He chuckled. “I didn’t say it to get sympathy, but now that I know it works . . .”
“That’s what I like about you. You’re funny. You probably didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Some. Based on the puffiness of your eyes that I perceived without looking at you, crying took up more of your night than sleeping.”
“Yep. But I’ll figure things out.” I wasn’t going to be the new girlfriend who begged for help. “If I did, you know, move back to Houston . . . would you visit me?”
“I would.” He nodded but didn’t look up. His actions screamed louder than his words.
I hated seeing disappointment on faces when I was the cause. “You don’t have to say that. I’d understand if you don’t want to date someone who lives on the other side of the state.”
He met my gaze. “You aren’t just someone.”
My crying started again.
Harper held me until I managed to catch my breath.
“Sorry. I promise I’m not usually like this. You can ask Nacha and Haley. I almost never cry. It’s just . . .” I shrugged and shut up before more tears spewed from my eyes.
“I like to think it’s because you trust me enough not to hide your feelings.”
“Oh my word! What romance novel did you walk out of?”
His ears turned red again. “Sisters, remember? I have notecards in my wallet with all the things ladies like to hear. Wanna see?”
I laughed, and it was as satisfying as warm hot chocolate. “Have a seat. I’m not going to dump all my troubles on you, but I appreciate you coming to check on me and being so sweet.” I broke my doughnut in half. “I’ve known you less than a week, and I’m already crying on your shoulder. Red flag! Run away.”
“Should I be jealous of Eli?” He narrowed his eyes, making it hard to tell if there was humor sparkling in those green pools. The question had come out of nowhere. Was he trying to be funny? I couldn’t risk letting him think there was anyone else.
“What? No! I mean, I sort of went on a bit about how he was good looking, but he’s so not my type. He’s like that cousin who teases a little bit but sticks up for you if someone else picks on you. So, no. Absolutely no reason to be jealous.”
He laughed. “Just making sure.”
Laughter lightened the mood.
“Is there anyone I should be jealous of?” I stared at my pieces of doughnut, trying to remember which one I’d bitten off last.
Harper paled. “No. Haley and I only went out once. A blind date. Did I mention that Zach was there too?”
I slapped a hand over my mouth in time to keep doughnut chunks from flying out. “Poor you. A third wheel on your own blind date.”
“Exactly. Now that we’ve cleared all that out of the way, what are you doing for dinner tonight?”
“I don’t have any plans.”
“I’ll make you dinner. I’m learning some new skills.” He covered a yawn. “I’m about to turn into a pumpkin. I should go.”
“Dinner sounds awesome. And risky. What time should I be there?”
He leaned down and hovered his lips near mine. “I’ll pick you up after work.”
I pressed my lips to his.
I’d miss this. Terribly.
Haley and Nacha showed up to work early.
Instead of waiting for them to awkwardly ask why I’d been sobbing, I said, “I’m having personal problems. I don’t really want to talk about it because I have to figure it out on my own.”
Nacha lifted her eyebrows. “We’re your friends, Cami. If you need help, we’re here.”
“Thank you.”
Haley hugged me. “Run next door for a bit. I’ll cover the phones.”
“Harper is home sleeping.” I figured both of them probably already knew he’d been over here first thing this morning.
The gossip chain in this town was alive and well. Was it really gossip when my friends were worried about me?
“I figured you’d want to chat with Tessa and Delaney. You didn’t get over there this morning, and they are worried about you.” Haley held up her coffee. “Ask me how I know.”
“I’ll go over there for a few minutes. And just so you know, I’m not going to talk to them about my problems, so don’t feel like you’re being left out. Seriously. It has to be my decision.” I walked out of the studio and into the bakery.
Delaney and Tessa looked up from where they were chatting at a table.
“I’m okay. I’m in a bit of a fix, but I don’t want to talk about it.” I crossed my arms.
Tessa shook her head. “We don’t want to hear about your problems. We want to hear about Harper. I can’t believe he’s the guy you left your tail with. He comes in here all the time.” She winked.
Friends like these were golden. I’d miss them too.
I sat down at the table and told them all about my hero who knew exactly what to say and when. The only part I left out was about moving away.
While I was leaning toward that decision—because how was I supposed to live without a car and my clothes and a phone—I’d go home, kicking and screaming.
But I didn’t want to go at all.
My head hurt from thinking about it.
Chapter 10
I tucked the stack of flat boxes out of sight before Harper showed up. I’d run to get them on my lunch break, then snuck them inside after Haley and Nacha went home.
One way or the other I was packing my clothes.
Harper texted that he was on his way. I had about two minutes to change clothes before he pulled up. I slipped out of my work clothes and pulled on shorts and a cute top.
I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.
When he knocked, I yanked open the door. “Hi.”
He brushed my cheek. “This already looks better.”
“It feels better.” Before walking to his truck, I locked the door. “What are you making tonight?”
“Lasagna. It’s all prepped and waiting to go into the oven.” He clasped my hand. “We’ll have to wait forty-five minutes until we can eat.”
“Whatever will we do?” Without letting go of his hand, I turned to face him. “I’m stunned that you cook.”
“As I said, I’m learning. I got this recipe from my little sister. She said it was fool proof. Actually she said it was guy proof.” He winked. “She’s joking though. Her husband is a trained chef.”
“I love that you get recipes from your sister. Are you close to all of them? Are they all married?”
“My youngest sister married recently. My other sisters are both married and have kids.” He parked in his driveway. “And I talk to them a couple of times a month. I facetime with my nephew and nieces when I can. I don’t want them to forget me since I live far away.”
“Aww. How cute is that?”
He winked and tapped his back pocket. “Notecards.”
I looped my arm around his. “Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re joking.”
“I love your smile. Have I told you that?”
“Is that written on one of those notecards?”
He shook his head as he pushed open the front door. “This is my place. Make yourself at home.”
There was almost nothing on the walls. All the furniture looked comfortable. My mom would not have approved.
“It suits you. Definitely looks like guys live here. How did you end up rooming with Eli? And I’m mad at him, by the way. The day after I thought I saw you, I came over here and walked up and down the street. Eli almost gave me a ticket for parking on the wrong side of the street, but anyway, I asked him if he knew of any firemen who lived on this block. He laughed it off.”
Harper chuckled. “I might have to talk to him about that.” He led me into the kitchen and turned on the oven. “What can I get you to drink? I have water, sodas, beer, wine. I assume you are over twenty-one.”
I dug through my purse and pulled out my license. “I’m almost twenty-five. How old are you?”
He glanced at it like a bouncer at a club. “Thirty-one.”
“So, you’re like a real grown-up?”
“I suppose so. I have a job. I own a house and a truck. I guess that qualifies me for the adulting club.”
I stepped closer to him. “I’ll have a glass of wine.”
Now more than ever, I wasn’t going to unleash my problems on Harper. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was after his money. He was the picture of stability. I was chaos in designer clothes.
But only for a couple more weeks. Then I’d just be chaos.
Even if Harper turned out to be a summer crush, I’d learned something from him. Handling life as an adult was attractive, and running home was not going to teach me anything about growing up.
He handed me a glass of wine. “I see those wheels turning. Care to share?”
“I’m not going to fill our evening with the bleh of what’s going on in my life. I know you’re willing to listen, and I’ll tell you more about it in a day or two. Right now, I just want you to know that I’m not leaving Stadtburg. Well, not moving back to Houston.”
His green eyes twinkled, but there was concern pinched at the corners. “I’m happy to hear that.”
“Tell me more about your family.”
He popped the top on a Coke, then motioned toward the living room. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. But first, I need to know if you’re safe. After what happened bowling and then finding you in tears, I’m concerned. The talk of moving worried me because it seemed sudden.”
“I’m safe. Things are still a mess, but there isn’t any reason to be concerned about my safety.” I sat down on the couch. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
He shrugged. “It’s all part of the package. Care and concern go hand in hand.”
Being honest would probably relieve some of his worry.
I cradled my wine glass. “Okay, just so you know there is nothing to worry about, I’ll tell you what’s going on.” I inhaled. “Here goes. I already told you that my parents don’t like my choices. My mom thinks I should move back to Houston and marry Chase—I’d rather have bamboo shoved under my fingernails—and my daddy thinks I should be working as an engineer. Bamboo. But because I didn’t respond to the text about the fabulous job they’ve lined up for me, they decided to surprise me. I found out about the surprise when they called and asked where I wanted to meet them for dinner. They’d driven all the way to San Antonio. It wasn’t like I could tell them I was busy.”
Harper squeezed his can a bit too hard and a dent formed on the side.
“Anyway, Daddy gave me an ultimatum. Is it an ultimatum if I have three options?”
Harper leaned over and kissed the side of my head. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Basically, I can find an engineering job here in town, move back to Houston and take the job that’s waiting for me, or I turn over everything my parents bought me.”
The longer Harper stayed quiet, the more I worried that I’d made a horrible mistake by telling him.
“And don’t worry. I’m not going to come begging you for money or rides or anything like that. This is my lesson, and I’m determined to learn it.” I sipped my wine.
“How long do you have before you give them an answer?”
“Two weeks from yesterday. And I don’t want you to think I hate Houston or my parents. It’s just that I can’t be myself there. But I hate disappointing them.”
“I think you’re brave, Cami.”
“Funny. Especially considering I was afraid of someone who was trying to be a good Samaritan.”
“I’ll never forget the day you pounced on me.”
I swatted his arm. “You make me sound like a cougar.”
He chuckled. “You were a leopard.”
“Thank you for noticing.” I appreciated a man who knew his cats.
Grinning, he nudged my shoulder. “That suit made it easy to notice you.”
Instead of turning red and acting embarrassed, I giggled. “I looked good, didn’t I? When I give Daddy back all the stuff I bought with his money, that suit will be the exception. I’m keeping it.”
“Second best news I’ve heard all day. Let me check on dinner.”
I followed him into the kitchen.
“And just for the record”—he opened the oven—“I don’t mind giving you rides. You can at least let me help you that way.”
“All right.” I rubbed my tummy. “That smell is making me hungry.”
“Perfect because it’s time to eat.” He carried the dish to the table. “And, Cami, thank you for telling me.”
“I didn’t want to send you running for the hills.”
He pulled out a chair for me to sit down. “I’m enjoying getting to know you. And so far, I like what I see. All of it.”
This was the type of positive energy I needed in my life.
Chapter 11
Popping into Tessa’s shop each morning was more than a habit. It was a necessity.
“Just coffee today. If I keep eating doughnuts every morning, I won’t fit in that tiny apartment anymore.” I sat down at the table closest to the counter.
Tessa laughed. “How dare you call my doughnuts fattening.”
“Sorry. So, once Delany gets here, I’ll tell you all about why I was crying and why there are boxes in my apartment waiting to be packed.”
Tessa slapped a hand to her mouth. “You can’t move.”
“You’re moving?” Delaney rushed up to the table.
“You should add a squeak to that door or a bell maybe. And, no, I’m not moving. My parents want me to move home. To motivate me, they threatened to take away all my stuff . . . my car, my designer clothes, my phone. They can have it. I’m not moving. Know of any good places to get affordable clothes?”
Delaney grinned. “Oh girl, I’ll take you to all the best resale shops around. And getting a phone shouldn’t cost you too much. You can do this.”
“And we can help when you need a ride. Until you can afford to get your own car.”
I clapped. “I’m excited. At first, I wasn’t sure what to do, and I came really close to telling my daddy I’d move back home, but I can’t do that. It’s time for me to figure things out on my own. And I’m just saying no to their money. They’ll still be my parents. They’ll still love me.” Saying it out loud didn’t make it feel more true.
“Why would you move away from a guy like Harper?” Delaney poked my arm.
“Right? He can cook!” My outlook was bright. “I need to run. I don’t want Nacha and Haley panicking when they see the boxes.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Tessa refilled my coffee cup. “And that you aren’t moving.”
“Me too.” Delaney patted my hand.
“Me three.” I hurried back to the studio and walked in just ahead of Nacha and Haley. I was waiting when they stepped in. “I’m not moving. Don’t let the boxes give you the wrong idea. I’m just getting rid of some stuff.”
“Getting rid of some stuff?” Haley pulled her curls up and looped a scrunchie around them.
“Anything my parents paid for. But I promise to wear clothes to work.”
Nacha rolled her eyes. “If you need help . . .”
“I don’t. Really. I’ll figure it out.” I wasn’t sure how, but I was determined.
I hadn’t talked to my parents since that night at dinner. But with only two days until the big deadline, it was time to let Daddy know I wouldn’t be going home. Staring at the phone didn’t help me figure out how to start the conversation.
Then I decided that the conversation needed to take place face to face. And if I’d been wrong about the whole still loving me part, it could be my last opportunity to go home.
I shoved a few things in an overnight bag. With the right puzzling skills, all the boxes would fit in my vehicle.
When Harper called, I tossed my bag aside. “Hey there, handsome.”
“Hello to you too. I’m going to say this quick ju
st in case I have to dart away. I’m thinking about visiting a friend in Houston this weekend.”
“Is this an offer to drive me home if I decide to drop my stuff off in person?”
“Yes, ma’am.” His added southern twang was intoxicating.
“When you say it like that, I get this urgent desire to see you in a cowboy hat.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“And thank you. I think it would be good to take my stuff home. Who knows when I’ll be invited back again?”
“When will you head over there?”
“I’ll leave in the morning. Not too early because I’ll have to pack my car first. I was planning to spend the night.”
He sighed when noises sounded in the background. “I’ll stop by when I get off. And staying the night is fine. Bye.”
Instead of calling my parents, I shot off a text to them, using the phone I hadn’t used in over a week. Driving to Houston tomorrow. Will text when I’m leaving. After sending the message, I turned off the phone.
They were probably giddy, and I felt a little guilty about that. If they knew what my answer was going to be, they might have told me not to come. And I needed to give them the answer in person. That had to be worth points on the final exam.
My apartment didn’t feel quite as tiny with half my stuff missing. But the cute clothes hanging on the bar were all items that I’d paid for with my money. Except the costume. That particular item had sentimental value.
My sense of accomplishment boosted my optimism about how the weekend would go.
Harper showed up bright and early with my favorite doughnut and a hot cup of coffee. “I’ll load your car while you have breakfast.”
“I’m nervous.”
“I know.” He squeezed my hand. “You can do this. And when you’re ready to come home, text me, and I’ll be there to pick you up as soon as I can.”
“In Houston, that could be two hours, depending on where your friend lives.”
“I lied about the friend part.” He crinkled his nose. “Can you forgive me?”
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