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

by Theresa Paolo

  “That’s enough,” she said and handed him a napkin. “You excited for the parade?”

  He nodded.

  “What about going with Isla?” His cheeks bloomed red, and he hid his face behind his hands, a laugh slipping out. He’d had a crush on Isla ever since they were kids, and she’d watch wrestling with him even though she had no idea what was going on. For the last couple of years, she’d volunteered to take Tom to the parade so Harper could help Milo get ready for the party.

  “Don’t forget your bathing suit for later. Milo has baskets full of water balloons, and I hear he might be setting up a slip and slide.”

  Tom clapped; his excitement palpable.

  A woman in the booth next to them turned to face them. Her red hair was cut short and styled in an off-centered part. Her blue eyes focused on Harper, and she smiled brightly with what looked like appreciation, which made Harper shift uncomfortably.

  “It’s so nice that you take him out,” the woman said. “He’s lucky to have you.”

  Harper’s head swiveled back. “I don’t need praise for taking my brother out for breakfast. Thank you.” If her brother didn’t have down syndrome, would this person even think to say that to her?

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  This wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. Usually she handled herself better, but she’d been on edge lately with Mom spiraling, the order for Sofia’s graduation, and thoughts about what her future held.

  “It’s all right.” Harper took a deep breath, realizing she was being snippy. Some people didn’t say things with malicious intent; they just didn’t know. “If anything, I’m lucky to have him.” She offered a smile and turned back to her food.

  Mom had brought her tons of heartache and misery over the years, but she did get one thing right. She gave Harper the greatest gift when she gave birth to Tom. Harper had a buddy for life, and if she and Mom never mended the years of tension, Harper would still be grateful to her.

  Tom reminded her to focus on the joy of life and not to stress out about everything else. Though it was near impossible for her not to stress; she had moments where she tried.

  She let the stress and the world around her float away as she put all of her attention on Tom. They finished their breakfast, waved goodbye to Annabelle, then headed back home so Tom could grab his bathing suit and wait for Isla to pick him up for the parade.

  Harper stopped in front of the house and sighed when Mom looked up from the garden. She didn’t stumble, so it appeared she was sober… for now.

  She’d planned on a drop and go but reluctantly threw her Jeep in park and got out. Tom waved to Mom as he passed, and Mom chased after him to give him a hug and a kiss.

  “Go get your bathing suit,” Harper said. She could easily put it in her truck now, and she’d know it made it to her place safely and would be ready for Tom when he was.

  He headed into the house, and Harper nodded to the garden. “It looks good.”

  Shock flashed across Mom’s face, but it quickly morphed into a smile. “Thanks. My rose bush isn’t doing all that great this year. Black spot fungus appears to be growing. I need to get to the store to get something to treat it before it takes out the entire lot.”

  “Do you have the money for that?” Harper asked.

  Mom planted her hands on her hip, brown hair falling from her ponytail. “Yes, I have the money.”

  “Just asking. You’ve been spending a lot of time at the bar, and I know drinks aren’t cheap.”

  “Did you come over here to criticize me? If so, just leave. I’m having a good day, and I don’t need you to ruin it.”

  “Like all my good days you’ve ruined over the last few years.” The words came out before Harper’s brain connected to her mouth to stop them. She didn’t mean to be so combative, but for whatever reason, she automatically switched into that role as soon as she was anywhere near Mom. It was like a switch flipped, and the nice girl she knew she was suddenly vanished and left in her place was an angry, defensive grump.

  Mom’s jaw tightened, and her eyes blazed with fury, but then her features softened. Her eyes drooped and her lip quivered. “What do you want from me, huh? Do you want me to apologize for drinking? Well, I’m sorry.” She jabbed a finger into her chest. “Sorry that I can’t shove my emotions to the back of my mind and carry a chip on my damn shoulder. Sorry I don’t give two shits about what people think of me. Most of all, I’m sorry I can’t be perfect like you.”

  “I never said I was perfect.”

  “You sure as hell act like you are. I wish for one day you could be inside my head, hear the horrible thoughts I have about myself. The drinking is the only thing that quiets them.”

  It was the most honest Mom had ever been with her about her addiction, and Harper wanted to help her. She didn’t want her to suffer alone, but after years of battling, she didn’t know where to begin. “Have you thought about going to therapy? Maybe talking to someone would help.”

  “I’m talking to you right now, and trust me, it’s not.”

  “I’m not qualified.”

  “Not qualified for what? To have a normal conversation without yelling?”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “There’s nothing a shrink can say that’ll help me. All they care about is lining their pockets and touting their fancy degree.”

  “How do you know if you don’t try? Go once and see what you think. If you still feel the same way, then don’t go back, but at least try.”

  “What’s the point?”

  “You’re infuriating. Here I thought you were sending out a cry for help, yet you refuse any help I’m trying to give you.”

  “Telling me to go lay on a couch and spill my guts to some stranger is not help. Besides, it wasn’t a cry for help. I was just talking.”

  Harper ran her hands through her hair, tension pulling tight in her veins. “I need to go. Isla will be here in a half hour to get Tom for the parade. Make sure he doesn’t forget his bathing suit.”

  “Oh right, for the fancy Memorial Day party at your house that you never invite me to.”

  “Do you blame me?”

  Mom straightened and lifted her chin. “Doesn’t matter. Milo invited me.”

  Harper froze in place. “You’re not actually thinking of coming, are you?”

  “Afraid I’ll embarrass you in front of your precious friends?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” This was the same woman who showed up to her graduation stumbling over herself, who showed up to her twenty-first birthday, got on the bar to dance, and fell off, causing Harper to spend the rest of her birthday in the emergency room while Mom got X-rays. If she was capable of behaving herself, Harper would love to invite her to parties and events, but she wasn’t, and Harper didn’t want to spend her time worrying.

  It wasn’t fair.

  Before Mom could continue the argument, Harper walked away and got in her Jeep. She texted Isla to make sure Tom remembered to bring a bathing suit, knowing damn well she couldn’t rely on Mom to remember.

  She got a text from Milo, putting her on ice duty. She stopped at the store and picked up several bags and now was emptying them in the multiple coolers Milo had set up throughout their property. He’d been on the go from the minute she returned and barely had a second for her to vent.

  If it wasn’t for the party preparations, she’d swear he was avoiding her.

  She’d thought things might be weird after they had sex together, but she didn’t feel that way at all. All she felt was a growing need to do it again. She had no idea how he felt, since every time she tried to talk to him, something would get in the middle of their conversation.

  She filled the cooler by the firepit and took the plastic bag to the recycle bin. Each can was color-coded and meant for specific products, thanks to Jasper and his quest to save the planet.

  Milo walked by her in a hurry, and she grabbed his wrist before
he could disappear again. “Hey.”

  His eyes landed on her hand before meeting her gaze. “Hey.” He was wearing a white short-sleeve button-down with red, white and blue Firecracker popsicles on it. It should’ve looked ridiculous, but he pulled it off. The fun pattern matched his personality.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  She kicked at a pebble on the ground. “I don’t know. I feel like you’re avoiding me.”

  “Never.” His hand lifted like he was going to brush her hair out of her face, but he thought better of it, and his arm fell back to his side. “Just busy.”

  “I don’t want what we did to make it weird between us.” She didn’t want to take what they shared back; it was something she’d never forget, but she didn’t want that brief moment of pure bliss to take away the constant joy of Milo in her life.

  “It’s not. We both went into it knowing it was just sex, and that’s all it was.”

  His words unexpectedly stabbed her in the heart. While it was supposed to be just sex, it seemed to be more than that. It was mind-blowing and amazing. “Yeah… just sex,” she said, unable to keep the disappointment from seeping into her tone.

  He moved toward her, and she held her breath, hoping he’d pin her up against the side of the house and let them revisit last night. Instead, he kissed her forehead and stepped away. “We’re cool, okay?”

  Uncertainty flooded through her mind, but she ignored the thoughts and nodded. “Okay.”

  In a blink he was gone, and she stood there for a moment, hoping he hadn’t lied to her. No, if he was lying, he would have avoided her gaze and his voice would’ve squeaked. He was the world’s worst liar, and there was no way that changed overnight.

  Like he said, he was busy. There was nothing more to it. She shook away the stupid voices in the back of her head, telling her she ruined everything, and continued with her ice duty before she was given a new task.

  Two hours later, all the coolers were filled with beverages, all the burgers were patted into patties, all the water balloons and water guns were locked and loaded, wood filled the fire pit, and the makeshift slip and slide was ready for people to take their turns sliding across the lawn.

  The sun had settled high in the sky, and Harper had stripped down to a pair of jean shorts and a bikini top. The humidity clung in the air, which was a sign of an oppressive summer. It was too damn hot to be wearing anything more than a bathing suit. She was eyeing the slip and slide, ready to take a dive when Jasper came over to her and handed her a beer.

  “Looks like you could use this,” he said.

  She took it, grateful for the cold bottle. She pressed it against her neck, letting the chill absorb into her body. “Thanks.”

  “Thinking about beating the lines?” he asked.

  “That’s exactly what I’m thinking.”

  “I’m surprised Milo hasn’t given a run at it yet.”

  Harper glanced around the backyard. “Where is he?”

  “In the house filling up water balloons.”

  “Don’t we have enough?” Milo and Jasper spent last night filling up three laundry baskets.

  “That’s what I said, and his response is there is never enough when it comes to water balloons.”

  Harper laughed. “That sounds about right.” Milo was go big or go home when it came to the Memorial Day party, and with no concern for money, he always went overboard.

  “I told him as long as we pick up every last piece of balloon to go for it.” Jasper’s love for the planet amplified when it came to the water and marine life.

  “You going to give this a go?” She nodded to the slip and slide.

  “Not yet. I’m going to head into town and catch the end of the parade.”

  “You just want to watch the mayhem unfold.” Every year something was bound to go wrong at the annual parade. There was the time One Step Dance School ended their routine with sparklers and one of the sparks caught the papier-mâché bald eagle, setting it ablaze. Luckily, the Morgan’s Bay Fire Department was only one group behind and had the fire out before it could spread.

  “There’s nothing better than witnessing it first-hand. I also told some of my students I’d be by.”

  Harper always missed the parade, since she stayed back to help Milo set up the party, but luckily someone managed to catch the events and posted them online. If something were to happen again this year, she knew she’d be able to see what the town was talking about. She didn’t mind missing out on the parade for Milo, especially since his party had always meant so much to him. It was a small sacrifice compared to all the favors he’d done for her over the years.

  “Have fun,” she said.

  She looked at the bottle and sighed. She just railed Mom for drinking and felt guilty to start so early. But she knew how to have a few drinks and not get out of hand. Still, the conversation from earlier left a bitter taste in her mouth. She put the beer aside for later and headed into the house.

  She found Milo in the kitchen, his back to her, hands working the top of a water balloon to tie it into a knot.

  “Hey,” she said, and his fingers slipped, the water balloon fell from his hand and splattered on the floor. Water covered his legs and shorts. She lifted a hand to her face, attempting to cover the smile, but it didn’t hide the laughter. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s all right.” Milo reached for a towel, and Harper bent to help.

  Water exploded on her head, streaming down her face and neck. She gasped, staring up at Milo with disbelief. “You didn’t.”

  “I did.” He smirked, and she jumped to her feet, grabbing a water balloon and tossing it at his chest. She got a direct hit, and he ran for the overfilled basket, grabbing for more. She dove behind the island to hide and double backed to grab ammunition, but Milo was fast. He switched directions just as quickly and nailed her again, this time in her chest.

  “You’re so going to get it,” she said.

  His gaze met hers over the island, his eyes insinuating a dare for her to try her hardest. She never could step down from a dare. She ran, skidding across the wet tile, and grabbed a balloon. She spun and Milo was practically on top of her. She lifted her arm and brought the balloon down on his head. The balloon exploded in a curtain of water, drenching his head and dripping down his face.

  He grabbed her by the waist and spun her back to him as she tried to run. Her arms flailed as she attempted to reach for another balloon, but his hands wrapped around her wrists and held her in place. Their eyes met in a clash of heat and longing.

  There was no thinking or talking. Their lips crashed together, clumsily at first, then falling into perfect sync. Desperate to taste him, she thrust her tongue into his mouth and pulled herself closer to him, pressing her body into his.

  Milo pulled away, regret evident in the depths of his brown eyes. “Damn it. I’m sorry.” He shook his head, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “I shouldn’t have—”

  Harper cupped his face and cut his words off with her mouth. His body froze, then he pinned her against the fridge.

  After her stressful week, this was exactly what she needed. Milo’s hands on her body, lips on hers, helping her forget about her shitty mother and that lady at the diner. Her fingers fumbled with the ties of her bikini, and Milo’s fingers slid over hers, helping her with the knot. The strings came apart, and she ripped the material over her head. She tossed the top to the floor, and Milo’s head dipped, his tongue trailing along the sensitive skin.

  Desire slammed into her, spreading out in tendrils through her entire body. She didn’t just want him; she needed him. She fumbled with his shorts and shoved them to the floor. Her hand wrapped around his hardened length and stroked.

  His lips froze on her lips, and a moan muffled between them. Her touch must’ve ignited a fire inside him; he yanked her zipper and pushed her shorts down. Strong, determined hands grabbed her ass and lifted her against him, her back pre
ssing against the cool stainless steel of the fridge.

  A trail of goosebumps erupted across her body as he kissed down her neck and back to her lips.

  “Condoms?” he said.

  She pointed to her bag on the counter beside them. “Front zipper.”

  He pressed her against the fridge, and his free hand clumsily searched for the bag. With a laugh, she brought her lips to his neck and sucked on the place between neck and shoulder. He groaned, and she could feel him getting even harder.

  “Got it,” he declared, and his lips slammed back into hers. She heard the rip of foil, but she was too focused on Milo’s mouth and all the sensations it created. She had no idea how good of a kisser he was; if she had, she might have kissed him sooner.

  He nipped her lip and adjusted her legs. Her body arched against the fridge as he pushed into her slick heat. A cry tore from her throat, but Milo devoured it with a kiss.

  The tension from the day eased with each pump of his hips, and she closed her eyes, absorbing every delicious stroke. Milo’s forehead rested against hers, his breath coming in short ragged gasps. She felt his finger on her chin, and she opened her eyes.

  Two dark brown globes filled with heat and desire bore into her. She was a prisoner to his gaze, lost in the passion and intensity. She didn’t dare blink, holding onto his eyes like two buoys in the dark sea. He slowed his pace, rocking into her with long deliberate strokes.

  Her hold on his neck tightened, and his fingers dug into her hips, angling her to take his powerful thrusts. Pleasure swirled inside her like Van Gogh’s Starry Night—a mixture of colors, cumulating into something so breathtakingly beautiful, and invoking too many emotions for her to process.

  She ignored the emotions and focused on the swirls of pleasure, the intense heat, lapping and growing, building toward a release.

  She ground against him, and the sweet friction was her undoing. White lights flashed behind her eyes, and her body convulsed at the overpowering sensations tearing through her. Her nails dug into Milo’s shoulder, and his grip strengthened as he drove into her with relentless strokes.