by Sonya Weiss
Feeling like a ten-pound weight rolled around in his stomach, Rafferty dipped his head down and ran a hand over the back of his neck, hoping for the strength to listen to his heart and nothing else. He looked at her. “Harper, I want nothing more than to come inside and stay until tomorrow morning, but no.”
She swallowed. “No?”
“You want forever, and I have nothing to offer beyond tonight.”
“Maybe I don’t want anything past tonight, and I’ll worry about tomorrow when it’s here.”
“No, because a friend doesn’t do that to a friend. Not when he knows she’ll regret it.”
“I don’t think I would.”
Her words tempted him. Made him want to ignore the tenderness and the protectiveness that sprang up in him when he was with her. Rafferty raked his fingers through his hair and took a step backward. “You don’t know that, and I will not be one more man who leaves you vulnerable and hurt. Good…good night,” he said, making himself walk away.
When he reached his car, he made the mistake of looking back at her.
Standing under the faint porch light, she was a siren of temptation. Leaving was best. He would not break her heart, and as sure as red apples grew best in Georgia, that’s what would happen if he stayed.
He slipped into the car and started the engine, waiting until she’d gone inside and closed the door before he turned the car around.
He drove away, and when he reached his place and started up the walk, he noticed all the homes around him that had lights on. The faint sound of laughter from an open window reached him. Families sharing lives. Good times, bad times. Having someone else to care about and who cared about them.
Yeah, but on the heels of that, you never knew when heartache would strike and tear lovers apart. Leave a man with cracks in his heart that time paved over but didn’t really heal.
Rafferty let himself in and dropped his keys onto the stand by the door. His phone buzzed with a text message from Lincoln telling him to come to the station a little earlier tomorrow. He replied that he would and went to bed, praying he’d drop right off to sleep instead of thinking about Harper and all the reasons he couldn’t be the guy for her.
…
Carrying a cup of take-out coffee, Rafferty locked his car and headed into the station half an hour before the seven a.m. lineup. He pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head as he neared Lt. Tyrone Goldman, the EMS coordinator, a fifteen-year veteran with the station. Tyrone carried his two-year-old son, Daniel, in his arms.
“My wife’s sister is coming to town next weekend,” Ty said, shaking Rafferty’s hand by way of greeting. “She’s single. You want to meet her?”
“Nah, Ty, but thanks.” She’s not Harper. Rafferty kicked that thought to the curb.
Ty whistled, and his son paused from nibbling a cookie to look at his father and grin. “You’ve never turned down a chance to meet a woman,” Ty said. “You sick?”
“Between work here and the show at the castle, I don’t have a lot of free time.” He set his coffee on the pavement and took Daniel in his arms after the toddler kept reaching for him.
“A natural.” Ty grinned. “You should have one of your own. Speaking of…”
Rafferty braced himself for the teasing.
“I hear through the grapevine that you working at the castle’s not all about the show, Prince Charming.”
Turning his head to avoid having some of Daniel’s cookie crammed into his mouth, Rafferty said, “It’s just a part I’m playing, that’s all.” And feeling guilty as hell that the part was about him getting the promotion and he hadn’t told Harper so.
“Proving a commitment, so the story goes. Lot of guys are in on the bet that you won’t stick with that.”
“I will.” It was what would get him what he wanted in the end. He bounced Daniel when the boy began to squirm.
“Good luck with that. I hope it works out.” Ty took his son back. “Lincoln’s looking for you.” He nodded toward the open bays where Lincoln stood near the fire engine talking to Chris and Mac.
“Thanks. I’ll catch you later.”
“Hey,” Ty called out and pointed to Daniel. “My wife and I have plenty of baby clothes to pass along for when you need them.”
“Tell that to Kent.” Rafferty picked up his coffee. “I’m not getting married or having kids.”
Ty scoffed. “Look at you acting like you have a chance to hold onto your bachelor status with your grandma on the case.”
Rafferty laughed and joined his brother and colleagues.
“You tell him the bad news last night?” Chris asked, shooting a look at Lincoln.
“No,” Lincoln said quietly. “Give us a minute.”
When they were alone, Lincoln motioned to a spot away from the bays. “You and Doug are still neck and neck for that promotion.”
Rafferty nodded. “I know. Chief left a message this morning while I was in the shower saying he wanted to talk to me about that.”
“He’s leaving soon for his son’s wedding in Maine. Doug convinced him to set a meeting with the three of you the night of show.”
Rafferty’s stomach bottomed out. “The night of the show? No way.” He couldn’t let that happen. “Where’s Chief now?”
“He’s in the office, but he’s only going to be there for a few minutes.”
“I’ll catch him. Thanks.”
“Before you go, Mom said Grandma got a job at the castle. She’s worried that Grandma is having money problems but isn’t telling anyone.”
“All right, I’ll ask Harper about it,” Rafferty promised and took off toward the chief’s office. He’d known the man for years, and he’d always done what was best for the station, with the exception of considering bringing Doug on board.
Rafferty knocked on the door and entered the office when the chief gave permission. The older man, his salt and pepper hair in a buzz cut, ended a phone call and rose, stacking paperwork as he did. “I don’t remember my own wedding being so expensive.” He tapped the papers. “My son could put a down payment on a house for what this shindig is costing them. Marry a woman who doesn’t mind eloping.”
Rafferty laughed. “I’ll take that under advisement.”
“Trust me, it’ll save your bank account and your sanity. Now what can I do for you?”
“I need to change the meeting time Doug set up for the three of us.”
“Sorry, son, but no can do. It’s the only time I have before I leave, and I want to make a decision by then.”
“I have a prior commitment,” Rafferty said.
“I see.” The chief gave him an unreadable look. “Well, then you have a choice to make.”
“My prior commitment is something I can’t reschedule.”
“You’re talking about your side job with Harper Bailey. C’mon, Bradford.” Chief laughed. “I’ve known you for years, and she might be on your radar today, but she’ll be off it before it’s time for the meeting.” He picked up his phone and walked around the desk. “Now if there’s nothing else? I’ve got to get to my wife’s doctor’s appointment.”
Rafferty clenched his jaw. His instincts were screaming at him to keep Doug as far away from the station as possible, to protect the lives of his brother and his colleagues, whatever the cost. Doug often acted without concern for his fellow firefighters or the town’s citizens. The only reason the guy was employed was because his father was the fire marshal.
But on the other hand, there was Harper and what it would do to her if he chose the meeting over the show. Either way he looked at it, he had no choice at all.
“If I don’t show up at your meeting and Doug gets the promotion, it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. But if I don’t go to the show, Harper will be hurt.”
“Is that so?” the chief said.
�
��Yeah, it is, and there’s no way it’s going to be Harper.” Rafferty backed away then turned and rushed out of the station.
Chapter Thirteen
Two days before the show opened and everything that could go wrong had. With a groan, Harper banged her forehead against her desk. The wicked stepmother quit last night to take a theater role in Atlanta, and there wasn’t time to find, hire, and train a replacement.
One of the stepsisters decided that if she couldn’t have a bigger role, she wasn’t going on at all, and the fairy godmother had laryngitis.
When someone knocked on her office door, Harper raised her head, peeled off a piece of paper stuck to her forehead, and called out, “Come in.”
Jean walked in and planted herself in one of the chairs. “I’ll be the wickedest mother in all the land.”
“Step-mother,” Harper corrected.
“Whatever you need.”
“Thank you, Jean, but there’s no way—”
“Hush. I don’t believe in impossibilities. Especially not from my future granddaughter-in-law.”
Harper sighed, choosing to ignore the matchmaking dig. “Even if you take one of the roles, I’m still short with—”
“Zip it.” Jean wagged her cell phone. “I raised the alarm. Barbara is on her way to pick up a script. Let her play the goody two shoes fairy godmother. Josie’s on the way to be the stepsister.” She leaned forward. “Did you honestly think your friends would leave you hanging once word got out?”
Used to being the one who helped others rather than the one who received help, Harper sniffed back tears, touched by the thoughtfulness of her friends. “No, but I can’t ask—”
“You didn’t.”
“It’s going to be a lot of hard work and—”
“Which no one ever had an allergic reaction to.” Jean rubbed her hands together. “We’ll load up on caffeine and work twenty-four seven rehearsing. The show must go on.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“There’s nothing to say. This is what people who love each other do. Now, off your rump.”
Harper rose. “Jean, if there’s anything I can do in return…other than marrying Rafferty,” she hastily amended, “just name it.”
“You don’t have to marry my grandson. You can shack up with him. Just as long as you give me great-grandkids, that’s okay in my book.”
“I tried,” Harper said then kicked herself for revealing that.
Delight creased Jean’s face. “You and Rafferty?”
“Well, no. We didn’t, but I…um…sort of offered.”
“Sort of?” Jean frowned. “It’s not rocket science, you know. Drape yourself in lingerie or sports logos and you’ve got a man’s immediate attention.”
“I was fresh out of footballs,” Harper joked. “I did have nice lingerie on under my clothes.”
“Then strip faster, gal.”
“It didn’t get that far. I invited Rafferty in, and he turned me down.”
Jean pursed her lips. “I see.” She tipped her head to one side and smiled. “You’re not the type to invite a man in unless you care. A lot.”
“That’s irrelevant.” Harper waved a hand dismissively. “He’s not interested. Obviously.” She felt the heat rise in her face at the remembered embarrassment of putting herself out there and getting turned down. She was probably the only single woman in Morganville he’d ever said no to, and she told Jean as much.
Jean laughed. “Oh, honey. If Rafferty didn’t give two figs about you, he wouldn’t have said no, and he wouldn’t be spending time with you.”
“I honestly think you’re barking up the wrong tree. Rafferty is a die-hard bachelor.”
Jean snorted. “Every man’s a bachelor until he comes to his senses.”
The office door swung open, and Ivy walked in with Barbara and Josie.
“The cavalry is here,” Josie announced. “Put us in the ’biz.”
Barbara walked across the office to hug Harper and whisper everything would be okay. “Now,” the older woman stepped back, “let’s get to work.”
…
Harper closed off the auditorium while the women practiced with the rest of the cast minus Rafferty. She hadn’t called him even though Jean had nagged for her to do that. The less distractions, the better. Besides, she didn’t trust that Jean didn’t have a matchmaking ace up her sleeve, and while she now wouldn’t mind being matched with Rafferty, she didn’t want to practically have to hog-tie him to make that happen.
“I can play the prince as well,” Harper said when it came time for Rafferty’s first part. “That way, you’ll know where your lines come in after his.”
“Nonsense, I can be his stand-in,” Jean said. She marched forward, demanding everyone’s attention, then waved and pointed her finger dramatically toward Harper. “Who’s the toots at the top of the stairs? I gotta get me a dance with her. Or something like that.”
Everyone laughed, including Harper.
Josie looked at the script. “After Rafferty puts the shoe on, the only thing left is the wedding, which we’re not in anyway, right?”
“Right,” Harper confirmed.
Barbara put her wand on top of a fake rock and took off her gossamer fairy wings. “Then we’re done for tonight and we can pick up again tomorrow.”
“Celebration time.” Jean clapped her hands. “We need pizzas and wine. I’m buying. You,” she called to the actor playing the king, “fetch the chariot and take me to get food for the masses.”
Harper sat on the stage with everyone else and talked until Jean returned, king in tow, who carried several pizza boxes. Jean paused in front of Harper and handed her a bottle of wine. “This one is special for you.”
Harper took the bottle. The plain white label had the words for the woman who loves my grandson scribbled across it. Harper held it aloft. “Replacing the original label with one of your own doesn’t make the words true.”
“Denying it doesn’t make it untrue,” Jean countered, swatting the back of her hand against Harper’s leg. “Scooch over.” She sat and crossed her legs at the ankles. “I see the way you look at Rafferty when his attention’s elsewhere.”
Not bothering to use one of the plastic cups Jean brought back, Harper took a swig of the wine, careful not to get any on her dress. She wiped her mouth with her hand. “He’s good looking, that’s all.”
“Uh huh.” Jean leaned back and latched onto the pant leg of an employee playing one of the castle guards. “Bring us some of that pizza, will you?” She turned back to Harper. “Do you remember that photo that spilled out of my purse in your office?”
Harper nodded.
“The love of my life. He married some old fishwife, moved away, and that was that.” Jean paused to take two slices of pizza on a napkin from the employee and passed one to Harper.
Harper juggled the hot pizza from one hand to the other, blowing on it to try and cool it.
“I don’t regret marrying the men I did end up with because I had wonderful children from those unions. But I regret not even taking a chance when I should have. All I’m left with is what could have been. The what ifs of life are what will haunt you.”
“Sure, Jean. I’ll tell Rafferty that I’m beginning to have feelings for him and then you talk about awkward?”
“Yeah, that’d be as pleasant as getting a sunburn in unmentionable places, I know.”
“Exactly.” Harper finished off the slice of pizza and shook her head when Jean urged her to have some wine. She had a slight buzz going and didn’t want to cross over into full-on drunk. Then she’d do something stupid like drunk text Rafferty.
“You’re one of the strongest women I know,” Jean said quietly. “Life kicked you good and square in the shorts, and you got back up. Don’t slink off the field now because what if has you by the seat of the pa
nts.”
Pushing to her feet, Harper turned to face Jean after first checking to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. “I need some time to think.”
Jean stared at her for a second. “Did I ever tell you about my friend Doris?”
“No.”
“She was head over heels for a mutual friend of ours. Man named Kenneth Norman. Like my boyfriend at the time, he was an Air Force pilot. Got his wings not long after the war going on at that time ended.” She stared off into the distance.
“What happened?” Harper asked.
“Good old Doris spent a helluva lot of time thinking over how she felt about him, and a couple of months went by while she weighed all the ifs-ands-buts of a possible relationship.”
“And?”
“By then, he was dating someone else. A woman with a set like a brass monkey who wasn’t about to let Doris hone in.”
“That’s…um…not helpful.”
Jean half shrugged. “Move it or lose it, sister.”
“Hmmm,” Harper murmured, not wanting to think about the picture Jean had painted. “I’m going to find Barbara and ask her to give me a ride home, since she didn’t have any wine.”
“You go on. I’m going to wait for Ron.”
“The two of you seem to get along well.” Harper studied the older woman. “Almost like you’ve known him for a long time instead of a few days.”
“What can I say? We clicked,” Jean said, two spots of color appearing on her cheeks.
“Wait a second…the night Rafferty and I were locked in the supply room…I remember seeing the two of you right before that.” Harper gasped when Jean wouldn’t look her in the eye. “It was you, wasn’t it? You shut the door on us!”
“I tripped as we were leaving, and my hand landed on the door—”
“Bull.”
“I was trying to—”