Pretend You're Mine: A Small Town Love Story (34 page)

When Harper yelled for everyone to get out, Hannah had ushered little Max into the basement while Sophie and Gloria ran for weapons.

They converged in the hallway for the ultimate beat down. Gloria had hit Glenn once in the face, knocking him out instantaneously.

“It was so weird. It was like he didn’t even see me,” she said. “He was so intent on you and that knife, Harper.” She shivered and Aldo pulled her into his chest.

“I hate to say it, but Harper, you know what you have to do,” Ty said.

“I don’t want to,” she shook her head. “He’s going to think it’s my fault and be very upset.”

“I don’t want to hear it. Dial. Now.” Ty handed Harper her cellphone.

“It’s 2 a.m. here,” she tried again.

“Nice try. They’re eight hours ahead of us. Do it or I will, and you know that’ll piss him off even more.”

Grumbling, she took the phone and opened her video chat app. He’d want to see everything rather than just take her word for it. So she might as well get it over with.

Luke answered immediately.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

“How do you know something’s wrong.”

“It’s 2 a.m.”

Ty crossed his arms and Harper frowned at him. She stalked out of the living room and into the dining room.

“Harper, why are there people in the house at 2 a.m. and what the hell happened to our window? Are you okay? Why do you have a bandage on your chin?”

Harper brought her fingers to her jaw. “Okay, so everyone is fine. No one got hurt. But there was a little incident here. Glenn got out of jail and broke in here tonight and smashed some stuff up until Lola bit him and then Gloria cold-cocked him with your cast iron pan.”

Luke’s face went white and she saw him take a deep, steadying breath.

“Everyone’s okay. Lola was checked out by a vet and none of the rest of us have more than a scratch.”

He was holding the laptop with both hands and Harper was worried he was about to snap the monitor off.

“Ty,” she yelled over her shoulder. “I think you need to talk him down.”

Ty, cop face on, took the phone from her.

“Everyone’s fine —” he started.

“What the
fuck
happened there?”

Harper ducked into the hallway and let Ty deal with it.

Once Luke stopped yelling she only caught snippets of the conversation, including “knife” and “duct tape.”

Their conversation lasted several minutes, and when Harper saw Ty panning over the damage to the window and front door, she hoped Luke was calm enough to talk.

She poked her head back in the dining room. “Is he okay to talk to me?” she whispered.

Ty nodded. “I’m gonna turn you back to Harper now. Please don’t freak out on her. She’s had a rough enough night.”

Harper took the phone back.

Luke took a deep breath. “Hi.”

“Hi. I’m really sorry, Luke.”

“Baby, you didn’t do anything to be sorry about. You did everything right. I’m just having a hard time with all the what-ifs right now.”

“Lola and Gloria were incredible.”

“Ty said that fucker put a knife to your throat.” His voice was controlled rage.

“It’s kind of a blur.”

“I could have lost you.” Pain and helplessness made his throat tight, his tone harsh.

“It wasn’t that close. I think he was just trying to scare me.”

Luke scrubbed his hands over his face. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to go upstairs and take every piece of clothing off so I can see for myself if you’re hurt. Then we’re going to talk about how many armed guards I’m posting in the house until I come home.”

Harper laughed. “God I miss you.”

“Yeah, you think I’m joking. Get your ass upstairs.”

***

T
he next morning, Harper couldn’t feel her legs when she woke up. Briefly fearing paralysis, she opened her eyes and discovered the culprit was two sleeping dogs draped across her lower body. The crick in her neck told her it had been a really bad idea to sleep on the floor.

She sat up and surveyed the room. Aldo and Gloria were sound asleep spooning on the couch. Ty and Sophie were jammed onto the loveseat, recliners extended. On her right, Hannah and Finn snuggled under Finn’s sleeping bag. James was sprawled at her feet, half on Lola’s dog bed.

He had arrived at 3 a.m., presumably after his mother called him to tell him about the break-in. 

Everyone was safe. The danger of the night was behind them. Harper shivered as she remembered the glint on the blade against her skin.

She was safe now. With her extended, hand-picked family.

Harper wriggled out from under Max and Lola, who grumbled in their sleep, and tiptoed into the kitchen.

It was 8 a.m., the perfect time to start a gigantic breakfast.

She pulled the packs of bacon from the freezer and tossed them in the microwave for a quick defrost. Thanks to Claire’s chickens, she had two-dozen eggs in the fridge.

She started a full pot of coffee.

She was glad Ty had made her call Luke. Just seeing his face, hearing that familiar voice made her feel safer. Luke had surveyed her bruises and scrapes and — satisfied she wasn’t hiding a life-threatening injury — made her swear she wouldn’t get so much as a hangnail for the rest of the summer. Harper was happy to promise.

By the time the first stirrings came from the living room, the bacon was crisping — in a pan that had
not
been used to brain a criminal — and the coffee was ready.

It was a new day.

September, October, November...

––––––––

“I
’m impressed, Harpsichord,” Aldo whistled through his teeth as they rounded a corner on the path. “A few months ago, you couldn’t run the length of a football field, and now look at you.”

Harper rolled her eyes at the nickname and tossed a smug look over her shoulder. “I could say the same about you,” she teased, enjoying the pace he set.

“Yeah, but I’m a perfect physical specimen. I’m designed to run no matter how many legs I have. You were a late-sleeping desk potato.”

She gasped, her breath forming a cloud in the brisk morning air. “Desk potato?”

“Someone who doesn’t watch a lot of TV but spends all their time sitting at a desk.”

“Where do you come up with this stuff?”

He tapped his finger to his temple. “It’s all up here. All the secrets of the universe.”

“Let’s see if those secrets of the universe help you move a little faster.” She picked up the pace. Aldo was right. A few months ago, the thought of a five-mile run before 7 a.m. would have had her pulling pillows over her head. And now, here she was, feeling her legs come to life beneath her as her feet skimmed the surface of the jogging path.

She and Aldo hit the park once a week together for a longer run. The man was a freaking machine. His physical therapists were thrilled with his progress and her heart warmed at the fact that she no longer saw frustration lining his handsome face. Love was the ultimate motivator.

Gloria and her genuine sweetness had worked wonders on the depression that had threatened to envelope him. The woman had probably single-handedly saved him from murdering or being murdered by Mrs. Moretta.

“Now you’re just showing off,” Harper laughed as Aldo sped by. “Don’t let your leg fall off,” she called after him.

“Gotta get there before sunrise!”

Harper lengthened her stride and caught him on the down slope. In a mile, the wooded path opened to the lake and the perfect view of the sunrise. It was her favorite part of the day, when she got to see those colors bleeding across the sky into the waters of the lake. She felt like the sunrise was a gift from her parents, telling her everything was going to be okay. That life was beautiful and it would be crazy to waste a moment of it.

“So, you ready for Luke to come home? Next week, right?” Aldo asked, conversationally. The sprint had taken nothing out of him.

“I’m trying not to think about it too much, so only every half second or so,” she sighed. “We didn’t have much time before he left, but I still feel like I’ve been missing a limb — no offense — for the last six months. I’m excited and terrified and everything in between.”

“Terrified?”

“Our relationship has lasted seven months. Six of those, he was on the other side of the world. What if he doesn’t like me anymore? What if everything is different? What if I can’t handle the reason he didn’t tell me about Karen?”

Aldo stopped and put a hand on her arm.

“What’s wrong? You need a break?”

He smirked. “Do I look like I need a break?”

His olive complexion glowed with healthy exertion. His hooded National Guard sweatshirt and track pants covered all the hard plains of his body, every inch earned with hard work and dedication.

“No. You look like you could breeze through a half marathon if you wanted to.”

“Damn right. And stop worrying. You two have what it takes to make it.

“I love you, Aldo.”

Surprise lit his eyes.

“Not like
that.
” Harper rolled her eyes. “You’re the closest thing to a brother that I’ve ever had and I love you.”

“Well, shit. I love you, too, Harpsichord,” he said, gruffly.

“Don’t say it because I said it!” She punched him in the arm.

Aldo put her in a headlock and ruffled her hair. “I didn’t, dummy. You’re the little sister I never wanted.”

They started forward, slowly working their way back up to speed. “So, you planning to surprise Luke when he comes home?”

Harper snorted. “Can you think of anything he’d hate more? No. In fact, he told me he doesn’t even want me to meet the bus. He wants to meet me at the house.”

“You know why he wants it that way.”

Harper sighed. “I do. But it still hurts my heart to think of him coming home with no one there to greet him. It’s been so long. I don’t want to waste the time it would take him to drive home. Ever since he told me that he’s coming home, every second feels like half an hour. I just want him here. I want to look into his eyes and ...”

They broke through the woods just as the sun began its climb over the trees. A lone figure in fatigues stood facing them, his back to the spectacular sunrise.

“No,” Harper whispered, shaking her head. Shock flooded her system. “I...”

He opened his arms and Harper was in motion, sprinting to him.

He was running, too now, and they collided in mid-air. Luke boosted her up, clutching her to him. Harper wrapped her legs around his waist and cupped his face in her hands.

“Is it really you? Are you really here?”

She drank in the hazel eyes, the long lashes, the strong cheekbones, the growth of stubble on his perfect jaw.

“I’m home, baby,” his voice was rough and raspy.

A sob escaped her and then Luke was pulling her in. His mouth found hers in a kiss laced with a frantic need and possession. The lick of flame swept through her as Luke’s tongue met hers. Alive. That’s how she felt with his hands on her.

She couldn’t breathe anything but his air. Didn’t want anything else. She had everything she needed in this moment.

Harper tasted salt and realized it was her own tears.

A whimper worked its way free from the back of her throat, and Luke groaned, slowly retreating from the kiss with her lower lip between his teeth. Her hands fisted in his collar to keep him close. His grip on her ass tightened.

Harper moved to kiss him again but the clearing of a throat stalled her.

“You guys are ruining my view of a perfect sunrise,” Aldo teased.

Luke let Harper slide down his body, but he kept her anchored to his side.

“You knew and you didn’t say a freaking word!” Harper smacked Aldo on the arm.

He grinned. “Surprise!”

“Thanks, man,” Luke said, wrapping his friend in a one-armed man hug.

Aldo clapped him on the back, a blow that would have brought Harper to her knees.

Her throat tight, Harper stepped back and gave them a moment. The one-armed hug moved into a crushing embrace of brothers. “You look good, Moretta.” Luke pulled back to ruffle Aldo’s dark curls.

“I feel good. Check out the hardware,” Aldo pulled up his pant leg to show off his prosthesis.

Harper saw Luke’s Adam’s apple work and knew that he struggled with the raw memory of his childhood friend in a pool of his own blood. He nodded, but no sound came out.

“Hey,” Aldo said, clapping Luke on the shoulder. “I’m good. I’m better than good.”

Luke’s jaw clenched and he brought his friend in for another hard hug. “I’m sorry, man.”

Aldo smacked him on the back of the head. “Shut up. There’s nothing to be sorry for. Asshole.”

Luke gave him a playful shove. “Dick.”

Aldo wobbled, flailing his arms. Luke reached to steady him, concern in his eyes.

“Psych!” Aldo grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Solid as a rock. Thanks to your girl there.”

Luke reached his arm out to Harper, pulling her back in. His hand skimmed under her jacket and tank to stroke the skin of her lower back. “She took good care of you?”

“She even got me a woman.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “Don’t make Gloria sound like a prostitute!”

Aldo checked his watch. “Love to stay and chat, but speaking of my woman, she’s waiting for me. That gives you two about forty-five minutes before you have to be at the diner.”

“The diner?” Luke looked at Harper.

Aldo’s plan hit Harper. “Oh, you’re good! Does anyone else know?”

He winked. “Nope.” He tossed Luke a set of keys. “Your truck is in the lot on the other side of the trees.”

“How did you get his truck here?”

“Gloria and I stole it from the garage last night. You’re one sound sleeper.”

“You riding back with us?” Luke asked Aldo, but his eyes were on Harper.

“Nope, Gloria’s waiting with my truck. I’ll see you soon. Glad to have you home, Luke. Later, Harpsichord!” And with that, he loped off toward the parking lot.

***

L
uke didn’t waste time watching his friend leave. He only had eyes for Harper. He pulled her into his arms. Her blond locks were pulled back in a high ponytail. She was covered from the neck down in spandex and Under Armor to block the early morning chill and it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.