It Was Always You (Harpers Ridge Book 1)

by Ann Carver

  “Liar,” Lila interrupted. “She’s shaggin’ him and don’t you dare deny it.”

  Harper choked on her lemonade, but still said nothing.

  Lila made a face at her. “Come on, spill it. So, what’s really going on with you two?”

  She shrugged a shoulder, wishing her friends would drop it. It’s hard to talk about something that you don’t exactly understand yourself.

  “You are sleeping with him though, right?” Lila pressed more. She was relentless.

  Harper glared playfully at her. “And, who do you want to be sleeping with?” she asked her friend and then made it a point to stare at Donovan who wasn’t paying attention at all. Dammit.

  Lila busted out in a loud laugh. “There’s the Harper we remember. I think you and Joe make a great couple.”

  That made Harper smile. “It’s weird, being best friends and then things…change,” she said not wanting to say too much or the wrong thing.

  Even though she’d had sex with Joey, that one time in high school, it wasn’t because they were dating. He’d been hurting and she wanted to do something so he’d hurt a little less. They never talked it about it after that day, so Harper thought he might have regretted it.

  However, that was in the past and people change. She liked the idea of her and Joey being a couple. Her heart fluttered when he was near. Hell, her girly parts fluttered too, but that was lust. When her heart and mind felt differently, it was an experience she’d never had before. And, honestly, sometimes it scared her.

  “Joe’s always been crazy about you,” Lily said, interrupting her thoughts.

  “No,” Harper said, dismissing her notion. “We were just friends in high school.

  Lily shook her head. “You’re kidding, right? How could you not see it?”

  “You must be mistaken,” she said. She would have known, and there was no way Joey saw her for anything more than a friend all those years ago. When she’d left Harpers Ridge, he simply said goodbye and that was it.

  Lily looked at her like she must be joking. “Harper, the boy followed you around like a lost puppy. He had it bad for you.”

  Defiantly disagreeing, she shook her head again. “No way,” she said.

  Lily shook her head. “Be in denial then, but I’m not the only one that will say it,” she said as she sipped her drink.

  It simply couldn’t be true. She would have known if Joey had a thing for her. They were friends and treated each other like friends. Aside from the one night, they’d never shared intimacy back then. Sure, they’d slept in each other’s bed, huddled up against each other, but nothing sexually. They were each other’s rock during an awkward time.

  But then Harper wondered why Joey was her friend. Sure, they both felt awkward and found comfort in each other. The loner two…if that is such a thing. Joey had always stuck by her side. He never tried to change her or tell her what she should or should not do. She tried to think real hard if there was any indication that he’d liked her.

  Nope. They were best friends back then, but now things were different. She knew that Joey considered her to be his girlfriend. She fought it for a while, but as long as he didn’t cram it down her throat, then she was okay with it. It grew on her and she began to actually like it.

  Harper was glad when the subject of her and Joey dropped. They talked about several different things and before too long, the first guests arrived. Tristan and Andy. At the sight of them, Harper saddened. She wished Joey had come.

  “Hey,” Tristan said as he pulled in a deep breath of fresh, mountain air. “It smells great up here.”

  “Don’t you work in the outdoors, like this?” Lila asked full of sass.

  Tristan laughed. “Yup, but it never gets old. Any place in specific Andy and I should pitch our tents?”

  Lila shook her head. “Nope, you get first pick.”

  “Alright, then,” he said as he grabbed the tent from the back of his truck. He walked around for a few minutes before claiming his spot, just off the side of the cabin. “Andy, let’s pitch mine and then we’ll do yours right next to it.”

  Andy nodded and grabbed his tent, then made his way toward Tristan. “You going to snore like a bear?” Andy teased.

  “Just for you, bro,” he teased back.

  It didn’t take long for the brothers to pitch their tents and join the others around the fire. They cracked open a beer and fell into conversation with everyone else.

  Over the next two hours, three more vehicles pulled up and several more tents were pitched. Harper didn’t know the other people. They were either friends of the twins or Donovan. This made Harper pull toward Tristan and Andy, since they seemed to not know the other people as well.

  Harper moved in between Tristan and Andy. Even though it’d been may years, it was easier to talk to them than people she didn’t know. Tristan offered her a beer, but she declined. Andy seemed quieter than normal. But what was normal? She suspected the military had something to do with it. Tristan seemed the same. He’d always been the life of the party, the outgoing one.

  “So, how long have you and little bro been an item?” Tristan asked.

  What is it with everyone asking her that? She shrugged a shoulder. “He’s been good to me,” she said by way of an answer, even though it wasn’t remotely toward the question he asked.

  Tristan picked up on it easily. “He’s happy,” he said, then took a gulp of his beer. “It’s nice to see him like that.”

  “You think so?” Harper asked hopeful.

  “I know so,” he said being all serious. “You both had a rough childhood. It’s good to see you guys back together.”

  Her eyes widened. “We were never together when we were kids,” she said.

  He looked at her and grinned. “You should have been.”

  Harper didn’t respond. How was it that Lila and Lily said something relatively the same to what Tristan was saying? Had she really missed signals that were obviously clear to other people?

  Maybe she did need a beer. She didn’t want to think about it now. It would drive her crazy and make her miss Joey even more. So, she asked for a beer and Tristan happily retrieved one from the cooler for her.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Joe didn’t sleep well at all. He missed Harper cuddled up next to him and just the thought that she wasn’t going to be there for the next few days, was dreadful. After tossing and turning for half an hour, he finally shrugged the blankets off and went to the hardware store to check on his grandpa.

  “What are you doing here, boy?” his grandpa asked when he saw him.

  Joe scrubbed his hand over his face, hoping it would wake him up. “Came to help out,” he said.

  His grandpa raised a brow at him. “Why didn’t you go rafting with your brothers and that feisty red-head?” he asked and then smiled.

  “I have to work, Grandpa,” he told him as he put his work apron on.

  “Oh, you working at the station tonight? If so, then you shouldn’t be here now. Go home and get some rest,” his grandpa demanded of him.

  Joe was beginning to get the feeling that his grandpa didn’t like him hanging around anymore. He wasn’t sure why, but he was certainly going to find out. “I don’t work at the station tonight. Not until tomorrow. And, I just woke up, so I wanted to come help out.”

  His grandpa mumbled something that he couldn’t understand, but he let him walk away anyways. He was too tired to argue with him and he didn’t want to argue anyways. He’d tried going back to sleep, but Harper filled his thoughts and made it impossible.

  A couple of hours later, Dylan called and said all the guys were getting together for some basketball. Joe told him he was in and then told his grandpa he’d stop back in the next day before work.

  “Don’t worry about it,” his grandpa said.

  Joe sighed. “Grandpa, do you not want me around anymore?”

  His grandpa’s face dropped in hurt. “No, son,” he said quietly. “You have a life. A job and
now a pretty lady who needs your time. I know you’re here to babysit me, but I don’t need it. I could run this store from the grave.”

  “Grandpa, don’t say that,” Joe said sadly.

  The old man shook his head. “I don’t mean nothing by it. I’m just saying, when I need help, I’ll ask. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed having you around, but now you have more things that need your time and I’m not one of them…yet. Live a little, Joey. Have fun.”

  The words made sense, but he’d been such a big part of the hardware store for so long that It’d be weird to let it go now. He knew his grandpa meant what he said and there’d be no talking him out of it, so Joe didn’t. Instead, he hugged him and told him he’d stop in soon just to say hi.

  It made his grandpa the happiest he’d seen him in a long time. His grandpa gave him a big, toothy smile and whistled as he went off to work. Joe knew he’d be okay.

  Joe met up with the guys and pounded the pavement hard for a solid hour. He made it a point not to punch anyone, either. When the sweat was pouring off him, and water was calling, they all took a break.

  Bobby approached Joe, cautiously. “Things good?” he asked.

  Joe nodded. “Yeah, sorry about…before,” he said, not really wanting to relive it.

  “No worries, man. I get it…talking about your girl was wrong,” he said.

  Yeah, it really was, but he was going to leave it where it was. They’d been friends for a long time and both had been out of line.

  “So, where is she? Working on her house?” Bobby asked.

  Dylan came up and grabbed the water from Joe. “No, she’s on a rafting trip,” Dylan answered for him.

  “Hey,” Joe said, reaching for his water, to no avail.

  Bobby raised a brow to Joe. “Why didn’t you go? You like rafting.”

  Joe shrugged a shoulder. “I have to work.”

  Bobby laughed. “Dude, I wouldn’t be letting my girl go rafting with a bunch of people. Hell no, not with all the guys and drinking, that’s sure to be going on.”

  Dylan elbowed Bobby. When he realized what Dylan elbowed him for, he added, “Uh, I mean, it’ll be okay.”

  Joe tried real hard not to think about it, but it was impossible. He’d thought about it from the moment Harper told him about the trip. And to make things worse, his brothers were up there and he wasn’t.

  He looked toward the setting sun. He could make it to the campsite in a couple of hours if he left right now. Harper and him could share a tent and keep each other warm all night. If he showed up, would she think he didn’t trust her? Would she be mad? Would she want him there?

  “Go,” Dylan said to him.

  “What?” he asked, uncertain what he was talking about.

  Dylan laughed. “Go to the campground. I see you thinking it in your head.”

  “Stop getting in my head,” he chuckled.

  “It’s obvious you love her. Go on, go see her.”

  Joe looked at Dylan for a moment. He was in awe at his friend that he could read him so easily. Dylan had always been a good friend and was wise. He trusted his judgement and decided to do exactly what he said.

  “I can be there in a couple of hours. It’ll be dark, but she’d be surprised. And, I could easily make it back in time for work tomorrow.”

  “Then why are you still standing here?” Dylan asked with another laugh.

  “I’m not,” Joe said and then said goodbye to everyone as he jogged to his truck.

  The ride to the apartment was quick and he was thankful he didn’t live too far from the courts. He took the steps two at a time and barely had his clothes off before he hopped in the shower and washed in record time. After dressing, he found an old tent in his storage room and he was on the highway with a goofy grin on his face.

  Harper had put away a few beers and was starting to loosen up a bit. She still wasn’t talking with the new folks, but she was engaging in lengthy conversations with Tristan and Andy. She could listen to their stories for hours. It was way better than any story she had to tell.

  As a blanket of darkness took over their surroundings, things got interesting. Some friends of Donovan’s brought out a small folding table with strange markings on it. Harper heard someone call out, “beer pong,” and something about shots.

  Lila came up and grabbed Harper by the hand. “Come on, let’s play for shots,” she said as she practically dragged her to the table.

  “Uh, I don’t know,” Harper said. She certainly didn’t want to mix beer and liquor and quite honestly, she didn’t want to drink a lot, anyways.

  “Just a couple,” Lila pleaded with her.

  Harper looked at her friend, then the table, and then back to her friend.

  “Two. That’s it,” Lila begged.

  “Uh, okay,” Harper agreed, reluctantly.

  Harper cursed herself for falling to peer pressure. Just a couple of years ago, she’d have been the one dragging people to the drinking games. She’d have been the one begging other people to play along.

  Wow, how things have changed.

  The game was nothing spectacular. Teams were set up at opposite sides of the table. You had to bounce a ping pong ball on the table and into a cup on the other side of the table. If you succeeded, the other team had to drink.

  Harper had seen many variations of this game. Each person had their own rendition on technique and rules, but all in all, it was the same. You drink.

  Since it’d been over a year since Harper partook in any type of drinking game, she was rusty. She missed many, many times before she actually made the ball into the cup. By the time she actually did, she was practically seeing double.

  Two shots had turned into several because after three beers and two shots, who the hell was counting? Harper wasn’t even sure what came after three beers and two shots. Ten?

  It didn’t matter. She was having fun, even though she was losing miserably at the game. Tristan and Andy had joined in and the games continued for a while.

  When the beer pong game was over, the men took to arm wrestling while the woman cheered on their significant other or the one they were hoping to get lucky with.

  Harper cheered on Tristan and Andy, but she had no intention of getting lucky with them. Even in her drunken state, she knew her heart belonged to Joey. Now that she suspected she knew what love felt like, she was happy it was with Joey.

  When the arm wrestling phased out, some couples made their way to bed. Assumedly not to sleep though. Harper said good night to Tristan and Andy and made her way into the cabin.

  When Harper walked into the cabin, she heard some strange sounds. She glanced over at Lila’s bed and while she wasn’t on the top bunk, Donovan had an extra person in his. Then she heard sounds coming from her bunk. She was pretty sure she wasn’t seeing double, but in fact, she was seeing two people romping around under the blankets.

  There was no way she was climbing on her bunk while Lily was shagging some guy underneath. Not to mention that she didn’t want to be in the room at all while anyone was shagging.

  So, as quickly as she entered the cabin, she exited the cabin. She carefully closed the door behind her and looked around for a place to either hold up until they were done or to fall asleep for the night.

  “Thought you were going to bed,” Tristan asked as he came into the light of the fire from the darkness.

  Harper turned and gazed back at the cabin door. “Uh, I was…um,” she said but didn’t know exactly what to say.

  “Um, what?” Tristan looked at the cabin door and then back at her. “Do you have to go to the bathroom?”

  She shook her head as she looked around. Everyone had vacated from around the fire pit. They’d all tucked away to bed for the night. Which meant she’d be sitting out under the stars by herself.

  “No,” she finally said as she pointed behind her with her thumb. “Lila and Lily…are…busy,” she stuttered both from the alcohol and not knowing what to say.

  Tristan laughe
d. “They’re busy, or they’re getting busy?”

  Harper only nodded.

  “And, now you don’t have a place to sleep,” he said in a statement rather than a question.

  Harper nodded again.

  With a billowy laugh, he bent low and picked Harper up and hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It caught her off guard and she grabbed his butt for dear life because she thought she was going all the way over him.

  “Tristan,” she shrieked when she finally found the humor in it.

  “Come on, you can sleep in my tent. There’s plenty of room,” he said as he carried her into the darkness.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Joe parked at the entrance of the campground since the gate was already closed for the night. He hopped out and grabbed his bag, flinging it over his shoulder and then grabbing the tent. It wasn’t a large campground, so he’d be able to find Harper by finding Tristan’s truck.

  Twenty minutes later, he came into sight of a dying fire and what he thought was Tristan’s truck. He heard someone shriek. Not just anyone, Harper. He dropped everything and ran toward the sound until he saw Harper.

  She was hoisted over Tristan’s shoulder, laughing. Tristan was laughing too. They looked like a playful couple. Even more so when he carried her to his tent and they went inside.

  Joe closed his mouth that had fallen open. He dropped his head and retrieved the things he dropped with a great sadness in his heart. How could Harper do this to him? Again. She hadn’t changed and Joe cursed himself for thinking that she did.

  The ride home was long. Even though his heart hurt, he was mad. Mad at Harper. Mad at Tristan. And, mad at himself. How could he have been so stupid to fall for her again? The first time Harper had slept with Tristan, Joe wasn’t mad at him. After all, they weren’t together. But this time, they were together and Tristan knew it.

  When he reached his apartment, he fell to the couch with a big headache. Needing to think of something else, he turned on the television. However, when Animal Planet came on, he clicked it off. Harper loved that show.