She must have misread the look of surprise on his face over all that she’d done, because she said, “Oh no. Did I overstep? I just wanted to get the pictures, and then one thing led to another—”
He lowered his mouth to hers, silencing her with the hard press of his lips. When he felt the tension ease from her body, he kissed her longer, wanting to make sure she knew just how much he appreciated everything she’d done.
When their lips finally parted, he looked at the amazing woman in his arms and said, “You can’t overstep, Harper. I’m just surprised at how much trouble you went to for me. You’re amazing, sweetheart.”
“Good, because I’m so happy I got in contact with them.” She grabbed a stack of pictures from the counter and handed them to him. “Look at the pictures Beckett sent me. That’s why I went into town, to get them printed off my phone. I know you have great pictures of your family on the other wall, but these are more recent.”
He leafed through the pictures of his family gathered around the Christmas tree at the Jerichos’ barn, and the picture of him and Beckett sitting with beers in their hands on their parents’ couch. There was a picture of Gavin and his parents arm in arm and one of him and his mother sitting together with sparkling holiday lights behind them. His throat thickened with emotion.
“Sweetheart…” He lifted his gaze, spotting another envelope beside her keys on the counter. “Are those more pictures?”
“Those are pictures I want to put up at my place.”
“Can I see?”
She nodded, and he grabbed the envelope and leafed through the pictures they’d taken together over the past several weeks. She’d even printed the picture he’d texted to her after their first date, the one in which she was holding the fishing rod with the fish she’d caught. “I don’t understand. Why don’t you want to put these up here?”
“I didn’t want to seem too presumptuous.”
“My sweet, careful girl, you tracked down my brother, spoke to my mother, and to Nana, who I’m not even related to. You beautified my front yard, and you’re worried that giving me pictures of us would be too presumptuous?”
She lifted one shoulder in an adorable shrug.
“I think your instincts are off after all, babe.” He gathered her in his arms and said, “I want pictures of us here. I want you to presume, Harper. Presume everything your little heart desires, and while you’re presuming, while you’re thinking over the offer you have from LA, know that I’m the one thing you can take for granted, okay?”
She looked all choked up as her arms circled his neck. “I’ll never take you for granted.”
“Not me, just my love for you. Promise me?” he asked.
She nodded.
“That’s my girl.”
As their mouths came together, he vowed to make sure she kept that promise.
“Can we hurry up the whatnot?” Justin’s voice broke through their reverie. “You haven’t even changed your clothes yet? Dude, you need some lessons in hosting.”
Harper blushed, and Gavin whispered, “I like the whatnot.”
Justin grabbed the hamburger meat from the fridge and said, “You know what? You’ve waited a long time for each other. Go back to your tonsil inspections. I’ll cook dinner.” He snagged another cookie and headed out the patio door.
Gavin gazed into Harper’s eyes and said, “You heard the man,” and lowered his lips to hers.
Chapter Seventeen
HARPER’S EDITOR WAS ready to run the article about Harvey. She’d called Jock and scheduled an appointment to bring it by for Harvey to review today, Tuesday, before they sent it for publication. There were no performances this afternoon, and the lack of cars and noise, and the missing buffet tent and chairs, gave the property a little colder, and lonelier, aura. It was no wonder Harvey surrounded himself with as much life as he could.
Harper climbed the front steps and knocked on the heavy wooden door. She’d poured her heart and soul into this article and was excited to see Harvey’s reaction.
A pretty blonde with either very sad or tired blue eyes answered the door wearing a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. Harper wondered if she was Jock’s girlfriend.
“Hi. I’m Harper Garner with the Cape Cod Times. I have an appointment with Mr. Fine to go over an article I’ve written about him.”
The woman looked over her shoulder, then stepped outside, closing the door behind her. “Hi. I’m Tegan, Harvey’s great-niece.”
“Oh! Harvey told me about you. It’s nice to meet you.”
Tegan swallowed hard, tears dampening her eyes. “My great-uncle passed away yesterday. We haven’t told anyone yet. We’re still making arrangements, and….” She swiped at her tears.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry.” Tears fell from Harper’s eyes. She tried to will them away, but there was no stopping the sadness from coming out.
“We all are.” She waved at the porch step. “Have a seat, please.”
“I should probably go so you can be with your family,” Harper said, wiping her tears.
“No, please, sit on the steps with me. I’d like to talk, if you don’t mind. Uncle Harvey mentioned you before he passed.” A shaky smile appeared as she wiped her eyes. “Actually, he said, ‘When Harper brings that story, you read it. I want it told.’ What’s the story about, exactly?”
“Harvey and Adele and their life together. He also told me about you and, of course, his friendship with Jock.” She couldn’t stop her tears from falling. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to…I knew he didn’t have long to live, but your uncle, Harvey, he…I really enjoyed meeting him.”
“Thank you. May I read the article?”
“Oh, of course.” Harper handed her the envelope, and she stood to leave.
Tegan touched her hand. “Would you mind staying for a few minutes while I read it? It’s just me and Jock here, and he’s so upset right now. It’s nice to see another friendly face.”
“Sure.” Harper sat and pulled herself together as Tegan read the article.
Tears streamed down Tegan’s cheeks as she read. She covered her mouth when she laughed softly, and afterward, she pressed the papers to her chest and said, “You really did get to him. He would have loved what you’ve written.”
Harper breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad. I wanted readers to come away with a sense of how special Harvey was.”
“You’ve achieved that. My uncle was a very private man. Jock said my uncle told him that you reminded him of me.”
“Blond hair and blue eyes,” Harper said.
Tegan shook her head. “Uncle Harvey never saw what people looked like. Except with Jock. He loved to tease him. But if Uncle Harvey said you reminded him of me, then he thought you were creative, strong-willed, and someone who could not only do his story justice, but give his love for my aunt a voice. This story will probably create relationship goals for millions of people. Just like my great uncle’s stories about them did for me.” She put the papers on her lap and gazed down at them.
“What will happen to the property? To Jock?”
“Jock isn’t a caregiver by trade, but his loyalty to my uncle was unwavering. Uncle Harvey went through five caregivers before Jock stepped in to help out temporarily. Jock has endured more than his share of loss, but that’s not my story to tell. He and my uncle needed each other. They got along so well, Jock stayed on. He’s wrecked, of course, but after he grieves, he’ll probably go back to writing.”
“I didn’t know he was a writer.”
“I’m not sure he still is,” Tegan said. “And as far as this place goes, I know my uncle talked about me taking over, and if he really did leave it to me in his will, then the last thing I want to do is sell it. But I don’t know how to run a place like this. I make children’s costumes for a princess boutique, and I’m a nip-and-tuck girl for a clothing store. I also work for my sister’s photography business, editing her pictures. In those areas, I’m a pro. But this?” She shrugged.
&nbs
p; “But you have Jock and all of your uncle’s contacts and friends in the industry. Surely they can help guide you.”
“From what Jock says, there are a lot of politics involved with the business. He never wanted the theater to be used by only one group. My uncle was an eccentric man who loved laughter and did what made him happy, which was allowing performers to use the amphitheater. He orchestrated luncheons, schedules, and negotiated contracts and such right up until the end. How can I fill his shoes without screwing them up? Not to mention that I have a whole life back in Peaceful Harbor—”
“Maryland?”
Tegan nodded. “You’ve heard of it? It’s about as big as my fist.”
“I just joined a book club here. It’s mostly online, but there are members from all over. At the last meeting two members Skyped in from Peaceful Harbor. Dixie and Izzy, but I can’t remember their last names.”
“I’m in that book club! My friend Isla hooked me up.”
“No way! This is crazy. Is that Isla Redmond? Because my brother Brock just got engaged to Cree Redmond, who is also from Peaceful Harbor, and her sister—”
“Is Isla!”
They both laughed.
“This is so funny. I know Dixie and Izzy really well,” Tegan said. “I’ve only used the online forums for the book club, though.”
“Well, if you end up staying here, then you can come to a meeting with me.”
“That sounds fun. By the way, did you read the last book, Turn Away, by L. A. Ward?”
“Mm-hm.” They talked about the book club, and Harper was glad it lightened the mood. “Small world, huh?”
“I’ll say.”
“You know, I recently had an upheaval in my life, and a friend showed me that sometimes all you really need to figure something out is the right person or people by your side to help. If Harvey left you this property and you decide to make a go of it, my sister, Jana, performed in local theaters for years. I don’t know much about the technical side of running something like this, but I write scripts, and I have contacts all over the area because we grew up here. We’d be happy to help you find your way. Jana’s really nice, and she runs her own dance company, so she’s got good business sense.”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“No, not at all. Actually, I think it would be fun.”
“I don’t even know how to pay you for something like that.”
Harper thought about Gavin, Jana, and all their friends and how being around people she trusted made everything seem possible.
“You don’t have to pay us. Your uncle went through so much with Adele, and he stayed here to be closer to where their life together took place. He was a very special man, and he told me he hoped you’d take over. Nobody should have to go through trying times without friends by their side. Consider our help paying it forward, helping to keep the laughter alive.”
“Gosh, I don’t know what to say. I’m a big pay-it-forward person. I know it sounds silly, but just hearing you say that makes me breathe a little easier.”
“It’s not silly. You’ve got a lot on your shoulders right now. If you need anything while you’re here, I’m happy to help.”
Tegan looked up at the sky with fresh tears in her eyes and said, “Why do I feel like we were supposed to meet?” She wiped her eyes, smiling at Harper despite her tears. “I think this is Uncle Harvey’s doing. This is just the type of thing he’d orchestrate, plopping a friend down beside me.”
“Well, he did have a sense of humor.”
“Oh boy, did he ever.” Tegan went on to talk about her uncle’s shenanigans, of which there were many. “I spent a lot of time here when I was growing up, and one of his favorite things to do was to show up for dinner wearing a funny mask or dressed like a character from a show. But he’d act like nothing was out of the ordinary. He was always doing things like that. One summer I fell and needed stitches. When we got to the hospital, the doctor came in wearing a mask with a cat’s mouth and nose drawn on it and a hat that had cat ears. My uncle had brought them with him to the hospital just to make me laugh while I got my stitches.”
Tears tumbled down Tegan’s cheeks. “I miss him so much already. He’s only been gone for a day, and I keep expecting to see him.”
Harper embraced her. “That means you loved him as much as he loved you.”
Harper didn’t know if they sat on the porch hugging for five minutes or twenty, but after, they talked for nearly two hours. They exchanged phone numbers, and by the time Harper got ready to leave, she really had made a new friend.
“How long will you be in town?”
“I don’t know for sure,” Tegan said. “Some of it will depend on what happens with the estate. But at least through August, until the last performance takes place. There are a lot of decisions to be made between now and then. You’ll let me know when the article will run?”
“Of course. Do you want me to add information about his passing? Not anything like an obituary, but I could title the article something like Saying Goodbye to a Fine Man and mention his passing and how much he’ll be missed?”
Tegan’s eyes teared up again. “That would be really nice.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know when I finish those changes so you can read them before they’re published. Will you please let me know when the funeral will be? I’d like to attend.”
“There won’t be one. Uncle Harvey didn’t believe in funerals. He wants to be cremated and his ashes to be spread in the gardens, with Adele’s.”
That didn’t surprise Harper. He was going to be with the woman he loved. When she looked at it that way, she wasn’t quite so sad.
“Thank you for spending your afternoon talking to me, for making me laugh, and for writing such a nice article,” Tegan said. “You know, my uncle always said love, laughter, and friendship are the only universal languages with the power to heal even the most broken of hearts. I’m sure he’s with Adele, smiling down on us right now.”
“Probably with a funny mask on,” Harper said as she stood to leave. “Please give Jock my condolences.”
“I will. I’d invite you in to say it yourself, but he’d be mortified if anyone saw him this upset. I’m sure he’ll be in touch with you.”
They embraced again, and Harper said, “I’m sorry we met under these circumstances, but I am glad we did.”
As Harper drove away, she called Gavin and Jana to give them the sad news about Harvey and to tell Jana that she’d offered her up to help Tegan.
When she got to Gavin’s house, she went down to the dock with a copy of the article, a notepad, and a pen to work on the necessary modifications. As she tried to find her voice, sadness rested heavily on her shoulders. She gazed out at the water and Harvey’s voice came back to her.
Everyone’s worried about making their mark or what the big guys in positions of power are doing. What happened to the days when kids were the focus? When laughter was more important than the daily news? That’s what the world needs more of. She’d hardly laughed at all the entire time she’d been in LA. There had been a few moments of levity, but not true, belly-hurting laughter like she had here with Gavin and their friends. She was a million times happier here than she had been in LA. Just thinking about going back made her feel queasy. She thought of the note Gavin had left on her front porch. Remember, you achieved greatness before you even went to LA. Your family knows how special you are. Gavin had not only shown her the way back to who she’d once been, but he’d reminded her that her self-worth had nothing to do with her career. And then he’d encouraged her to do whatever she needed to achieve her goals. She was starting to realize her goals were changing, too.
GAVIN LEFT WORK early to make sure Harper was okay. He’d offered to come home when she’d called and told him about Harvey’s passing, but she’d assured him that she was fine, and she was going to work on revising the article about him. But as the hours passed and the day trudged on, he hated the idea of her being alone when she was sad.
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br /> He wasn’t surprised to see her sitting on the dock with her feet dangling in the water. Beside her, a rock held down a notebook with a few loose papers sticking out. He admired the familiar scene from afar for a moment. It was one of his favorites. A few strands of her hair lifted in the breeze and she tucked them behind her ear. His heart squeezed. They’d talked about her offer to return to LA, and though she hadn’t come to a decision yet, he had.
He walked down the path to the dock, trying to imagine what it would be like to come home to an empty house again. Whether she went to LA for a day, a week, or longer didn’t matter, because he’d feel like a piece of him was missing every single second she was gone.
She turned as he stepped onto the dock. Her hair blew across her cheek, reminding him of the first night he’d seen her again at the bonfire with their friends.
“Gavin!” She tucked her hair behind her ear and popped to her feet, hurrying toward him in her long gauzy skirt and crop top. She looked full of life and happier than he expected after the news she’d received.
He loved that outfit. Hell, he loved her in anything as much as he loved her naked.
She ran into his arms and kissed him like she’d been waiting all day to do it. God, he loved her, and he loved the way she loved him.
“You’re doing okay?” he asked.
“Yes!” she said loudly, stretching her arms out to the sides. “I’ve had a revelation. I thought I wasn’t happy in LA because of everything that happened there, but it wasn’t that. Any of that stuff could have happened when I was here. I was unhappy because I didn’t fit there. I have bigger aspirations for my writing, but that doesn’t mean I want to leave my home or my family and friends. And I know you don’t want me to make decisions based on us, but we both know our relationship has to play into any big decisions. Otherwise what are we doing together? Don’t worry. I’m not saying my decision is based on our relationship. I’m saying there’s no sense in pretending I didn’t weigh in the idea of being away from you for however long they want me. And my decision?” She laughed and twirled around. “It’s based on laughter, Gavin. I want to laugh and be happy and write. And yes, I want to make my mark within the industry, but not at the expense of my happiness. Going to LA gives someone else the power to pull the rug out from under me again. I don’t want that!”
Bayside Romance (Bayside Summers Book 5) Page 20