“That must have been some meeting you two had.” Scarlet’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Do you think my sister is some kind of pushover, Mr. James? Do you think if you sleep with her, your company will get a bigger share of the lodge?”
“Scarlet!”
“I don’t think that at all, Ms. Lindquist. In fact, the papers have already been drawn up and signed by Mr. Hainstock. You and your sisters will retain a fifty-one percent share of the lodge.”
“Then what’s going on between you two? How did you manage to get so chummy over a two-hour meeting?”
Harper blushed once more, but instead of avoiding the question, she straightened her spine and looked directly at her sister. “It wasn’t exactly a two-hour meeting.”
“What do you mean—”
Maggie placed an arm on Scarlet’s shoulder when she would have jumped to her feet. She turned to Harper, her voice calm. “What happened between you and Ethan, Harper?”
He watched Harper’s throat work. But to her credit, she faced both her sisters with her head high. “Ethan arrived in the middle of a blizzard and was forced to stay for three nights.”
“Well, wasn’t that convenient.” Scarlet pushed aside Maggie’s hand and stood up. “You just happened to arrive during a blizzard and, of course, my compassionate sister wouldn’t toss you out in the storm. You saw a woman alone, and lonely, and you took advantage of her, didn’t you?”
Harper rose, her chest heaving. “Scarlet, if you’re through insulting me, you can sit down and keep quiet.”
With a surprised look on her face, Scarlet sat. Ethan had the feeling she wasn’t used to Harper asserting herself. He sat back, proud of the way she was standing up for herself.
“Nothing of a sexual nature happened between us while Ethan stayed here. Neither of us wanted any feelings we might have for each other to interfere with our business dealings.”
“But something did happen, didn’t it?” Maggie asked quietly.
Harper glanced briefly at him before turning her attention back to her sisters. “We got to know one another over those three days. We discovered we had many things in common, and we found we…liked one another.”
“So does that mean you’re a couple now?” Scarlet’s voice held a note of derision.
Color tinted Harper’s cheeks once more. “I’m not sure what it means. But one thing I do know. It’s none of your business. I count on both of you to respect our privacy, and I also expect you to treat Ethan civilly.”
“I don’t want anyone to take advantage of you, Harper.” Scarlet got to her feet once more, her voice choked with emotion. “What do you really know about this guy?”
Harper turned to him, her eyes clear, and bright, and full of trust. “I know everything I need to know.”
Ethan couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. She was even stronger than he’d given her credit for. She was a magnificent, beautiful, intelligent woman. He wanted her more than any woman he’d ever known. Not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, and in every way it was possible to want another human being.
And he’d lied to her. Was still lying to her.
A lump of guilt wedged in his chest. He didn’t deserve her. He looked away.
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Harper’s voice cracked. “I know you don’t, Scarlet. But it’s okay. I trust Ethan. He’s not going to hurt me.”
Scarlet turned to him, her face crumbling in tears. “I swear to God, if you do anything to cause her one moment of pain, you’ll have to answer to me. And I’ll make you damn sorry.”
She didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she hurried from the room. Ethan closed his eyes in misery. It was just as well she hadn’t expected an answer, because he had no idea what to say to her. Of course he didn’t want to hurt Harper. But it could already be too late to avoid causing her pain.
“Scarlet, wait.” Harper started to follow her.
Maggie put a hand on her arm. “I’ll talk to her. You know Scarlet. She blows up fast, but she gets over it just as quickly. She’ll be okay.”
Harper nodded and Maggie left the room. Ethan got to his feet. He wanted to touch her, to take her in his arms and comfort her. But after this blow up with her sister, he wasn’t sure if his touch would be welcomed. “I’m sorry, Harper. I’ve really messed things up for you.”
“It’s not your fault. I should have told them about us, but it’s not easy for me to tell them how I feel, at least not about the important things.” She looked away. “That’s very presumptuous of me, isn’t it? I don’t even know if there is an us.”
He heard the vulnerability in her voice. He placed two fingers under her chin and gently lifted, urging her to look at him. “Yeah, there’s an us.”
She gave a small, hiccupping laugh and walked into his arms, holding him tightly. Her voice was muffled against his chest. “That’s what I thought. Or at least what I hoped.”
“It’s what I hoped for, too. I thought about you the whole time we were apart. I couldn’t get you out of my head.” Or my heart.
She leaned back and looked up into his face, her smile hopeful. “Neither could I.”
He lowered his lips to hers and his whole body relaxed even as excitement flooded through him. Yes. This was what he’d wanted, needed for the last two weeks. Her lips were warm and soft as they pressed against his in innocent invitation. The scent of lilacs filled his senses. She wound her arms around his neck and moulded her body against his. Did she have any idea what she did to him, how much he wanted her?
He parted her lips with his tongue and pushed inside, reveling in the sweetness of her mouth. At first she was hesitant, but then she made a noise deep in her throat and touched her tongue to his, boldly mimicking the act of love with her thrusts. His erection strained at his jeans and he pulled her closer, kneading her buttocks with one hand.
He wanted her. He wanted to be inside her right now.
“Ethan.” He heard the plea in Harper’s whispered voice, but he was unsure if she was asking for the same thing or begging him to stop.
Guilt suddenly seized him, dousing him like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head. He pulled away from her and stared into her unfocused eyes, her breathing as erratic as his. They were standing in her dining room, with her sisters only steps away. Even if they’d been alone, he knew instinctively she wasn’t ready for the next step.
He’d take things slow. Harper was worth the wait.
He kissed the end of her nose and took a step back. “Come on. I’ll help you with the dishes.”
She nodded and smiled up at him, her eyes full of happiness and trust. The lump of guilt burned in his chest once more. He didn’t deserve her trust.
Before things went too far, he had to tell her the truth.
CHAPTER NINE
Ethan laid out the papers on the dining room table and handed Harper a pen. She took the pen from him and glanced at Scarlet.
“Go ahead,” Scarlet said. “You sign first.”
Harper nodded, relieved that after the earlier upheaval, her sister had calmed down enough to sign the papers. She’d been afraid that Scarlet might be so angry she’d veto the whole project. But even more, she’d been afraid that Scarlet would be disappointed in her for letting her attraction for Ethan get mixed up with the business of the lodge.
Scarlet’s opinion meant the world to her. She wanted her to approve of Ethan and of her budding relationship with him, wanted her to say she was doing the right thing by exploring the feelings she had for him. And she wanted Scarlet to say she believed in the project, and in her.
But neither of them had said anything. Scarlet and Maggie had come downstairs after about an hour. Harper had seen the redness in her sister’s eyes and knew she’d been crying. She longed to take her in her arms and hold her, the way she’d done when they were kids and she’d tried to protect her. Her heart ached knowing she’d made her unhappy. Though Scarlet showed the world a tough, no-nonsense face,
she had a tender heart that bruised easily.
Harper bent over the papers. For the first time she noticed Mr. Hainstock’s signature. She looked up at Ethan in surprise. “Mr. Hainstock’s first name is Ethan, too?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. Coincidence.”
“It is. What are the chances? Ethan isn’t that common a name.”
“It’s more common than you think.” He glanced away, just as he’d done earlier during lunch. Harper’s stomach tightened in apprehension.
“That’s true,” Maggie said. “I read somewhere it’s one of the top ten names parents in America are giving their baby boys these days.”
Harper looked up at Ethan again. He was once again looking down at her with calm assurance and her sudden fears disappeared. A picture of a baby boy popped into her mind’s eye. A baby with Ethan’s dark hair and eyes.
Their baby.
She swallowed and looked away, her hand shaking slightly as she affixed her name to the document. She was letting her imagination run wild.
When she was done, she handed the pen to Scarlet. She stood over the papers for a moment, the pen poised in her hand. Then, she looked at Harper. “You’re sure this is what you really want?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
Scarlet nodded and added her signature beside her typewritten name. Harper let out a relieved breath.
Maggie signed last, then gave the pen back to Ethan. She put her arm around Harper’s waist. “I feel like we should open a bottle of champagne and toast our new venture. This is a momentous occasion.”
“Sorry, I’m fresh out of champagne. How about sparkling grape juice?” Harper said.
“It’ll do.”
Harper brought a bottle of chilled juice along with four long stemmed glasses to the dining room. Ethan poured and proposed a toast. “To the Lindquist sisters and the rebirth of Solace Lake Lodge.”
Ethan’s words touched her. He understood this project was more than business for her. It was home. Family.
Ethan drained his glass and set it on the table, then began gathering the papers. “I’ve got to take off now, but I’ll be in touch. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks, and we can begin interviewing contractors.”
Harper was relieved she didn’t have to make all the decisions about the lodge by herself. Ethan would be there to help her every step of the way. It was comforting to know she wasn’t alone.
And the knowledge that he would be close by for the duration of the renovation sent tremors of excitement skating down her spine. They’d have the opportunity to really get to know each other and explore their feelings. She couldn’t ask for anything more wonderful. “I’ll make sure one of the cottages is ready for you.”
She caught the glimmer of excitement in his eyes and her heart quickened its pace in response. He took her hand, lightly running his thumb across her palm.
“I’m looking forward to beginning this adventure with you.”
Harper couldn’t look away. She desperately wanted to kiss him, but with her sisters watching so closely, she didn’t know how to proceed.
But apparently Ethan did. Placing his hand on her hip, he leaned in for a kiss. This kiss didn’t have the fireworks of their last one, but it was soft and warm and full of promise, as if Ethan was trying to communicate the depths of his feelings.
Message received.
She walked him to the front door and pulled his coat from the closet. She inhaled the scent of the aftershave lingering on the collar and like the last time she’d seen him off, she wanted to bury her face in it. Instead, she held up the coat and helped him into it. “Have a safe trip back to the city.”
He turned to face her, taking her shoulders in his hands. “I will. We’ll talk soon, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I should go.”
“Yeah.”
He made no move to leave. Instead, he kneaded her shoulders softly. Breathlessly, she stared into his eyes. He didn’t want to go any more than she wanted him to. The knowledge made her heart sing.
At last, he leaned forward to kiss her forehead, then dropped his hands. Nodding at her sisters, he picked up his briefcase and walked out the door. Harper moved to the side window to watch him leave, only letting the curtain drop back into place when his truck was no longer visible. She already missed him.
“I feel like I should smoke a cigarette or something,” Scarlet said, breaking the silence. “If there was any more heat between the two of you, your underwear would catch fire.”
Harper laughed. “You’re being silly.”
“Oh, am I?” Scarlet raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking in a smile. “I’ve never seen you like this before. You really like this guy, don’t you?”
Harper wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She wanted to sing at the top of her lungs and dance in uninhibited joy around the room. She wanted to proclaim her feelings for Ethan to the whole world. She settled for a smile and a whispered declaration. “Yeah, I do.”
Maggie grasped her hand. “I’m so happy for you, Harper.”
A bubble of laughter escaped her lips. “It’s not like we’ve declared undying love for each other, or anything. We’re a long way from that. I don’t know where this will go.”
“Yes, but I’ve never known you to be so ga-ga over any other man before.”
Neither have I. Her feelings for Ethan were so strong, so right, they were almost frightening.
No, not almost frightening. This was a road she’d never travelled before, and she couldn’t be sure where it led. All she could do was to have faith. And trust.
“I’m happy for you, too,” Scarlet said. “As long as he treats you right.”
“Yes, you’ve made that quite clear.”
“I’m sorry about earlier.” Her brow wrinkled, the corners of her mouth turning down. Harper reached out to touch Scarlet’s arm. “It’s okay. I understand.”
She did understand. None of them could seem to put their feelings for each other into words, but if the chips were really down, Scarlet would be there for her. The same way she’d be there for Scarlet.
Maggie took Scarlet’s hand and for a moment they stood united, as close as they’d once been as children. More than anything in the world Harper wanted that feeling of unity again between her and her sisters, knowing they were together no matter what life threw at them.
“I feel like cooking,” Maggie suddenly declared. “Let’s go see what we can find in the kitchen.”
A feeling of total contentment swept over Harper. She wished it could always be like this, safe and happy at home with her family nearby.
“Sounds great,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Ethan pulled into his brother’s driveway and cut the engine. When he stepped out of the truck he again heard the sound of a power tool coming from Cam’s workshop. He smiled. Cam probably spent more time in his shop than he did in his house. If there’d been a bed in the shop, he’d probably sleep out there.
He opened the side door and entered. His five-year-old niece was the first to notice him.
“Uncle Ethan!”
She ran to him, and he scooped her up into his arms and held her tight for a moment. He inhaled her scent, a combination of baby shampoo and wood chips. He adored Tessa, would do anything for her. He understood perfectly why Cam had pulled up stakes and moved to Minnewasta to be closer to her. If he’d been in his brother’s situation, he would have done the same thing.
He closed off that line of thinking immediately. He couldn’t let himself think about what might have been.
“What did you bring me?” she asked.
Tessa’s question caught him off guard. Cam had warned him he’d been spoiling her with all the things he been indulging her with; toys, clothes, even her own cell phone. Maybe he was right. He didn’t want Tessa to like him only for what he could give her. She was already learning that lesson from her mother.
“I didn’t bring you anything today. Just me. Isn’t that good enough?”
She put her small arm around his shoulders. “Okay. You wanna see what Daddy made for me?”
“Sure.”
He set her on her feet. She led him by the hand to a corner of the workshop where Cam had placed a child’s table and chairs and some wooden toys, all hand-made. The newest addition to this group was a tall dollhouse.
“Daddy’s going to make some furniture for the house.” She demonstrated how the front of the house opened to reveal the rooms inside. “He’s going to let me help paint it.”
“Oh, yeah? What color are you going to paint your house?”
“Purple!”
Ethan ruffled her dark curls. “Of course. Why am I not surprised?”
Tessa’s favorite color at the moment was purple in every shade possible. She’d insisted on everything from hair bands to her snowsuit to be that color.
Cam’s machine stopped its rumbling and he called over. “Hey! I didn’t know you were coming by today. What’s up?”
“I was out at the lodge, signing the final papers. Since I was in the neighborhood, I thought I’d drop by and visit my favorite niece. And you, too, of course.”
“Of course.” Cam scooped Tessa into his arms. “How about we take a milk and cookie break with Uncle Ethan?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
Once inside Cam’s warm kitchen, Ethan removed his coat and helped Tessa out of her snowsuit while Cam put cookies on a plate and poured a glass of milk for his daughter.
“You want coffee?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Cam poured water into the coffeemaker. “So, you’ve signed the final papers on the lodge renovations? You’re really going to go ahead with this?”
“I am. I’m hoping you can help me out. We’re going to be putting out tenders and talking to general contractors. This is your area of expertise. I thought you could give me your opinion on the quality of the bids.”
“Yeah, I can do that. Do you want me to come to the lodge and meet with you and the owner to go over the bids?”
“Ah, no. Just you and me.”
Cam turned and stared at him. “Don’t tell me you still haven’t told her who you are.”
Lies and Solace Page 10