Pretend You're Mine(4)
“Oh, I’m doing better than that. I’m picking up a cheesesteak for her.”
Right on cue, Sophie reappeared with a large paper bag. “Three steaks, all the fixings.” She slid it across the bar to Carl.
“Give Carol Ann my best,” Luke told him.
“Will do. Will do. It was nice to meet you, Harper. If you get sick of hanging out with this soldier, just give me a call.”
“Will do, Carl.” Harper laughed.
“Don’t encourage him,” Luke said as Carl weaved his way past them.
“So, soldier?” Harper turned back to Luke.
“Captain in the Army National Guard Brat,” Sophie said, plopping down an overflowing plate of nachos and a pile of napkins.
Luke eyed his sister and said nothing.
Hmm. Military. That ranked right up there with firefighters and cowboys in the noble and sexy profession category. Was there nothing that wasn’t scorching hot about this man?
Harper glanced around the bar that was getting more crowded by the minute. It seemed like everyone was talking to everyone else at the same time. No one was alone, even if they arrived that way. Greetings and hands rose up from all corners of the room.
“I’m getting the feeling that this is a very small town and I’m the only stranger here,” Harper ventured.
“Don’t bother feeling like a stranger. It won’t last,” Luke warned. “See that woman over there in the Easter Bunny sweatshirt?”
Harper spotted her gabbing it up by the jukebox.
“That’s Georgia Rae. She’s probably already plotting on how to corner you and extract your life story.”
Harper laughed and sampled a cheesy nacho.
“And that,” Luke said, gesturing at a gray mustached man by the pool table, “is my Uncle Stu. I guarantee he already called my dad to tell him that I’m at the bar with the girl who took down Glenn Underhill. And see how Sophie keeps checking her phone? That’s my mom texting her to find out what you look like.”
“Wow. I should probably get out of here before they invite me to Sunday dinner,” Harper laughed.
Luke’s phone on the bar buzzed. He glanced at the screen and grimaced. “Too late.”
“Very funny.” Harper rolled her eyes and took a sip of beer.
He held up his phone for her to see.
Ask your friend if she can bring a pie to dinner Sunday.
She choked, slapping a hand over her mouth. “This can’t be real. I’m still in the parking lot unconscious, aren’t I?”
Luke laughed and put a solid, warm hand on her back. “You wish.”
Click.
Harper glanced up to see Sophie holding her phone extended towards them.
“Soph.” Luke’s voice held the sharp edge of a warning.
Sophie smiled innocently. “What? Oops, gotta go. Order’s up.”
“Did she just take a picture of us?”
Luke grabbed his beer. The spot on her shoulder where he had touched her still felt tingly.
She put her head in her hands, until she bumped her cheek and remembered the bruise. “I feel like I’m in some alternate reality. I’m not even supposed to be here.”
“Where are you supposed to be?”
“Fremont.”
“You’re a long way from Fremont.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Harper, Fremont is four hours west of here.”
“Son of a bitch. I was going the wrong way.” She leaned forward and covered her eyes with her hands.
“Everything okay, here?” Sophie reappeared. “What did you do now, Luke?”
“It’s not him, it’s me.” Harper’s voice was muffled by her hands.
“She was supposed to be in Fremont tonight,” Luke supplied.
“Well, that’s not going to happen, Harp. Fremont’s four hours away.”
“I know that now,” Harper groaned into her hands.
Sophie started to laugh and Harper dropped her hands. “I’m glad you find my life so amusing.”
It only made her laugh harder. “This is ridiculous. Does stuff like this happen to you all the time?”
“Stuff like what?” Luke asked.
Harper dropped her head to the bar, while Sophie gave Luke the brief details of her situation, mercifully leaving out any mention of the delivery girl.
“You left your house with nothing but car keys and then drove for hours in the wrong direction?” It was Luke’s turn to swipe a hand over his face and sigh. “So where are you staying tonight?”
Harper sat up and took a mournful swallow of beer. “I don’t know. The plan was to message Hannah on Facebook for a ride. But that’s when I thought I was only ten minutes away from her.”
“Maybe someone here tonight is heading in that direction and can get you part way there?” Sophie suggested.