Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“How have you been, Harper?”
Wiping my hands on a dish towel, I shrugged. “Good. Busy with the flower shop. My mother retired and gave it to me to run a few years ago.”
His brows lifted. “Wow, that’s wonderful. You always did like flowers.”
I smiled and quickly searched my memory for any occasion Declan would have known I liked flowers. When I couldn’t come up with anything, I said, “I have. It’s my happy place…the flower shop.”
He smiled.
“What made you decide it was time to get out of the Marines?”
His smile slowly faded. “It was just time. I’m not getting any younger, and my work was…” His words faded as he searched for what he was trying to say.
“Dangerous? Strenuous? Treacherous?”
Laughing, he said, “Aren’t all of those the same as dangerous?”
I nodded as a small chuckle slipped free. “Maybe, but I couldn’t think of what else to say.”
“It was time for me to reenlist and I opted to come home. Set down some roots and maybe start a family.”
The way those last four words played havoc with my thoughts was disturbing. “A family?”
Declan shrugged. “Someday, I hope.”
I glanced down and moved my foot back and forth, as if sweeping something away.
“So…you and Sean are back together. That’s good.”
My head snapped up so fast, I nearly got dizzy. It was my turn to shrug. For some reason, I couldn’t bring it upon myself to outright lie to him.
He tilted his head and regarded me with a quizzical expression. He was about to say something when Sean walked into the kitchen.
He slapped Declan on the side of the arm and then glanced across the kitchen at me. “What are you two talking about?”
I set the towel on the counter. “Nothing, just catching up. Listen, Sean, I need to take off.”
“Okay, right.”
“I’ll just go thank your parents and, um…” My eyes bounced between brothers. “I’ll talk to you later.”
As I started out of the kitchen to make my goodbyes, Declan said, “No kiss goodbye for the lovebirds?”
I paused, feeling my cheeks turn red hot as I slowly looked at him. My heart instantly started to pound in my chest. “What?” I asked, confused.
“You’re not even going to kiss Sean goodbye?”
There was something strange about the way Declan had asked his question…not to mention the way he was looking at me.
He knew. He had to know we were faking.
Blinking away the image of kissing Declan instead, I glanced over to Sean. I forced a smile. “Right. Of course. Long day, and I’m not thinking.”
Sean met me halfway, and I quickly kissed him on the lips, then turned and rushed out of the kitchen as fast as I could.
Declan
I watched as Harper practically ran from the kitchen after kissing Sean, if that was what you could even call it. It was more like a peck. Turning to Sean, I raised a brow.
He let out a nervous laugh. “She’s, um…had a long day.”
“That’s what she said. When did you two get back together?”
“A few days ago, maybe a week.”
I nodded. “What made you break up?”
Sean rubbed at his neck. “Listen, Declan, I would love to chat but I’ve gotta get going. I’m really glad you’re home, though.”
Smiling, I replied, “Me too. I’ll be looking for my own place if you know of anyone renting.”
“Yeah, I’ll, um…I’ll keep an ear out for you.”
“Thanks, bro.”
“Sure thing.”
I watched Sean hightail it out of the kitchen nearly as fast as Harper did. Something was up with those two. From the moment they’d walked in and Harper tripped him, to the awkward goodbye kiss only seconds ago, I’d smelled something rotten.
Hearing my parents say goodbye to Sean, I made my way out to the living room. Mom shut the door and leaned against it, letting out a long sigh.
“Why is he dating her again?” she moaned.
“You really don’t like Harper, do you?” I asked.
My mother looked at me and forced a smile. “She’s a sweet girl but not the right woman for Sean.”
“Here we go again,” Dad mumbled, sitting on the sofa and picking up the remote to turn on the TV.
Mom waved her hands in front of her. “Sean needs someone he can depend on. Harper is…well, she’s so set in stone. She runs her own business, and I’m afraid she’d put that before Sean.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t think she’s capable of having both a career and love?”
My mother had been a stay-at-home mom all her life, but as far as I knew, she’d never looked down on women who wanted to work outside of the house. So why she was suddenly against it in Harper’s case, I had no idea.
“You want him to be with Crystal so bad that you’ll dislike Harper?”
She turned and gave me a fake look of shock. “I don’t know what you mean.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “Mom, I can see right through you. And like I said earlier, it’s never going to happen.”