by Laura Pavlov
I let out a long breath. I never talked about my relationship with Harrison with anyone. It was off-limits. I left it where it belonged—in the past. But Harley wasn’t prying. She appeared to genuinely care. And it wasn’t a secret, it just wasn’t my favorite topic.
“Yep. We met in kindergarten. He tried to stick up for me in the sandbox and I thanked him by chucking a fistful of sand in his face.” I laughed at the memory and reached for my water bottle before continuing. “After their dad passed away, they all went through a really tough time. I tried to be there for all of them, especially Harrison. He didn’t want to return to school so I decided to stay back with him. To support him. But in the end, he told me he needed space. He didn’t want to be tied to a relationship anymore. He pretty much begged me to go back to school without him. And that was it.”
The pain from that day still clung to me like a second skin. The shock. The devastation that followed his words. He was cold and distant. Not himself at all. A complete stranger. I’d pleaded with him to change his mind, like some lovesick, pathetic puppy. And when he didn’t, I grew angry and told him I hated him.
Hey, I never claimed to be the most mature person on the planet. I think flying down a staircase in a laundry basket is an acceptable sport.
“Wow. And you never spoke again. You never talked it out? After the history you shared?” Her puzzled gaze searched mine.
“Nope. It’s in the past. No sense dredging it up. He was done. He made it loud and clear. And we both moved on.”
She chuckled. “Right. Because his response just now about your fiancé is clearly that of a man who has moved on.”
“No. Really. This is the first time we’ve even spoken in all these years. I mean, I ran into him twice in the short stints I came home, which wasn’t much, but we barely acknowledged one another. It’s easier that way. And now I’m just here to help my mom, so I guess this is closure for both of us.” I shrugged.
“You didn’t come home much after you returned to school? Because of Harrison?” she asked, looking at me with so much empathy I wanted to tell her everything. All the hurt. All the anger. I chewed the inside of my cheek and pushed that vulnerability away. The people that say sharing is caring are full of shit. Sharing is dangerous.
“I guess. I don’t know.”
“Listen, Laney, I know you don’t know me well. But Ford, Jack, and Harrison consider you family, so I consider you family as well. And if you ever need to talk, please know that I’m here. And trust me when I tell you—I’ve been through my fair share of shit. So, nothing shocks me. I’m a good listener. And a good secret keeper. Even with my nosy ass fiancé always lurking around.” She winked and looked over her shoulder at Ford who’d just leaned in the doorframe.
“Did I hear my name, beautiful?” Ford stepped in and moved toward me, leaning over to give me a warm hug. “Hey there, Laney Mae. It’s good to see you. Sorry to hear about your mom.”
“Thank you. It’s good to see you too.”
“You weren’t eavesdropping, were you?” Harley laughed.
“No, I wasn’t. Just happened to walk in and catch something about me lurking.” He helped her to her feet, dropping to sit in the chair and pulling her onto his lap. And my heart exploded. They were so light and easy with one another. I envied it.
“Well, I’ve just been getting to know Laney. You know, nobody calls her Laney Mae except for you and Jack.”
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. “Hey, when I met her that very first day, she was Laney Mae. It stuck. Don’t know what to tell you.”
“You are one stubborn ass man, Ford Montgomery, but I sure love you.”
“Love you too, baby. I need to get back to the office, things are blowing up.” He chuckled.
“I’m so glad I got to visit with you,” Harley said, pushing off Ford’s lap and moving to her feet.
I walked them to the door, and Ford hugged me tight before Harley wrapped her arms around me. “I have a hunch you and I are going to be good friends, Laney. See you soon.”
I waved goodbye and moved back to my seat.
My phone vibrated and it was a FaceTime call from Charlie.
Just what I needed. A dose of reality.
Get out of the past and focus on the future.
And Charlie is my future.
Chapter Six
Harrison
I stood beside Ford and glanced out at the crowd all here to attend my brother and Harley’s wedding. My gaze locked with Laney’s. She’d fought hard to make herself busy and act like she was working the event, but Harley had asked her here as a guest and I would damn well make sure that happened. They even had her seated at our table, beside me. Exactly where she belonged.
Having Laney Landers back home had been exactly what I needed. I swear it was the first time in five years I actually felt like myself. She was everything good in my life. Always had been. And I missed her. I missed everything about her.
She wore a long pale pink dress that hugged her curves in all the right places and I’d found it difficult not to stare. Damn, she was gorgeous. Her hair was curled and pulled back in a long ponytail at the nape of her neck. The dress showed off her slender shoulders and tanned skin. Laney didn’t have to try…she was always the prettiest girl in the room to me. Always had been.
We’d made some progress over the past few weeks. She didn’t seem to hate me anymore. I wouldn’t say she cared for me per se, but her words were no longer laced with venom.
The doors swung open at the back of the church, and Harley DeLuca stepped inside with her hand wrapped around her grandfather’s arm. She was a vision. Her dark hair was up in a bun, piled on top of her head, surrounded by a crown making her look like some kind of royalty. Her lacy dress was fitted to her waist, and then a full skirt swirled all around her. When she made her way up to my brother, she lifted the skirt just enough to show off her sparkly tennis shoes. Everyone chuckled, with the exception of Ford. He just stared at her with complete awe. Something in my chest squeezed and a lump formed in my throat, making it hard to breathe. We’d been through some serious shit these past few years, losing Dad being the worst of it. And Ford had the toughest time out of all of us, carrying a lot of unnecessary guilt on his shoulders. I let out a long breath, and Jack’s hand landed on my shoulder. We were all feeling it. Like we were coming out of the other side of grief. Experiencing real happiness for the first time in a long time. I was fucking happy for my brother. My gaze locked with Laney’s and she smiled. Her deep blue eyes showed me all the empathy in the world.
Ford and Harley said their vows, and her best friend, Molly, and her sister, Chanel, took turns fixing her train. Chanel had been a family friend since we were kids, and we’d learned that she and Harley shared the same father, Hanky. Our Hanky. My father’s best friend and Ford’s godfather. The news had come as a blow and rocked all of our worlds. But here we were. Celebrating together. Sans Hanky. I didn’t know if that wound would ever heal for Ford or Harley.
I listened as they spoke their truths to one another. Shared how they’d each saved the other and let all that love flow between them. We followed them out and met for photos afterward, finally making it back to the winery and into the tent for the reception. I found Laney sitting at our table talking to Jack’s date, Willow. We’d all grown up together, and I was glad to see that Laney hadn’t tried to slip away.
I dropped down to sit beside her, and Jack and Willow made their way to the bar.
Laney pushed to her feet. “Come on.”
I laughed. “Where are we going?”
“You’ve got some explaining to do,” she said, chuckling as we snuck out through the back of the tent and walked toward the barn.
The barn where we’d learned to ride horses together.
Shared our first kiss.
Lost our virginity.
Damn, when Laney picked a place to chat, she sure did choose one full of visuals.
She kicked off her heels and hopped up on a hay bale.
“What’s going on?” I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets so I didn’t do something stupid. Something that would push her even further away.
“Um, Chanel and Harley? Sisters? How is that possible?”
I laughed and dropped down to sit beside her. My knee knocked into hers as I turned to face her. “Yep. Trust me, it came as a shock to all of us. Hanky is Harley’s father. He never told anyone, including Harley. She grew up with a monster for a mother and no father. Thankfully, her grandparents stepped in and raised her.”
She shook her head and gasped. “Hanky is her father? He had an affair? Did Marie forgive him?”
We’d all grown up in Napa and attended the same school, and Laney knew them all well.
“He claims he was drugged by Harley’s mother, but regardless, he knew he had a daughter. He took a paternity test all those years ago and kept her a secret. Turns out he lied about his and Dad’s car accident as well.”
Her face paled. “What? What do you mean? How?”
“He was the driver that night. It was the same night Harley confronted him about being her father. She heard him and Dad arguing when they got in the car. Dad insisted he tell Marie and the kids, and Hanky didn’t want to.”
Laney pushed to her feet and paced in circles in front of me. “You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.”
“Holy shit. I sure missed a lot.”
I laughed. “Yeah, you did. Stick with me, kid, I’ll fill you in on all that’s going on.”
She nodded. Moved closer to me before placing a hand on my cheek. Her palm was warm. Comforting. And every inch of me hardened at her touch. I adjusted myself as inconspicuously as I could, so she wouldn’t notice the raging boner beneath my tuxedo pants.
“How are you doing with all this? Finding out your dad wasn’t driving that car. Learning that Hanky isn’t who you thought he was. I know how close the two of you were.”
I placed my hand over hers. Needed her to keep it there. “Ford took it the hardest. Hanky let him carry that guilt for five years, Laney. Made him think he’d caused the accident. That Dad had driven off the road in a rage over his argument with Ford.”
“Jesus, Harrison. And that’s part of the reason you chose not to return to school. You were so worried about Ford. I know you were worried about your mom too, but Ford was drowning in grief. We didn’t know if he’d come out of it.”
“Yeah. The decision Hanky made sure affected a lot of people in the big picture, huh?” I wrapped my arms around her, needing her to know how sorry I was for what I’d done to her. “I’m sorry for hurting you. If I could go back and do it over again, I swear I’d do things differently. Talk to you about what I was going through. I didn’t just lose my girlfriend, Laney. I lost my best friend.”
Her body trembled as she leaned against me. “What would you have done differently?”
“I wouldn’t have let you go back without me. I would have told you that I was just trying to do the right thing by you, because I loved you that much.”
She pushed back and shook her head. “No. You wanted us to experience things on our own. You weren’t doing it for me. If we’re going to have it out, let’s be honest. That’s one thing we’ve always been.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m telling you the truth.”
“So, why wouldn’t you have told me that then?” Her puffy ocean blues searched mine. I saw the hurt. The disbelief.
“I was at your house that day, Laney. I heard your parents trying to convince you to go back to school. They were right. You’d only gone to Columbia because it’s where I wanted to go. You’d always done everything for me. It wasn’t fair. And I wasn’t in a good place. My whole world was crumbling beneath me. I wasn’t any good for you. I thought I was doing the right thing. The unselfish thing. I thought we’d just wait a few months and get back on track. I never thought it would turn into this—years of us not speaking. But I guess you realized you were happier without me.”
“No. That’s not right. I don’t even know what to say.” She covered her mouth as her words broke on a sob.
“Hey,” a voice called out, and we both turned to see Jack standing there, “thought I might find you here.”
“Give us a minute, Jack,” I said, unable to hide my frustration.
“I would, trust me. But Laney Mae’s got a visitor. Your fiancé, Cock is here. I left him with your brother and Gia and told him I’d get you. Apparently, he wanted to surprise you. Flew in for your mom’s surgery and figured you wouldn’t mind sneaking out of the wedding early.”
“Charlie’s here?” she whispered. “Oh my god. I need to go. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t.” She slipped her heels back on and hurried toward Jack.
“Laney, we need to finish this conversation,” I said, not moving from the hay bale.
“No. We don’t, Harrison. The past is in the past. Exactly where it belongs.”
She was wrong.
We weren’t done talking this shit through.
Not even close.
I knocked on the Landers’ front door, as Jack stood beside me.
“You nervous, brother?” he asked.
“No.”
“You think we’re going to see Cock?” he whispered before his head fell back in laughter.
“Don’t make this awkward. Let’s just check on Lyla, drop off the flowers, and call it done.”
I hadn’t seen Laney since the wedding, and she’d been very short in her responses to me when I texted. She’d let my mom know she needed a few days off work to care for her mother post-surgery. I’d offered to bring a nurse in, but she’d shot me down. They’d just returned home from the hospital today and apparently Lyla was doing really well. They’d removed the tumor and now it was a waiting game to see how they’d proceed.
“Harrison, Jack, so nice of you to stop by. Lyla will be thrilled to see you,” Dave said, looking a bit sleep-deprived and slightly disheveled.
Sam came around the corner and gave me a half dude hug, thanking us for stopping by before leading us to the living room where Lyla sat on the couch. With her daughter beside her and who I could only assume was Laney’s fiancé sitting on the other side of her.
I hate him.
There was no logic behind my disdain for a man I didn’t know. But it was there, and I fought to keep it at bay.
“Oh my. It’s so nice to see you both,” Lyla said.
I leaned down and hugged her before handing her the large floral arrangement Mom had ordered for us to pick up on our way over. “Of course. So happy to see you’re doing well.”
“I am, sweetheart. I’m feeling better than expected. We were just discussing that this one is fine to go back to work tomorrow because between her and Dave, I have more attention than necessary.” She thrusted her thumb at Laney. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Have you both met Charlie yet?”
“Yep, I met Charlie Brown the other day at the wedding. I’m Jack, in case you forgot, and this is my badass brother, Harrison. The Har-Bear.”
Jesus. What the hell is wrong with him?
Everyone laughed at my brother’s insanity, as Charlie pushed to his feet. My gaze locked with Laney’s.
“Nice to meet you,” Charlie said. He was a bit shorter than me, but he seemed nice enough. Didn’t matter. I was never going to like the man who was marrying Laney. She was mine. Always had been. Anything else just felt—wrong.
He extended his hand and I gripped it hard and nodded. “Good to meet you.”
It wasn’t. But I wouldn’t make this more awkward than it already was.
He dropped back down and wrapped an arm around Laney’s shoulder, and my hands fisted at my sides. I looked up to
find Lyla studying me.
“So, Charlie, how long are you here?” Jack asked.
“I fly out tomorrow. I wish I’d come under better circumstances, but I’m glad I got to be here for Lyla’s surgery. And it’s been nice to get to see where Laney grew up,” he said.
I wanted to shove my fist down his throat. I stared at his hand as he caressed Laney’s shoulder, and before I could stop myself, a growl escaped me.
Jack laughed. Lyla laughed. Sam and Dave laughed.
Laney glared at me.
And stupid Charlie looked between us with confusion.
Laney pushed to her feet. “Excuse me for a minute. I need to speak to Harrison about my work schedule. We’ll be right back.”
She led me out of the living area and down the hall. She opened the door and used her hand to wave me into the garage.
“What the hell are you doing?” she hissed.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, you can’t growl when my boyfriend wraps an arm around me. You’re acting like a child.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
I leaned forward, crowding her. Her cheeks flushed pink and I didn’t miss her labored breaths in response to my nearness.
“I don’t like him.”
She took a step back. “You don’t say. Well, too bad. It’s not up to you.”
“We need to finish our conversation from the other night, Laney.”
“It’s done. There’s nothing more to discuss.”
“I disagree.” I stepped forward, needing to be close to her. I put my hand under her chin and tilted her face up to meet my gaze. “Why won’t you talk to me?”
She sucked in a long breath, eyes wet with emotion. She moved closer, resting a hand on my chest. “I’m getting married, Harrison. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Do you really want to marry him?” I asked, my lips grazing her ear.
She fisted my T-shirt in her hands and sighed. “I’m engaged.”