Love, Honor, and Ink: (A Montgomery Ink Novella)

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Harper leaned down and brushed a kiss against her forehead. “Get some sleep, and we can figure it all out in the morning. I’m here, Ari, I’m never going away.”

  She didn’t answer, her chest rising and falling as she slept.

  It was just as well; if she’d answered, he was afraid she’d say she didn’t need him, and he couldn’t live with that. Not anymore.

  Chapter Three

  Three days later, Arianna had the feeling if she didn’t start planning her life, Harper would just do it for her. Not that Harper couldn’t probably do everything on his own and have it end up better than she dreamed, but that wasn’t how she worked.

  She needed to do this on her own.

  Whatever this was.

  Great, now she sounded like an ungrateful brat for all Harper had done for her. Her neighbor and best friend had always been there for her and supported her decisions—even when she had a feeling he didn’t agree with them.

  Sure, he wouldn’t let her do something immensely stupid because, after all, friends were there to keep you from making those types of decisions. Harper, however, had always let her do what she thought she needed to do.

  Arianna didn’t like the person she’d become in the past three days of sitting on the couch, trying to come up with a reason to actually find a new path. In fact, she wasn’t sure she liked the person she’d been for the last couple of years. When she’d been working for her father, she’d ignored all around her beyond the job. Everything she did at work had to be perfect; failure was not an option. Every single wedding had to be more spectacular, have more sparkle, be even more unique and talked about than the last.

  She’d done that and more.

  King’s Weddings had a two-year waiting list for couples that wanted to work with them. Though they could have hired more planners and delegated, her father had wanted them to be exclusive—and thereby, give them the ability to increase the minimum price they required for each wedding.

  King’s Weddings dealt in the billions of dollars each year for a reason.

  Arianna had put every ounce of herself into her work. Hence why her only girlfriend was Colleen—someone she’d met at work—and her best friend was Harper.

  Okay, that wasn’t fair to make it sound like being friends with Harper was a hardship. Far from it. They’d known each other since they were kids and had quickly grown into friends even though he was a couple of years older. She’d even bought the house next to his when it came available because he’d been the one to recommend it. It hadn’t hurt that she’d been too busy to really shop around for a new home, but she’d trusted Harper.

  She trusted Harper with everything.

  And that said it all.

  She knew it hurt him to know that she needed to pull away, do things on her own, but if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be Arianna anymore. Harper might want to fix everything, but she needed to do it herself, as well.

  That’s why they were friends and not…more.

  She blinked. Well, then. Where had that thought come from? She’d never had romantic feelings for Harper. He’d always been permanently in the back of her mind as just a friend, where it was safe. Sure, those sexy blue eyes always seemed to see too much, and she’d checked out his body before. Who hadn’t? His lean muscles and trim waist with strong thighs would totally appeal to her if she thought of him that way.

  Which she didn’t.

  At all.

  She set down her coffee and stood up. Time to clear her thoughts of Harper’s body and take a shower…and not think of Harper joining her.

  What the hell was wrong with her?

  Three days away from her past life and the work she’d put everything into, and she was already lusting after her poor neighbor?

  Maybe she really was going crazy. She just needed a cat to join her in her lonely house to make the set.

  She quickly showered—and did her best to not think of Harper while in there—then dressed in nice jeans and a blouse, and went downstairs to her kitchen table. This would be her war room. She’d figure out what the hell she was doing with the rest of her life here. Harper had already started by buying self-help books and getting her office supplies organized in nice little piles.

  With a fresh cup of coffee in her hand and her chin held high, Arianna picked up a new notebook and inhaled, the crisp paper smell intoxication to an organization fiend like her. Okay, so at this point, if anyone had been looking in on her, she knew she’d look crazy, but whatever. She needed things that made her happy right then, and office supplies did that.

  Pads of papers, markers, and pens that Harper had bought for her.

  The man knew her inside and out, and that fact started to scare her.

  She quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind. She didn’t have time to worry about men and everything that came with them.

  Arianna had a life to plan.

  The doorbell rang, and she sighed. Thank God for distractions because she had no idea what to do.

  When she opened the door, she froze, not expecting to see who waited there. Not only Harper but also Colleen. Colleen looked a bit tired, but much better than Arianna must look at the moment.

  “Hey, Ari, I was walking over to get your butt off the couch when I saw your friend Colleen here get out of her car,” Harper said as he pushed his way into the house.

  She glared at him before trying to smile at Colleen. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  Colleen raised her eyebrows then looked behind Arianna. She followed Colleen’s gaze to Harper’s ass and held back a grin. Well, he did have a nice ass. And neither one of them should be staring at it.

  “Colleen, snap out of it,” Arianna whispered, though she smiled.

  Her friend shook her head then faced Arianna. “Why did you never bring him to work or one of our lunches?”

  Arianna rolled her eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter, woman. Also, I never brought him to work because he’s Justin’s brother.”

  Colleen’s smile deflated. “Oh.”

  “I’m not like Justin,” Harper said from the kitchen doorway, a slight growl in his voice.

  “Good to know,” Arianna said absently before wincing. “Sorry. I know you aren’t your brother.” Arianna and Colleen made their way into the kitchen, and Arianna brushed by Harper, doing her best not to touch him. She didn’t know what was going on with her right then, but she needed to stop from freaking out more than she already was. She had enough on her plate. “And thank you for all of your supplies. I have no idea how you have everything ready for me already. Honestly, you have your head on way straighter than I do right now.”

  Harper studied her face. “You needed help, and I was able to give it. I know you’d do the same for me if I were where you are. Hell, I was where you are a year ago when I was looking for another company to work for. You helped me get ready to work with Montgomery Inc.. That’s what friends are for.”

  Not knowing what to say, and with an odd emotion clogging her throat, Arianna went to his side and wrapped her arms around his waist. He froze for a moment before returning the hug. “Thank you.”

  “No problem,” he grunted then pulled away.

  Arianna turned back to the table only to see Colleen staring at them with a knowing look on her face.

  “What?” she asked, her voice low, though Harper would have been able to hear her anyway.

  “Oh, nothing. Nothing at all,” her friend answered coyly.

  Arianna didn’t believe her, but it wasn’t like she could question her friend with Harper in the room. “So, what are you two doing here? Not that I don’t enjoy seeing you, because I do, it’s just odd that you’re both here.”

  “Is it?” Harper asked as he put a plate in her hand. “Eat this. You haven’t been eating right even though I put things in your fridge. I let you wallow for three days because you needed to. Now, we can make plans.”

  Irritation boiled through her. She’d needed time to breathe after quitting the
only thing she truly loved. She might trust Harper fully, but she wouldn’t take him making her feel like crap. “Wallow? Jesus, you’re high-handed. Maybe you should go if you’re going to be an ass about it.”

  Harper gave her a look and poured iced tea. “I’m not acting any differently than I usually do. We push each other. That’s how we work. Plus, if you’re going to move on, you need someone in your corner. Or in this case, more than one someone. At least, that’s what I’m gathering by Colleen’s presence.”

  Arianna sat down on the stool and took a bite of her sandwich, knowing Harper was right about the fact that sugar and caffeine weren’t the best things to live off of.

  “Thank you for the food,” Colleen said as she smiled at Harper. “Okay, so why am I here you ask? I’m here for you, of course, Arianna. There’s no way I could just let you leave like that. I waited as long as I could because I know you hate letting me see you down, and I had a few things to handle at King’s, but now, I’m here. For you.”

  Arianna shook her head, a sense of warmth from her friend sliding through her, mixing with the ice that had so long ago taken hold. “I’m not going back. I can’t. You know why.” On her way out the door while she’d been in her haze, Colleen had come to ask what had happened. After Arianna had explained, the other woman had even helped her pack. Not that Arianna had owned many personal things for her desk. Everything had been…fluff. Ice to go with her image and nothing too personal and emotional.

  Who had she become in these past two years?

  “Oh, there’s no way you’re going back,” Colleen said. “In fact, I’m coming with you.”

  Tea went down the wrong pipe, and Arianna choked. Harper came up to her and rubbed her back until the stinging left her eyes. It wasn’t her fault that she leaned into his touch.

  Not at all.

  “You can’t come with me, honey. I’m not going anywhere for you to come with. You’re doing so well at King’s.”

  Colleen shook her head. “No, I was doing well there because you protected me from your father. Even though I told you not to. He’s a freaking tyrant, and we both know it. I don’t want to be there without you. You were the driving force, and I know that anything you do in the future is not only going to be successful, it’s also going to be amazing. So, I want to be part of it. Yes, that’s selfish, but you’ll need me anyway.”

  Arianna couldn’t believe it. Colleen was ready to jump ship and join her in an endeavor she hadn’t even planned yet. Planning weddings and organizing everything having to do with that special day were the only things she knew how to do, but she still didn’t have a full idea.

  “Colleen—”

  “See? You already have an employee,” Harper interrupted. “You’re well on your way.”

  “Exactly,” Colleen agreed. “And then, when I’m able, I’ll buy in as partner, and we’ll go even further.”

  Arianna slammed her hand down on the counter. “Stop it. Stop making plans that I haven’t even thought of. Stop counting on this whole big idea when I don’t even have the idea yet. I haven’t even made a decision as to what I’m doing.”

  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.

  Chapter Four

  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 tal
ked 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.