“About the same.” Harper crossed the room to her suitcase, shoving her pajamas in among the other clothing wreckage. “What about you? You’re the one who had to deal with a crying mess all night.” She looked up, attempting a smile and hoping it would detract from the two beyond-puffy eyes she was sporting.
“Pshh, that’s nothing.” Mel waved her hand in the air. “Once I get some coffee, I’ll be just fine.”
“Coffee, oh, how I miss thee.”
“That sounded a little Shakespearean.”
“Stick around and I just might start spouting sonnets. It will be about how much I want a full fat, full sugar, fully caffeinated, piping-hot gift from the java gods with whipped cream on top…and a caramel drizzle,” Harper said wistfully.
“Yeah, I think you’re a few months away from one of those.” Mel said the last word around a yawn as her phone chimed. “I told Bennett to grab you a cranberry juice. He’s at the café now.”
“You’ve trained him well.”
“I have.” Mel nodded as she got out of bed. “I’m going to head across the hall and get dressed. Checkout is in an hour; that enough time?”
“I’ll be down there.” Harper pulled the zipper closed on her bag; she was already done with half her packing as it was.
She was also beyond ready to get home. She would’ve driven back the night before if she’d had her own car…or if she’d been in any state to drive. But as neither had been the case she’d just wallowed in her own misery in the hotel room.
God, she was pathetic.
“Hey.” Mel stopped in front of Harper and grabbed her arm. “It’s going to work itself out. It might be hard, but it won’t be insurmountable, no matter what happens. And like Grace and I established earlier, you won’t be alone through it.”
Harper took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “I know. I just wish…I just wish I hadn’t messed up so epically with Liam.”
“You can’t change anything that’s happened, babe. All you can do is learn from it and move on from here. At least he knows now.”
“Yeah, at least he knows now,” Harper repeated.
She just wanted to know what he was going to do with the information.
* * *
The June sun was high in the sky and shining brilliantly when Harper walked out of the doors of the Brogan-Meyers Hotel. The Florida humidity wrapped around her like an oppressive blanket. Not only was she immediately pleased with her wardrobe selection, but she was happy she had pulled her hair up. There was nothing quite as uncomfortable as her hair sticking to the back of her neck.
The outside entrance of the hotel sat under a massive awning. Golden brown pavers covered the area, creating a circle that could easily fit four cars all the way around. In the center sat an enormous fountain with four mermaids playing in the water.
Even under the shade of the expansive awning, the sun was too bright for Harper’s sensitive eyes. She pushed her glasses down from the top of her head and settled them on her nose. Bennett had already grabbed her bags from the room and was currently at the back of the SUV parked at the curb. He was loading the bags while Mel went inside to finish checking them out. Harper would’ve waited inside with her friend, but she needed some fresh air before they loaded up in the car. Plus, the line of people had made her antsy.
As Harper rounded the car, she spotted Dale and Hamilton who were setting up their things in the third row of seats. Harper would have the middle to herself again. Maybe she’d stretch out along the bench seat and take a nap for the three-and-a-half-hour ride. Though, odds were her brain wouldn’t be able to stay quiet long enough to let her doze off.
“You got everything?” Bennett asked her as she walked up to him.
“Yup.” She nodded.
“I got you another juice; it’s in the cooler with some bottles of water. Organic apple this time.” He looked over at her and waggled his eyebrows.
“Ohhh, fancy.”
“You know it. That’s how we roll.” He stacked another bag into the trunk just as Dale stepped around to the back of the SUV.
“Did you seriously just say, that’s how we roll?”
“Yeah, you got a problem with it?” Bennett asked.
“No problem.” Dale shook his head. “Just didn’t realize how hip and cool you are.” The sarcasm was dripping from his words.
“You know, it’s a long walk back home, buddy.”
“Like you’d leave him,” Hamilton said, joining the group. “Mel wouldn’t let you.”
“Fair point.”
Both boys grinned before they grabbed bags from the rolling cart and started loading them into the back, allowing Bennett to take a step to the side.
His gray-blue eyes were uncovered and he looked Harper over with concern. “You feeling any better?”
“I think I’m about as good as I’m going to get for a while.”
He nodded, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his solid body. He pressed a kiss to her temple before he pulled back, his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I’m not oblivious enough to not see that something is going on. I got your back, Harper. No matter what it is.”
“Make that two of us,” Hamilton said as he continued to load the car.
“What am I? Chopped liver?” Dale asked. He stopped and looked over at her. “Make that three of us.” He pointed to his chest. “I got your back, too.”
One of the few genuine smiles she’d felt in days turned up her lips, but a second later it was sliding off her face.
Hamilton’s gaze was fixed on a spot over Harper’s shoulder and he waved, calling out. “Hey! Liam!”
Harper spun around immediately, her heart now lodged in her throat as her eyes focused on the man crossing over to them, cowboy boots and all.
And dammit, she couldn’t stop herself from admiring the all. His jeans looked like they were made for him, and the V-neck of his green T-shirt was pulled low by the aviator sunglasses that hung from the collar, exposing the very top of his chest.
Even with his eyes uncovered, she couldn’t read anything in them. Between that and the set line of his mouth, she didn’t find anything promising in his expression.
“Were you staying here, too?” Hamilton asked as Liam joined the group.
“No, I’ve been staying with Logan. But I was wanting to catch a word with Harper before you guys hit the road. Is that okay?” His gaze focused on her, and for just a second she saw hope flicker through his eyes. But it was gone just as quickly and she was pretty sure she might’ve imagined it…or it was a trick of the sun.
“Yes.” She turned to Bennett, whose eyes were focused intently on her. “Ten minutes?”
“Take as long as you want. We’ll be here.”
She made a move to step away but Bennett grabbed her hand, making her stop and look back at him.
“Right here, Harper,” he said only loud enough for her to hear. “If you need us.”
“Thanks.” She squeezed his hand before she stepped away, following Liam. When they walked out into the sun he pulled his glasses from his shirt and slid them onto his face. He led them to a patch of green on the side of the hotel, heading for the black metal bench in the corner that was shaded under a massive tree.
They sat on opposite ends, as much distance between them as possible. The space felt forced…wrong.
All wrong.
Liam took a deep breath, letting it out as he rubbed his hands across his jeans. “I’m sorry about last night. I was a dick, and no matter anything that’s happened, you didn’t deserve that.”
“I…” Her brain went momentarily blank. “I, um…”
Nope. Nothing.
“I believe you,” he continued. “I believe the baby is mine…or ours really.” He stopped rubbing his hands across his jeans and reached up, running his fingers through his hair. “Wow, that sentence didn’t exactly seem real coming out of my mouth.”