The Wedding Secret (16 page)

Harper nodded at the memory. “It was light blue. I remember.”

There were no more words exchanged until Diane Snow was fully dressed and ready to go; she looked picture perfect, right down to the pearl studs Harper had secured in her ears. When her mother looked in the mirror, she gasped a little because the transformation was so complete. She looked like a well-to-do woman who would be with her family on Thanksgiving. “Oh, Emmy.”

“You look beautiful, Mama. Very polished. You and your impeccable Southern manners are going to do just fine.” Her mother’s upbringing in the Deep South never left her. Rich or poor, manners were part of who they were.

“It’s so simple, but . . .” Diane drew her fingers to her lips, and her eyes said everything. She loved how she looked and felt better about fitting in, and that was half the battle of feeling good in a new situation.

***

Kevin waited on the couch for Harper and her mother, and he was thinking of all the possible things that could have made her mother run. The fact that Harper’s stepbrother was out there and could have followed Diane to New York made his skin crawl.

That he could put Harper and Anna in jeopardy put him on alert. He’d be sleeping here tonight.

The door opening in the hallway made Kevin turn his head and he could not believe what he saw. Disheveled Diane Snow looked like a million bucks.

“Wow, Diane, you look fantastic.”

“Thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever looked this good.”

“You’ve always been very pretty, Mama.”

Harper’s mother looked at her threadbare coat hanging on a hook in the foyer. “Oh, my coat.”

“No worries. I have one you can use.” While Harper was getting her mother settled into a gray wool coat, Kevin went to get Anna. His daughter did not want to get up and travel, and the wail that came from her made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted to sleep.

“Honey, there are days I feel the same way. But we have a party to go to.”

It took a little doing, but within ten minutes, he’d loaded two women, one infant, three pies, and a bouquet of flowers into his new car. He was glad he’d gone for the SUV.

Harper happily settled into the passenger seat and ran her hands over the buttery leather. “It’s beautiful. I never thought you’d be a Mercedes guy.”

“I never thought I’d have a car that could seat seven. But they gave me the best deal.”

“Ah. It has nothing to do with all the bells and whistles, then?”

“Uh, no,” Kevin lied. It
so
had to do with the bells and whistles. This truck had every conceivable option, and he loved it.

“I can’t believe you bought a new car!”

“If you want to drive it, it’s all yours.”

“Seriously?”

He grinned. “Yes. Anything you need.” Kevin gazed at the Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge, which was almost shining in the bright sunlight of the day. Glancing back in the rearview mirror, he saw that Harper’s mother was out cold. He could only imagine what her last two days had been like.

“Your mom is asleep.”

“Good. She could use the rest.”

“She didn’t tell you anything?”

“Nope, nothing. I am pretty scared, though. She has bruises.” Harper glanced back. “Do you think he’ll try anything? She can’t ever go home.”

“We’ll take care of her.” Kevin’s hand reached toward hers and their fingers wound together. It was exactly as it should be. They were in this together.

***

It was just a matter of time before everyone in her orbit found out she was a big, fat phony. But for the first time in her life Harper really didn’t care.

Traffic was surprisingly light once they left the city. After getting onto the Long Island Expressway, it was less than an hour to Meg and Jason’s house. Her mother woke up about half an hour into the trip, when Anna started to fuss, and it was nice having her in the backseat to calm her down. Whatever Harper thought about her mother’s choices, she was magic with her granddaughter.

Pulling up to Jason and Meg’s house for the first time would certainly impress most people because the house was a showpiece, but to a woman who’d lived in a run-down trailer park for the last twenty-five years, it might as well have been Buckingham Palace.

“Oh, my goodness.”

“It’s even prettier inside,” Harper said.

“I’m going to be afraid to touch anything.”

“No, it’s not a museum, but it is beautiful. Just like a house you’d see in a catalog.”

“Your apartment is like that. It’s obvious you took a lot of time with it.”

They stepped from the car and Mama turned in a circle, taking in the gorgeous front porch, the colorful mums in the garden, and the trees that surrounded acres and acres of land.

“It must be so peaceful to live like this.”

“Having more space is appealing, isn’t it? I’m thinking of moving out of the city. I’ve been house shopping.”

“Really?” her mother said. “Not interested in city life?”

“My company moved out here. It’s not a ten-minute walk to the office anymore, and Anna needs space to run and play.”

Her mother nodded, but it was Kevin’s voice that turned her head.

“You didn’t tell me you were thinking about moving.”

“There’s nothing firm, but I think it’s something I should consider, don’t you? You did mention that the city isn’t really a good place to raise a child.”

“I agree. You and I should have a talk about it, though.”

She hadn’t thought about talking to him about her plans. That was something she’d have to get used to.

They walked in the house, all of them laden down with something, whether it be a baby, pies, or some other thing. For as peaceful as the outside was, the inside of the house was frenetic.

There were voices and pots clanging and a dog barking and a baby crying. It was the sound of a big messy family, and Harper felt like she’d died and gone to heaven.

Her mother tugged at her sleeve. “This is what you always wanted, isn’t it? And here you are.”

Here she was, but she didn’t know yet how she would be received. It could have gone either way, but the day took a decidedly positive turn when Mrs. Rossi came over and gave Harper a kiss on the cheek.

“It’s good to see you, and is this your mother? We’re so happy you could come. I’m Meryl.”

“Diane. Thank you so much for having me on short notice.”

“The more the merrier. If you can handle the noise, you’ll do just fine.”

Helping Diane remove her coat, Kevin’s mother gently guided her by the elbow to introduce her to the family. Meg didn’t hold back and gave her a hug. Caroline shook her hand. Molly jumped onto one of the island stools and started talking.

Kevin took Anna out of her carrier and came to her side, just as Diane asked for an apron so she could help. “I think she’s going to be okay.”

Kevin nodded. “I’m staying with you tonight, you know that, right?”

Harper nodded. “I was hoping you’d say that. I’m really scared for her, Kevin. I don’t know what he’s going to do.”

“Your mother isn’t the problem with your family life, is she?”

“Not directly, but she was so devoted to Charlie and Hill, what I thought and felt didn’t matter. She and I have some things to work out, but I need to help her first.”

“This guy is bad news, huh?”

“The worst. If he fell off the face of the earth tomorrow, no one would miss him except his bookie and a few hookers.”

Kevin laughed at her description, but she knew it was just that. This wasn’t funny, and it was forcing Harper to see that she was going to have to tell him everything.

Emmy Poole was going to have to tell the truth.

With all the activity, there wasn’t a lot of time for Kevin to think about Harper, her mother, or the very strange situation that seemed to be developing. Considering how nervous she was about joining his family for Thanksgiving, Harper had eased into the mix without much trouble. A nice warmth had developed between them, and even Caroline seemed to be coming around. Kevin had never said this out loud, but Harper and Caroline were a lot alike, and he guessed that was why they butted heads.

With a brandy in hand after dinner, he found a quiet spot in the sunroom to absorb all the new information about Harper. And based on the things he’d learned today, it looked like he had a lot to think about.

It should have been cold in here, but Jason and Meg wanted to be able to enjoy the room year-round and had installed heaters. It was a good thing, too, because in an unseasonable twist, light snow had started to fall, covering everything outside in white.

He heard footsteps in the hallway and Meg stopped short when she caught sight of him alone in the room. She’d asked several times if he was okay, and the fact was, he didn’t know. He had a bad feeling about the whole situation with Harper, and he had a feeling he was going to find out some things that could turn his world upside down.

“It looks so pretty outside. Are the roads okay?”

“I checked,” he said. “Just wet. It’s not that cold yet.”

“How are you doing?” she sat next to him on the wicker settee, and leaned against him. “I think it was a good day.”

“It was. You guys are great hosts.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her blonde head. “How did Harper seem to you?”

“Worried about her mom. I know you said she was nervous about coming here, but she didn’t seem it. Why did her mom show up?”

“Something happened with her stepbrother. Her mother grabbed what she could and took off. I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Kim’s visiting her family, so Harper has room, but we’re going to have to help her mother find a place to stay.”

“I’m sure Harper has five places ready to look at already.”

Kevin grinned. Harper’s efficiency was legend in his family circle. “Something’s not right, Meg. I don’t know if I can put my finger on it. I mean, her mother is really—different from her. What do you know about Harper?”

His sister sat up and settled herself against the cushion behind her, and Kevin was glad they’d gotten back to the point where they could talk. He needed Meg’s take on this. “She went to the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. Worked for a couple of big tech firms before coming to us. She lives in New York. I know she’s allergic to curry, so we never go out for Indian food. She likes romantic comedies. I think she’s always considered herself a Yankees fan.” She smiled after the last one, but it was ironic.

Everything she mentioned was superficial. No one knew anything about Harper past what appeared on her résumé. Except for a few little things and he didn’t consider that deep information. He’d started to scratch the surface during the night they’d spent together a few weeks before, but the only thing that he’d been able to pull out was that her father was a marine sergeant who was killed in Lebanon. Harper was a toddler when he died.

He knew she hated her stepfather and stepbrother and that she and her mother were estranged because of them.

“To be honest, I always thought Harper was Main Line Philadelphia,” Meg said. “I didn’t know she was from around Pittsburgh.”

“Me, too. That was certainly the impression I got.” It was the impression everyone had. “Her mother doesn’t seem very Main Line. I think Harper and I have to have a conversation. There’s a lot I don’t know and I guess that’s my own fault.”

“Good luck. Considering the way she kept Anna a secret, I wouldn’t put anything past her, but I can’t help wondering what would make someone so distrustful. There must be some serious baggage in that overhead.”

“Meg, if Jason kept a lot of secrets from you, could you forgive him?”

His sister stood and faced him, slipping a hair tie from her wrist and pulling her mass of curls into a messy bun. “He did keep secrets from me. Lots of them. I
was
one of those secrets back in the day.”

He remembered. He remembered how he’d wanted to beat the crap out of his friend for the way he’d treated Meg.

“I guess,” she continued, “it would depend on the reasons. I forgave Jason because, in the end, he proved himself to me. He loves me.”

Kevin thought Harper loved him. He knew he loved her, but then he wasn’t sure who she was. The fact was he still hadn’t gotten inside her head.

“Take everyone home and then tonight, talk to her. Really talk to her. You have to ask the hard questions, Kevin.”

He nodded and knew he had to have the conversation he’d been avoiding. Harper was hiding things about her past, but he hadn’t wanted to confront the issue head-on. It was easy to let it all slide, but now that he was invested in their relationship, it mattered.

It mattered a lot.

***

Harper pulled the door shut to the room where her mother had finally fallen asleep. She’d gotten a little bit out of her about what had happened with Hill, and it wasn’t pretty. He’d stolen and used her ATM card, used her social security number to open credit card accounts, and when she’d discovered it, he’d threatened her. The guy was dangerous, and Harper was probably going to have to go back home with her mother to help file a report and salvage what she could.

The worst part was that Mama was scared Hill was going to come after her. She could get him in a lot of trouble, and he wasn’t past trying to hurt her to keep her quiet. Harper didn’t put anything past him.

The immediate issue of where she could stay was partially solved by Kevin’s mother. Mrs. Rossi and Mama had really hit it off, and she’d offered to let her stay with her at her house until something more permanent could be arranged. The place wasn’t large, but it had more than enough room for the two women, and it would be the last place Hill would look for her mother.

Jason had assured her it would be safe because he was going to make sure there was security around the clock. Now, though, she had to face her biggest fear. She had to talk to Kevin and tell him everything.

Her mother raised too many questions and red flags, and the Rossis and Campbells were starting to realize what they’d always thought about Harper wasn’t adding up.

He was in the bedroom, stretched out on top of the comforter, flicking through screens on his cell phone. His manner was so easy and collected, and for a big man he moved with fluid grace. She wondered if that was part of his appeal. He had the most beautiful face, but there was so much more to Kevin, and that’s what she loved about him.

She hadn’t told him, and considering what was going to go down in the next few minutes, she was almost glad she’d kept it to herself. There was a chance she might be able to block out how she felt if she never said it out loud.

Who was she kidding?

She was going to be a mess.

Settling in on the bed, Harper felt better when Kevin stuck out his arm and invited her to snuggle in. She felt his strength as he wrapped his arm around her. His breath skimmed over her ear as he left a gentle kiss on her temple. “Tell me everything,” he said.

“Everything?”

“Who are you, Harper?” His voice was soft, gentle. She still felt okay.

She hesitated because she knew she was crossing into dangerous territory right now. Everything she’d done was legal, but she wasn’t honest with her employer, her friends, or her lover. She had a lot of explaining to do.

“It’s not the name I was born with. My given name is Emmalyn. I was always called Emmy.”

“Emmy? Where did Harper come from?”

“I legally changed my name when I was in college. Harper is my mother’s maiden name, and I felt it helped me fit in better at school and in business. I know that sounds dumb, but it helped me feel better.”

“So you cultivated an image?”

“Yes, a very precise image. If people were going to judge me, I was controlling the variables.”

“Tell me how this all happened.”

“My father was killed when I was very young, and it crushed my mother. I don’t think I realized how hard she took it until recently. She and my father, David, were high school sweethearts. He went into the marines, she went to secretarial school, but she never really worked because she had me so young. Apparently, she did typing at home and made a lot of money. So much money that when Daddy would come home from deployments, he’d find she’d bought a new TV or a better car.”

“But one day, he didn’t come home. Instead the marines came and broke the news to my mom. She screamed, Kevin, I was so young, but that sound, the pure grief, will never leave me.”

He held her closer and she actually started to feel better. Maybe it would be okay after all.

He squeezed her hand and held it while she continued. “My mother was never the same after that. She got involved with a lot of different men and they stole from us. My dad’s insurance was gone in no time flat, and we lost our house because she was too distraught to work the first few years. By the time I was ten, my mom had turned some things around and was working two full-time jobs, and I was alone a lot. So I studied and I read and I studied more.”

“Oh, honey . . .”

“It’s okay. I’ve come to grips with my life. That wasn’t such a horrible time. I learned a lot and helped my mother. It was okay. What wasn’t okay was when she met Charlie Snow. He became my stepfather, and he was a bastard of the highest order. You know about Hill. I hate him even more.”

“So where are you from? Everyone has you pegged as some Main Line Philly heiress.”

“Hardly. From the time I was eight years old I lived in a double-wide trailer at the Riverwalk Mobile Home Park in southwestern Pennsylvania near the Appalachian Mountains. We were about an hour southwest of Pittsburgh. Very close to the West Virginia border.”

She hated that she had to tell him this. Hated it because she’d worked so hard to purge this part of herself.

“I am, literally, from the sticks. Coal mining, natural gas. I worked my ass off to get out of there, and once I did, I never looked back.”

“You’re really something. I had no idea. No one did.”

“We were poor, but it didn’t get really bad until Charlie came along and started gambling all the money away. We regularly went to food pantries so we could eat, teachers would take up collections at the holidays to buy me clothes. I swore I would find my way out of that. I did it by being smart. I got scholarships, took out loans, and worked multiple jobs to put myself through school.”

“Where did your mom fit into all of this?” Kevin kept his arm around her, kept her nestled close, and it was only because of that that she could continue.

“Mama was a lost soul after my father died. I don’t think she knew how to be alone. As a result the men in her life became more important than me.

“I was valedictorian of my high school class. It was a good school with good teachers who saw that I wanted to do more. I gave a speech at graduation and not one person showed up to support me. Not even my mother. She lied. Said she was sick.”

“But you took her in. She did all that and you took her in anyway when she needed you.”

“If it had been two years ago, I probably wouldn’t have done it. But I’d like to think I’ve changed for the better. I’ve always said I didn’t want to be like my mother. Just because she didn’t care about me, doesn’t mean I don’t want to care about her.”

Kevin shifted his hips and got up from the bed. If Harper had thought this was going well, once she looked at him, she could tell it wasn’t.

A wave of nausea rolled over her as she watched Kevin pace around the room. He couldn’t even look at her, and Harper’s heart broke into a thousand pieces.

“But you
are
like her. You’ve lied to everyone,” he whispered. “Everyone.”

“I’m telling you everything. How can you say that?”

“It’s like with Anna. You’re telling me when you have to. I was back in town, so you told me; your mother shows up and all of a sudden your history comes out.”

“I
never
lied. People assumed what they wanted about me. I left that life behind. The person you see is the person I am.”

“As my mother used to say, ‘A lie by omission is still a lie.’ You let us believe things about you, Harper, that weren’t true. Or should I call you Emmy? Was the name change all part of your persona? Was it a way to sound like you had dinner at ‘the club’ and summered on ‘the Vineyard’?”

“Actually it was. That was exactly why I picked it. I knew Emmalyn wasn’t going anywhere except some entry-level marketing job. Harper could be a CEO.”

“Wow. So what is real about you?”

He’d just crushed her heart, and Harper had to find a way to respond without giving that away.

“I’m very real, Kevin. I’m sorry you can’t see that.” His reaction totally threw her. He was cold and unfeeling and there was no way she was going to tell him any more of her story, even the part that would change his opinion on a dime. No, if he couldn’t believe in her, he had to leave. Harper was going to lose it, and she would be damned if she was going to let him see her break.

“I don’t know what to say.” He stood on the far side of the room looking at his hands. The lack of eye contact was what was bothering her most. Kevin was all about the eye contact.

“Maybe you should say good-bye. I can handle things here. Just let the concierge know that he should have the cops on speed dial in case my stepbrother shows up.”

“You’re telling me to leave?”

“Yes. I am. We’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know if I should leave. Anna’s here.” It was the tone in his voice, the implication that somehow she couldn’t take care of her child, that really set her off.

“You have no choice. I know your protective instincts are kicking in, but you don’t need to doubt me.” She took a step toward the door. “I’m going to take care of her, but now I really think you need to go.”

Kevin walked out of her bedroom and grabbed his leather jacket as he made his way through the living room to the front door. Harper followed quietly. She couldn’t talk, couldn’t show any emotion because he deserved none of it.