by Donna Alward
Then came the message from his mother, and it wasn’t quite so generous.
His parents were of a more traditional variety, and his mother had tons of questions about “this Harper woman” and what she was after. He fired back a quick response, but he’d honestly hoped for better. His mother, especially, had always been accepting and kind. He understood she was being a protective mom, but he reminded her that she was going to be a grandmother again and that Harper was Adele’s best friend and not some stranger.
But it sat wrong with him.
“Your family?” she asked quietly.
“There’s no sense lying, is there?”
She shook her head, her gaze steady. “Not a bit.”
“It’ll be fine. My parents are more traditional, I suppose. It’s a generation-gap kind of thing.”
“That was the last text, wasn’t it?” Her lips tightened, and he was truly angry at his mother for being anything less than supportive.
“Do they think what you thought that first night?” she asked, standing perfectly still in the middle of her tiny kitchen. “That I’m in it for something? That I’m after money or...” She swallowed again.
“I don’t know.” He figured not telling her would be worse than being honest. “Listen, all she said was to ask if I’d known about this and did I actually think it was a good idea.” She’d also asked what kind of woman would agree to carry someone else’s baby. He’d bet fifty bucks that her solution would have been to adopt or get a dog, not go through a bunch of medical testing or a uterus-for-rent.
He softened his expression and went to her. “Hey, listen, it’s okay. Mom’s in shock. No one knew Dan and Adele were even considering such a thing, you know? And the girls...they’ll be super supportive. They have kids of their own.” He took her hands in his and gave them a little shake.
“Supportive of Dan and Adele. Who knows what they think of me?”
“Within two minutes of talking to you, they’ll think exactly as I do. That you’re a wonderful, generous, loving person. Mom and Dad will, too. They’re good and fair people.”
Harper let out a breath. “Okay.”
“And besides, you’re not doing this for them. You’re doing it for Adele.”
“Yeah,” she said, and she tried a wobbly smile.
“Forget my family,” he said sternly. “Who do you want to tell? Who do you want to share this news with?”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. Uh. Well, Juny. It’s been horrible keeping this from her when she’s at the studio all the time.”
“Then you should call her. Or invite her over. Who else?”
The tears came back in her eyes and one leaked over her lashes and down her cheek. “My mom. I’m adopted, you see. She’ll understand how Adele’s feeling and how I’m feeling. It’s been so hard doing this without telling my mom.”
He led her into the living room and what appeared to be her most comfortable chair. Then he gave her her phone and went back to the kitchen to retrieve her tea. “Here. Have your tea and call your mom.” He got a light blanket off the sofa and put it over her legs. “Curl up and be comfortable and celebrate what you’re doing, sweetheart. It’s a wonderful thing. Don’t let anyone take it away from you.”
She looked up at him with wide, luminous eyes. “Don’t go.”
He knew he should, but he nodded. “I won’t. I’ll go out on the porch and give you some privacy and see where we’re at with the building purchase. Okay?”
She nodded. He smiled and started for the hall, when her voice stopped him.
“Drew?”
He turned around.
“Thank you. For this, and for the support, and for being my friend today.”
He’d kissed her. Just now he’d called her sweetheart by mistake. He was feeling far more than friendly toward her but this situation called for support and not seduction.
“You’re welcome,” he said simply, and went to the front porch to take care of some business.
CHAPTER EIGHT
HARPER FOUND HIM sitting on the porch swing again, an ankle crossed over his knee as he scrolled through something on his phone.
He’d been right. Calling her mom had been just what she needed. She’d wait and tell Juny tomorrow before work. Maybe she’d take in tea and scones or something. In any case, the news was out, and she was free of any big secret. After Drew’s unconditional support and her mother’s excitement and love, there was a contentment in her heart that had been missing for most of her pregnancy.
“Did you make the sale?” she asked softly.
He looked up and smiled. “I did. And you look much better.”
“My eyes are red from crying a bit.”
“Yeah, but you look happier. More relaxed.”
She went to the swing and sat down. “I am.”
When he opened his arm along the top of the swing, she accepted the invitation and leaned into his embrace. She’d desperately needed the touch of another human being lately, and Drew was warm and strong and reassuring.
“I’m glad. I talked to my mom, too, by the way. And gave her an earful.”
Harper pushed against his ribs, moving to sit up. “You didn’t. Oh, Drew. I wish you hadn’t.”
“Don’t you worry. I told her that you were a wonderful friend doing a wonderful thing and to insinuate anything more was totally off base. And then I reminded her that this meant another grandchild to spoil and told her to get with the times.”
“You played into her weakness.”
“Nonsense. I prefer to think that I reminded her of the benefits of this arrangement and that ultimately you were helping her to get what she and Dad want most. Lots of little Brimicombes running around.”
“Which conveniently gets you off the hook.”
“For the time being. As the one kid with no children, it’ll come back around.” He chuckled. “Come back here and relax a bit more. I got the building for eight percent over my first offer, and we’ll sign the purchase agreement tomorrow.”
“That means you’ll be leaving soon.”
“Oh, another week or so. There’s lots to do here. I’m going to hire a local team to do the renos, and it’s short notice so a lot of companies are probably already booked for the fall. There are things for me to do here, don’t worry.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Me, too. When I first got here, I had nothing but expansion on my mind. But coming back home to Canada...it feels really good. I can’t lie about it.”
She leaned against his ribs and sighed. “I didn’t think you wanted a home. More of a home base.”
“I was speaking in more general terms. Sacramento is my home base, I guess. I’m not there much.”
She smiled against him. It wasn’t his fault she’d been bounced around as a kid and had struggled to make friends. Maybe it was easier to move around when you were an adult if you’d had more stability as a kid.
“You’re an adventurer at heart,” she said. “I love how you own it.” Even if it meant he was going to be in her life such a brief time and then out of it again.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy days like today, Harper. It’s been very nice sharing it with you. Thank you for going with me this afternoon. For dinner. Heck, for the ice cream.”
For the kiss. The words sat on her tongue but she didn’t say them.
Drew was leaving soon. The difference between now and her past hurtful encounter was that she knew it and had no unreasonable expectations. She was under no illusions that this was forever or he was The One. There was a certain level of protection in that.
So she tilted her head up slightly and met his gaze, then blinked slowly, wondering if he was interested in a continuation of this afternoon’s sweet kiss.
“Harper,” he said softly, a note of caution in his voice.
“I know. I know I said no in March. And I’m not looking for a wild and torrid affair. But I don’t want to pretend I’m not attracted to you, Drew. I know you’re leaving. It’s okay.”
“Damn,” he murmured, lifting his hand and placing it along her cheek. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“I’m not asking for anything. I’m saying when your business in town is done, you’re walking away and I’m fine with it. Maybe I have been trying too hard to be invisible. You see me, and it makes me...a little bit brave.”
Her heart was pounding from the vulnerability in that admission. But then his fingers grazed her jaw and his eyes darkened as they looked deeply into hers.
“Let’s go inside,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Because if I kiss you, I want to do it right, and not in view of your neighbours.”
Her body got a little thrill from those dark and promising words, and she stood up from the swing, her knees shaking a little. She led the way inside, her insides quaking with nervousness and anticipation.
She got three steps inside the hallway when he reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her. His gaze caught hers, dark and full of purpose in the early evening light. He took a step closer, and another, while an army of butterflies took flight in her belly. Her tongue snuck out to wet her lips...oh Lord, had he just noticed that? One more step and his body was so close to hers that she took a step back and found herself against the wall. The screen door was barely a meter away. Moments ago they’d been mere friends. If he kissed her now—and surely he was going to—it would change everything.
He stepped closer still, so her back was pressed against the wall and his chest and hips lightly grazed her denim skirt and blouse. Her breath came short and fast, her lips parted. And still he held her gaze, darkly, deeply, until his mouth was only a few inches from hers and her lashes fluttered closed.
Like this afternoon, he kissed the side of her mouth first, a feather-soft graze of warm lips to tender skin. She let out a breath and tried hard not to moan in response, but kept her eyes closed, enjoying the kiss with all her other senses. He ran his lips to her jaw, then below her ear, causing a shiver that ran straight down her spine. Then the corner of her eyebrow, the tip of her nose, the delicate dip above her frenulum. “Drew,” she breathed, realizing that her arms hung limply at her sides. She wasn’t able to do anything right now but feel.
But her plea did the trick. He placed his hands on the wall on either side of her head and leaned in, covering her mouth with his, a full kiss that had her body responding automatically with a whimper and her arms lifting to coil around his torso.
Subtle head movements, dips and nips and low sounds of encouragement kept the kiss going for a long, long time. It had been years since Harper had been kissed this thoroughly, if ever. Drew’s fit body pressed against hers, all muscled chest and lean hips that translated his desire. But still he kept everything at the kissing stage. It didn’t matter. When one was an expert, there was no need to rush to the next level.
“You taste good,” he murmured, running his lips over to her ear again. She gasped and he chuckled, low and sexy, by her ear. “Told you I wanted to do it right.”
She ran her hand over his shoulder. “You really are an overachiever.”
“Thank you.” His tongue skimmed along to the curve of her neck and she really wondered how far they could go tonight.
His hand left the wall and skimmed down her neck, two fingertips tracing a trail to her collarbone.
He kissed her again, this time with more urgency, and their bodies responded in kind. When it was clear they either had to stop or take things to a whole other level, Drew backed away, breathing heavily.
“You definitely did it right,” she said, her voice low with pleasure. “My whole body is humming right now.”
“Be careful saying things like that. I’m likely to ask you to show me where your bedroom is.”
“And I’m tempted to take you there.”
“But we shouldn’t.”
“We shouldn’t.”
A long moment held between them, as if each was deliberating the pros and cons.
“You,” he said quietly, “are a very tempting woman, and whoever made you feel otherwise is a damned fool.”
“Fools,” she corrected, but smiled at him, still feeling rather boneless. “And I might have a hard time believing you, but I believe that you mean it, so that’s something.”
“You’re so confident about everything else. I don’t know why you’re so sure you’re unexceptional. But I have a week or so to try to convince you you’re amazing.”
And then he did something so unexpected that she didn’t know what to say or do. He stepped forward and placed his palm on her abdomen. “This is amazing. I mean, the sheer biology of it alone is miraculous but that you would do this for another person...you have a huge, wonderful heart, Harper. You do. Don’t let anyone make you feel small.”
He kissed her again, a small, tender kiss, with his hand still on her stomach.
“You struck me as such a player,” she finally murmured. “But you’re not. You’re an observant, considerate man with a lot of integrity behind all that charm. In another time or place...”
“We might have fallen in love?”
Love. Her heart jolted at even the mention of the word and she took a mental step backward. “Maybe. But not now. Now we...” She couldn’t come up with the right words.
“Enjoy each other’s company, and accept that when the time comes, we go our separate ways with best wishes and good memories. No regrets.”
“You said that so well it makes me think you’ve done it before.”
“I’ve done it, but it didn’t end well,” he replied, his gaze serious. “I broke someone’s heart and hated myself for it. But I couldn’t live a lie, and the kind of life she wanted wasn’t for me. I like you, Harper. More than that, I admire you. So maybe we can admire each other for a few more days, and leave things with fond memories. It’s all I can offer and you should know that up front.”
Why not? she thought. It would be a definite change of pace from her other romantic experiences. She’d lost her virginity when she was twenty-one and tired of carrying the burden of it around, and it had been a mediocre experience and certainly not one with any depth of emotion. Her other partner had been Jared. She’d thought him everything she wanted, and he’d disappeared with barely a “see ya.” He hadn’t even asked for the ring back. It had been disposable, just like her.
Leaving things with happy, “that one summer” sort of memories seemed pretty attractive.
“Does this mean you want to go with me to Healy Pass on Thursday?”
“I’d love to.”
“I’ll pack food for the day. You know to dress accordingly. It’s a longer hike than what we went on the other day, but ten times as rewarding.”
“It sounds perfect.”
It really did. And the idea of doing the hike with company, and someone who enjoyed the outdoors as much as she did? Heaven.
“I suppose this means I should go for now.”
“You can stay if you want to.”
“Tempting as that sounds, I feel like I’ve already overstayed my welcome. But thank you for dinner, and for everything.”
“Anytime.” And she meant it.
He let go of her hands and turned to go to the door, but paused when he got there. “I’ll pick you up Thursday morning. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”
He was holding open the door, but he let it go and walked back inside, coming over to plant a final kiss on her lips. “That’s better,” he said, and then went for the door. “See you Thursday.”
When he was gone, Harper went into the living room and sat down in her favorite chair. Half of her tea was still in her mug and cold now, but it didn’t matter.
The people who mattered most knew about the baby. And Drew had kissed her. Twice. More than twice when she thought about it. And touched her. And he’d been kind and understanding.
Never in her life had she felt so accepted by a man.
“Oh, Harper,” she said to herself. “You’re going to have to be very careful.”
* * *
The following morning she told Juny about the baby. For a moment, the younger woman’s eyes widened, and then she sat back with a victorious smile. “Okay, so I knew there was something going on with you! No Friday night wine and chocolate plans, and no more morning muffins and coffee on Wednesdays. Plus you looked sickly some of the time. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
But she didn’t look hurt, and for that Harper was relieved. “I couldn’t. We really wanted to make sure I got past the first trimester before saying anything to anyone. The only person who knew was Drew, and that was because he showed up and I was at Dan and Adele’s. He kind of guessed something was up and Dan told him.”
“Is that why he’s been around lately? Are you guys a thing?” She put extra emphasis on the word thing.
Even though Harper felt her face heat, she shook her head. “No, we’re not a thing. We’ve hung out a few times over the past couple of weeks, but that’s it.”
Juny waggled her eyebrows. “If that was it, you wouldn’t be blushing.”
Would a half-truth suffice? She sighed and relented a little. “Okay, so I’m not blind. He’s very cute and it turns out he’s quite nice as well, once you get past that veneer of charm.”
“I bet.”
“Shut up. How are things with you and Renée?”
“Fine, and don’t change the subject. I’ve known you for two years now and I’ve never seen you blush over a guy. In fact, other than mentioning the odd one-off date, I don’t think I’ve seen you talk about guys at all.”
Harper took a sip of tea, decaf Earl Grey this time since she no longer relied on mint tea to settle her stomach. “I’m not a social butterfly, you know that. My friend circle is pretty small, so it’s been kind of nice.”
