Better Together

by Jessie Gussman

  “And you’re done being safe?”

  Harper flexed her jaw. “I don’t know if I’m done, exactly. But I’m definitely jumping into the unknown with both feet.”

  Ellie put both arms around Harper. “I thought maybe Wyatt would choose to stay. He’d been talking to Fink about…” Her voice trailed off.

  “Working here, on the farm?” Harper asked.

  “Yeah, basically.”

  Harper tossed her hair back. “I’m glad he chose not to. He’s great here, on the farm, but this isn’t what he loves.” She sighed. “I don’t think I’ve surprised you.”

  Her mom shook her head. “No.”

  She looked at the ground. In hindsight, she should have made this decision weeks ago to give the rest of her family time to adjust. “But I’m sorry there isn’t more time to say good-bye.”

  “When does your plane leave?”

  “This evening at five.”

  Her mom gasped softly. Then gave a low laugh. “That is just like you—once you know what you want, you don’t get distracted looking to the left or right to carry it out.” She asked in an almost hesitant voice, “Can I drive you to the airport?”

  Harper bit both lips. She wasn’t going to cry. Deliberately making her voice cheerful, she said, “Of course. I was hoping you would. Maybe the boys and Fink will come, too.”

  “I’m sure they will.” They linked arms and began to stroll back toward the house.

  “It looks like it’s going to rain again.” The weather was always a safe topic—it wouldn’t make her cry.

  “That was quite a storm last night. Did Wyatt make it safely?”

  So much for that. Harper’s throat tightened, but she swallowed against it. “I don’t know.”

  “He didn’t even text you?” Her mom stumbled. She turned a wide-eyed gaze on Harper.

  “We agreed it was better to quit cold turkey.” Harper didn’t explain anything else they’d talked about. “I didn’t text him to tell him I’d changed my mind.”

  “When are you going to?”

  She shrugged, not wanting to admit she had been dragging her feet. She wanted everything ready. When she talked to Wyatt again it would be the start of her new life. All she had to do was drop her resignation in the mail.

  She stopped at her apartment. Her mom hesitated a second. “Come on up to the house when you’re done.”

  “Okay. Give me a few.”

  “Sure.” Ellie kept going towards the house. Harper stepped up on the porch. The clouds had totally obliterated what was left of the sunrise. A brisk breeze ruffled the leaves and Harper shivered. She’d grab a sweatshirt before heading up to the house.

  Still, she didn’t go inside, but stood at the porch railing, facing the mountain.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Wyatt walked down the path to Harper’s apartment.

  Harper stood on the porch, her hair down, the way he loved it, and it moved with the breeze. The first early rays of morning sun peeked up over the mountains, but he barely noticed. He’d almost made it back to his girl.

  He had one foot on her porch step when he heard her say, “If you work hard and play your cards right, taking my spot on this project…” He froze. She would not have given her research position away.

  His head spun.

  But she had. Surely, she didn’t do it for the reason he thought…

  With a hand on the railing, he stood by the pillar and waited for a break in the conversation. He didn’t have to linger long. Harper disconnected within a minute.

  “Harper?” He pushed her name out through his constricted throat. The corners of his lips tilted. His heart knocked against his ribs and he clenched his hands to keep from grabbing her.

  She spun. Her hand went to her throat. “Wyatt?” Wrinkles appeared on her forehead. “Did you miss your plane?”

  “Yeah.” His eyes travelled over her, familiar and beloved. To think he’d almost left her…thankfully not. Warm peace travelled through him.

  She took a step towards him. “Because of the storm?”

  “No.”

  She shook her head. “What are you doing here?”

  “I called my dad.” He stepped over and stopped in front of her.

  “And?”

  That wasn’t important. At least, it wasn’t what he had been thinking about since he left last night. Knowing that he was doing it all wrong, that his timing was way off, he still dropped to a knee in front of her and yanked the emerald ring from its chain around his neck. “I was a blasted fool for leaving, but some crazy part of me still thinks you might agree to… Would you? Marry me?” Heat climbed up his neck. He wiped his sweaty palms on his legs. His heart slammed against his ribs as though trying to get closer to Harper.

  Her eyes softened and her lips curved up. She went slowly to her knees to be eye-level with him. “I will.”

  He grinned and slid the ring on her finger. “Somehow, I think your great-great-grandmother might have approved of me.”

  “Oh, I know she would have,” Harper said with full assurance.

  He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her forward, kissing her and smiling at the same time. They laughed.

  He pulled back slightly and sobered. “Did you just give your research position away?”

  “Yes.” She tilted her head. Her eyes twinkled and she lifted a brow.

  “Why?”

  “My bags are packed, I bought a ticket, I quit the university…I’m coming to Chile to be with you.”

  He fought to keep himself from grabbing her and squeezing. He couldn’t believe she had given so much up for him.

  That’s not what he wanted.

  After climbing to his feet and giving her a hand up, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know.” She cupped his cheeks in both hands. “I wanted to. No one made me, so get that sad, concerned expression off your face. It’s time I stop working so hard on being secure that I allow the most wonderful man in the world to walk right out of my life.”

  His stomach dipped and shuddered. “Seriously? Wow.”

  She nodded. “I’m not saying my entire personality has changed…”

  “Good.”

  “But…if I hadn’t been so scared of change, there never would have been a controversy. We’d have…”

  “Wait.”

  “What?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “I’m staying here. Fink has been talking to my dad…Years ago, Fink thought that mountain—” he jerked his head in the direction she’d been looking earlier “—might make a good ski resort in the winter, and possibly mountain bike trails in the summer. He applied for a permit, but the process takes years, and he wasn’t sure he’d be approved. Plus, they didn’t have the money.”

  “But what about your dad? His resort? Your heritage? Your promise?”

  He couldn’t resist kissing Harper’s nose when she scrunched it up like that.

  He grabbed her hand and walked over to the edge of the porch where they could see the mountain. “Well, I was sitting at the airport in my car. I hadn’t gotten out. Man, you have such a pull on me. It’s always been hard to walk away, but this time…after the summer we’d had together…I just couldn’t get on that plane.” He shrugged. “So, I called my dad.”

  Harper snorted. “Bet he loved you waking him up.”

  “He loved even less that I told him I didn’t want to come down anymore.”

  “You actually told him that?”

  Wyatt nodded. “I told him Fink and I had talked about that permit and what it could mean.”

  “Building a resort on the mountain?”

  “Yeah. Fink doesn’t have a stitch of experience in resorts, and I don’t know much about the business aspect. I certainly don’t know anything about what it would take to build one, get it off the ground…When Uncle Fink and I talked about it, I thought the idea of staying here and trying was impossible.”

&n
bsp; Harper bit her lip. “I don’t know anything about it either.”

  “But…” He grinned at her. “Sometimes desperation helps a guy come up with solutions to impossible problems.”

  “Desperation?”

  He squeezed her hand. “I’m desperate to be with you.”

  “Humph.”

  “So…” He lifted their clasped hands and ran his other finger up her arm. He studied the contrast of dark on light. “I told you I called my dad while I was sitting at the airport. I asked him how he felt about a great business opportunity in Pennsylvania.”

  Harper’s mouth dropped. “Your dad is so wrapped up in his business…you used that to your advantage.”

  Wyatt lifted his gaze. “So, maybe you’re not the only one with brains in this relationship.”

  Harper jutted out a hip and put her free hand on it. Her toe tapped on the floor. “You’re brilliant, Wyatt. I don’t know why it’s so hard for you to admit it.”

  “Being smart wasn’t as good as being athletic growing up. And I was so awkward when I wasn’t on a board or skies.” He lifted a shoulder.

  “You just grew too fast.”

  “Maybe. Took me a while to grow into myself.” He smiled down at her. “It took me a while to realize that my dad was never going to appreciate me the way I wanted him to. It didn’t matter what I did, he’d always be about the business.”

  One side of Harper’s mouth turned down. “You’ve given up?”

  “I’ve stopped caring. About that.” His gaze turned thoughtful. “Fink took me in when Dad wouldn’t. And Fink has never stopped believing in me.”

  Harper nodded. “He loves you.”

  “I know. Like a son.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Anyway, I’m still going down to Chile. If—” He emphasized the “if.” “If you’ll go with me. Not to stay. But to spend a few years learning. Just because we have the permit here…there’s a bunch of other things to do. We have to draw up plans and have them approved. Waste water plans. Building plans. Sewage plans.”

  “Wow. Sounds daunting.”

  “Yeah. But my dad’s excited about it. In our conversation last night…” Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck. It had been a long night. The worst part had been the idea of never being with Harper again. It was true—desperation had caused him to think of things he never would have.

  “I guess it was this morning. Early. Anyway, as long as I’m willing to run it and Fink’s willing to provide the ground, he said he’ll provide the financial backing. So, after I’ve spent a few years learning the ropes down there, and as things move along up here, I will eventually come right back here. To stay.”

  “Desperation turned you into a genius.”

  “Say it again.”

  “You’re a genius, Wyatt. A handsome, talented genius. So, you’re going to be in Chile for…?”

  “A couple of years.” His smile faded. “I thought I’d ask you to wait for me.”

  “I’m not waiting.” Harper pulled her hand from his and crossed her arms over her chest.

  His lungs deflated like she’d just shot all the air out of them. His body sagged. “Oh.”

  She tapped her foot on the floor. “I’m going with you. People who are into health and fitness are interested in their diet, too. I know there’s a place for me. And if there isn’t, I’ll make one.”

  He grabbed her, lifting her and swinging her around. “I’ll make one.”

  “We can do this together?”

  He stopped swinging. She lowered her forehead onto his. He whispered, “We’re better together.”

  They grinned at each other. Goofy, I’m-in-love-with-you grins.

  Finally, Harper said, “So, a couple years in Chile…”

  “Then we’re making our forever home, here.” Wyatt allowed her to slide to her feet. “And you can stay at the university.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I’m ready to jump into something new.”

  “A new country. A new business.”

  “A new husband.”

  “Speaking of…” Wyatt grinned. “I’m free this weekend.”

  Harper laughed. “You’ll never stop making me push my limits, will you?”

  “Nope.”

  “What did you tell your dad?”

  “That I needed to talk to you, first. That I’d fly down when and if I got things settled with you.”

  “You really would like to get married this weekend?”

  “I’ve been waiting for ten years. I can wait a little longer.”

  “If I’m going to jump, this weekend is as good a time as any.”

  He took her hand. “We’ll do it.” Their hands swung between them. “Together.”

  THE END

  * * *

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  JUST RIGHT SNEAK PEEK

  “No way am I going in there.” Harper Bright took a second look at the yawning black hole in the mountain in front of her and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t need her doctorate degree to know this was a bad idea.

  “Did you know this tunnel was on Hitler’s charts during World War II? If he ever made it stateside, it was one of the places he planned to bomb.” Wyatt Fernandez planted his feet and put his hands on his hips. His dimples flashed but he spoke in the tone of voice that said, “I hear you, but I’m ignoring you”.

  He used the same tone every time he dragged Harper on some crazy adventure or another.

  She walked toward the openmouthed hole. Despite her family having owned the ground around the tunnel all her life, she hadn’t known about this small spot in Central Pennsylvania being on Hitler’s map.

  The looming mountain that shot up around the ravenous cavity blocked the sunlight. Leafy green trees waved in the warm June breeze. Harper squinted up. “You know, someday, we really ought to start acting like the mature adults we are.”

  “Gimme a break, Harper. The only time you ever spend two seconds not acting like an adult is when I strong arm you into it. Like now. This is going to be fun.” Wyatt flashed that irresistible dimple and his brown eyes twinkled. Harper wasn’t exactly short, but she still had to crane her neck to look at him as he walked beside her. His lanky frame had filled out in the decade since high school. Actually, now that she thought about it, he’d filled out very nicely. Broad chest, wide shoulders, and long, muscular legs. A flare of heat unfurled in her stomach. She straightened her spine. This was Wyatt. Her best friend.

  They reached the orifice of the mountain. Cool air blew from its depths. It smelled heavy and sweet, like rotting soil. Their next steps took them inside. The hair on the back of Harper’s neck poked straight out. She scooted closer to Wyatt.

  “I’m not seeing the ‘fun’ part.” Her voice echoed off the cavernous walls. Water dripped hollowly, echoing in the blackness.

  Wyatt kept walking. “This isn’t supposed to be fun. It’s research. Do you want to find it or not?”

  Harper bumped Wyatt’s arm with her shoulder. “You know I do.”

  She wanted to see if the old stories were true, but couldn’t help shivering as she looked around at the stone walls arching above. The farther in they walked, the darker it got. At this point, she could barely see Wyatt’s outline. She pushed back the fear threatening to break loose in her head. It wasn’t that walking in the tunnel was particularly dangerous. It was more the idea of the dark unknown and being trapped in a small space with an angry locomotive.

  As if Wyatt could read her mind, he said, “There isn’t any danger if a train would actually go through while we’re in here. Although, I have heard that there could be a bit of air suction.”

  She planted her feet. “What?”

  “Kidding.” He pulled on her arm. “Come on.”

  She started walking again. Slowly. “What did you mean by air suction?” Wyatt had a
lways been better with hard science. All she’d cared about was finding the family heirloom that her great-great grandmother had told her was hidden in the deepest depths.

  Wyatt tapped her head with the hand that wasn’t dragging her toward the tunnel. “Well, since you’re the brain in this relationship…”

  She swatted his hand and continued to drag her feet, even though she’d already decided to go along with his nutty scheme, the way she always did. After all, not only did she want to find the ring, but this could be the last time Wyatt and she went on an adventure together. She’d gotten the call yesterday that her tenure vote was scheduled for the end of summer. It was the one last thing she had to cross off the list of career goals she’d made the day she had graduated from high school.

  “Quit it. You’re smarter than me, and we both know it. I just happen to be able to stay in one place long enough to get a degree.” It wasn’t that she was so smart. She was simply willing to work hard. Plus, she liked to study. She’d enjoyed every second of the last ten years. Which led her to the vexatious question that had plagued her since the phone call: what now?

  “Ouch.” Wyatt placed a hand over his heart.

  She shrugged. Too often she’d wondered that maybe what she’d been working toward all this time wasn’t what she really wanted anymore. More likely she had become overly comfortable with achieving her goals, ticking each accomplishment off of her internal checklist. “It’s true.”

  “Yeah, well, you had a nice, secure home all your life.”

  And he hadn’t. Never really knowing or being wanted by his father, losing his mother in a tragic skiing accident, being sent to live with an uncle he barely knew. Of course, if he hadn’t come to live with the man her mother eventually married, she would never have gotten to know him. She bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”

  “Hey, not a problem. I’ll only rub it in if you change your mind and turn around.”

  They walked far enough into the tunnel that the light behind them faded, and Harper could no longer see the road under her feet. Dread balled and rolled in the pit of her stomach. She reached for Wyatt. Big and strong with rough calluses, his hand enfolded hers with an ease born of familiarity.