It Was Always You (Harpers Ridge Book 1)

by Ann Carver

  She laughed and oh, how he loved her laugh. “It was in between songs, so yes, you scared me.”

  Joe sat on the floor next to her. “Got another screwdriver? I’ll help.”

  “I thought you said there was a tool that made this easier?” she asked sliding him a look.

  Tossing his head back, he laughed heartily. “Yes, there is, but I don’t have one with me.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him and shoved a screwdriver toward him. “Well in that case, get busy.”

  They both laughed and began pulling up the rest of the floor. They laughed and talked about old times. He missed that. When Harper had first left, he was mad at her for a long time. Years later, he’d finally wised up and realized she was still finding herself. Unfortunately, he knew she hadn’t, but he was hoping the block house would change all that. She’d been given a new lease on life and he wished nothing but the best for her.

  When the floor was completely peeled up and the pieces taken to the dumpster, they started hauling in the drywall upstairs. Harper helped him hold it in place while he secured it in place with screws. She watched him tape and mud the seams until it was an enclosed room. With the exception of the hole in the roof.

  “When is the electrician coming?” he asked Harper as they closed up the house for the night.

  She sighed. “Tomorrow. Do you think I’m going to have enough money for all of this?” she asked uneasily.

  His heart squeezed. He knew she wanted this house more than anything. It really was giving her the purpose she needed and he was glad to be a part of it.

  “I think you’ll make it, Harper. You’re resourceful and smart, so you can do anything you want.” He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “Besides, you’ve got me.”

  She nudged him in the side. “Full of yourself much?” Then she pulled back from him and looked into his eyes. “Oh, I forgot. I have something for you.”

  It took him by surprise. “You do?”

  “Yes, but let’s wait till we get home,” she said.

  He rolled his eyes dramatically at her. “Sure, get me all excited and then pop my bubble.”

  “It’s not like that,” she said with a giggle. “It’s dark and I’d rather you see it in the light.”

  Joe put his arm around her. “How about I take you out to dinner? We’ll go across the river and find a new place. It’ll be a little adventure.”

  Harper giggled nervously. “Kinda sounds like a date,” she said softly.

  What? A date? No. They’d gone out to eat hundreds of times together. Those had never been dates. But then he heard the words over in his head. It was usually “lets” go out. This time he said, ‘how about I take you out.’ Yeah, it actually sounded a lot like a date.

  “I’m going to be honest, Harper. I don’t know what to say. We’re friends. Have been forever. Do you want it to be a date?” he asked her as he studied her face.

  She chewed on her lower lip and looked lazily away from him so he couldn’t see her eyes. “I’ve never been on a real date,” she said quietly. “I’m not sure what that means.”

  “You know what a date is,” he told her with a chuckle like she was crazy.

  She shrugged her shoulder. “I mean, sure, but I don’t know what it would mean for us.”

  The squeeze to his heart almost dropped him to his knees. How could she have never been taken on a date before? Were all the men she’d been exposed to, assholes? Nobody could take her out, buy her diner, go to a movie and just give her a kiss goodnight without expecting her to sleep with them?

  He took her shoulders in his hands and turned her to face him. Her lips quivered slightly and her eyes evaded his at all costs. Her red hair sailed softly in the light wind and the moon shined in her eyes. She was beautiful.

  “Harper, will you go on a date with me?” he asked her softly

  She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it quickly and nodded.

  Chapter Eleven

  Harper and Joey drove their trucks back to his place where they changed quickly and got back in his truck to go out to dinner. A date. Harper was nervous. She really hadn’t been on a real date like she’d heard about. Whenever a guy had asked her out, it was mostly to the bar for drinks and then to bed. She was also nervous because this was a date with Joey. They’d been friends forever without the worry of a date getting in the way. She didn’t know what he expected in return and she didn’t want to disappoint him.

  “A penny for your thought,” Joey said, chuckling.

  Her fingers fumbled with each other in a nervous fit. Bile began to rise in her throat. She wasn’t sure if she could do this. She looked out the window into the darkness with brief lights of visibility by passing cars.

  She turned quickly toward him and asked, “Do you expect me to sleep with you tonight?”

  Joe’s eyes widened in horror. “What? No!”

  She didn’t think he knew how relieved she felt. He was her best friend. Yes, they’d had sex when they were seventeen, but it wasn’t for love or just the sake of doing it. He was upset and she didn’t know how to make him not be upset other than making him think about something else. Just like she did earlier.

  “I just wanted to be clear on what to expect. You’ll tell me, right?” she asked, still nervously fumbling her fingers together.

  Joey pulled over on the side of the road and faced her. He ran his fingers along the frame of her face and sighed. “Harper, I don’t ever expect anything from you other than you being yourself. I’m not taking you on a date so you’ll sleep with me. It makes me want to kill every guy that’s done that to you. Don’t let the word ‘date’ freak you out. I’m taking you to dinner, paying for it, and hoping we have fun together…that doesn’t mean in bed. Does that make sense?”

  She nodded her head, feeling like an idiot. She just didn’t want to mess things up. Other than that, she was really excited about the date because she could finally say she’d had a proper one. She looked up at him, to find him still gazing at her. “Um, you’ll tell me if I’m supposed to do something though, right?”

  He shook his head and laughed easily. “All you have to do is have fun.”

  It was starting to make sense to her now. “I think I can do that,” she said smiling back at him.

  “Good,” he said then pulled back onto the road.

  Twenty minutes later, they pulled into a restaurant in a small town in Virginia. He’d told her to wait in the car, which she didn’t understand. The parking lot wasn’t crowded, so she didn’t think there would be a wait. Perhaps he wanted to see what type of restaurant it was, but it was clearly a mom and pop restaurant. Then all those thoughts escaped her because he came around the truck and opened the door taking her hand.

  “Um, thanks,” she said still nervous as hell.

  He put his hand to her lower back, which sent chills up her spine. Which was really strange. “If it’s a date, we’re doing it the right way,” he said as he opened the restaurant door for her.

  They were seated at a cozy table in the corner away from the main flow of people. The waiter took their drink orders and walked off. They both picked up the menus, but Harper was sure she was too nervous to eat. She told herself to focus. It was Joey. He’d stuck by her side through all her flaws and she sure had plenty of those.

  The waiter returned with drinks and took their orders. Joey ordered ribs and Harper ordered the first thing her eyes focused on. Waffles.

  “Waffles? You want waffles?” the waiter asked with brows furrowed and raised.

  “Yes?” she said only it sounded more like a question than a statement.

  “Okay,” said the waiter and walked off shaking his head.

  Harper leaned over the table and whispered to Joe. “Am I not supposed to order waffles?”

  He laughed and took her hand. “Harper, relax. We’re the same people we always have been. Look at it this way. The only thing different, is that I’m buying dinner. I don’t expect anything
from you. I just want you to relax and have a good time.”

  It finally made sense to her. A date was just about being themselves and he’d pay for it without expecting sex at the end of the night. She was good with that. But it had been a long time since she’d been with a man, intimately, she was beginning to miss it. Not the monotonous men who only cared about pleasing themselves. There had been some who pleasured her too, but they were few and far between.

  After the waiter returned with their food, Harper asked for buttery syrup and powdered sugar. Once again the waiter walked off shaking his head, but this time she could laugh about it. Her nerves calmed and felt like it always had with Joey. Only this time she was going to order dessert because he was paying.

  Harper was thoroughly enjoying her waffles. She’d sent the waiter back again for strawberries and then again for whipped cream. It was hilarious to watch him think she was nuts.

  “Are you done harassing the waiter, yet?” Joey asked as he polished off his ribs.

  She smiled wide. “It’s so fun. He just doesn’t get me,” she said with laughter.

  “Yeah, he thinks you’re insane and I’m probably your psychologist, trying to acclimate you to the world outside for the first time.” Joey leaned back in his chair and laughed.

  “I’m sure you’re right. Can I order dessert?” she asked feeling like a kid.

  He lifted his hands and spread them wide. “Have whatever you want. Torture the poor man some more.”

  And that’s exactly what Harper did. She ordered chocolate mousse cake with a side of vanilla ice cream. But that wasn’t good enough. She then asked for whipped cream, then strawberries and to top it off, more buttery syrup.

  Joe raised a brow at her. “Are you seriously going to put buttery syrup on that?”

  Instead of answering, she took the syrup and tilted it over the last bite of her cake. She drenched the piece and scooped it up with her spoon and shoved it in her mouth. She closed her mouth and moaned at how delicious it was. “Seriously, someone should make buttery syrup hard candies like the cinnamon ones.”

  “All right, it’s time to get you back to the insane asylum. You’re past your curfew,” Joey said, taking her hand and helping her out of her chair.

  Joey paid for dinner and left the waiter a large tip. He said it was for having to put up with her crazy antics. He was teasing her though. They got in his truck and drove back to Harpers Ridge. He’d asked her if she wanted to get a drink at the Dancing Pony and she agreed, reluctantly. It was how most guys started dates and that only led to one thing, but she refused to think that Joey would do that. After all, they could have done it thousands of times, but it only happened once and that was a long time ago.

  At the Dancing Pony, Joey ordered beers for them as they sat at the bar. Harper’s nerves calmed as the beer went down. A football game was playing on the larger than life television and there were a few people scattered throughout the place.

  They had been talking about a party, when they were in high school when the cops had been called, when the hot bartender, Jax, walked up. “Hey, sweet thing, you’re back,” he said wiping the counter in front of her.

  “Um, yup,” she said hoping she wouldn’t blush, but she totally did.

  “Can I get you another Coke?” he asked with a panty-melting smile.

  “Uh, I’m having beer tonight,” she said lifting the bottle up and swinging it side to side.

  Jax’s eyes widened with his smile. “Woah, you’re really living large tonight, huh?”

  She blushed even more. “Appears that way.”

  “I’ll get you another one. On the house,” he said with a wink and walked away.

  Hello? Earth to Harper and Jax, I’m sitting right here, Joe thought to himself. How could they be flirting with each other, especially when Harper was on a date with him? He fisted his hand wanting nothing more than to punch Jax in the eye.

  “Here you go, sweet thing,” Jax said as he put her beer in front of her. “And here you go, bro,” he said placing a beer in front of Joe. “On the house for you too.”

  “Thanks, man,” Joe said feeling like an ass. Now a days, he’d been feeling like an ass a whole lot. Why all of a sudden has this been happening to him? Then he turned and looked at Harper. It was because of her. He knew he had feelings for her, no matter how hard he tried not to.

  Jax stood in front of him wiping the counters again and then flung the towel over his shoulder. “I hear you’re helping Vinny with a roof job,” he said to him.

  Harper choked on her beer and turned quickly, staring him down. “You’re what?” she spit out.

  Joe winced. “Thanks, Jax, I hadn’t told her yet.”

  Jax shrugged his shoulder with a laugh. “Shouldn’t keep secrets from your woman. It’s a sure-fire way to not get laid,” he said with a smug smile.

  “We’re not together like that,” Harper interjected, giving a narrowing look to Joe.

  Great! The night had been going so well too, he thought. Vinny must have opened his big mouth. He had planned on telling her that he made a deal with Vinny. He was going to work with Vinny to keep crew costs down. The two of them could do it together. It’d take longer, but it would keep costs way down.

  Joe scrubbed a hand over his chin. “I wanted it to be a surprise. Vinny and I are going to do the roof.” He didn’t want to say it would save her money because it was nobody’s business within earshot. He spoke quietly hoping she wouldn’t go off like a firecracker.

  Harper stared him down. “You should have told me,” she said.

  He gave her a weary smile. “That would have ruined the surprise.”

  She seemed to accept it and went back to her beer. He was thanking his lucky stars as he picked up his beer and took a big gulp. He thought for sure she’d freak out on him. Harper wasn’t one to let people do things for her. She was independent with a capital I. Hell, all capital letters.

  When Harper finished her second beer, she gently rested her hand on his leg. He didn’t make a big deal of it. He didn’t want to assume something that wasn’t true. They agreed to leave after the game, which was in three minutes, but everyone knows when it comes to football, three minutes can last twenty.

  He polished off his third beer ten minutes later and Harper still had her hand on his leg. He’d asked her if she wanted another, but she declined. When the game ended, they went back to his apartment.

  “Want to watch some TV? Or are you tired?” he asked as he plopped on the couch.

  “I’m not tired, but I do want to get up on a normal schedule. I’m missing so many daylight hours sleeping in with you. Plus, the electrician is coming tomorrow and I want to be there.”

  Joe stood and pulled Harper in for a hug. He held her a long time and then whispered in her ear. “Thank you for a wonderful date.” He was so close to her, he could smell her floral shampoo. Her skin was soft and it took everything he had not to kiss the sweet spot below her ear.

  She laughed lightly. “I should be thanking you,” she said and then stilled. “Um, do you want to come to bed with me?”

  Yes! He knew she meant for sex, but he wasn’t going there. He’d already made that quite clear, but he knew she was second guessing herself. It pained him to think that’s how her dates probably ended. His gut clenched.

  “Harper, I don’t have sex on the first date,” he lied. He had before, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. It was a lie worth telling if it made her understand how a decent guy treats a first date.

  “Is it because it’s me?” she asked him.

  Yes! But not for the reasons he knew she was thinking. She was most likely thinking he didn’t want to be with her because she’d been with many guys. No, he didn’t want to sleep with her because he was developing feelings for her and he didn’t want to be like the other guys. Assholes.

  He pulled back from her and stooped his head down to look her in the eyes. “Harper, I’m not sleeping with you because you deserve more than just sex. Y
ou deserve to be with someone who loves you and you love him.”

  Her lips moved to one side as she bit the corner of her mouth. “You said you loved me.”

  He sighed. He spoke softly when he said, “Harper, we’re friends, of course I love you.” He thought for a moment thinking how he was going to make her understand. “Do you want to have sex with me because you think you owe me for something?”

  She looked away and nervously shrugged her shoulder.

  “Please look at me, Harper,” he said softly. When she did, he said, “You don’t owe me anything. I do things for you because I want to. We’ve been friends for a long time. I’d do anything for you. Understand?”

  She nodded and gave a small smile. A forced smile.

  “I understand,” she said. “Um, do you kiss on the first date?”

  He wasn’t prepared for that, but he laughed. “Do you want to make your lips happy?”

  She nodded and didn’t wait for him to make the move. She went up on tip toes and put her mouth to his. His hands slid into her hair and gently fisted in it. She tried keeping control of the kiss, but Joe had other plans. He tilted her head so he could deepen the kiss, on his terms. He licked her bottom lip and she opened with a soft whimper. Sweeping inside quickly, she produced a moan which made him smile on her lips.

  When he finally broke the kiss to gain consciousness, from lack of oxygen, he looked down at Harper who still had her eyes closed. Her breasts were rising and falling quickly. He wanted to take her to bed and show her making love was so much better than just sex, but he knew he couldn’t. He would have broken everything he had just told her.

  So instead, he pulled her up and asked her if her lips were happy. She opened her eyes heavily. Satisfied. She licked her bottom lip which resulted in his dick defying him, yet again, today and then she nodded her head.

  “Good night. I’ll be in in a few hours,” he said and watched her go into the bedroom. He looked down at his dick and cursed at it, then went back to the couch to watch television.