Next, she tackled the texts and then moved on to emails. There was a lot of work to catch up on and handling it from Joni’s house on her phone wasn’t going to cut it.
Harper checked the time. 5 p.m. on a Sunday. The office should be empty. She’d go in and see what kind of progress she could make. Alone. She didn’t owe it to him. She owed it to the rest of the team there. She’d get them back on track before moving on.
Joni’s house was farther from the office than she was used to, and she made the trip unnecessarily longer by taking a less direct route that didn’t pass his house. She may be ready to crawl out of her bed cocoon, but that didn’t mean she was interested in pouring salt in fresh wounds.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she found the office dark and locked. Safe.
She locked herself inside and leaned against the door. Refusing to look into his office, Harper immediately decided to shift the position of her desk. There would be a new focus for her remaining days here.
Satisfied with her new view through the window — her back to the empty office — she got to work.
There were a few new invoices to enter and payroll to do for next week’s checks. She was working her way through staff and client emails when her phone signaled a text.
Luke.
Frank says you emailed. Are you at the office? Can we talk?
Her stomach churned and she shoved her phone in a drawer. How would she ever be able to look at him when she could barely read the words he wrote?
She had to leave Benevolence. There was no way around it. There couldn’t be any running into him at Remo’s or on the jogging trails. She wouldn’t survive it.
She knew what she had to do.
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
Subject: Two weeks notice
Please accept this email as my two weeks notice. I will be leaving Garrison Construction on December 15. Until that time I plan to start my workdays at 6 p.m.
Please don’t be in the office when I’m here.
She hit send and closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. “Just keep moving,” she whispered to herself.
Her phone started ringing from the drawer. She slid it open a crack and saw his name on the screen. Harper snapped the drawer shut and got up to pace. Part of her wanted nothing more than to hear his voice saying her name, but she knew the only way to get through this was without contact.
Her desk phone rang and she rolled her eyes. The only thing he could possibly want to say to her is that he didn’t want her working her two weeks. Well tough crap, Garrison. This isn’t about you. She had a job to do and people depending on her.
Harper’s cellphone dinged. A new text message from Sophie.
Did you just email Luke? He got up from the table so fast he knocked over his water. Now he’s pacing Mom’s front yard swearing and dialing like a mad man.
Harper felt her lips curve just a little.
On cue, her cellphone rang again. It was him. She hit Ignore and texted Sophie back.
Just emailed my two weeks notice. Had a feeling he wouldn’t be happy about two more weeks with me. I’ll be working nights until the 15th.
Sophie responded immediately.
Almost feel sorry for the idiot. Looks like a shaggy insomniac. I think I see some gray hairs. Mom had to ask him to pass the beets three times before it registered.
Harper sighed and tucked her phone back in the drawer. She didn’t want to think of him at all, let alone the entire Garrison family gathered around the dinner table. It was the closest thing to family she ever had and the circle had closed without her.
Maybe this was all there was for her.
She turned her attention back to her computer and saw a reply from Luke.
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
If you don’t answer your phone I’m coming over there now.
And another one.
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
And if you leave I’m showing up at Joni’s.
Harper set her jaw. He was the one who wanted it this way.
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
I respected your wishes. I expect you to respect mine. I don’t want to talk. I’m only staying on until the 15th so you can find a replacement. And as much as you would prefer to not have me here at all, you don’t know how to use the new payroll system or the database. I won’t be in your way as long as you stay out of the office when I’m here at night.
He replied within a few minutes.
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
Fine. Let me, or Frank if you prefer, know what you need. Are you okay?
Harper decided not to respond and went back to work.
***
From his truck Luke stared at the lone light in the window, willing a shadow to appear. He didn’t know what he was doing here. He’d bolted from his parents’ table and without so much as a good-bye had driven the five minutes to the office where he knew she was.