“What are you smiling about and what are you doing out at midnight?” Harper asked as she gathered a tray of glasses to take back to the kitchen and run through the wash.
“I taught a beginner painting class tonight and it turned out so well, I couldn’t be happier. I billed it as the ‘so you don’t want to watch football’ class,” Tinsley said as she grabbed another full tray of glasses and followed Harper to the kitchen.
“That’s such a good idea,” Harper told her as she began to load the dishwasher.
“Savannah gave it to me. I didn’t think there’d be much interest, but I had a full studio.” Tinsley told her as Harper started the washer.
“I’m glad. I bet it’s fun to do something like that after you spend the day painting and doing the business side of art.”
“It is. You all are some of the only people who get that being an artist is still a business. I scheduled another showing. This one in Atlanta,” Tinsley said with excitement.
“That’s great. Who with?”
“Peachtree Art Gallery on Peachtree. They called me. Apparently cousin Sydney in Kentucky has one of my paintings hanging in her old family estate in Atlanta and when she hosted the Daughters of Elizabeth Ball, some lady saw it, and now she’s helping to sponsor the event.”
“I wonder who it is?” Harper asked. She’d been invited to go to the party, but schmoozing with Atlanta society really wasn’t her thing, even if it was for a good cause. So, Harper had sent a check with her regrets.
“Um,” Tinsley said, pulling up her phone. “Hosted by Simpson Global and the Drake Charles Foundation. Then it lists Elle Simpson-Charles and Drake Charles as hosts. Bree Simpson-Ward and Logan Ward, Allegra Simpson-Williams and Finn Williams, and Reed Simpson and Mallory Westin-Simpson as co-hosts.”
“Wow. I’m so happy for you. I knew you’d be big the first time I saw you paint,” Harper said with a wink.
Tinsley rolled her eyes. “The first time I painted I got in trouble because it was on the living room wall.”
“I know, but even as a two-year-old you were talented,” Harper laughed.
“Did you tell her yet?” Edie asked as Harper and Tinsley made their way back to the bar.
“You don’t have to help clean up,” Harper said as Edie was wiping the bar top down. “And yes, she told me all about her showing in Atlanta.”
“Oh, no. I’m talking about the hot topic at painting tonight,” Edie said with such a smirk Harper already knew what it was.
“That’s right!” Tinsley grinned. “Everyone couldn’t stop talking about the stud on the motorcycle who was kissing Harper Faulkner outside her bar this afternoon. A guy who claimed to be dating you and who further claimed this wasn’t your first date.”
Harper shrugged. “Don’t know why that would interest them. Doesn’t everyone date?”
Edie gave her a stare. “You know darn well that you never stay with a man beyond the first date. You have more one-and-done men than the Kentucky basketball team.”
“Furthermore, we never see you affectionate with men. You always date them away from here. Half the time I wouldn’t believe you were dating at all except I’ve answered the phone here a couple of times after you’ve cut them off. They cry, Harper. Cry!” Tinsley said, accusing Harper of something, but Harper wasn’t quite sure what it was.
“And you’d want me to date a man who cried after sleeping with me?”
Tinsley and Edie were about to argue but couldn’t think of anything to say. Harper crossed her arms and waited. Finally, Edie thought of something.
“You need a stronger man than that.”
Harper pulled out her phone, found a picture of her last pre-Dare date, and handed it to them.
“You made a Marine cry?” Tinsley gasped. “That’s just un-American.”
Harper rolled her eyes as she took back the picture of the incredibly built Marine. “He was nice.”
“And you made him cry?” Tinsley accused.
Edie held up her hands to stop them both. “The point is, Harper chewed up and spit out that gorgeous man who looks as if he storms buildings and single-handedly rescues nations. So, why isn’t a little ol’ ATF agent drowning in a puddle of his own tears?”
Tinsley took in the words and then, as one, they turned toward Harper. Shoot. That was the question, wasn’t it? Although being undercover, Dare was more rough around the edges than a typical federal agent. It also wasn’t as if she had forgotten to push him away. It just didn’t happen. He’d seen through her tough exterior and saw her, not that she’d ever admit that. Plus, from what she felt against her body as they danced, there was nothing little about Dare.
Her phone buzzed with an incoming text. It gave her the perfect excuse not to answer Edie and Tinsley. Harper pulled up her messages and smothered a laugh that caused her to snort. It was from Dare and it was a picture of his head on a cologne model’s body. The model was in nothing but a shiny silver banana hammock of a suit standing in the middle of the ocean on a rock. “It’s my first sexting experience. Is this how it works?” Dare asked in the text below the picture.
“What’s so funny?” Tinsley asked.
“Nothing!” Harper shoved her phone back into her pocket as Tinsley and Edie shared a knowing look.
“That’s why he’s still around. He makes you laugh. Hang onto it,” Edie said, a faint smile on her lips as her eyes zoned out. “Shane used to make me laugh. Enjoy it, Harper.”
Harper nodded. It had been a couple of years since Edie’s Navy Seal husband had been killed, and she still wasn’t over it. At times, Harper saw the youth in Edie’s eyes that reminded her she was still a young woman, but then memories would come flooding back and suddenly Edie looked like an old woman who had been beaten down by the world.
“Seriously,” Edie grabbed Harper’s hand and then Tinsley’s. “If you find someone who doesn’t run when you push, who instead lifts you up when you need help the most . . . the one who makes you laugh and who sees the real you . . .the you underneath the façade we all sometimes put on, then you grab him and hold on for dear life. Enjoy every moment and be thankful for each second because it can be”—Edie took a deep breath and Harper’s heart broke for her friend—“taken from you in a split second. I’m sorry. It’s late and I’m tired.”
“Let me drive you home,” Tinsley said kindly as she wrapped Edie in a hug.
Edie shook her head. “The brisk night air will do me good. I’m sorry. Grief is like a wave. Sometimes it just crashes into you. But, Harper, I mean it. Don’t let fear of a broken heart stop you from loving the man who may be just what your heart needs.”
Harper swallowed hard. Her throat was too thick with emotion to say anything so she nodded her goodbye.
“On that note, do you want me to help you clean up?” Tinsley asked quietly. They both hated to see their friend hurting.
“Nah, I’ve got it. Go home.” Harper rang the brass bell that had once belonged on Black Law’s pirate ship. “Last call!”
Tinsley waited as Harper poured the last order of drinks for the few remaining patrons. Harper could see she was turning Edie’s words over in her mind. Tinsley wasn’t the only one. Harper was trying to sort through the emotions those words elicited and what it all meant for her.
“Edie’s right, you know,” Tinsley finally said.
“Yeah, I know,” Harper admitted, because what Edie said was so true it scared the crap out of her.
“What are you going to do about Dare?” Tinsley asked finally.
Harper shook her head. “I don’t know, Tins.”
Harper said goodbye to her cousin. Her remaining patrons probably said goodbye as well but she was too lost in thought to remember. She remembered the feeling of her heart breaking when she found the group of her college boyfriend’s friends laughing at her. She remembered the humiliation. She remembered the vow she took to protect herself by never becoming attached. She’d done it for years now. But suddenly it felt so long ago.
<
br /> Harper picked up the phone and sent Dare a text back. One word from Edie, a couple dates with Dare, and now she was suddenly reevaluating her whole life. Why? Because what Edie had said hit home. She’d never pretended with Dare. There was something . . . a connection, souls entwining, chemistry . . . whatever you want to call it. But there was something between them and the question was: was she brave enough to find out what it was?
13
Dare sat in the car he used when a motorcycle wouldn’t cut it. He was in the back parking lot of the Palm Meadows Island Resort watching Manny and his men unloading crates and kegs into the storage room.
Dare had been there since he left Shadows Landing, but so far nothing abnormal had occurred. Thirty minutes ago, he’d texted Harper, but he hadn’t heard back from her. He knew she’d be busy closing up and a part of him wanted to be there with her. He’d never had that desire to hang out with a woman he dated before, not the way he did with Harper. Yes, he wanted her as his girlfriend, but she was more than that. She was his friend. She challenged him, she made him laugh, and he didn’t feel like he had to play a part. Instead it felt as if they were two sides of the same coin that belonged together.
Twenty minutes earlier, the truck for BGM Distributors showed up. So far there was absolutely no reason for probable cause or even suspicion of any kind. Everything was exactly how it should be, except that the manager of this resort was the daughter of a Colombian crime boss.
The men finished offloading their delivery and drove off. Deciding Isabella Crowne wasn’t going to offer up any secrets tonight, Dare decided to follow the truck. A couple of minutes later, he was watching the driver and workers park on the ferry and head upstairs.
Dare crept from his car and did his best to see into the truck. Nothing. Not even an empty plastic soda bottle on the floor. Dare pulled his baseball cap down low over his eyes and made his way upstairs. There weren’t many people on the ferry, but there were enough that he could blend in.
He settled in and began to listen to the workers talking about women and sports. Again, nothing unusual. Dare’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out. He pulled up the text from Harper and felt the blood move from one head to another. I’d rather see you naked. Hot damn.
His phone buzzed again and it was a picture of Harper’s head on a lingerie model’s body. Dare thought twice about following the truck. He could be at Harper’s in thirty minutes if he pushed it. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a movie where he could stop everything and run to her. This was real life and that meant he followed the truck when the ferry docked. But in the meantime . . .
See, we have lots in common. I, too, would rather see you naked.
Dare sent the text and as he waited for a reply he kept within earshot of Manny and the workers. They were still on sports and women. There wasn’t a single mention of work, the resort, tampering with their product, or the Coronado family. So, not a damn thing he could use.
Dare’s phone buzzed again and he didn’t examine the excitement he felt knowing it was from Harper. What’s stopping you?
His whole body hardened. His muscles locked as he practically white-knuckled the phone. Harper had a way of punching him in the gut. It wasn’t only the fact that she could drive him wild with a simple text. It was so much more. It was every time he saw her. It was every time he thought about her. He’d never wanted a woman as much as he wanted Harper, both physically and in a way he wasn’t quite ready to put in words. His brain might not want to go there, but his heart was shoving him straight toward Cupid’s arrow. Except Cupid wasn’t a cherub in a diaper. It was a grandmotherly woman in Kentucky, who held an apple pie in one hand and a bow and arrow in the other.
Work. Rain check until tomorrow night?
Dare tried to pretend he was cool and whatever she wrote back was fine, but it wasn’t. He’d give anything for her to say yes.
It’ll have to be late. I close at eight on Sundays and need an hour to clean up the place.
Dare remembered from last week. It was a yes and it allowed him to work. As much as he wanted to put Harper first, this case came first. Women had always had a problem with that in the past, but he wasn’t worried with Harper. She had her own life, her own friends, and her own interests. As much as Dare wanted to be with her, he knew she didn’t need him in her life. That was what made this so much sweeter. They didn’t need each other. They wanted each other.
It’s a date. I’ll come to the bar when I’m done for the night, so it may be closer to ten. Sweet dreams, Harper.
Dare took a breath and realized he had a smile on his face. Harper replied almost immediately. Somehow I don’t think “sweet” is going to be the word to describe my dreams.
The ferry began to slow and people began to head back to their cars. Dare rushed down the stairs and into his car before the BGM workers could see him. Damn, Harper had made sure his dreams would be anything but sweet tonight, and that was just fine with him.
The ferry docked and Dare followed the truck into Charleston. He hung back as they pulled into the marina. From the road, he watched them park the truck and then each man got out and into separate cars. Dare took down the plates as they drove out of the marina. Why would they park the truck at the marina and not at their warehouse?
Dare unbuckled and sat back in his seat for a long stakeout.
It was eight in the morning when Dare’s backup from the ATF arrived to take over surveillance on the truck. Not a single thing had happened except for Dare re-reading the text messages from Harper over and over again all night long.
As he walked into his apartment, he locked the door, stripped out of his clothes, took a quick shower, and was in bed in less than five minutes. Exhausted, Dare fell asleep thinking of his upcoming date with Harper.
Harper was sound asleep when her phone rang. She grabbed it without opening her eyes. Sleep had not come easily. However, when it did, she’d had amazing dreams. Which is why she was a little testy when she answered it. “What?”
“Oh, sorry. This is Manny with BGM. Did I call at a bad time?”
Harper blinked her eyes open and saw it was almost nine in the morning. “Sorry, I had a late night. What can I do for you?”
“I have a meeting at Palm Meadows to place an order for them. Why don’t you meet me at the restaurant bar at the Palms and we’ll do a tasting and sampling together. I have your estimates and I know we can beat your current price. If you like the sampling, you can order right then and I’ll have a shipment to you by this coming weekend,” Manny told her.
“Um, yeah. I can do that,” Harper said, sitting up and running her hand over her sleepy eyes. “What time?”
“Eleven?”
“I’ll see you then.”
Harper hung up and then groaned in frustration. She really needed to hire a full staff for her bar. She texted Skeeter and asked him to open for her. It was stupid really. With Darcy’s help, she’d found a five-million-dollar emerald that Black Law had hidden in her kitchen fireplace. She had the money to hire help even before finding the jewel. She just didn’t like giving up control. She had to get over it, learn to manage a staff instead of running herself ragged trying to do everything.
Harper sent a text to Dare telling him of her plans. She then took a shower and placed another ad online for help. She placed one for a bartender and emailed her cook to see if he wanted to move to full-time. It was time to solidify Shadows Bar as the place to go in Shadows Landing.
Harper was on the ferry when she realized she hadn’t heard from Dare yet. She pulled out her phone and called him. His voicemail picked up and she left him a message telling him she was almost at the resort and was going to be meeting Manny in the restaurant bar.
Thirty minutes later, Harper was parked in the back of the restaurant and making her way into the resort. The Sunday brunch crowd was picking up as she smiled at Rudy, the nice bartender she’d met when she was with Dare.
“Manny said he hoped you were going to use him for your
next order.” Rudy smiled and waved her over to the bar. “He’ll be here any minute. He’s bringing some new things for us to taste.”
“Those are some sexy words for any bartender to hear.” Harper took a seat on the leather stool and began talking shop with Rudy as a younger-looking bartender worked quietly around them filling a large number of bloody Mary and mimosa orders.
Dare rubbed the sleep from his eyes and reached for his phone to see what time it was. It was eleven, but what had him leaping from bed after just three hours of sleep was the text and missed call from Harper.
“Shit,” he cursed, thinking of her meeting with Manny all by herself. Right now there was no clear evidence that Manny was a criminal, but there wasn’t any evidence he wasn’t either. There was too much circumstantial proof showing that if Manny wasn’t involved, he at least should know about the illegal alcohol.
In five minutes, Dare was out the door. He was tempted to take his bike, but at the last minute picked his car.
“Harper,” Manny said with a smile as he walked up to the bar where she and Rudy were talking. “Thank you for coming to the resort to do this tasting. We’re a family at BGM and Rudy was nice enough to let us have one big tasting.”
Harper smiled at Manny as she shook his hand. “It’s no problem. Rudy and I have been having a great time talking shop.”
“Excellent,” Manny grinned and she noticed he was excited about something as he reached into his bag and pulled out a hard-to-get bourbon. “And how would you both feel about stocking this at your bars?”
“I know my cousin would be thrilled. He loves this stuff,” Harper said as she looked at the price sheet Manny handed them. His prices were exceptional and the options were staggering. Harper was giddy as she marked items she was interested in ordering.
Fierce Shadows: Shadows Landing #4 Page 10