Pretend You're Mine: A Small Town Love Story (27 page)
Read Pretend You're Mine: A Small Town Love Story Online
Authors: Lucy Score
“Lieutenant, you live up to the hype,” Annalise said, readjusting the bar height. “You’re a beast.”
“When can I start running?”
Dr. Steers looked at him over his glasses. “I’m going to make a promise that in most cases I don’t get to make. Soon. In fact, I think you’d be a great candidate for a carbon fiber running blade.”
Aldo’s nod was brisk, but Harper saw the spark in his eye.
“Let’s move on to some balance work.”
After another hour of balance and strengthening exercises, followed by some electrical stimulation and massage, Aldo was putty on the table.
Annalise handed Harper a stack of papers. “These are at-home exercises that will really keep the momentum high for his therapy. The lieutenant is going to have three outpatient appointments a week here, but if you can help him on off days and work through these, he’s going to see more results more quickly.”
Harper took the stack. “Absolutely.”
“Great! Then we’ll see you two Friday.”
***
“Y
ou don’t have to be my new therapy buddy,” Aldo said, back in the car.
“I don’t mind. But I’ll understand if you’d rather have your mom take you.”
He smirked. “Very funny. Want to grab some lunch?”
Harper’s stomach growled. “More than anything in the world.”
They went through a drive-thru and put the top of the VW down in a sunny waterfront park.
Harper chowed down on her burger while Aldo picked at his fries.
“Have you talked to Luke?” she finally asked.
“A couple of times. Not since I came home though.”
Harper waited and stewed.
“He sounds like he’s doing okay,” Aldo said.
“Does he?”
“He won’t let me thank him.”
“For what?”
Aldo turned to look at her. “He didn’t tell you that he dragged my ass out of there under fire while ordering everyone else to pull back?”
Harper dropped the cheeseburger in her lap.
“He
what
?”
Aldo swore. “It’s all kind of a red blur to me. One second I’m driving down this stretch of road, the next I’m falling out of the truck. I couldn’t hear or feel anything. All I knew was I couldn’t move. I thought I was dead.” He took a steadying breath.
“Then there’s Luke hovering over me. Looking like he’s screaming. He dragged me behind a truck, used my belt as a tourniquet. I passed out, but they tell me he carried me under fire while the rest of the guys laid down cover.”
“Why the fuck didn’t he tell me?” Harper said, grabbing her soda with unnecessary violence.
“Why the fuck won’t he let me say thank you?”
She leveled a look at him and he shook his head.
“Because he’s Luke,” they said in unison.
At least Luke was an equal opportunity information withholder. “I’m going to type an email in all caps to him when I get home tonight,” Harper announced.
“I’ll mail him a thank you card with all caps.”
“So why are you avoiding Gloria?”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re tenacious, Harpoon?”
“Oh no you don’t. I live with Luke ‘Jeopardy’ Garrison. I will not be put off by you trying to turn Q&A into Q&Q. Aren’t you interested in her anymore? Did your feelings change?”
“Harper, look at me.” Aldo pointed at his prosthesis. “I can barely fucking walk. How am I supposed to sweep her off her feet like she deserves?”
“Okay, I don’t even know where to start with your assininity.”
“Not a word.”
“Totally a word. First of all, you think you’re somehow less of a man because you’re sporting a new leg? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. And I’ve heard a lot of stupid shit. Your leg has nothing to do with the man you are. Your
attitude
on the other hand,” she poked him in the chest, “has everything to do with it. This ‘woe is me disabled cowboy’ crap act is not doing you any favors. Man up and be the rock star you always have been.
“And second, Gloria isn’t some fragile flower. She’s funny and smart and she’s clawing out a brand new life for herself. One you could be a part of. You know what would be amazing for her? Some guy who is willing to be vulnerable in front of her. Someone who needs her. Do you know what that would do for her confidence? Finally being in the position to help someone else?”
Harper grabbed a handful of fries out of the box and wielded them at him. “She blushes every time someone says your name, and she survived the Mrs. Moretta Inquisition”
“Inquisition? Oh shit.”
“By the end of it, your mom was asking her for her jam thumbprint cookie recipe.”
Aldo dropped his head back against the seat. “This is too much to take in.”
“Eat your burger. You’re weak with hunger and stupidity.”
He reached into the bag, unwrapped his burger, and took a huge bite.
From: [email protected]
Subject: ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?
DEAR LUKE,
YOU’LL NOTICE I’M WRITING IN ALL CAPS TO CONVEY THE FACT THAT I AM SHOUTING AT YOU. HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY NEGLECT TO TELL ME YOU SAVED ALDO’S LIFE WHILE PUTTING YOUR OWN AT GREAT RISK? YOUR LIFE IS GOING TO NEED SAVING WHEN YOU GET HOME.
RESPECTFULLY IN ANGER,
HARPER
––––––––
From: [email protected]
Subject: Puppies and fluffy things
Dear Harper,
Please accept the attached pictures of puppies and kittens as my attempt to distract you from your anger. You can’t be mad at tiny puppies frolicking. It’s against your genetic code.
You’re beautiful when you’re mad,
Luke
––––––––
From: [email protected]
Re: Puppies and fluffy things
I’ve been hypnotized by fluffiness. I’m feeling much less murderous. Perhaps you would like to take this opportunity to explain why you didn’t feel that I needed to know the details of “the incident?”
Let me give you some examples of ways you could have broached the subject.
Bragging You:
So babe, I totally rocked life-saving today and dragged Aldo’s ass out of a firefight after he was partially blown up. What did you do today?
Subtle You:
I’d love to video chat with you tonight, but I’m just really worn out. Worn out from carrying my best friend out of a literal battlefield with guns blazing. It really wasn’t a big deal, tell me more about your crocheting circle.
Normal Human Being You:
Aldo was (insert appropriate military terminology here) by an IED. I was able to get to him and get him out under fire, but it was pretty freaking scary. I miss you and think you’re the most beautiful, incredible, kind, smart, funny woman in the universe.
Love,
Harper
––––––––
From: [email protected]
Re: Puppies and fluffy things
Thank goodness for puppies. Stand by for an official apology.
I, Lucas Charles Norbert Garrison, am solemnly sorry for not delivering pertinent facts to one Harper Lee Sue Ellen Wilde, hereafter known as “hot girlfriend.” The technical and medical term for my mental state was “freaking out” and I had no idea how to put into words what happened to not freak out hot girlfriend. The immediacy of the situation required me to put more energy into figuring out whether Aldo Moretta, hereafter known as “Lard Ass When He’s Unconscious,” was alive and going to stay that way than reporting the fuzzy details of the encounter. However, moving forward, I swear to do a better job of communicating all things, including those of life and death importance as I’d be really pissed too if you didn’t tell me something like that.
Miss your smile,
Luke
––––––––
From: [email protected]
Re: Puppies and fluffy things
Solid apology. I deem this email fight over. Attached please find an olive branch in the form of a picture of my boobs.
H
arper huffed and puffed her way up to the third floor under the weight of an ottoman. Making it to the top of the stairs, she took the final steps into Gloria’s new one-bedroom and collapsed on top of the ottoman in the middle of the living room.
“You’re going to be in amazing shape just from bringing groceries home,” Harper gasped. “I can’t believe we got the couch up here ourselves.”
Gloria laughed from the tiny kitchen where she was unpacking brand new dinner service for four.
“I can’t believe it’s mine,” she said with a happy sigh. “I can put something on the counter and it will still be there when I come back. I can watch anything I want on TV. I can lounge around naked all day if I want!”
Harper sat up and surveyed the apartment. Scarred hardwood floors, a handful of cracks in the plaster. But the view of Main Street Benevolence was straight out of a painting. Gloria was three floors over Dawson’s Pizza and the living room’s huge bow window overlooked the police station and Common Grounds Café.
She was walking distance to work and the grocery store.
“This is pretty perfect,” Harper agreed.
“Want a drink?” Gloria offered.
“For the love of God, yes! Please!” Sophie’s voice was muffled by the box of kitchen miscellany she was hefting. She dumped it unceremoniously in the middle of the kitchen floor and collapsed onto a dining chair. “That’s literally the last thing. You’re all moved in.”
Harper jumped up and reached into her bag. “Wait, Gloria! Put the can down. We can’t let the first drink in your very own home be diet soda.” She pulled out the chilled bottle of champagne she had picked up on the last car trip between Gloria’s mom’s and the new apartment.
“Nothing happier than the sound of champagne being uncorked,” Sophie said, clapping her hands. Harper poured the bubbles into coffee mugs and handed them around.
“I’d like to make a toast,” Gloria announced. “Thank you both so much. It means the world to me to be independent, but it’s even better to have you two as friends that I can depend on if I need to.”
“Aw! Cheers,” Harper said, clinking her mug to Gloria’s.
Sophie left shortly after to go rescue Ty from Josh who had decided he was a dog like Bitsy and would only go to the bathroom outside. Harper stuck around to help with some of the unpacking.
“I really appreciate the help,” Gloria said, stacking glasses neatly in the cabinet next to the sink.
“I’m happy to help,” Harper said, taking another sip of champagne as she untangled cords wrapped around the DVD player. “I’m pretty sure I can figure out how to set this up so you can at least watch movies tonight.”
She scooted across the floor to sneak a peek behind the TV.
Gloria abandoned the kitchen and sat down on the couch. “So, how’s Aldo doing since he came home?” She hugged a cheery yellow pillow to her chest.
Harper’s fingers fumbled with an input. “He’s, uh, doing okay. I think the therapy is helping mentally. Physically he’s a beast.”
“He always was,” Gloria said a little sadly.
Harper stopped her fiddling. “Listen, Gloria, I don’t know exactly what his problem is, but I hope you know that that’s what it is.
His
problem. It has nothing to do with you.”
“I think I had got my hopes up a little too high that we could be something together. That I could be something to him.”
“Whoa! Let’s back that truck up real fast,” Harper grabbed her mug and sat down next to Gloria. “You can’t put your worth in someone else’s hands like that. Whether those hands are stroking you or hurting you. It doesn’t matter. Your value comes from inside. Whether you mean something to him or not has nothing to do with how inherently valuable you are.”
Gloria sighed and flopped back against the cushion. “I get it. And I think I’m starting to believe it. I know I’ll be
okay
without Aldo Moretta, but I’d still like to at least give it a shot.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.”
“Is that how you felt about Luke?”
“That’s how I still feel about Luke. I know that I’d be okay without him — after an exceptionally long mourning period, of course. But I want to be great with him.”
“So now that I can cross off ‘get apartment’ from my list, my next goal is to be great no matter who is in my life.”
“Bingo,” Harper nodded.
“Men,” Gloria said into her champagne mug.
“Tell me about it,” Harper sighed.
“Let’s order some pizza.”
“That’s the best idea you’ve ever had in this apartment.”
***
F
or the next three days, Harper ached and pained her way through life. A couple dozen trips up three flights of stairs carrying objects of varying weight had been an eye-opening experience.
She was woefully out of shape.
Harper groaned as she bent to grab a new ream of paper for the printer.
“You want some ibuprofen?” Beth offered.
“Ugh. No. I need to suffer the consequences of my inaction.”
“I go to the gym over on Baker Street. It’s cheap, clean, and has a ton of equipment I don’t know how to use.”
“I need to do something,” Harper sighed, shuffling across the office. “I can practically hear my arteries clogging.”
“My granny has a cane you can borrow,” Frank said, stomping into the office.
Harper rolled her eyes at Beth’s giggle. “Thanks for your concern, Frank.”
He shook his head. “Just trying to be hospitable.”
“What are you doing here?” Harper grumbled.
“I’m waiting for you to crawl back to your desk so I can go over some of the specs on the doc’s reno.”
Sinking back into her chair, she groaned and only partly in annoyance.
Frank ran the figures on Dr. Dunnigan’s addition to her practice, which included a new imaging suite and expanded kitchen and lounge.
“We went over on the tile,” he pointed at a figure on the spreadsheet. “Price jumped up a bit, but it matches what she’s already got. So I’m proposing we eat the cost instead of passing it on to her. Everything else is looking on budget or under so I think we can afford to be a little generous. Besides, she and her partner are thinking about building a house next year and guess whose name is at the top of the builder’s list?”
