Her foot eased off the accelerator. She wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of other men reading what she’d thought was for Noah’s eyes only. “What do you mean ‘everyone’?”
“Just the guys in my room. One in particular doesn’t have anyone.”
“No girlfriend, you mean?”
“No girlfriend, no family. No one.” Uncertainty replaced his newfound confidence. “You’re not mad, are you?”
“I don’t appreciate being made fun of. Did you read them everything?” While she wasn’t explicit in her emails, she had expressed her feelings in a way she didn’t feel comfortable doing face-to-face yet.
“Of course not. Just the funny stuff. And no one was making fun. In fact, one of the guys, Hollis, wanted me to give you his number in case you got tired of me.” His laugh contained an apologetic twist. “I’ll stop. I’m sorry. I just wanted them to know how awesome you are.”
How could she stay upset when he said stuff like that? “That’s okay. I didn’t realize how hard up you guys were out there.”
“Hard up? Women crawl all over us as soon as we step off base. It’s the uniform.”
Harper pumped the brakes hard enough to lock their seat belts. “Are they all over you?”
Noah seemed to recognize his major misstep. Red burnished his face as if the cold wind had come inside. “I don’t want any of those women. Why would I when I have someone like you? More than anything, I want to make you proud, Harper. Do you believe me?”
Her head talked her heart from off the ledge. He wouldn’t have brought it up if he’d been messing around with base bunnies. Trust was easy to come by with him next to her, his hand still on her leg, his blue eyes aimed in her direction, and his smile veering toward adorable. “Of course I do. Now, what do you want to do while you’re home besides eat fried chicken?”
They made general plans, but it didn’t really matter what they did as long as they were together. They only had four days. Noah had to be back for his final phase of BUD/S right after New Year’s.
She parked along the street in front of her house. Her mom had been accommodating but hardly enthusiastic to find out Noah would be staying with them for a few days over break. A warm reception was not guaranteed. All Harper could do was cross her fingers and hope how important Noah was to her had sunk in.
Noah had met her mom over the summer, but Harper and Noah had only wanted to be around each other. Her mom’s protective lectures and opinions had been ignored.
“I’m nervous.” Noah ran his hands down the front of his jeans.
“She doesn’t bite. Usually.” Harper tossed a grin over her shoulder as she jogged up the steps. The front door swung open before she even made it to the top.
“Hello, darling. Noah. It’s wonderful to see you again.” While her mom’s voice wouldn’t classify as excited, it was welcoming.
Harper breathed a sigh of relief. Her mom held out her hand for Noah to shake.
“Nice to see you again, Ms. Frazier. I really appreciate you putting me up. In fact, before I forget…” He swung his rucksack off his shoulder and dug his hand inside, pulling out a rectangular object in a brown bag. “This is for you.”
“You shouldn’t have.” Her mom took the present and pulled out a book with a gasp. She opened the cover of a hardback version of To Kill a Mockingbird. “It’s a first edition. And in excellent condition. I love it. Thank you. And call me Gail.”
Her mom shepherded him into the house and sent Harper a virtual fist bump with a look over her shoulder. Harper couldn’t stem her grin, not shocked Noah had won her mom over, but surprised at how quickly it had happened. Although Noah had won her over in a single afternoon.
The smells of fried chicken drew them into the kitchen. The table was set and the food was ready for an early dinner. After Noah’s fourth piece of chicken, Harper laughed and her mom joked about making another run to the grocery store.
Noah wiped his sheepish grin with his napkin. “I relish good food whenever I can get it.”
“They’re obviously not starving you,” Harper said.
“No, but it’s like being back in school. Cafeteria-style. Quantity over quality.”
The longer they lingered over the meal, the more impatient Harper grew to get Noah alone. As soon as the dishes were cleared, Harper backed out of the kitchen and grabbed Noah’s hand on the way.
“I’ll help you clean up in a bit, Mom. I want to take Noah down to the dock to watch the sunset.”
“I’ll take care of it. You two run along.”
Harper hoped Noah had missed her mom’s not-so-subtle wink.
Once she and Noah were out of sight of the house, she notched herself into his side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and matched her pace. They headed not to the beach but to the waterway to the west. The quiet serenity appealed to her more than the touristy beach side.
“Where did you find the book?” she asked.
“A used bookshop in San Diego. I always look for To Kill a Mockingbird because I like to see your name.”
Her insides turned warm and melty. “That’s really sweet. And, in my mom’s eyes, you are officially the favorite of all my boyfriends. Although it’s not like the competition was steep. Not being a public nose picker put you in the lead.”
He laughed as was her intent, but then his voice turned serious. “Good, because I plan to hang around for a good long time.”
They reached the old wooden dock and sat at the end. She took his hand in both of hers. New calluses and tendons had to be mapped into her memory. “I was afraid you’d decide it was all a mistake.”
“Mistake? What are you talking about?”
“Me. You. Mistake. We only had a week together. Am I how you remember me?”
He wrapped the hand she didn’t have a death clutch on around her nape and brought their foreheads together. “You’re better. Prettier. Funnier. Sweeter. Don’t you know?”
She didn’t, but she wanted to believe him. Words beyond her, she shook her head.
“The boys on base say I’m whipped, and all I can do is grin and agree. I don’t care that we’re young and on opposite sides of the country. All I know is that I’m falling for you.”
She’d needed him to say it first, but once he had, she surrendered to her own feelings. “Me too.”
She tilted her face to brush her lips against his. It might be cold out, but his arms were warm around her as the kiss deepened and took on a meaning far beyond simple pleasure. It felt like a promise. A promise she intended to keep forever.
Chapter 13
Present Day
Harper stared out the front window, squinting to try to extend her gaze.
“This man has sure got you stirred up.”
Harper startled. Her mom stood not two feet behind her, holding two martini glasses. Harper hadn’t even heard her walk up. She accepted the one with double olives and took a too-big gulp. Warmth spread fast and furious.
“I’m not stirred up because of Bennett Caldwell.” Harper faced the window before her mother caught sight of the half-lie. “This business will be a big undertaking. The work, the risk—it will change our lives, Mom, and I’m not sure for the better.”
Her mom planted her butt on the window sash and stirred the olive around the bottom of her glass. “This is the first time I’ve seen you this nervous and excited about anything since Noah died. Whatever sacrifices we need to make, we will.”
“What about Ben?”
“Better for him to see you working hard and passionate about your job than mopey and sad.”
“I’m not mopey.”
“Not anymore. Not since you had an idea for a business.” Her mom’s voice dropped to suggestive levels. “And not since Bennett Caldwell strolled into the picture.”
Deciding to ignore her mom’s teasing, Harper leaned against the sash, hip to hip with her. “I hate to burden you with more babysitting time. It might cut into your painting.” She nudged her mother with her shoulder.
“My foray into nude portraiture can wait.” Taking a more serious tone, she said, “I love spending time with Ben. You know that. And I love seeing my daughter reaching for a dream.”
“I might fail. Spectacularly.”