One Choice I'd Never Make

by Remi Carrington

  When I reached the hostess station, the woman who had seated us motioned for me to stop. “Ma’am.”

  I shook my head and kept walking. After the scene I’d just made, I needed air and space. I couldn’t stop to talk.

  Cold air slapped me in the face as I opened the door. I wrapped my arms around myself and scanned the parking lot. I didn’t see Harper.

  My hope that he’d be waiting outside shattered.

  I marched toward the road. My next focus was getting home.

  The longest part of the walk was the driveway leading to the road. Why when I was trying to make a statement by walking away did I have to choose places with obnoxiously long driveways? And in heels.

  Wiping tears as I walked, I tried to reassure myself that things with Harper would be okay. Would he blame me for how my father talked to him?

  Maybe Harper was waiting for me at the trailer. Or maybe he really had left. He knew how much my parents’ approval meant to me.

  But that had changed. I had changed.

  Footsteps sounded behind me, and either Mom was about to be right, or my father was chasing after me. I didn’t want to deal with either possibility, so I hurried my pace, which wasn’t exactly easy in heels.

  The footsteps drew closer. “What about your tail?” Behind me the sweetest voice in the world rang out loud and clear.

  I spun around and bolted toward Harper, praying I wouldn’t turn an ankle. As I threw my arms around his neck, he lifted me off the ground, sending my heels flying.

  “You didn’t leave.”

  “Of course I didn’t leave. I paced in the men’s room until I was sure I wouldn’t embarrass you, then I walked back to the table.”

  “Oh no!” Visions of a fist fight played in my head.

  “Your mom caught my eye before I made it all the way there. She pointed at the door. I apologized to the hostess about the drama, and she told me you were walking home.”

  My trust in Harper hadn’t been misplaced.

  “I’m sorry I ever left the table, but I promised you I would be on my best behavior, and to keep that promise, I walked away. I’m so sorry about making a scene.” He kissed the top of my head.

  Shivering, I cried into his shoulder. “You didn’t make a scene, but I sure did.”

  He rubbed my back. “You’re freezing. Let’s get you home.”

  “I have to find my shoes first. I can’t just keep leaving stuff every time I hug you in public.”

  He turned on his phone flashlight, and we spotted my shoes.

  After grabbing them, he swept me into his arms. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out like you hoped.”

  “I wish you could’ve heard what I said to them.”

  “Not necessary. I can see confidence and relief written all over you. I’m so proud of you.”

  “That means the world to me. You mean the world to me.”

  He carried me to the truck. “Your place or mine?”

  “My place.”

  “Good. It’s close, and I just want to hold you.”

  When we parked in front of the trailer, Joji waved from my porch. “I’m guessing there is a story behind this. Jeffrey is on the phone for you.”

  I took the phone. “I’m so sorry for what happened in your restaurant.”

  Joji shot a look at Harper. He shook his head and crinkled his nose, letting her know dinner had not gone well.

  Jeffrey surprised me with his relaxed manner. “No worries, doll. The hostess told me all about it. I’m sending a guy over with your dinner. Let me know if we didn’t get it right.”

  “Thank you. That’s too kind.” I choked out the words, trying not to cry.

  “Any friend of Joji’s is a friend of mine. Have a great evening.” He ended the call.

  Pointing over my shoulder as if they didn’t know where the restaurant was, I said, “The Cowboy Chef is sending over dinner.”

  “That was the real reason I went anyway.” Harper winked. “You know I’m joking.”

  I handed the phone back to Joji. “I promise to fill you in tomorrow. I’m okay.” I pulled Harper closer to me. “Better than okay.”

  “Love ya, darling.” Joji blew a kiss, then walked back to her house.

  “I love you too.” I knew the real meaning of family now, and I promised myself that I’d never forget.

  Before Joji had even made it to her door, a truck pulled in, and a guy jumped out, holding a bag. “Compliments of the chef.”

  “Thank you so much.” Harper shook the man’s hand and accepted the food.

  We stood on the porch as the man drove away.

  Harper rubbed my back. “Let’s get out of the cold.”

  After all the chaos, it was just the two of us.

  He carried the bag into the house and set our dinner on the table, then hugged me close. “Are you really okay? I feel horrible that you thought I’d left.”

  “I was a giant knot of emotions. Surprisingly, I don’t feel like my world just exploded. When you walked away, I worried that you’d think I wanted their approval so much that I’d let that get between us.”

  He shook his head. “Are you kidding? I’m your hero.” He rested his forehead against mine. “But the thought crossed my mind.”

  “I’m done chasing after a dangling carrot. Love isn’t supposed to be a carrot.”

  With his arms tight around me, Harper whispered in my ear. “Boingo might think so.”

  I laughed so hard I snorted, which wasn’t a wise choice after crying.

  “That’s the best medicine.” He kissed my forehead. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

  “Your mom asked about us coming up for Thanksgiving, didn’t she?”

  “She did.”

  “I’d love to spend the holiday with your family.”

  Love abounded in Harper’s family, and I wanted to soak it all in.

  “I’ll call her after we eat.”

  I wouldn’t be alone for Thanksgiving. And I had a whole lot to be thankful for.

  Chapter 25

  In the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I was the busiest I’d ever been. Balancing goat farming with admin work at the studio and all my social media stuff took up all my time.

  Standing in front of the llamas, I tried getting them to face me. When they were in a stubborn mood, talking to them was a waste of air.

  But I wasn’t one to give up easily. “Please, guys. Look this way for just a second.”

  They looked, and just as I snapped a picture, they spat at me. It was nasty, but it made for a great shot.

  As I walked back toward the trailer, Harper hopped out of his truck. “Missed you, so I brought dinner.”

  “You wonderful, sweet man. This week has been extra crazy. I have a few others asking about managing their social media, but I can’t because there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to do anything more right now.” I pointed at my face. “Let me wash off the llama spit, then we can chat.”

  “Nice, aren’t they?”

  I hollered down the hall. “They just don’t like being told what to do.”

  That was something I fully understood.

  He was setting out barbeque on the table when I walked back into the room. “Have you thought about not answering phones at the studio and using that time to develop your social media business?”

  “I don’t want to leave Haley and Nacha stranded.” I’d thought about it quite a bit, but they’d been so kind to give me a job when I needed it. I didn’t want to seem disloyal.

  “What can it hurt to talk to them about it?” He pulled plates and flatware out of the cabinets. “You play favorites with your mugs, don’t you?”

  “Yes. I have two favorites. I use them on alternating days. Why?”

  “Because in one of your poor ignored mugs, there is still a note.”

  “Oh, I found that one, but I leave it there because I like waking up to you calling me gorgeous.” I grabbed drinks. “What time are we leaving tomorrow? Joji said
she had everything covered, and I’m sure Clint will be here to help her.”

  “Let’s plan on leaving about seven if that’s not too early.”

  “That works. I finished scheduling all my posts, so I’m all yours.”

  “Words I love to hear.”

  I piled brisket on my plate. “Mom called me today. I let it roll to voicemail because I wasn’t sure what she’d say. But she left a message.”

  “And?”

  “She was checking to make sure I had somewhere to go for Thanksgiving.” I stabbed at my food. “I think she feels trapped between doing what my dad wants and wanting to be my mom.”

  “I feel for her, but that’s a choice only she can make.”

  “Yep, and I’m not trying to pull them apart. That was never my intent.”

  “I think she knows that, Cami. Maybe you should call her back after dinner.”

  “Good idea.” I patted his hand. “Thanks for coming tonight.”

  He grinned. “You all packed?”

  “Even my boots. I’ve never been to a themed taco night.”

  “My mom likes to make things fun.” He picked up his phone and took a picture of me. “Just like someone else I know.”

  I blew him a kiss.

  After dinner, while Harper washed the few dishes, I texted my mom. Is now an okay time to call?

  Her response made me sad. Tomorrow would be better. But I hate the thought of you alone. Will Harper be with you?

  He will be. I left off the part about spending the holiday with his family.

  Mom didn’t need to hear that right now.

  Leaving early was the right decision. Because we only made one brief stop, we arrived at his parents’ house in time for lunch.

  The house was quiet. Only his parents were there.

  Mel hugged me. “I’d never been one for all those pictures on social media, but now, I just can’t get enough. Evan says I’m on there too much. But you post such fun stuff. That venue looks incredible.”

  “It is. The pictures don’t even fully capture how pretty it is out there.”

  She motioned for me to follow her down the hall. “If you’d feel more comfortable in a separate room, I can shuffle people around. We’ll figure out how to make it work.”

  “I don’t mind sharing the room with Harper, I mean Ethan. And I don’t mind Chap staying in there either. You’ve raised a gentleman, but Chap keeps him in line.”

  She patted my cheek. “I couldn’t have picked anyone more perfect for my son. And I have no problem with you calling him Harper.”

  “Okay, good to know. And I love your son more than I know how to say.”

  “I can tell that from the way you look at him. Like he’s a superhero or something.”

  “He’s my superhero.”

  “I always do a themed taco bar the night before Thanksgiving. I hope Ethan mentioned that. This year it’s cowboy themed. Easy to serve and easy to clean up. And adding a theme makes it extra fun.” She winked. “If you didn’t bring anything, we’ll get you something to wear.”

  “He mentioned it. I came prepared.” I knew those red bandanas would prove useful.

  It was entirely possible that I was more excited about seeing Harper in a cowboy hat tonight than I was about eating turkey tomorrow. And I loved Thanksgiving dinner.

  I tied the bandana like a headband, making sure the ends were poofed just right. My fitted jeans and new boots were perfect for the theme.

  Once I was ready, I wandered out to the kitchen. “Anything I can do to help?”

  Mel shook her head. “I think everything is ready. I’m just waiting for everyone to show up.”

  “Have you seen Harper? I wanted a sneak peek at his outfit.”

  She waved her hand as she turned toward the stove. “He’s around.”

  Within minutes, all his sisters and their families were milling around the large kitchen and dining room. One person was missing.

  Evan whistled, and everyone quieted. “Tomorrow we’ll do our tradition of going around the table and saying one thing we’re thankful for, but tonight, I’m thankful that we have one more person at our table. Cami, we couldn’t be more pleased to have you.”

  “Thank you.” I wiped my eyes.

  All this loving family stuff was going to mess up my makeup.

  Emmy snorted whatever it was she’d just sipped. Then her sisters started laughing.

  I scanned the room and quickly saw why.

  Shirtless, but wearing a cowboy hat, Harper strolled toward me. “I requested the theme.”

  “Because of the hat.”

  “Because of this.” He dropped to one knee and pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket.

  I covered my mouth. There was no hope for my makeup.

  “Cami, you’ve lassoed my heart. Will you rescue me from a life of loneliness? Will you marry me?”

  “Ethan Harper, you know my answer.”

  “I’d like to hear you say it.” He pointed at the phone his mom was holding. “And all our friends at home are waiting to hear you say it.”

  Home. I smiled at the camera, then shouted, “Yes. I will marry you, Harper the hero.”

  The room erupted in cheers. Even Chap joined in on the ruckus. And I knew there were several people in and near Stadtburg toasting my happiness.

  Harper tugged me into the living room and slipped the ring on my finger. “I want to be your family.” He wiped a tear off my cheek. “I don’t think I’ve told you about the running joke I’ve had with my friend Adam. When he proposed to Eve, she called him her superhero. I asked where I could find someone who would call me that. And we’ve joked about that for a year. Then one day, out of the blue, you captured my interest by running up and calling me a hero. And when I saw you at the pool party, do you remember what you called me?”

  “My hero.” That moment was forever etched in my memory.

  “From that moment, I wanted you to be the one. And it was only a short time before I knew you were.”

  “I don’t know if I would’ve survived these past few months without you.”

  He kissed my hand. “You would have. But I’m glad I was able to be there for you. I think it’s made a stronger us.”

  “It has.”

  While the rest of his family served themselves tacos, Harper and I expressed our delight about the engagement with our lips. But we weren’t talking.

  We saved talking for later . . . when Chap was on the job.

  Chap carried his treat onto the bed and wriggled his way in between us.

  Harper laughed and grabbed my hand. “I think moving him is pointless. He’ll be back up here as soon as I get him down.”

  “He’s fine.” I rolled onto my side. “What about Eli?”

  “What about him?”

  “Where will he live?”

  “Not with us. I mentioned to him that Joji might have a trailer for rent relatively soon.” He chuckled. “Eli will be fine.”

  “I can’t believe how many texts I fielded tonight.” I rested my cheek on his hand. “Aren’t you worried that someone might recognize you on the cover?”

  “Even if that happens, it’s totally worth seeing that smile on your face.”

  I kissed his hand, and Chap looked up from his treat for a second. “I’d have been smiling no matter what when you asked me that question.”

  “I wasn’t going to take any chances.” He winked. “Besides, I saw the way you looked at that cover.”

  “For Halloween, you and I are totally going as book covers.” I giggled at the look that crossed his face.

  “Tandy won’t be invited, will she?”

  I ended the laughter with a single question. “Would you be upset if I didn’t tell my parents?”

  “Not a bit. Whatever you choose to do, I’ll support that.”

  “It’s weird because I want them to know, but I don’t want to tell them.” I scratched Chap’s head. “Do you think we should get a dog?”

  “If we do, h
e’ll never sleep on our bed. Ever.”

  “Be careful when you say never. I said I’d never talk to my dad the way I did.”

  He leaned over Chap and kissed me. “Maybe we’ll get a cat. They don’t take up nearly as much room.”

  “What about March or April?”

  “We could get a cat then. Is that a good season for cats?” His green eyes twinkled.

  “I could ask Lilith what days are open at the venue. I’ve managed to save a little since I’ve been doing all this extra stuff. And if we schedule the wedding on maybe a Thursday or a Friday, we might be able to save a little on the venue.”

  “Cami, don’t worry about that right now. I have some money. We’ll figure it out.”

  “I’m sorry. I know typically the bride’s parents pay for the wedding, but . . .”

  “I’m not asking your dad for a single dime. And notice that I didn’t use the word never.” The intensity in his green eyes warmed me through and through.

  “I love you.” I knew I’d be saying that a lot.

  “Good. I have something to say tomorrow when it’s my turn to be thankful.”

  I had so many reasons to be thankful. It would be hard to pick just one.

  The next day, when his family was seated at the table and all eyes focused on me, I turned to face Harper. “I’m thankful for someone who loves me for me and not for who I could be.”

  Gratitude spilled down my cheeks.

  I couldn’t wait to marry Ethan Harper.

  Chapter 26

  Leaning against the counter in Joji’s kitchen, I spun the ring on my finger. “I need to stop playing with this ring if I’m going to take pictures of you making cheese.”

  She laughed. “It takes a few days to get used to.” Winking, she wiggled her ring finger. “And I still play with mine. Have a seat. I have leftover chocolate cake. Cheesemaking can wait.”

  I carried the cake to the table while she made coffee. “I’ve pinched myself several times. This is real.”

  I knew that of all people, Joji understood. The engagement ring on her finger and the smile on her face were proof of that.