“What could go wrong with that?” Harper scrunched up his nose as if he were imagining the long list of things that could go wrong with my plan.
“Exactly. Is the invitation to get food still a possibility?”
“Always.” He laced his fingers with mine when I stepped next to him.
Was it too soon to be in love? Because on a scale of one to ten, my hero was a five hundred and three.
After dinner as I tried to unlock the door, Harper tapped my head with the leopard tail. “You can’t forget this. I know I won’t.”
I spun around before opening the door. “Who knew about what happened?”
He rested his hands on the doorframe and leaned closer to me. “I decided not to mention it when I met everyone at dinner that night. It sounded too crazy to be true. A woman throwing her arms around me and calling me a hero? Who would’ve believed it? I did tell Eli about it. How else was I supposed to explain why I was bringing home a tail?”
“I saw you jogging the day before the party. I’m almost sure it was you.”
“And you didn’t chase me?”
“Apparently it’s bad form to park at a stop sign and run down the street.”
Chuckling, he closed the distance between us and kissed me. This kiss would definitely mess up my lipstick.
“Goodnight, Cami.”
“Thank you for coming back.”
He smiled. “Anytime you need a milkshake, you know who to call.”
I leaned on the door as he walked to his truck. The throbbing in my cheek had subsided, but now my heart felt like it might explode.
My phone started buzzing when I walked inside. Expecting the worst, I checked my messages. It wasn’t Daddy. Tessa and Delaney wanted the full scoop.
I sent off a message to both of them. Video chat or should we meet somewhere?
Tessa replied first. I’m putting cookies in the oven now. Come on over.
I grabbed my purse and ran out the door but stopped and sent another text. I have a bruise. Don’t be alarmed. Will explain.
The last thing I needed was them thinking Harper had hit me. He was the one who’d saved me from being reset like a bowling pin. It wasn’t as if I was that close to getting caught in the machine, but he still steered me away from it.
And after that last kiss, I was more determined than ever to ward off the wild raccoons that wanted to drag me back home.
Chapter 7
Last night I’d told my friends all about how great Harper was . . . and about the phone call and text that almost ruined my whole date.
Tessa and Delaney both agreed that Harper was a keeper. Sadly, they had no advice to offer about the parental situation.
And now, I would get to update Haley and Nacha.
At my desk a few minutes early, I was there to greet them both when they walked in.
Haley’s eyes widened, and Nacha gasped.
The bruise.
“First of all, this”—I motioned to my face—“wasn’t Harper’s fault.”
Haley shook her head. “I didn’t think it was. But now I’m really curious how Harper came up in this conversation.”
That was when my brain caught up. “Didn’t I mention we went out yesterday?”
“I haven’t seen you since you left my house. I mean, I’m not at all surprised you went out, but you still haven’t said how you ended up with that nasty bruise.” Nacha rubbed her stomach, then pulled a sleeve of saltines out of her purse.
“Bowling. It’s best to let go of the ball when you throw it down the lane. Staying attached is not recommended.”
“Ouch.” Haley set her purse in a chair. “How did the date go otherwise?”
“Harper is pretty much awesomeness with extra muscles.”
Nacha wiped cracker crumbs off her mouth. “And now you can tell us how you first met him. From your reaction to him, it must’ve been quite a story.”
“When I was walking back to my car in the leopard suit after that photo shoot, there was someone following me.”
“I knew we should have walked with you.” Haley shook her head.
“Well, I saw Harper near the parking lot and hugged him and whispered that I was being followed. He acted like we were old friends and that he was happy to see me.”
“I bet he was very happy to see you.” Haley laughed.
“Turns out the guy following me was only trying to return my tail. It had fallen out of my purse.”
Nacha spit cracker crumbs all over the floor, then covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
“Yeah. Then I bolted.”
“You left Harper standing there?” Haley laughed.
“I did, but I left my tail. Anyway, by the next morning, I greatly regretted leaving, but I had no idea where to find my green-eyed hero. Then fate took over.”
Haley rolled her eyes. “I’m glad you found him.”
“Me too.”
“I’ve got to get some work done.” Nacha headed into her office.
“Ditto.” Haley picked up her purse. “We can only hope it’s quiet today.”
I stared out the window as a firetruck pulled into the lot. Guys piled out, probably headed for the doughnut shop.
Harper stopped outside the studio and winked.
I blew him a kiss, then waved.
It was weird to be so happy and on the brink of being completely and totally broke.
Trying to focus on work, I answered the phone and scheduled another session in the heat of summer.
As soon as I hung up, Haley slapped money onto the desk. “Would you mind running next door and getting me coffee? Pretty please.”
With the money in my fist, I ran toward the door. “Be back in a bit.”
Laughter echoed behind me as I darted outside.
When I walked into the doughnut shop, I scanned the group of firemen. No Harper. Then I looked at all the tables. Where was he?
An arm circled my waist. “I texted your boss and told her that she needed to send you for coffee.”
“So you orchestrated this meeting.” I spun to face him.
“I wanted to see you.” He nodded toward the counter. “What would you like?”
“A chocolate covered one with sprinkles.” I was gaining an even deeper appreciation for small towns.
When the other guys finished ordering, Harper stepped up to the counter and told Tessa what we wanted.
Standing just behind him, I waved at Tessa. At this point, it was unlikely she hadn’t figured out who he was. In fact, she probably saw him in here all the time. It was a wonder I hadn’t met Harper weeks ago.
She grinned.
When Harper had his order, he handed me a coffee and my doughnut. “For Haley. Give her my thanks. Want to sit for a minute?”
“I should get back over there, but it was nice bumping into you.” I nudged his shoulder with mine.
He pushed open the door. “I’ll walk with you.”
I stopped outside the studio, feeling guilty that I’d ever laughed at Nacha and Haley for kissing their husbands on the sidewalk. Now, I understood and was hoping Harper would give the ladies a reason to poke fun at me.
My fireman didn’t disappoint.
When he leaned down, holding a coffee cup in one hand and a doughnut in the other, I slipped my arms around his neck, trying not to spill hot coffee down his back. His lips danced against mine a minute before he pulled away. “Unless tonight is crazy, I’ll call you later.”
“Can’t wait.” I opened the door. “I hope I didn’t get chocolate in your hair.”
“I’m sure the guys will tell me if you did.” He stole one more peck before I walked back inside.
I set the cup on Haley’s desk. “Thanks.”
She laughed. “Was I supposed to say no? Someone seems smitten, and I don’t mean you.”
“I hope so. I should probably be more sensible about this, but whenever he’s near me, I feel like I’m about to melt.”
“I know the feeling. With Zach it was the same wa
y.” She reached for her camera bag and coffee. “I’m headed out to do a shoot. If I need to cover Nacha’s afternoon shoot, text me. I don’t think she’s feeling great.”
“Wait! Let me snap a picture. That’s a great shot to let people know you are off on a shoot. Have you thought about doing short videos about taking better photos?”
“Still thinking about it. Call or text if you need me.”
“I will.” I dropped into my chair and broke my doughnut in half. Taking alternating bites out of each half, I kept the pieces approximately even in size until one half disappeared completely. Then I got back to work.
After an hour, I’d finished all my tasks, and the phone was quiet. While Nacha was squirreled away in her office, I scanned the Want Ads. Maybe I’d find something I could do part time.
Chapter 8
Sitting on my bed, I poured dressing on my salad. I deserved a medal. I’d been off work for almost an hour, and I hadn’t gone to the fire station.
Eating takeout wasn’t saving me any money, but without a kitchen, I didn’t have a lot of choices. My easy go-to meal was a salad. I stocked my minifridge with healthy stuff. Yay me!
I hadn’t given much thought to how to respond to my daddy. He was probably getting antsy. How could I stand up for myself without ruining everything? They were my parents. As much as I joked about the money, the real issue wasn’t getting cut off financially.
I wanted them to be proud of their only daughter, but the person they wanted me to be wasn’t me. And I had no idea how to tell them that without seeing disappointment on their faces.
My phone buzzed, and I scattered salad everywhere when I lunged to grab it.
“Hello?” My excitement about talking to Harper washed away when I heard my mom’s voice.
“Hi, sweetheart. Your father and I are in San Antonio. Where should we meet you?”
“Um, you’re where?”
“We’re not quite to downtown right now. Send me an address for a restaurant. Hurry.”
“Okay.” My brain blanked out, and my stomach churned. “Let me hang up and get the address.”
I didn’t want them anywhere near where I lived. They didn’t know that part of my situation.
After texting Mom the address of a restaurant in San Antonio, I tossed my salad into the trash and pulled on my shoes.
Maybe I’d think of a great idea while I was driving into town. Not likely.
They beat me to the restaurant. I’m not sure why that mattered, but now it felt like their turf.
When I walked inside, I didn’t miss the determination on Daddy’s face. He was the wild raccoon. But I was not going home.
Faking a smile—a skill I’d mastered growing up—I hugged each of them. “This is a surprise.”
Mom slapped a hand to her chest. “Your face. Who hit you?”
Anger flashed in Daddy’s eyes.
I put my hands up in front of me, hoping that gesture would calm them down. Did that ever work? “No one hit me. I fell when I went bowling.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you dating someone new?”
This was absolutely not the time to answer that question. “Daddy, I fell. Honest.”
Mom trailed a finger over the bruise. “I might have a better concealer in my purse.”
“It’s fine, Mom.” I pulled my face away from her hand.
Daddy alerted the hostess that we were ready to be seated, then turned his focus back to me. “You never answered my text.”
“About that—”
He held up a finger. “We’re not going to discuss it standing here.”
Then why bring it up when we were standing here? I hated his control tactics.
Mom smiled. “How was work today?”
“Good.” And I hated the play-nice game.
The hostess shot me a look of pity. “Right this way.”
I followed my parents to the table and took a seat across from Daddy.
The waiter hurried up to the table before we’d opened the menus. “What can I get y’all to drink?”
“I’ll have a Topo Chico with lime.”
Mom furrowed her brow. “Water with lemon.”
Daddy didn’t even look at the poor guy. “Same and a black coffee.”
I flashed the man an extra smile. He’d drawn the short straw tonight. My parents would not be happy customers.
Once the drinks arrived and we ordered food, Daddy looked at me. “Do you need me to hire movers for you?”
“I’m not moving.” My words came out in barely a whisper.
Mom shook her head. “Is there a boy that’s keeping you here? I just don’t understand. Chase would love to have you back in Houston.”
Chase was my ex for a reason. And he was on the list of reasons I wasn’t still in Houston. And tonight was not the time to talk about Harper.
Daddy would make my feelings sound like a playground crush or find Harper and harass him, thinking he’d given me the bruise.
My phone buzzed, and I didn’t even pull it out of my purse.
“I like living in Stadtburg. I have friends here. I’m happy here.”
What parents didn’t want their child to be happy? Mine, apparently.
Daddy had been quiet. Too quiet. And when he glanced up, the look on his face scared me. “You are happy to take money from us, but you don’t want to take our advice. That’s not how it’s going to be.”
The waiter walked up, carrying a tray loaded with plates. He quietly set our food on the table. “If you need anything else, my name is Ethan.”
It was as if the universe was poking me.
“Thank you.” Mom acted like her family wasn’t imploding.
I picked up my fork.
Daddy pointed at me. “That SUV you drive and the phone that keeps buzzing in your purse—I paid for those. I’m giving you two weeks. That’s enough time to give notice at work.”
“Two weeks or what?”
“You want to stay here? Find an engineering job in town. Otherwise, there is one waiting for you in Houston. I’ll be back in two weeks to hear what you decide.”
“So you’re saying—”
“I’m taking the car, the phone, and the designer clothes hanging in your closet. All the stuff that I paid for.”
So much for eating.
I stared at my plate.
My mom sighed. “Now that we are done with that conversation, have you talked to Chase lately? He got a promotion recently.”
“I haven’t talked to him since I handed him the ring back.” Usually that ended small talk about Chase.
Twenty-five, I had a string of stupid decisions under my belt. Thankfully, I figured out Chase’s philandering ways before I’d marched down the aisle. Then I’d dated my boss and gotten dumped.
It was amazing I could order dinner for myself without messing up.
“Nora, Camille isn’t going to marry Chase. He’s not good for her.” Daddy smiled at me. “I do want the best for you.” The man was complicated.
Through the rest of dinner, Mom filled me in on the comings and goings of all my former schoolmates. Most of them were married or engaged. And the single ones all had fabulous jobs.
Daddy barely said a word.
Even though my stomach was in knots, I ate because Daddy was paying, and my budget was tight.
Hopefully, the food wouldn’t come back up later.
The tears pouring out of my eyes made it hard to drive home. And the flashing lights in my rearview mirror compounded my problems.
After coming to a complete stop on the side of the road, I rolled my window down.
Eli cocked his head as he walked up. “What’s wrong?”
If I told Eli what was wrong, he’d tell Harper, and I wasn’t ready to talk to him about it. I didn’t even want to think about it.
“I’m fine. Was I speeding?”
“No. You’re driving a little slow, but the swerving is why I pulled you over.”
“Sorry. I was getting a tissue
out of my purse.”
He closed his little ticket book. “Think you can make it home in one piece?”
I nodded without looking at him.
“You can go.” He strolled back to his car.
How long before he called Harper? Did guys pass information like that? Rather than staying on the side of the road, watching to see if Eli called anyone, I drove home.
My phone buzzed as I walked inside. I had my answer.
I took a deep breath and answered in my chipper voice. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I’m guessing whatever is wrong can’t be fixed by a milkshake.” Harper’s voice was as comforting as his arms.
“I wish, but nope.”
“Want to talk about—” A clanging alarm sounded in the background. “I’ll call you later.”
Saved by the bell. I didn’t want to talk to him about it. This was a decision I had to make on my own.
This was like the final exam in the school of adulthood, and I hadn’t studied. I didn’t even have a textbook.
Chapter 9
My head hurt when I opened my eyes. Who was knocking at the door?
Avoiding the mirror—I didn’t need to see my reflection to know I looked awful—I yanked open the back door.
Harper held out a doughnut and a cup of coffee. “Tessa said to call her later.”
“I guess everyone knows I’m upset about something.”
“Not everyone. Lots of people are still asleep and haven’t seen their messages.”
“Funny. Come on in, but don’t look at me.”
“Anything I can do?”
“Nope.”
“I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that your plan about how to deal with that text went awry.”
“Good guess. But honestly, I don’t want to talk about it. How was work?”
“Busy. I’ve had better shifts.”
I set my doughnut and coffee on the dresser, then wrapped him in a hug. “I’m sorry.”
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