All Because I Met You (Morgan's Bay, #2)

by Theresa Paolo

  Olivia choked on her lemon water, and Harper waved as she hightailed it to the door. Poor Tom had no way home, and it killed her to think he waited for a ride that never came. He deserved better.

  Harper got in her car and headed straight to McConnell’s Market. She pulled in the parking lot, and Tom was sitting on the curb, playing his electronic gaming device. She got out of the car and hurried over to him. “Hey, Bud,” she said. “You ready?”

  He looked up from his game and smiled big before pushing off the ground. His Wrestlemania shirt poked out from beneath his button-down and his shoelace was untied. She pointed to the undone lace, and he bent to fix it.

  He straightened, and she gave him a hug. “You ready?”

  “Yup.”

  They got in the car and she waited for him to buckle in before putting the car in drive. “How was your day?”

  “It was great! Mrs. Green gave me a five-dollar tip!”

  “Five dollars!” Harper made a mental note to thank Olivia’s mom next time she saw her. “You going to put that in your piggy bank? Or spend it?”

  “Piggy bank. I’m saving for the new Assassin’s Creed.”

  “How much do you have so far?”

  “Five dollars.” He laughed, and the infectious sound made her laugh, too.

  “I’ll add another five dollars to your fund.”

  His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open into an O. “Really?”

  “You bet. I’m proud of you for getting a job and for saving. You earned it.”

  He bounced in his seat, and her heart filled with warmth. It was the little things in life that brought her the purest of joy.

  She pulled up to the house and reached into her bag, taking out a five-dollar bill. She handed it to Tom, and he took it with a smile. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Now make sure that goes right into your piggy bank.” He nodded and jumped out of the car, racing up the front stairs.

  The garden had more flowers in it than the other day, and it looked beautiful. If only Mom would put that much attention into everything else in her life.

  The smart thing to do would be to get back in the car and head home, but she couldn’t leave without checking in to make sure Mom hadn’t fallen asleep in the shower.

  Harper walked into the house, surprised to see the freshly vacuumed carpet. Mom lay sprawled out on the couch, one arm dangling off the side the other over her face. Her brown hair was a knotted mess and covered her eyes. She was in the same shirt she’d worn yesterday, and her pants had mud stains on the knees, which meant she had worked in the garden at some point today. It was probably the only productive thing she did.

  Harper grabbed a garbage bag and picked up the empty bottles. Mom had cleared a twelve pack in who knew how much time. She didn’t bother to keep quiet. If Mom wanted to day drink, then that was on her, and Harper would not tiptoe around and act like she was just napping.

  Mom twisted on the couch and groaned. “Shut up,” she said, and Harper bit back the anger clawing up her throat.

  “You’re alive,” she said instead.

  Mom popped one bloodshot eye open, then the other. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Harper’s teeth gritted as she tried to keep her anger in check. “I brought your son home from work since someone forgot about him. Again.”

  “Shit.” She sat up and went to stand but thought better of it when she wobbled. She collapsed on the coach and rested her head in her hands. “Where is he?”

  “In his room, playing his game.” She tossed another bottle into the bag. “What if I wasn’t around to get him? What would he have done?”

  “I would have woken up eventually.”

  “And what? Drive?” She reached into the garbage bag and pulled out a beer bottle. “After how many beers?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “There has to be an entire twelve pack in here. You are not fine, and don’t you ever think of getting behind the wheel and endangering lives, especially Tom’s.” It was like she didn’t remember what happened to Milo. How one person’s bad choices ruined his future and laid him up in a hospital bed for weeks. “You’re an idiot if you think you were going to get behind the wheel.”

  “You think you’re so high and mighty, don’t you? Coming in here and acting like you’re God’s gift to the world. Well, guess what? You’re not.”

  “Trust me, that’s the last thing I think. If anything, I wonder every single day how I got stuck with this bullshit life.”

  “You didn’t get stuck with nothing. You’re here, and it was your own damn choice. You could have left, but you chose to stay.”

  Harper jabbed a finger into her chest. “You honestly think I had a choice? You can’t make it a single night without getting obliterated. Without someone calling me to pick your drunk ass up. If I didn’t stay, you’d be in jail, and Tom would have no one.”

  “You’re not his mother. I am!”

  “Then act like it!”

  Harper met her gaze and bit back words that brewed to the surface. Her lips parted, ready to unload, but she snapped her mouth shut before she could. There was no point. By morning Mom wouldn’t even remember this conversation. She wouldn’t remember a damn thing.

  She bottled it all up and forced it to the dark place in her mind, closing the door and flipping the lock.

  She threw the trash bag on the floor. “Go to sleep and sober up.”

  Harper stormed out of the house, got in her car, and headed home to Milo.

  Chapter 9

  Milo dropped off a customer and made his way home. He hadn’t had any new calls come in, and the summer craze hadn’t hit yet. Tonight and tomorrow would be a never-ending stream of people, and Hal would be debuting the party van, while Milo prepared for his annual kickoff to summer party. He hoped by next year he’d have a few more cars on his payroll, and he’d be able to expand to neighboring towns.

  He didn’t care about the money, but if he could keep one person from drinking and driving, it would all be worth it. Any way he could keep what happened to him from happening to anyone else, he would do it. No one deserved that kind of pain and misery.

  He made an unnecessary loop around the neighborhood and along the water. It was a beautiful late afternoon, warm with a cool breeze off the bay. It would be a perfect night to have the windows open and fall asleep to the lapping of the waves. So why was he stalling to go home?

  He didn’t need to answer the question; he knew exactly what he was doing. He was avoiding Harper. He was scared to see her, afraid the minute his eyes landed on hers, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. He’d throw all inhibitions out the window and take her to bed again. He couldn’t do that. Not when she wanted forever, and he was only a temporary relief while she waited for her future husband to show up.

  There was no way he could compete with her visions of a perfect life. Harper wanted a forever boyfriend, and that’s not what he was or what the agreement was… if what they had was even considered an agreement, especially since it all started with a basic misunderstanding.

  He thrust a hand through his hair, frustration tightening the skin around his jaw and eyes. She didn’t want him, never had, and if he kept letting her in his bed, then he’d be opening his heart to a beating.

  He didn’t do no-strings-attached relationships and this was exactly why. His brain wasn’t programmed that way. He couldn’t sleep with a girl, share with her the most intimate of acts, and not allow emotions to get involved. The minute they stripped bare in front of each other, all bets were off.

  Sex with Harper was amazing, and Milo should’ve been feeling lighter, happier even, but all he was feeling was hot thick regret. It ate at his insides and twisted them in knots. How could he let it happen? It was supposed to be a one-night thing, but now he couldn’t get her out of his mind.

  All he could see was the curve of her ass, the dark rose-colored nipples that beaded at his touch, and her long ba
re legs wrapped around him. Being with her was like his own personal utopia, and he wanted to revisit that place over and over again.

  He never believed perfection existed, but Harper was damn close. She’d been right there in front of him all this time, and while it’s not like he never noticed her before, he’d been able to keep those feelings shoved so far in the back of his mind that the thoughts never made an appearance. But he tapped into those thoughts by letting her into his bed, by tasting her sweetness and feeling her moist heat. How the hell was he supposed to go back to being friends when every time he looked at her he wanted to kiss her?

  It took him everything he had this morning to sneak out of his bedroom and head out before she woke up. Coward move, maybe? But he couldn’t let their night turn into a morning, too.

  Someone had to be reasonable and put an end to it before one—or both— of them got hurt.

  The problem was, he couldn’t avoid her forever. They were roommates, best friends, so much a part of each other’s lives. He had no choice but to go home and face this head on or risk losing his favorite person. Not to mention his party was tomorrow, and he needed to get everything ready.

  He cut a three-point turn and headed home.

  Harper wasn’t home yet, but Jasper was. He was in the driveway, duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He must’ve just gotten home. His trip was a short one, one night only, and Milo was glad he’d be around for the party. It wouldn’t be the same without him.

  “Hey,” Milo said as he got out of the car. “Did you hit the jackpot?”

  Jasper laughed. “I wish. Down three hundred, but it could be worse. Still have the car.” He patted the black hood.

  “Harper kissed me.” It came out in a rush, and Milo felt better getting it out there. He’d been bottling it up all day with so many thoughts and no one to talk to. Normally he’d talk to Harper, but this time he couldn’t. Jasper was his other best friend, and he needed him right now.

  “Oh come on!” Jasper exclaimed.

  “I was expecting a reaction, but not that.”

  “We have a good thing going here. A kiss can be brushed aside. As long as you two don’t have sex, nothing should change.”

  Milo’s lips twisted, and he shifted from one foot to the other.

  “You didn’t?”

  Milo glanced out to the bay and let his silence speak for him.

  “I go away for one night. One! How did this even happen? You two have been friends forever.”

  “My fault. I made a joke about being friends with benefits, and she didn’t realize I was joking.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell her it was a joke?”

  “I did after she kissed me, but then she looked so embarrassed and it was adorable. Watching her run off to her room… I don’t know something in me snapped. I wanted her more than I ever wanted anyone in my life, so I went for it.”

  “And now you regret it. I can see it all over your face.”

  “Only because I want to do it again, and I can’t.”

  Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why not? If she was willing, maybe this will be good for the both of you.”

  “You were just completely against it.”

  “If you can keep it going without us being out a roommate then why the hell not? Especially if you want to. Just send up a smoke signal or something so I make sure I’m wearing headphones.”

  “It won’t happen again.”

  “Why the hell not? You just said you want to.”

  “You and I both know just because you want something doesn’t mean you get it. You also know that the few times I tried a no-strings-attached relationship, I got burned.”

  “You’re afraid you’ll develop romantic feelings for our girl.”

  “And if she wanted me, after twenty years of friendship she would’ve made a move by now. She was lonely, and I helped fill a void. That’s all it was.”

  “Okay then… why are you telling me all this?”

  “In case I forget. I need you to remind me.”

  “What kind of reminder are we talking about here? A slap upside the head if you look at her all googly-eyed?”

  “Yeah, let’s go with that.”

  “I can do that.” Jasper smacked him on the back, and they went in the house.

  Jasper unloaded his bag in his room and came out to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a beer, cracking the top and taking a swig.

  “That’s what I forgot. Beer,” Milo said.

  “I’ll make a beer run tomorrow morning. You don’t even drink the stuff, so you’ll have no idea what to get.”

  He had a point. If he did have a beer which was on very rare occasions, he took whatever was available, never checking the label to see what it was. Jasper was a beer guy who visited local breweries and was a huge advocate for craft beers.

  “Thanks, that’d be great.”

  The door opened, and the air in the room evaporated. Milo sensed her presence before he saw her. Harper came in and dropped her bag on the counter. “Can I have a sip of that?” She took Jasper’s beer before he could answer.

  She tilted her head back, elongating her neck, her lips pressed against the mouth of the bottle, and visions of her lips on his slammed into him.

  “Bad day?” Jasper asked.

  “Oh, you know, the usual. Drunk mom forgot to pick my brother up then we had a throw down because I’m a horrible person.”

  Jasper nodded to her. “You need that more than I do. Enjoy.”

  She held the bottle up and took another sip. “Thanks.” Her attention turned to Milo, and his mouth went dry.

  “Hi Mi.”

  “Yo. Hey. Hi.” He mentally berated himself for not keeping his cool.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Nothing, why would anything be going on? We’re discussing tomorrow. Lots to do.”

  Damn, she looked pretty with her hair down in beach waves, her nose sun-kissed from her days at the beach. Pain radiated up Milo’s head, and he turned to see Jasper’s hand drop and a smirk settle on his face.

  Harper’s eyebrow lifted. “Did I miss something?”

  “No,” Milo said, getting his shit together. “You didn’t miss anything. We’re going to be filling water balloons and water guns if you want to help.”

  “We are?” Jasper said, and Milo casually smacked him in the gut.

  “Oh yeah, we are. Long night ahead of us. It’s why I drove back from Jersey to make sure I got here in time to fill water balloons…”

  “Need help?” she asked.

  “No.” The word was out faster than Milo could stop it, and Harper glared at him with questioning eyes. “I mean. Don’t you have glasses to paint? We can manage. Don’t want you to get behind or anything. Sofia needs those glasses! At least Maria does. I’m not sure what Sofia thinks about having her face plastered all over glasses for fifty people to take home with them.” Harper’s head tilted, and her lips twisted up in bewilderment. “I mean I’m sure she’ll love them. Why wouldn’t she? You’re awesome.”

  Jasper coughed. “Stop talking.” He coughed again.

  Milo took a much-needed breath.

  With a perplexed look on her face, Harper picked up her paintbrushes that were drying in the dish rack. “I’ll paint then, but if you need my help, let me know.”

  “Will do!”

  She walked out of the kitchen, and Jasper slapped him upside the head.

  “Ow! What the—"

  “What the hell was that?” Jasper asked.

  Milo slumped against the counter and ran a hand over his face. “I have no idea.”

  Jasper took off his black-framed glasses and used his t-shirt to clean the lens before putting them back on. “You need to get your act together in the next five minutes. You live with her. You can’t avoid her. Or act like that again.”

  “I know.”

  “And you definitely can’t sleep with her again.”

  “I know that. I’ll just get i
n the way of what she really wants.”

  “I’m not worried about her. I’m worried about you.”

  “Why me?”

  “You’re a smart guy. Do I really have to spell this out?”

  Milo didn’t answer. He didn’t know what he was supposed to say.

  “I guess I do. The way you’re looking at her right now… Something shifted. You sleep with her again and you’re that much closer to falling in love with her.”

  “With Harper?” he whispered, suddenly afraid she might overhear them.

  “No, with Ms. Wheeler. Yes, with Harper.”

  “That can’t happen. I told you. I won’t let it.”

  “I’m afraid you might not get a say in the matter. Emotions can be a bitch with a mind of their own. In the meantime, I’ll be more than happy to keep slapping you upside the head.”

  “Gee thanks.”

  “I always got your back.”

  Chapter 10

  Memorial Day was finally here, and Harper started her day by bringing Tom for a pancake breakfast—his favorite—before he went to the parade with Isla and Mrs. Garrick, and Harper headed back home to help Milo with the setup for his party.

  The diner was packed with people and many Harper didn’t recognize. The out-of-towners were starting to take over their small town.

  “How’s work?” she asked once they were seated. “Still enjoying it?” She was ecstatic that he had a job and he was able to contribute to society, but she worried he’d become bored and it wouldn’t bring him the same joy.

  “Great!” he said with added enthusiasm. “Mr. McConnell showed me how to bag groceries.”

  “The mayor?” Harper asked, and Tom nodded repeatedly.

  Mr. McConnell owned the market, and while employees and a long-time manager ran the business smoothly, he still stopped in every now and again.

  “He said I’m a natural.” Tom pointed to himself and flashed a megawatt smile.

  “High praise from a very important person. I’m so proud of you.” Harper reached across the table and squeezed Tom’s hand. He giggled at the compliment and went back to eating his pancakes. She handed him the syrup—he loved extra—but grabbed it out of his hands when he attempted to empty the entire bottle.