Chapter Fourteen

Main Street was blocked off with sawhorses at both ends. Tents were set up in the middle of the square, some selling crafts or homemade food items while other tents held various games. Harper made herself ignore the sweet scent of elephant ears as she passed by one of the tents, carrying a container filled with condiments for Barbara.

She set them down beside the grill the other woman had set up. The day was bright with the promise of the impending summer. Blue sky, white fluffy clouds.

Hearing a shriek, Harper glanced at the booth across the street. Children laughed in delight as they watched the cotton candy machine spin the treat onto the cardboard cone. Every year she looked forward to the festival, forward to spending time with her friends and enjoying the day.

Today felt different. Last night she’d gone home after the show and cried alone in front of the TV. As she’d readied for bed, she’d realized that at least she’d put herself out there. Once she dealt with this heartache, she’d be able to move on, and she would do that, she promised herself. As soon as she figured out how.

“How are you holding up?” Barbara asked.

Harper had told her what happened on the car ride to the festival. “Well…I woke up alive, so the heartbreak didn’t kill me yet,” she managed to joke.

Barbara squeezed her hand. “I love my sons, but when it comes to love, they can be so clueless.” She shook her head. “I’m going to finish up these ribs and then head over to watch the jousting tournament.” She shaded her eyes with her hand. “Hello, Mother. More matchmaking,” she chided. “I tried to tell you to leave that alone.”

“Don’t gloat. It’ll give you wrinkles,” Jean said as she linked her arm with Harper’s. “I’m sorry about last night, but chin up. It’s not over yet.”

“Yes, it is. I told Rafferty how I felt, and he didn’t feel the same. But we can be friends,” Harper said, unable to keep the hurt from showing in her voice.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Ivy said in a breathless rush as she approached. “But there’s a problem. The woman who was supposed to play the fair maiden for the jousting tournament is a no show. I checked with some of the other employees to see if they’d willing to step in, but no one is.”

Harper sighed. She’d looked forward to a day off, away from the problems that came with running a business. “It’s only for an hour. I’ll do it. Where’s the dress?”

“It’s in my car along with the hat.” She walked with Harper. “Think we’ll make it to the tournament in time?”

“It’s not like they can start without the maiden.” Especially since the employee who did that part was the one who always settled the crowd and announced the start of the tournament.

The men in the tournament were skilled performers who’d done the event for years. It took a lot of practice to be able to hook their spears through the rings hanging from the ribbons while at the same time prevent an opponent from knocking them off the horse.

Ivy kept up a steady stream of chatter, bouncing from one topic to the next. She parked at the castle and shooed Harper into one of the rooms to change.

Harper donned the medieval costume, but the slippers didn’t fit. Ah well. The purple and white dress was long enough to hide her sneakers. She wound her hair into a messy bun and stuck it beneath the hat then hopped into a golf cart with Ivy for the ride to the tournament ring.

The performers greeted her as she hurried around the back of the wooden bleacher set up to hold the audience. There was a full crowd, including most of Barbara’s family. She waved at Josie and Casey right before she stepped up onto the box platform. She waited until the men were on their horses and lined up at the rear of the arena before she loudly declared, “Let the tournament commence!”

The crowd cheered as the horses surged forward, galloping on opposite sides of the arena to take the rings.

Harper sat on the makeshift throne and let her thoughts drift. She’d seen the action dozens of times. Barbara slipped into a space on one of the bleachers between Lincoln and Grayson, followed by Jean, who nudged them all down a spot. Harper smiled at the older woman.

Jean could be sarcastic and pushy, and everyone knew she was a die-hard matchmaker, but Harper loved her regardless. She’d meant well pushing her and Rafferty together, and Harper wouldn’t hold it against her.

The crowd roared, and Harper turned her attention back to the middle of the arena. There were two knights left, both racing to reach the final ring. As part of the event, the winner of the tournament won the fair maiden’s hand, and the crowd always loved that part. Afterward, the maiden and her knight would ride off together on his horse. Until the next performance.

She frowned at the knight who pulled his feet from the stirrups to crouch on the saddle. That had never been part of the performance before. The knight reached over the spear of the other knight to clasp the ring and pull it off the ribbon. He held it aloft as the crowd cheered.

Harper smiled, shaking her head, thinking for some reason the drill had been changed and there hadn’t been time to let her know. She walked to the edge of the platform box, leaning over to take the final ring and allowing the knight to lift her up and over the short wall.

She swung up behind him on the horse, and he nudged the animal’s side. They were supposed to take a triumphant walk around the ring and then the show was over. The knight directed the horse through the gate and out, riding at a full gallop away from the crowd.

Behind her, the cheering slowly faded until she couldn’t hear any more sound. Still the knight urged the horse further on.

Harper thumped the knight, wondering if he could hear her through his face covering. “Hey! Far enough. I want to go back and enjoy— What the!” Harper exclaimed as the knight stopped the horse in front of a picket fence that hadn’t been there the last time Harper had come to this section of land.

Hung on the left side of the fence was a paper heart on a string with Rafferty’s name. The right side of the fence had her name on a paper heart.

The knight dismounted and removed the helmet.

“Rafferty?” she asked, sliding automatically into his outstretched hands and letting him help her dismount. “What is this?”

“I was here all night putting this up. I want to build the kind of life you want. Picket fence and all.”

Harper put a hand on her throat. “I…” Remembering last night’s show, she said, “You don’t want that. You want to be friends.”

“No, I mean, yes, I do want to be friends, but I lied about that being all that I want.” He removed the armor he wore, stripping down to jeans and a T-shirt, before he took her hands in his. “I know that you don’t like risks, and I know that I’m probably the biggest risk you’ll ever take, but I’m asking you anyway. Take a chance on me.”

She looked at the fence, debating. Her emotions were all tangled up. Fear, hope, hurt, and love fought for preeminence.

He wanted more than friendship, he’d said, but what was important to her was what he hadn’t said. “You want to build a life with me,” she said, asking cautiously, “For how long?”

“I want whatever time you’ll give me, and if you say no, I’ll still be there for you, and you can always count on me. I’ll still be loving you and waiting and hoping that you eventually give me a chance.”

Love triumphed over the hurt and the fear, bringing hope with it. She could build a good life with this man she loved so deeply. No, he wasn’t perfect, but he was hers. And she was his. Harper put her hand over her mouth as a sob escaped.

“Is that a good sign?”

“You love me,” she said, speaking from a sense of wonder.

He nodded, putting a hand over his chest. “With every beat of my heart.”

“Since when?”

“Since the moment I first saw you in elementary school. All the time between then and now has just been me being an idiot.”

“I see.” She took a step closer to him. “And what do you suppose two people who realize they love each other should do?”

He stepped toward her. “I have it on good authority that they should get married and live happily ever after.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s what I want.”

“You do?”

“I knew it last night, and I didn’t have time to get a ring, so this will have to do for now.” He lowered himself to one knee and held up the ring he’d taken from the ribbon in the tournament. “Harper Bailey, the fairest maiden in all of Morganville and the world beyond, will you trust me with your heart and take mine in return?”

“Rafferty…” Harper ducked her head, her heart overwhelmed.

“I swear to you that I’ll be worth the risk. I love you. Marry me, Harper.”

“Yes,” she said through the tears.

Rafferty slipped the tournament ring on over her hand and rose to kiss her. “You know there’ll be no living with my grandmother after she learns of this.”

“I know.” Harper laughed. “She’s going to rub our noses in it.”

…

Rafferty didn’t care what anyone said. He didn’t even mind the way his brothers teased him. All that mattered to him was that Harper had said yes, that he hadn’t screwed up beyond repair.

“I guess I’ll be dancing at your wedding after all,” Jean said with a wink.

“If Harper and I don’t elope first.”

Jean narrowed her eyes. “I do know people who own bloodhounds.”

Rafferty grinned and gave her a hug. “I can’t believe the lengths that you went to with your scheme. Calling Ron in like that?”

Jean half shrugged. “It takes a lot of work to make boneheaded men smarten up. You can grovel in gratitude later. I know today is a big day for you.”

Rafferty’s gaze strayed to where Harper talked with his mom. “Yes, it is.” He saw Lincoln and Grayson join them, and he started walking toward them but was cut off by the chief blocking his path.

“Got a second?” the other man asked.

Rafferty stepped away from the crowd with him.

“I wanted you to know that I knew exactly what Doug’s ploy was scheduling the meeting the same night as the show. I decided to go along with it to see what you’d do. A good leader always thinks about how his actions affect others, and you proved that when you chose to keep your obligation.”

“Doug isn’t coming to the station then?”

“Nah. He’s like family to me, but I’m not blind to his faults. The promotion is yours and so, I hear, are congratulations.” He shook Rafferty’s hand. “I’ll see you at the station tomorrow.”

“What did the chief want?” Lincoln asked after the man left.

Rafferty stood beside Harper, sliding his arm around her waist. “To tell me the promotion is mine.”

“I’m glad,” Lincoln said. “He couldn’t have found a better man unless I had been up for the spot.”

“Wishful thinking won’t make you turn into me,” Rafferty said.

“Or me,” Grayson chimed in.

“Punks,” Lincoln said, reaching for one of his mom’s barbecue ribs.

Rafferty drank it all in, how lucky he was to have the family he did and the love he had. Especially Harper’s love, an extraordinary woman who loved an ordinary man. He dropped a kiss on her lips when she looked up at him.

The rest of his life being committed to her wasn’t going to be nearly long enough.