“I saw it first,” Zander growled, jerking the menu away and pinning Harper with a dark look.
“What’s going on here?” Jason asked, taken aback as he carried mugs of something that smelled delicious toward the table.
“What is that?” Harper asked, leaning forward. “It smells heavenly.”
“Pumpkin coffee delight.” Jason beamed at her, his smile slipping after a moment’s contemplation. “You look tired.”
“Oh, geez.” Harper rolled her eyes as Zander cackled delightedly and studied the specials menu. “Do I have a neon sign over my head flashing ‘didn’t get enough sleep last night’ or something? What is it with you people saying I look tired? Don’t you know that’s an insult?”
Jason shrugged as he placed the pumpkin coffee on the table. “You look tired. I can’t help but worry about you. I’m still hoping you’re going to give up your cop and come running back to me.”
“I thought we agreed you were going to stop flirting with my woman,” Jared said, taking Jason by surprise when he appeared at his left side and slid around the gregarious restaurant owner so he could take his rightful spot next to Harper. “Hey, Heart. How are you feeling?” He slid a strand of her hair behind her ear as he studied her face. “Did you sleep at all?”
Harper let loose an exaggerated sigh as she rolled her eyes. “Apparently I should be walking around with a bag over my head.”
“That’s not what I said and you know it,” Jared said. “You look tired, though, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. I thought you were going to nap.”
“No, I said I would relax. We watched horror movies all morning, per your instructions, and lounged around and did nothing else.”
“Right.” Jared gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before wrinkling his nose and inhaling deeply. “What is that?”
“Oh, now you’re interested,” Jason drawled. He had something of a combative relationship with Jared since he returned to town with hopes of rekindling an old high school romance with Harper. Since Jared was already firmly entrenched in her life, that didn’t happen. That didn’t mean they didn’t poke and prod one another on a regular basis when the mood struck. “It’s my own personal experiment. I call it pumpkin delight.”
“Well, it smells delightful,” Jared drawled as he slid out of his coat and draped his arm over Harper’s shoulders. “Lay it on me.”
“Whatever.” Jason made a face but disappeared to do Jared’s bidding.
“How are you really?” Jared asked, tipping Harper’s chin so he could better see her face. “You’re awfully pale.”
Harper slapped away Jared’s hand when he moved to trace the dark circles under her eyes. “I’m not sick. Stop treating me like I’m fragile because I’m not fragile. I’m not suddenly going to break because I had one restless night.”
“Fine. You’re not fragile.” Jared held up his hands in mock defeat as Jason returned with his pumpkin delight. “Come to papa.” Jared grinned as he accepted the mug and sipped. “Wow. That really is delightful. If you weren’t constantly hitting on my woman I might spend more time with you just so I could drink this.”
Harper cocked an eyebrow. “You know I hate it when you refer to me as your woman, right?”
Jared nodded. “It’s man thing, Heart. I can’t stop myself. You’ll have to learn to live with it.”
“That’s why you should paint your kitchen pink,” Zander offered helpfully. “You could teach him a lesson about thinking of you as property while creating a warm environment to cook all his meals in once you guys are living in domestic bliss.”
Jared blinked several times in rapid succession. “What did you just say?”
“Ignore him.” Harper patted his wrist. “I’m not going to paint our new kitchen pink. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“What new kitchen?” Jason asked, shifting from one foot to the other so he could study faces. “I think I’m behind a little bit.”
Zander’s face lit with glee when he realized Jason wasn’t up on the gossip. He had a rather dour relationship with Jason, too, although it was improving. “Oh, you haven’t heard, huh?”
Jason’s face was blank. “Heard what?”
“Harper and Jared are moving in together.” It took everything Zander had to not tip his hand and show Jason his glee. “They are officially going to be homeowners together in a few weeks.”
“Technically we’re already homeowners together now,” Jared pointed out. “We closed quickly because Carol wanted to unload the house. We’re simply not moving in for a few weeks.”
“Which means I still have a shot of convincing you to paint the house pink,” Zander mused.
“We’re not painting anything pink!” Jared snapped.
“Actually, I thought we might paint that tiny bathroom off the mudroom pink,” Harper hedged. “It’s small and pink will brighten up the space. If you don’t like that idea, though, we can go with something else.”
Jared faltered. He wanted Harper to have what she wanted and he doubted very much he would ever use that bathroom. Of course, he also didn’t want Zander to think he’d won. “Um … .”
“Think about it.” Harper patted Jared’s knee. “So, I want some of that pumpkin soup you mentioned over the phone, Jason. I also want a grilled cheese and a salad. Apparently I need to eat more vegetables so people will stop telling me I look tired.”
Jason barely absorbed Harper’s order because he was too busy staring at Jared. “You guys are moving in together?”
Jared met Jason’s gaze with an even one of his own. “We are. We bought the house across the road so Harper can still be close to Zander and I won’t have to worry about her being alone and bored on nights I have to work late.”
“We also have more riverfront land,” Harper added. “We’re going to put up a new hammock and everything.”
Jared’s grin was lazy. “We’re definitely doing that. I can’t wait until we can hammock again.”
Jason was lost in thought. “You know the word hammock isn’t a verb, right?”
“It is the way we do it.” Jared studied Jason’s face for a long beat. Even though he was annoyed when the man first returned to town they’d come to something of an uneasy truce. Jason promised to respect Harper’s relationship with Jared. In return, Jared promised to stop gracing Jason with threatening glares. It was an uneasy truce but a truce all the same.
“I can’t believe you guys are moving in together.” Jason exhaled heavily as he sat in the nearest chair at an empty table across the aisle. “This sucks.”
“Well, thank you so much for that,” Jared deadpanned. “I thought it was a fun way for us to get some privacy and still keep Harper close to Zander. It was the perfect solution for everybody involved.”
“Even though they won’t let me pick paint colors,” Zander groused.
“And that’s not going to change,” Jared fired back. “This is Harper’s house. She gets to pick paint colors.”
“Don’t you want to pick them with me?” Harper queried.
Jared shrugged. “I want you to be happy. If you want to pick the paint colors, I’m fine with that. Just … no pink. I’m also not a big fan of orange.”
“Duly noted.” Harper traced Jared’s fingers as she watched Jason for signs of life. He seemed lost in thought. “Are you going to be trapped in your own head over there for a long time? I really wanted some of that pumpkin soup.”
“I’m not trapped in my head.” Jason recovered quickly. “I just … I can’t believe you’re moving in together. I guess that means I really don’t have a shot, huh?”
Jared narrowed his eyes. “I thought we agreed that was the case months ago. Are you telling me you thought you had a shot with Harper despite that long conversation we had?”
“I thought as long as she didn’t have a ring on her finger there was a chance you guys might break up, which would allow me to swoop in.” Jason opted for honesty. “I guess that’s not the case, though.�
��
“Oh, they’re not getting married,” Zander countered. “They’re just living in sin.”
“You’re not getting married?” Jason furrowed his brow. “How come?”
The question caught Jared off guard. “I … you … what?”
“Why aren’t you getting married?” Jason repeated. “I would think that’s the natural next step for you guys, even before you share a roof.”
“Um … .” Harper’s cheeks burned under Jason’s scrutiny. She hadn’t given marriage much thought when Jared suggested moving in together. It didn’t seem necessary. Now, in the face of Jason’s simple query, she didn’t have an answer and that made her feel conflicted. “I … don’t know. He didn’t ask. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s not a big deal?” Jason’s eyebrows migrated north on his forehead. “How come it’s not a big deal?” He turned to Jared. “How come you don’t want to marry her?”
“Yeah. How come you don’t want to marry her?” Zander echoed. “I didn’t really think about it all that much when you started talking about moving, but marriage would make sense. You guys have been together for months now.”
Jared’s mouth went dry. “Who wants to hear about the information I got from Colin Thompson this morning? Anyone? It’s good information.”
“I want to know why you didn’t propose to Harper,” Zander pressed. “Do you think she’s not good enough to propose to or something? I’ll have you know, you would be lucky to be married to a woman like her. I mean … how can you not think she’s good enough to marry?”
Jared was completely and totally flabbergasted. He had no idea how the conversation had taken such a turn – and he wasn’t comfortable with it in the least. He was determined to get it back on track. “Let’s talk about Colin.”
“I would totally marry you, Harper,” Jason offered. “There’s still time to make the right choice.”
“Knock that off,” Jared hissed, extending a warning finger as his composure broke. “We’re going to get married so just … back off.”
“We’re getting married?” Harper couldn’t hide her surprise. “When did that happen?”
“It hasn’t happened yet,” Jared replied.
“But it’s going to happen soon?” Zander pressed.
“It’s going to happen when it’s the right time,” Jared gritted out, his frustration threatening to overwhelm him. “Listen, moving in together was something I entertained in the back of my mind until the house became available. It was something that I thought was still a bit down the line because I knew Harper wasn’t ready to leave Zander.
“Then the perfect house opened up and I jumped on it,” he continued. “That house solved so many problems. It was as if it was meant to be.”
“That’s great about the house,” Jason intoned. “What about marrying Harper, though? I would think that would go hand in hand.”
Jared scowled. “I cannot believe I’m having this conversation with an audience,” he muttered.
“You don’t need to explain yourself.” Harper’s lips curved as she patted his hand. “There’s no reason to get upset. You’re not ready to get married. I’m okay with that.”
“You are?”
“I think things are good between us and I’m happy,” Harper replied without hesitation. “There’s no need to push yourself to do something you’re not ready to do simply because we’re moving in together.
“You’re right about that house being perfect for us,” she continued. “I knew that our living arrangements couldn’t stay the same if I expected everyone to remain happy … and there was a very real chance you and Shawn would end up unhappy if something wasn’t done.
“I’m not going to lie. I was worried about that,” Harper said. “Then the house opened up and you came up with the perfect solution. I don’t need to be married on top of that. I have everything I want right now. It’s fine.”
Jared stared into the fathomless depths of her eyes and made a tsking sound in the back of his throat. “Heart, I hate it that you just said that.”
Harper couldn’t hide her mirth. “Would you rather that I be angry and snap at you?”
Jared nodded. “Yeah.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Truth be told, I didn’t really think about marriage when I landed on the idea of buying the house. Once I realized it was going to be up for sale, that’s all I could focus on until the deed was done.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me.”
“No, I think I do. I just wish I didn’t have to do it in front of these two pains in my behind.” Jared raised his hand so he could block Zander’s keen stare. “As for marriage, we haven’t even been dating for a year yet. I do see that happening for us, but I haven’t planned anything yet. I don’t want to lie and say that I have.”
“I’m not expecting a proposal.” Harper was firm. “If you never propose … well … I would rather be happy.”
“See, I wish you would be more demanding sometimes. You’re too easy to get along with on that front.” Jared shifted on the booth seat to get more comfortable. “I see marriage in our future. I just haven’t had a chance to give it a lot of thought, and I don’t see that changing until after we’re moved in and settled.
“The thing is, I want to give you everything that I possibly can because you deserve it and I’m just now realizing that perhaps I went about things a little backward,” he continued. “I didn’t want to miss that house and I let it cloud things a bit. I’m sorry about that.”
“I’m not.” Harper was earnest. “We’re okay. You don’t have to apologize.”
”I know that. I just want you to know that I’m not discarding marriage. I am going to get us there, after we paint the new house … and move in to the new house … and celebrate our first Christmas together … and make sure you’re safe from whoever is out there trying to hurt people.”
Harper grinned. “I know. It’s okay.”
“It’s not, but I’ll get us there.” Jared refused to back down. “I want it to be special … and a surprise. I want it to be a story you can tell forever. I also don’t want these two idiots to be a part of it.”
Harper barked out a laugh, genuinely amused. “It’s okay. We have plenty of time. I want to focus on the move and Christmas, too. I swear I’m not upset about this.”
“Good.” Jared was relieved. “I’m glad.”
“These two are going to keep torturing you now that they know they can, though.” Harper’s smile was rueful. “Sorry.”
“We’re definitely going to torture you,” Zander agreed.
“Yeah.” Jason bobbed his head. “I’m mostly excited that I still have a shot, though. That’s the thing I want to focus on.”
“You don’t still have a shot,” Jared snapped. “Not even a little shot.”
“We’ll see.”
“Ugh.”
Harper chuckled as she squeezed Jared’s knee under the table. “You were going to tell us something about Colin Thompson before we got distracted. How about you focus on that?”
“Yeah,” Zander agreed, turning serious. “He’s not our murderer, is he?”
“No.” Jared turned somber. “He did have a very interesting story about Maggie trying to arrange a bank heist, though.”
Now it was Harper’s turn to be flabbergasted. “What?”
“Yeah. It seems we have a break in our case. Sit back with your pumpkin delight and I’ll tell you all about it.”
16
Sixteen
Jared remained slightly unnerved throughout lunch and he was lost in his own head as he helped Harper into her hoodie when they were ready to leave.
“Are you in there?” Harper snapped her fingers in Jared’s face to get his attention, causing him to jolt.
Jared forced his eyes to Harper’s placid features. “What? Did you say something, Heart?”
Harper offered him a lopsided grin. “Where were you just now?”
“I was … thinking about you.” That w
asn’t a lie, Jared rationalized. He really had been thinking about her. “You’re not upset, are you?”
Harper’s eyebrows hopped. “Upset about what?”
“All of it. Everything Jason and Zander said. I mean … do we need to talk about this further?”
“Oh, that.” Harper relaxed a bit. “I’m not upset about that. You don’t need to worry about that.”
She was so easygoing Jared had trouble believing she was telling the truth. “But it would be normal for you to be upset about that.”
“Maybe I’m not normal.”
“You’re definitely not normal,” Jared agreed. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have feelings and I want to make sure we’re okay.”
Harper’s smile was so sunny and serene it was impossible for Jared not to return it.
“I’m fine, Jared. You’re the one who let them work you up. There’s no reason for it. I’m excited about how things are now and I’m looking forward to what comes in the future. I’m a big proponent of believing that things work out how they’re supposed to work out.”
Jared wasn’t sure he believed it was that easy when feelings and emotions were involved, but he decided to let it pass … for now. “I just want us to be okay.” He leaned forward and graced her with a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. “What do you plan on doing with the rest of your day?”
“Oh, that was a sneaky way to switch things around,” Harper teased. “As for the rest of the day, I thought Zander and I would make a stop at the Standish barn and help Ezra pass over. Then I thought we would play it by ear.”
Jared wasn’t thrilled with the news. “Do you have to go to the barn? I mean, as far as we know that’s the last place Maggie was seen alive. It might not be safe.”
Harper snorted. “I’m fairly certain I know how to take care of myself. You don’t have to worry about that. As for the barn being safe, I don’t think that’s a concern. If Maggie was taken from there, it was at night and she was lured during a party. I won’t have either of those things working against me today.”
Jared brightened considerably. “Good point. I still want you to be safe.”
“I have every intention of being safe.” Harper meant it. “What are you going to do with your afternoon?”
Ghostly Distress (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 9) Page 14