by Emma Roman
Colleen rolled her eyes while Harper moved so he stood in front of Arianna. He cupped her face, and her breath caught.
“Calm down, Ari.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. Freaking out is working just fine, thank you.”
His thumbs brushed her cheekbones, and she pulled away before that treacherous feeling of wanting more could come back.
“You are a wedding planner, Ari. You already had a vision of how you’d change your father’s company when you became president. Why not just do that but with your own?”
Arianna blinked, the simplicity of Harper’s statement not computing. “That was for King’s. When I had money, backing, and a reputation. I’m nothing now.”
Harper growled. “Stop saying that or I’m going to spank you.”
Colleen cleared her throat behind him, and Harper blushed. The huge man over six feet with broad shoulders and a strong jaw actually blushed, his cheekbones a slash of red. Though she was pretty sure he wasn’t as red as she was.
Where had this alpha man come from, and could she keep him?
No. So not going there.
“Like I was saying before,” Harper began, his voice gruff, “you’re a wedding planner. You have the connections, the people in the business who know you and all that you can accomplish. You had already said you wanted to cut back and do something that works for you, handle smaller weddings. Why not start there.”
“He’s right, Arianna,” Colleen agreed. “Remember when we were drinking that one night, and you told me your real dream? Smaller weddings for the couple and not brides with tempers who take money from Daddy’s pockets. What were you going to call it?”
“Just for Them,” Arianna whispered, a new kind of excitement filling her.
“See, baby? You can do this.”
Baby?
Harper squeezed her hand then moved back to his sandwich. “You might be starting from scratch on some things, but you have it down with others. I’ll help you when I can, you know that. Between the three of us, you can hit the ground running. You’re a planner in more ways than one, Ari, just believe in yourself.”
Believing in herself sounded almost far-fetched at this point, but maybe, just maybe, she could shake off this funk and actually do something.
Feeling oddly enthused and energized, she went to the kitchen table, pulled out a pad of paper, and started jotting down notes. While she could have used her tablet, right then, she wanted something her grandmother would have used. It just seemed right—one new planner to another. Her grandmother had started the business Arianna loved, and she knew she needed every connection to the woman who had meant so much to her and everything she worked for that she could get.
Arianna let out a breath. “So, instead of changing what King’s had become, or at least part of the whole program, I’d start a business doing what I love with people who truly need my help. I’d have to do everything on my own.”
“Not on your own,” Harper said softly. “And between the both of us, we know a lot of people who have their own businesses. Hell, half the Montgomerys do at this point. I’m sure they’d be able to help you figure out where to start.”
Arianna took a deep breath before sipping her tea, her mind going in a million different directions.
“Okay, so I’ll need licenses, a storefront, a website, furniture, connections, business cards, pricing, documents, oh my God, okay, I need to start making more lists. And lists of my lists.” She wasn’t even thinking in a linear fashion, and that made her stomach hurt. She needed to breathe, but hell, the excitement about actually having something to do was already better than sulking for three days.
And there was no way she’d admit to Harper she’d been moping on her ass as she had been. He wasn’t allowed to know everything about her.
Colleen laughed and sat next to her. “Let me help, lists are crack to me.”
Harper brushed a hand over Arianna’s shoulder, sending goose bumps down her arms. “Tell me what you want from me and I’m here. Always.”
She looked into his eyes and had a feeling he was talking about more than Just for Them, but she couldn’t get into that right then.
Or ever.
Harper was her best friend. Thinking about him as more than that would only ruin everything they had, everything she already relied far too heavily upon. Harper had been part of her life for so long that the thought of losing him sent an ache through her heart.
She’d just have to clear her thoughts of these new casual touches and endearments. He was Harper. Justin’s brother. Her best friend. He couldn’t be more than that.
He couldn’t.
4
Punching his brother in the face wouldn’t solve his problems.
Maybe if Harper kept chanting that in his head, he’d be okay.
It’d been three weeks since he’d last talked to his brother and he still wasn’t over it. Sure, Ari wasn’t planning on marrying the guy and never had been, but that didn’t make it right. His brother had had the audacity to go along with Arianna’s father’s plan, and that made Harper want to beat something. He and Ari hadn’t even talked about it.
No, it was just something they brushed under the rug.
Justin didn’t matter to her, and from the look on her face whenever Harper tried to move a little closer, take the next step, he wasn’t sure he mattered the way he wanted to either. He couldn’t blame her or even be angry about it. She had a right to her feelings, and he needed to get over it.
He shook his head. Nope, he wasn’t going to think about that right then. Instead, he’d go get coffee with his dear brother since the bastard had asked. Normally, Harper wouldn’t be caught dead with the man, unless it had something do with beating him senseless, but this time, Harper had agreed to the meeting.
First, he wanted to make sure the smug man knew that Ari couldn’t be bought. She’d walked away from Justin and Xavier, ready to move on with her new business. Or, at least, she was ready now.
Second, he needed to know if Justin had any tricks up his sleeve. Harper wouldn’t put it past his brother to find another way to get Ari.
Ari was worth fighting for—something Harper had known all along. She might not believe it of herself, but she was at least beginning to. He’d make it his mission in life to ensure she understood her worth.
And that he’d be by her side for all of it.
He let out a breath, trying to clear his thoughts of Ari and everything that he’d been holding back for far too long. Right then, he had to worry about his pain in the ass brother, not about the woman who he’d have to fight for.
With one last shake of his head, he got out of his truck, slamming the door behind him. Apparently, he had a little extra adrenaline rushing through his veins. He needed to get a handle on it before he met Justin. He really didn’t want to spend a night in lockup for beating the shit out of his brother.
Not that once the police got to know Justin they’d charge Harper—Justin was a fucking menace—but Harper’s brother was the type of guy to cry foul and whine about it until Harper was locked behind bars.
Fucking prick.
Okay, so that train of thought wasn’t helping his temper.
Harper went in and ordered his caramel macchiato since Ari had gotten him addicted to the damn things. As it was, he had to add an extra mile to his morning runs to burn them off, but it was worth it. Ari did yoga and sometimes ran with him to burn off her excess sugar, and he’d gladly give her more caramel so she could run beside him in the mornings.
Harper closed his eyes and groaned.
Okay, he really needed to stop sounding like a lovesick fool. He was starting to annoy himself, let alone others around him. Thankfully, he usually only thought it and didn’t act out his feelings. Having him trail behind Ari with a hangdog expression probably wouldn’t endear him to her in any fashion.
When his coffee was up, he took it and sat at the corner table so his back was to the wall. He wanted to see Justin
come in and make sure he was near an exit. It never hurt to be too careful with the bastard. He wasn’t sure there was ever a time he and Justin had gotten along as kids. Even when they’d been younger, Justin had pushed at him, literally and figuratively. He’d lied and whined to get what he wanted, and eventually, became the man Harper despised. When Justin had ended up working with Ari’s father, Harper had almost walked away from it all—and her—before trying to find a new job and a new life outside of Denver. But he hadn’t been able to give up on his best friend, knowing she would need the support to work how she did with her father and Harper’s brother.
If he’d left Denver, maybe everything would have been different, and he wouldn’t be the man he was today. But he’d be a whole lot emptier. Denver was his home. He loved the mountains, the air, the fact that the weather never stayed the same throughout the day. He had roots here and had made himself a home. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Ari had worked with Justin, he’d have completely cut the ties that bound him to a man he couldn’t respect.
And hopefully, once he figured out if Justin had other plans up his sleeve, he could walk away completely.
He sipped his drink and lifted a lip in disgust as Justin walked in. His brother’s gaze landed on him for a brief moment before dismissing him and walking over to the barista. Harper rolled his eyes, used to the way Justin treated him.
According to his brother, Justin was the suave one, the businessman in an expensive suit. He had important contacts and knew how to get ahead in his world by having his lips firmly attached to the nearest ass that got him places. He wasn’t a wedding planner, but a business mogul who moved people and contracts around like chess pieces. Of course, without Ari there to do all the work—work she actually loved—Justin wouldn’t be anywhere.
Harper, in contrast, was the blue-collar worker who didn’t want to own his own business and worked in manual labor. Or so Justin saw it. In Justin’s eyes, Harper was one step above a trash collector. Though without that trash collector, Justin would be living in his own filth, so Harper never really got too offended by it. And hell, Harper didn’t want to own his own business because he truly enjoyed what he did, and he wanted the freedom to spend more time using his hands without having to worry about paperwork. Montgomery Inc. took care of him, and he knew he’d be able to work with them for years to come once he finished this first site.
Harper got to live his dream, do what he wanted, and work with people he trusted. He wasn’t family by blood, but the Montgomerys tended to take in strays—even those that worked for them. He might not have his name on the door, but he sure as hell had a job he could live with for a long damn time.
He might get dirty and sweaty most days, but he also got to see his work with his own eyes and watch it start from a shell of what once was and grow into what could be—sometimes even making it better along the way. Harper had pride in his work and what he did on a daily basis. Justin only felt as if he’d made something of himself if he were surrounded by people that could ensure his greatness and advancement into the next phase in his career regardless of who he hurt in the process. The other man might work with weddings, but he also did his best to fit himself nicely into the pockets of the elite grooms and brides that came to Colorado for a perfect wedding. Harper wasn’t sure what Justin’s next grand scheme would be since he knew his brother didn’t want to “plan” weddings for the rest of his life, but whatever it was, it would be something the man wouldn’t have to work hard for.
Harper had no idea how the two of them had come from the same parents, but it was what it was. Nothing could change Justin, and Harper was beyond trying.
As long as the little prick stayed away from Ari, that was all Harper cared about.
Justin strode toward Harper’s table, Americano in hand, and his perpetual sneer on his face. Dear Lord, Harper was afraid it would freeze like that if Justin didn’t smile every once in a while. Of course, those smiles usually had to do with Justin getting something he wanted by hurting someone in the process, so Harper should probably be grateful Justin wasn’t smiling at the moment.
“I see you decided to show up,” Justin said as he sat down.
Harper rolled his eyes. As he’d been the one to arrive first, Justin’s taunt didn’t make any sense. Leave it to his brother to sound like a bad movie villain when he didn’t have to.
“I’m here,” Harper said casually, ready to leave for his next meeting. “What is it you wanted to talk about? I’m on a schedule.”
Justin snorted. “You? A schedule? What important thing do you have to do? Dig a ditch?”
Considering Harper had dug one the day before to help Wes’s crew work on the new plumbing, he didn’t take the words seriously. If his brother didn’t want to know how his million-dollar house was made, it didn’t bother Harper.
He deliberately took a sip of his drink, forcing himself not to react. “Time’s wasting. Get on with it.”
Justin straightened in his seat and took a sip of his coffee, wincing. “God, why did we have to meet here for this sludge? Oh, I suppose you couldn’t afford to go to any of the places I attend for coffee.”
Harper ground his back molars. At this rate, he’d need to pay a visit to his dentist after his next meeting. “What do you want, Justin?”
“It’s about your neighbor.”
I will not kill my brother. I will not kill my brother.
“What about Ari?”
“I can’t believe you call her Ari.” Justin sipped his drink and apparently forgot for a moment that he was supposed to hate it because it wasn’t twenty bucks. That only lasted a moment, though, and he scoffed as he set his cup down. “It’s a low-class nickname for a King. When she finally comes to her senses and takes the deal, I won’t call her that.” A light flashed in his brother’s eyes, setting Harper on edge. “Even when I’m fucking her.”
Maybe not killing, just a little maiming.
“Fucking talk about Ari like that again, and I’ll wipe that sneer off your face with my fist.”
Justin looked like he’d gotten the reaction he wanted, and Harper cursed himself for falling into the same traps he always did. “Didn’t take you long to resort to violence, did it? You always were just as low-class as the nicknames you use.” Justin held up his hand, and Harper listened, knowing that whatever his brother would say next would just prolong the meeting. “Good, listen to me. I’m your better. You know this. I know this. Xavier knows this. And soon, Arianna will know this…or maybe she already does. Maybe that’s why you aren’t fucking her now when I will be soon.”
Harper growled, fisting his hands. He had a feeling Justin had practiced this little speech in the mirror, and he was beyond done with it. But he stayed there, listening to the trash spewing from Justin’s mouth because he needed to see if the asshole actually had a plan to get Ari. Because if he did anything to hurt her…well then, Harper wouldn’t be responsible for what happened next.
“What did I say about demeaning Ari?”
Justin rolled his eyes. “Don’t make a scene. You want your precious Ari to know you’ve been fighting? Now, back to what I was saying. This little wedding business of hers? She will fail. She might think she’s the best at doing what she does. But she’s nothing without the King name, and she knows it. Why do you think it took her so long to leave? She’s nothing. Nothing but the little King daughter who wasn’t good enough to please Daddy. I’ll get her and the business in one fell swoop, so don’t stand in my way. I’d hate to leave our parents with only one child.”
If Harper had any fear whatsoever for his life when it came to Justin, he’d have taken that threat seriously. The idiot in front of him was nothing but a nuisance. He’d be damned, though, if he let Ari get hurt because Justin wanted more than he had.
“You done?”
Who knew he could sound so civil when he was picturing smashing Justin’s face into the glass window beside their table?
“Just watch your step, Harper. D
on’t stand in my way to the top.”
Harper shook his head and stood. “Whatever, Justin. Keep your mouth shut about Ari. If I hear you bad-mouthing her, I won’t be so civil next time.”
With that, he left the coffee house and got in his truck, heading to his job site a few blocks down. He shook off Justin’s words, leaving them in the back of his mind for later. He’d warn Ari if he felt it was necessary, but he didn’t want to worry her with the first wedding of her new business coming up. He didn’t think Justin would do anything stupid, but he wouldn’t put it past him. Honestly, there wasn’t anything to warn her about yet anyway. Justin was just posturing like a blue peacock that couldn’t figure out that they didn’t have a brain to work with.
Harper pulled up to the site and turned off his truck. He was already exhausted, and he hadn’t done anything yet except take a quick run and deal with his brother. Wes and Storm were already at the site, checking out what Harper had already completed. Harper had been in charge of preserving what he could and marking things that the brothers would have to look out for. They’d sent over a crew to help Harper out a couple of days ago, and now they were in full swing. He kind of loved that he had first crack at the house, and now he got to work side by side with some of the best people in the business.
“Sorry I’m late,” Harper said as he met the two men at the top of one of the large staircases that Harper hoped they wouldn’t have to completely replace. “I didn’t realize Justin would take his time getting to the café for coffee.”
Wes raised a light brown brow. “Really? Justin taking his sweet time and not caring about anyone else? My God, the surprise.” The Montgomery brothers didn’t know Justin all that well, but they knew enough about him to hate him. Harper honestly didn’t mind not being alone in his feelings for the man.
Harper rolled his eyes and took the tablet that West handed him. “Okay, you got me there. He’s an asshat.” Because he wanted to get another opinion, he explained to them what had been said at the coffee house, and almost had to jump on Storm so the other man wouldn’t live up to his name and literally rage out of the building.