Jude swivelled in his chair. “Morning. Nice of you to join me.”
“Sorry. But I did tell you I wasn’t working this morning.” Cait wouldn’t show Jude how awful she felt; he would only play on it. “How was breakfast?”
“Fine. Tom made it in this morning, so I took over on the meet and greet. Pauline took the continental station.”
“Great. So, what plans do you have today?”
“Me?” Jude asked. “None. Just work.”
“It’s okay, I can take over. I have some invoices to get through and a new order for the supplier.”
“Supplier has been contacted,” Jude said, turning his attention back to the screen. “And I’ll handle the invoices.”
“Jude, it’s fine. Take the afternoon off.”
Jude removed his reading glasses, settling them down on the desk. He pushed his chair away from the desk and got to his feet. “I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
“My behaviour lately. I just feel…stuck.”
“You and me both.” Cait offered her brother an understanding smile. “But if we change some things up, agree to who works what, we can both have a life outside of here.”
“That’s awfully sudden of you. Why the change of heart? You love this place.”
“And I always will, but that doesn’t mean I have to work myself into the ground.” Cait was working herself into the ground. Jude, not so much. “I’d like to see what’s on offer around the town.”
“I don’t follow…”
“I’m 41, Jude, and I have no significant other. I’d like to at least try to date again. The B&B is a success, and I don’t think having a day off once or twice a week is going to make it sink, do you?”
Jude nodded. “Understandable.”
“So, can we work together to make it work for us?”
“Is this about Harper?” Jude leant back, resting on the edge of the desk. He folded his arms across his chest, but Cait didn’t feel intimidated. She rarely did. “I saw her leaving this morning.”
“It’s not necessarily about her, no. But since she arrived, I don’t know. I feel…different. And she’s encouraged me to date. Maybe I should do that.”
“Date…Harper?”
Oh, wouldn’t that be sublime. Harper was catching Cait’s attention more and more lately. In fact, she’d been disappointed to find her gone this morning. But Harper was finding her feet here, and Cait wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise that. While she loved every second they spent together, Cait wasn’t sure Harper was interested. And that way okay.
“No, I don’t think so.”
Jude frowned. “Why? It’s clear you two get on really well.”
“That doesn’t mean she wants to date me, Jude.” Cait rolled her eyes, leaning against the doorframe. “I’m just helping her out. She has nobody around here, and, emotionally, I think she’s struggling.”
“Emotionally?”
“She’s had a terrible time since she got out of that car the other night. The house isn’t how she left it, her ex-girlfriend has been cheating, and then she found out yesterday that the ex brought her new girlfriend to the house and slept with her in Harper’s bed.”
“Wow. That’s really shitty.”
“And I don’t know, I think she just needs someone to be there for her. Darren has fixed the leak, but she still has no electricity. It’s just not gone to plan for her. And having no support on hand must be hard for her.”
“Now I feel terrible…”
“She stayed over last night. I called by to see if she wanted to grab some dinner, and she was sitting in there with candles.”
“The Johnstone’s have just checked out of the king suite this morning…” Jude said, chewing his lip.
“I’m not sure she wants to come back here to stay.” Cait wasn’t intentionally making her brother feel bad, but she also wouldn’t lie to him. Jude had really hurt Harper yesterday; he should know that. “I think everything will settle down soon. And if not, she’s welcome to stay with me.”
“Bet she is.” Jude winked.
“Please don’t do that.” Cait wrapped her arms around herself. Harper had asked her to dinner last night, and she’d declined. She knew it didn’t mean what she hoped it would, but she still felt terrible for letting Harper down. “She’s in no position to think about a relationship, and in many ways, neither am I.”
“But you’ve just said—”
Cait held up her hand. “I know what I said. But with Harper…no. She’s outgoing and playful, and I’m just me. I wouldn’t put either of us through that. She needs someone who can be there more than I could ever be. I may want a day off now and then, but it wouldn’t be enough.”
“Look, if you’re serious about meeting someone, it’s going to take more than a day off once a week, Cait. And if you need me to step up, I can. I will.”
“Maybe I’ll just see how things go. I’m meeting the girls next Friday, though, so can you hold the fort here?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thanks.” Cait puffed out her cheeks. “So, where do you want me?”
“Out of here. Take the rest of the weekend off. I’ll call you if I really need you, but we only have one check in today.”
Cait’s eyebrows rose with surprise. Jude had never willingly told her to take time off. She shouldn’t leave him alone, but Harper was calling her name. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. Maybe drop in on Harper and run that king suite by her. She may just take you up on the offer.”
Cait would do that. Even if she’d prefer Harper to stay with her, she understood that Harper would need her own space. Especially if she had to work.
Cait stepped forward and hugged her brother, offering him a thankful squeeze. “I’m going to make some sandwiches and drop by the house, okay?”
“You’re a really good friend.”
“Mum, I didn’t tell you because I knew you would react like this. I don’t need to move back home, I’m fine.”
“Harper, sweetheart…” Katherine let out a long breath. “You can’t be safe living there if you have no electricity.”
Harper flicked the switch on the fuse box, grinning when the living room light flickered on. “Wrong. I do have electricity.”
“But you’ve just said you didn’t.”
Harper rolled her eyes, taking a seat on the stairs. “Just checked it. It’s working fine. I don’t think the electricity was related to the leak. It’s that bloody kettle you gave me. I told you it used to blow the electrics at home.”
“That’s right. Blame me.”
“It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if I had to buy a new one.”
Harper loved her mum, they got on so well, but sometimes she was insufferable. Instead of letting Harper find her feet here, she was demanding her daughter pull out of the sale and return home. Harper couldn’t live at home again. She’d spent time renting before this move, and the thought of going back home to her mum left her feeling as though she failed. Going back wasn’t an option. From today, she was only moving forward.
“Anyway, I should go. I need to find the nearest tip so I can get rid of this carpet. I can’t leave it in the garden; the neighbours will talk.”
Cait instantly floated into Harper’s mind. Wonderful, sweet, and pretty Cait.
“Have you met the neighbours yet?”
“Only one. Cait. She owns the B&B on the next block.”
“Ah. The lady who gave you a room for the night,” Katherine said. “Remind me to bring her a nice bottle of wine the next time I visit you.”
“I’m sure she’d love that.” As Harper turned, looking out of the window, Cait was opening the garden gate. Harper rushed to the front door and opened it, motioning for Cait to come in. “Mum, I have to go and get some boxes sorted out, okay?”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, love.”
“Yeah, okay. Bye, Mum.”
Harper cut the call, smiling as she shoved her
phone in her pocket. Cait held a wrapped package, her cheeks flushed from the cold.
“I thought I’d come by and see if you needed a hand with anything here. Jude’s working again today, so I made sandwiches for us and brought a flask of coffee.”
“You’re something else,” Harper said, her stomach growling. “I was about to hike the hill to find some food.”
“Well, no need now.” Cait moved into the living room, balancing the sandwiches on a box by the TV stand. “You finally got the carpet up.”
“Wasn’t hard. I just need to find somewhere or someone to take it.”
“Darren has a van. I’m sure he’ll get rid of it for you.”
Harper nodded. “Okay, but he really needs to let me pay him for all of this. I feel like a charity case. He’s already offered to fit the new one for me.”
Cait frowned as she looked up at the light fixture in the living room. “I thought you didn’t have any electricity.”
“That was a ploy. I wouldn’t have been able to stay at yours last night if I told you the truth.”
Cait’s eyebrows rose, one hand on her hip. “And here I am, defending you to Jude!”
“I’m joking.” Harper winked, taking the sandwiches and moving towards the stairs. “Come on. I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Upstairs?”
Harper turned back, already unwrapping the sandwiches. “Unless you want to stand in the living room all afternoon, yes.”
“Fair enough.”
Cait kicked off her boots, making herself comfortable on Harper’s bed. Now that she had full daylight, Cait could see the type of woman Harper was. Bedroom furniture, in Cait’s opinion, told a lot about a person. And so far, Cait liked what she saw.
Harper clearly loved her friends and family, told by an array of photographs on pin boards, in frames, and on canvases attached to the wall. Candles seemed to be another love of Harper’s, all intricately placed in particular spots around her room. But the bedspread was what caught Cait’s attention. Bright, paisley, and floral-patterned cotton felt soft beneath her hands; a mass of pillows and throw cushions also sat complexly in place.
This wasn’t what she’d expected, Harper was a little…boyish in her appearance. But Cait loved everything she saw. And she loved knowing that Harper welcomed her here.
“So, the electricity?” Cait asked, chomping on a ham sandwich that Harper handed over. “Are you sure it should be on right now?”
“It was a fuse that had blown, not the water damage.”
“Oh.”
“But I didn’t know that until I ripped the carpet up earlier and realised that there was no watermark up the skirting board. The sockets don’t look as though they’ve had water anywhere near them, and I remembered I’d left the kettle plugged in. Mum gave it to me; she was determined to save me a few quid.”
“That’s nice.”
Harper flopped down beside Cait. “It would be if she hadn’t given me something that clearly has a fault on it.”
“I’m sure she meant well.” Cait wondered if Harper and her mother were similar. Cait, herself, had been close to her mother growing up, but the B&B had taken over her life in that department too. “Is she coming to visit?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m just trying to delay her arrival. It would be nice to have a few days alone without her fussing around me.”
Cait simply nodded. Harper was independent, there was no doubt about that, but Cait knew that if she was in Harper’s position, she’d have her mother on speed dial.
“So, I was thinking about you while I was taking the carpet up…”
Cait’s heart thrummed. Harper had been thinking about her. “Okay…”
“Have you decided when you’re going to break the routine yet?”
“Actually, I have. Jude has offered to take on more of a role around the B&B so I can have some days off. Which is great, but I don’t know how long that offer will last for.”
“So, you’re all systems go?” Harper asked, taking another sandwich from the wrapper. “Because I had some questions.”
Cait paused. What questions? And why did Harper have questions? “Questions?”
“Worst date you’ve ever had?” Harper relaxed back onto her bed, sitting her sandwich on her stomach. “Everyone has had a bad date, so what’s your worst?”
“God, there’s been a few.” Cait laughed, she really hadn’t been that lucky when it came to dating. “But the worst one had to be with Gemma. I mean, she was nice, and I’m sure she’d make someone very happy, but she was a bit…dizzy.”
“She did something embarrassing, didn’t she?” Harper listened intently, her eyes never straying from Cait’s. “Come on, I wanna know.”
“Okay, so you know those signs they put up when they have temporary traffic lights on the road?”
“The ones that say, ‘wait here when red light shows’?”
Cait burst out laughing. She still giggled when she thought about it years later. “Yes. Those ones.”
“She didn’t trip over it, did she?”
“No. We were walking back from dinner, and we came across some temporary lights. I thought nothing of it, so I was just strolling along without a care in the world. Gemma suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged me back to the sign.”
Harper frowned. “Why?”
“The temporary lights were on red.”
Harper face palmed herself. “Oh my God. Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say…”
“She made me stand at the sign and wait until the light turned green again.”
Harper cringed, her face red as she held back her own laughter. “Aww. Bless her.”
“Harper, I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was only cars that had to stop. And I know I should have, it’s probably happened since, but she really thought she was doing the right thing by waiting.”
“But at least she made you laugh. That must count for something.”
Cait had to agree. It really had amused her for many years. “You’re right. But it still didn’t result in anything.”
“Best date you’ve ever had?”
Cait chewed her lip. While she loved spending time with Harper, she wasn’t fond of these questions. They only made her feel rubbish about her life. “I don’t recall one.”
“What? None?”
“Nope.” Cait focused on her hands in her lap. Maybe she could direct the questions back to Harper. Surely her life had been more exciting. “You?”
“I’ve had some great dates. I’m very easy to be around, I think, so that helps.”
“Maybe I should have dated you then.” Cait instantly regretted saying that. She hadn’t meant it to sound so…desperate. “Sorry, I was joking.”
“That’s a shame. I would have totally shown you what a nice date was.”
Cait’s belly swirled with that familiar feeling she had around Harper. Was this just her nature, or was she flirting with Cait? It had been so long, Cait honestly couldn’t put her finger on the answer.
But what she did know was that she enjoyed this feeling. She wanted it to continue.
“Ever been in love?”
Cait knew the answer to that with one hundred percent certainty. “Nope.”
“I wouldn’t worry. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” Harper reached over the bed, discarding her sandwich in the bin by her desk. When Harper scooted closer to her, Cait lost her breath. “I mean, look at me. Had the woman of my dreams, got engaged, bought a house…but here I am, single.”
“I can’t imagine how that must feel.”
“At first, it felt really shit. But then I came to realise that it just wasn’t meant to be. And I know what she did was wrong, but I have to forgive her at some point. If I stay angry and bitter, I’ll just be suffering again. It won’t change anything. I’ll still be single…but angry and bitter, too.”
Cait turned her head, focusing on Harper’s sparkling blue eyes. She reached out, tucking some stray auburn hair behin
d Harper’s ear, and smiled. “You didn’t deserve what she did to you. You’re wonderful.”
Harper’s cheeks reddened. “T-thanks.”
“And I know it’s none of my business, but I’m glad you moved here alone. If you hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have ended up sitting here with you.”
“Why are you sitting here with me?”
“Because I feel good when I’m with you. I feel positive and excited, and you make me want to stop dedicating my life to work.”
Harper visibly swallowed hard. “Not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“That maybe you’d say I was mediocre company, but I was good for preventing unimaginable boredom.”
“Take a little more credit, Harper. You’re a joy to be around.” Cait’s thumb feathered Harper’s cheek. “But if you want to forgive your ex, that’s your decision.”
“I don’t want to hate her. And I know I did yesterday, I was awful when I spoke to her, but that’s not me. I’ll miss her in some ways, but I’m ready to forget about her. She doesn’t want me, and I’ve accepted that.”
God, she’s so heartbreakingly beautiful.
Cait sighed, lowering her hand. “Maybe something better will come along.”
Harper’s eyes glistened, those soft frown lines between her eyebrows adding to just how naturally beautiful she was. Cait wanted to lean in and kiss Harper, but she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Harper was not on the market. She’d said as much since they met.
Harper’s soft but hoarse voice came to life. “I think something much better is going to come along.”
Cait felt the sincerity in Harper’s words, the burn in her stare. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Nothing. Again.”
“Right, well, I want you to be ready for 7. We’re going down to the lake. Wrap up warm.”
Chapter Seven
Harper took the few steps towards the lake, the silence of the night calming her. Cait had a habit of producing feelings Harper hadn’t experienced before, her intriguing nature pulling Harper into a world where everything was perfectly fine despite all that Harper was dealing with. And when Cait was around, it was fine. It was great, even.
Breaking Routine Page 5