“Plus, cats are unique. They all have different personalities, and if you match the right fur baby with the right girl . . . it’s powerful, man.”
But it wasn’t Harper. Harper was warm and giving and so damn sweet in her cat sweaters she melted his heart. But she was also sexy and a little crazy and deserved to be recognized as the extraordinary woman she was—in a way that was as unique as the woman. Nope, flowers, chocolates, and cats weren’t enough.
Harper deserved to be loved with the same fierceness she gave to others. She’d spent her entire life collecting people and making them feel as if they belonged. And he knew just how to become part of her collection.
And maybe, if he was lucky, she’d let him collect her.
News that Hadam was officially over spread through town like wildfire. Harper couldn’t go outside of her apartment without seeing the pitying looks. More humiliating were the condolences and sympathies she received as if someone had died.
That would explain why Harper felt as if she were in mourning. No matter how many times she tried to smile her way through, the numbness remained. It was as if all of the brightness in her world had disappeared and she was left in the shadows.
It had taken every ounce of creativity she had to finish the mock-ups for the calendar. And every ounce of willpower she had not to burst into tears as she stared at image after image of Adam, looking for the perfect shots for the Swagger campaign. So Clovis and the girls had stepped in and offered to tackle the front window display, and in a moment of heartache-fueled desperation, Harper had agreed.
“Just tell me that they didn’t use girdles in the display,” Harper said to Emerson as they walked down the back stairs of their building.
“No girdles, but I did see them arguing over what color man-hammock was the most manly,” Emerson said.
“Oh God, this is going to be a disaster.”
Chantel and Lulu were due to arrive in an hour, which gave Harper fifty-nine minutes to make magic. A hard task when dealt nothing but hammocks and body-shapers. Not to mention she wasn’t feeling all that magical right then. And without a game-changing display or the face of her campaign, they were pretty much sunk.
Harper stopped at the bottom of the steps. “Maybe I should just go back to bed.”
When Harper turned to do just that, Emerson grabbed her by the arm. “It won’t be a disaster.” Harper slid her friend a look. “And if it is, I have three dozen cookies from the Sweet and Savory ready to go, just in case.”
“Confetti cake batter cookies?”
“Yup.”
That confirmed it: today was going to suck. Otherwise, Emerson would have never bought cookies from another baker. She would have made them herself, but she knew that when things got rough, confetti cake batter cookies were the only thing that could pull Harper back from the ledge.
“You could go grab the cookies and meet me on the couch. We can watch Sharknado in our PJs.” Because explaining away the condition of the store and Adam being a no-show were two things Harper didn’t think she could deal with.
Emerson shook her head, then went serious. “Before we round the corner, I want you to know that I love you.”
Harper’s throat tightened, because Emerson didn’t use works like that often. Harper knew her friend loved her, but had difficulty voicing it. She’d gotten better since finding forever in Dax, but outward emotions were still rare.
“I love you too,” Harper said, pulling Emerson in for a hug, and Emerson hugged her back. Warm and safe, Harper let herself lean on her friend and release some of the pain for a few moments so she could breathe without feeling as if she were going to die from the ache. “Thank you. I needed that.”
“I was going to say the same thing.”
Allowing herself exactly one minute, she wiped back the tears and straightened. “What are you thanking me for?”
“For being the best friend ever.” Emerson scratched the back of her hand as if having an allergic reaction to the outpouring of girly emotions. “Without you I never would have opened my food truck, or gotten Violet out of her fairy wings. And I never would have opened myself up to the possibility of more with Dax.”
“Dax is a great guy.”
“But only you saw that, because you see the best in everyone. It’s what makes you Harper. You’re a romantic, and when it comes to love, Harper, you’re the real deal. So don’t forget that when you walk into the shop.”
Harper nodded, knowing that someday she would believe it. Today just wasn’t that day. But she had people to impress and a display to fix. Then she could go home and hibernate until fall. Lord knew her heart needed it.
They rounded the corner and Harper froze. The Boulder Holder was packed, with a line wrapping through downtown, past the St. Helena Hotel. And it wasn’t just the girdle-buying crowd, although they had come out in force. It was made up of young, hip movers and shakers, all holding VIP cards and waiting for their turn to go inside.
“What is this?” Harper asked.