I sat there staring at the mirror in front of me. He was right. I had been in love with Grant for months. I didn’t want to admit it because it was pathetic. You didn’t fall in love in two weeks. But I had done just that. Then he’d left.
“I don’t know,” I said.
Mase grunted, and I could tell he was moving something heavy. “You pack your shit and come to Texas. I’ll handle the rest. That’s what we’ll do.”
I realized talking to Mase about this was pointless. I wasn’t moving to Texas and I wasn’t letting him seek revenge. “Never mind. I’ll figure this out. Thanks for listening.”
“I’m here, Sis. Anytime. Just call me.”
“I know. Love you.”
“You, too,” he replied.
I hung up and dropped the phone beside me. Where did I go from here?
I was in love with Grant. Full-fledged in love with him. I wanted him forever. I wanted to see his smile every morning. I wanted to know what it was like to be in his arms every day. What had I done?
Grant
It was after nine when I rolled back into Rosemary. I had tried calling Harlow twice and she hadn’t answered. If Rush hadn’t told me that Nan was in New York with Georgianna, I would be panicking. But I knew Harlow was home alone. I kept telling myself she was asleep or left her phone upstairs.
By the time I pulled into Nan’s driveway I was jumping out of the truck and running to the door. She was gonna have to start answering her phone when I was gone from now on. We’d talk about that. First, I just needed to see her face and know she was okay.
The door was locked. Good girl. I rang the bell and waited. I was about to ring it again when the door opened and a sleepy-looking Harlow answered. A smile touched her lips and she ran her hand through her hair. “Hey,” she said sweetly.
I walked inside and closed the door behind me, then covered her mouth with mine. It was so soft and plump, free of lip gloss, and I wanted a taste. It was all I’d thought about on my drive home.
She slipped her hands up my arms and held on. The little blue polka-dotted boxers and matching tank top she was wearing shouldn’t have been so damn sexy. But on her, they were that and more.
When I pulled back to look at her I smiled. “Hey.”
She giggled and laid her head on my chest. “Sorry, I fell asleep on the couch watching season one of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix.”
I wasn’t sure what the hell that was but I nodded anyway. “Where’s your phone?”
She frowned. “I think upstairs.”
I pulled her closer. “Next time I’m gone, keep it with you. I broke every damn speed limit out there trying to get back because you wouldn’t answer.”
She leaned into me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it. People don’t normally call me.”
That, in itself, boggled my mind. Why didn’t people call her? Didn’t they want to hear her voice? Be near her? The world was full of idiots.
“I call you. I need to hear your voice when I’m gone,” I told her.
The grin that lit up her face made my heart swell. “Okay.”
I was going to have to tell her soon. I needed her to know how I felt. She wasn’t going anywhere. I was keeping her. I wasn’t letting her go. I’d chase her all over the damn world if I had to.
“It’s been a long day, and right now I want to crawl into bed with you,” I told her instead.
“Mmm, okay,” she said before slipping her hand in mine and turning to walk toward the stairs.
At this moment, life was good. I had my girl and I was about to hold her all night. Before Harlow, I didn’t get it. Why Rush and Woods would let one woman control their emotions, lives, actions.
But I got it now.
It made complete sense.
This little woman had me wrapped around her little finger, and she didn’t have a clue.
I was going to have to tell her. I just didn’t want to scare her off. I needed to let her fall in love with me, too. When I knew she was mine and my feelings wouldn’t send her packing, I would tell her.
“I don’t think Nan is in town,” she said, glancing back at me.
“She’s not. I talked to Rush.”
Harlow didn’t reply but I could see her body tense. What the hell was that about?
When we got to the top of the stairs I tugged her back to me. “What? Say what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not thinking anything,” she replied, but the look on her face mimicked her body language.
“Yes, you are. Tell me or we’ll stand right here all night.”
She let out a sigh and looked away from me. “You talked to Rush about Nan,” she mumbled.
“Of course I did. I had left you with your crazy-ass half sister to drive two hours away and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I called Rush to send Blaire over here to stay with you, and he told me there were no worries. Nan had gone to New York.”