***
“So when are you gonna see Fran again?” Rusty and Harper sat in his truck in the lot behind the café and had Senior on speaker phone. His grandfather had sent him a text while they were talking to Harper’s parents in the café.
Miss you.
“Woo-hoo, you got yourself a girlfriend, and all of a sudden you’re sticking your nose in other people’s love lives.”
Rusty laughed. “Just giving as good as I got.” He glanced at Harper, and she scooted closer to him on the bench seat. “Seriously, when are you comin’ back to Maple Falls? I need you to help me fix up your old bedroom.”
“Next week after Amber moves,” Senior said. “I’m so glad Austin found a house for them before Christmas.”
“Me too. Do they need any help packing?”
“Naw. Amber said the movin’ company’s doing all that. She’s also payin’ them a little extra to pack me up, so you’lljust have to load a couple things in your truck when you take me back home. Hey, I was thinkin’. How about you spendin’ a few days here before they leave? It’ll be nice to have you and Amber together for a spell. It’s been a long time.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he and his sister had spent more than a day or two together since she married Austin. It would be nice to have some quality time with her and the kids before they moved.I sure will miss them.“I’d like that,” Rusty said, glancing at Harper. She nodded. “Right after Thanksgivin’, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
They talked for a little while longer, then hung up. Rusty turned to Harper. “Will you be all right while I’m gone?” he said, winking at her.
“Oh, I guess I’ll manage.” She tapped him on the arm and smiled. “Are you up for a walk? The town has the Christmas lights up.”
“Sure.” He turned off the truck and opened the door for her. Then he took her hand and they walked to Main Street.
“I’m surprised they have them out so early,” Harper said as they walked slowly down the sidewalk. The downtown businesses were closed for the night, and there was no one around. Rusty reckoned they were all getting ready for Thursday’s festivities.
“Hayden made sure to get that done,” he said as they passed the café. “Quickel about blew his stack. I think he’s seein’ the writin’ on the wall, though. Hayden’s all but declared himself as a mayoral candidate in next year’s election.”
“Think he’ll win?”
“I know he will.”
They walked past Knots and Tangles, crossed the street, and continued past Petals and Posies, then stopped in front of #6. “It’s still for sale,” Rusty said.
“I know.”
He looked at the building. “Sure you don’t want to change your mind?”
***
Harper stood in front of #6 and stared at the For Sale sign in the window. Out of habit, she calculated numbers in her mind, tallying the costs of renovations. If she had purchased the building, she would have definitely repainted the facade. A crisp white, similar to her current office. Wait, her former office.
Rusty slipped an arm around her waist, and she gazed at him, the man she was falling more deeply for as each day passed. And she knew the answer to his question. She’d spent years investing in her career. Now it was time to invest in something else. “No. I’m not going to change my mind.”
She put her head on his shoulder, having made a habit of wearing flats all the time, except for a few occasions. Her feet were thanking her for it, and her head had learned its place in the nook of his neck. “I want something different now.”
He kissed the top of her head, and they stood in the cold, staring at the building. Hopefully the person who ended up purchasing it would do the town justice.
“You’re positive?” he said.
“Yes, I’m positive.”
“Okay, then.” He faced her. “I’m going to buy it.”
Her eyes widened. “You are?”
“Yes. Hayden and I had lunch with Tanner the other day, and we were talkin’ about this buildin’ bein’ vacant for so long. I didn’t say anythin’ about you bein’ interested in it at one time. But it got me thinkin’—since I’m not buyin’ a new house or land, I might as well invest the money. I can’t think of anythin’ better than to invest in Maple Falls.”
