Chapter 27

 

I couldn’t sleep at all.

My mind kept drifting between two of the Jackson brothers. The feeling that Eli knew something kept eating at me. It was even making me paranoid. Since I’d arrived home the previous night, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

When I’d managed to drift to sleep, the shattered look on Logan’s face jolted me awake. It was probably my conscience giving me my just reward for hurting the only man I had a possibility of opening up to. It was a cowardly thing to do, especially since he’d braved through all of his secrets for me.

“You look like you could use three of these.” I looked up to find Lizzy giving me a sympathetic smile as she placed the cup of coffee on the counter. I was in no shape to make breakfast, so Flynn and I headed to Lizzy’s Diner for our most important meal of the day.

“Maybe you could just hook me up to a caffeine IV.” I shrugged and cradled the hot mug between my palms before savoring that first sip.

My friend let out a little giggle that sounded more nervous than amused. Before I had time to question her, she moved to the other end of the counter to serve a new patron. I took the time to study Flynn, his head bent down and concentration evident as he desperately tried to color in the lines.

I was going to have to uproot him again, this time, though, the thought of moving settled heavy on my chest. There was so much I was going to miss. Willow Creek was truly the first place where I felt at home and I wasn’t naïve enough to not realize that Logan had something to do with that feeling.

“Okay everyone is sorted for the time being,” Lizzy leaned over the counter, cradling her own mug. “You wanna tell me why you look like you’re about a step away from death’s door?”

I glanced to the side one more time and once I was certain that Flynn was too busy to pay attention to my words, I leaned in and softly said, “I kind of needed to end things with Logan before they even began.” I didn’t even know why I was telling her this; I guess some part of me was just tired of trying to figure things out on my own.

“Needed to?” She asked, “As in you didn’t have a choice?”

Nodding my head, I brought the hot liquid to my lips in hopes that I could rid myself of the sudden well of emotions burning my eyes and throat.

Lizzy’s gaze flicked to Flynn before returning to mine. “Why?”

“It’s a long story but you remember what I told you about Flynn’s father?” When Lizzy confirmed, I continued, “There’s more to it. I needed to keep my boy safe and to do so I had to do things I’m not proud of. Now, someone is threatening to expose those secrets and that can’t happen.”

It took her a moment but what I was saying finally clicked. She leaned even further over the counter and after looking left then right, she dropped her head and whisper-shouted. “It’s that damn asshat, Eli, isn’t it?”

“It doesn’t matter. The point is I should’ve known better than to get involved with someone.”

Lizzy wrapped her hands around my wrists and looked at me with a scary intensity burning in her eyes. “Harper, I’m the last one to give romantic advice, especially since my latest venture ended up to be a complete mess. But, this thing with you and Logan, it looks to me like the real deal. I don’t know what’s chasing you, but what if he can help? Don’t you think both of you deserve the chance to find out?”

I needed to change the subject because even if I didn’t want to admit it, Lizzy was right. “I’ll think about it,” I said and then asked. “I thought things with mystery man were on track.”

A deep sigh fell from her lips as she moved to hug her coffee to her chest. “Leave it to me to find the crazy ones.” With a shake of her head, she aimed her stare into the distance. “A couple of nights ago he had too much to drink and started ranting about how he was going to make me pay for ever leaving him. I don’t have time for loco in my life so I left mid-rant and haven’t been to see him since.”

“Geez, Liz, I’m sorry.”

My resilient friend waved a hand through the air. “Don’t be. He was never my Logan.” She pinned me with a stare that had me feeling so uncomfortable, I was having trouble not fidgeting on the spot.

“Mommy, when are we going to school?” Flynn impatiently asked and without knowing, saved me from the situation.

“We’re leaving now, baby.” I reached into my handbag and placed a few bills on the counter before helping Flynn gather his stuff.

“This conversation is not over,” Lizzy yelled just as I pushed open the diner door. Knowing her she’d likely stop by the clinic during lunch and give me another piece of her mind. Was it bad to hope she’d bring her famous quiche too?

 

 

 

Trying to work with Harper and her little freak-out running through my brain probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Especially not since I was working on a formidable businessman’s Dodge. Not paying attention to the job at hand, I kept turning and turning until I stripped the damn part.

“Son of a-“ I straightened so abruptly, I hit my head against the open hood of the car. As my anger bubbled to the surface, I pulled my arm back and gave the wrench a lesson in flying. I was about to smash my fists into the wall behind me when I heard someone approach.

Holding up two fingers, Brett came sauntering toward me with a grin on his face that I wanted to smack off. “Two steps,” he said. “If I had stood two steps to the left, that thing would’ve hit me in the head. What the hell man?”

Suddenly just tired, I scraped my palms over my face and let out a sigh. “I’m in no mood for your antics, so why don’t you just go do the job you get paid for.”

I should’ve known my friend was not going to let things go so easily. Still, I was shocked when he grabbed one of the crates and plonked his bulky frame on it. “Lemme guess: a certain dark-haired woman has got your panties all up in a bunch. What happened?”

Propping my ass against my workbench, I inhaled deeply through my nose before I said, “Things were going perfect, she was letting her guard down and then something happened with Eli and just like that-“ I snapped my fingers. “-she clammed up again. She said some things that I know she didn’t mean and then got in her car and drove off.”

Brett folded his arms in front of his chest and frowned, “And you’re sure that whatever she said held no truth to it?”

“Positive.” I wasn’t going to tell Brett that Harper had shared her body with me or that I felt it meant as much to her as it did to me. What happened at the creek was between me and Harper, alone.

“Okay,” my friend studied me for a while and then asked, “You said something happened with her and Eli?”

I bit down hard on my back teeth before I said some things about my brother that I could never take back. I’d already gone a step too far when I had accused him of being the reason Molly didn’t have a momma anymore. I was just so pissed at him for chasing away the only good thing in my life and then pretending he didn’t know why she left in the first place. Momma had sent me home before I got physical with my brother again. I had to admit, I wished she waited till I’d landed at least one punch before she intervened.

“Logan!”

I snapped out of my trip down memory lane and found Brett staring at me as if he was waiting on an answer.

“What?”

Brett shook his head and then repeated, “Eli and Harper. What happened?”

“Hell if I know,” I dragged my hands through my hair and tugged at the ends. “We were having a good time when I spotted them having, what looked like, a heated conversation. I’ve seen Harper in her defensive mode and she was definitely ticked off about something Eli had said. But when I cornered her outside, I could’ve sworn her eyes were filled with fear.” I could still see that look on her face right before all the emotion drained from it entirely.

“You think she’s scared of your brother?”

“No,” I let out a long breath. “I don’t know, man. Something is just…off. And Eli, the bastard that he is, isn’t shedding any light on the situation.”

Brett unfolded his arms and dropped his elbows to his upper leg before resting his chin on his laced fingers. Cocking his head to the side, he regarded me with narrowed eyes. His behavior was freaking me the hell out and I was about to say as much when he spoke.

“Chicken-shit!”

Were my ears playing tricks on me? “Excuse me?”

“You heard me; you’re being a little chicken-shit.” My frown deepened while his grin just grew wider. “You sit here and whine about how the woman your heart sings for, walked away from you, but have you given chase yet?”

Biting down on my teeth again, I gritted out, “She’s made what she wants pretty clear, it ain’t me.”

My ass of a friend snorted loudly. “If you’re already giving up on her, she means nothing to you. I’m sorry, but if you genuinely care for someone, you’ll fight for them until the breath leaves your lungs.”

The truth of his words were as sobering as stepping into a cold shower. I knew how I felt about Harper and I had an inkling that she was on her way to feeling the same about me. So why in the hell was I not fighting for the family I wanted?

Pushing off of the workbench, I grabbed a rag and haphazardly started cleaning my hands. I nodded my head in the direction of the door. “I gotta go.” Then I started toward the exit.

As I did, my walk turned into a jog and I heard Brett yell, “Atta boy!”