,” a voice yells as we enter the store and I turn towards it.

  “Jade,” I call out to one of my closest friends from high school. Jade and I were once the best of friends but have lost contact since I moved to the city. She stayed here and married her high school-sweetheart, still working her high school job.

  Smiling widely, I make my way over to the counter she serves behind.

  “Harper, how are you?” She leans over the register and gives me a hug.

  “I’m good, Jade, how are you?” My eyes are drawn to her round belly. “Wow, you’ve been busy.” I smile.

  “Yeah, just a little bit. I’ve only got eight weeks left to go.”

  “Congratulations. Derek must be very happy.”

  “He is excited, but you know how he is—doesn’t show it much. He’s been really busy at the lumberyard, you know. ” I nod at my friend. My friend with the life that
was meant for me.

  My father would love for it to have been me standing behind that counter, married and pregnant to my high school boyfriend. Tate steps up behind me, and Jade’s gaze rises to him.

  “Jade, this is my boyfriend, Tate.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Tate’s hand comes from around me as he holds it out to Jade.

  “Nice to meet you, too.” Jade shakes his hand. “How long are you guys down for?”

  “Just visiting for the weekend,” I tell her.

  “So, you’re meeting the parents?” she smirks at Tate.

  “Yes, we did the meeting. It went . . . well.” He smiles down at me and winks.

  Jade laughs, knowing exactly what my parents are like.

  We chat with her for a few more minutes before making our way around the small store and picking up all different items we need for our day out. I offer to pay but Tate won’t have a bar of it, and before long, we have packed the boot and are on our way again.

  I drive us the ten minutes it takes to get out of town and to my favourite place in the world. Reaching the open field, I turn the car onto the dirt track leading all the way to big oak tree. The city has nothing like it, and it’s the one thing I miss about home. We spent many weekends here, swimming in the small lake or having bonfire parties, and I’m so excited to be able to share it with Tate.

  He hops out of the car and stands by the door, taking it all in.

  “It’s beautiful, Harper,” he says as I’m getting out the car.

  “I know, right? I’ve spent a lot of time out here over the years.”

  “I can see why,” he says, coming around to meet me at the boot, taking the blanket out of my hands and picking up the cooler box.

  Shutting the boot, I follow him to a piece of shade under the huge oak tree. Tate spreads the blanket out, placing the cooler box in the corner and then laying his tall body down across it.

  He gives me his huge smile, and I can’t help but return it. He looks so happy and relaxed, stretched out on the blanket. I kneel down and crawl over to him and he opens his arms for me. He pulls me in so our chests press up against each other and he holds me close.