Three
Now what? I peeked over at Landon, hoping I could take my cue from him. Should we follow Carol into the kitchen and try to smooth things over? Give her space? Change my name, fake amnesia, and pretend like the last twenty-four hours never happened?
Option three sounded nice.
My weight shifted toward the door. As if sensing my desire to flee, Landon reached out and placed his warm hand at the small of my back. A single touch, grounding me in place.
“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.” He hesitated a moment as he looked into my eyes, and then he walked past me, his fingers grazing my hip, keeping a physical connection as long as possible.
The second that connection severed, a wire snapped in my brain. I blinked slow and hard. Was this really going to happen? I mean, I know I told Claire I would. I know I told Harper and Carol I would do it, but…
What am I doing?I couldn’t go through with this. A part of me thought time would run out and I’d be off the hook. I could call Claire up and tell her I’d done my part. I’d looked for a guy, but time had been a problem, and all the people in Seattle were marginally sane. Unlike our family, apparently. I loved Claire, but this was nuts.
I can’t do this.It was too much.
I gulped in a deep breath and spun toward the door. Two steps later, I spun right back around. “Harper, do you know where my purse is?”
My gaze landed on the spot next to the foot of the couch. Empty. Where’d my bag go? It had been right there!
“What does it look like?”
“Purple paisley.”
She made a half attempt to search the room without getting up, but then she shrugged. “Don’t see it. Sorry.”
Great. Where could it be? Falling onto my hands and knees, I crawled around the coffee table. Not there. My pulse spiked. I had to find that stupid bag and quick. Pressing my cheek to the carpet, my bum in the air, I looked under the couch and Carol’s wingback chair. Dust bunnies littered the floor, but no handbag.
Carol’s and Landon’s voices drifted through the wall, but unlike me, they knew how to keep a conversation private. They sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher—wah wah wah—all muffled and incoherent.
“A little help here.” I sent Harper a pointed look, but she just crossed her legs, her eyes laughing at me.
Blood rushed to my ears. If I didn’t find my purse soon, my window of opportunity to sneak out would slam in my face, and then I’d be forced to…
“Ready?” Landon’s deep, humor-laced timbre vibrated from behind me for the second time that day.
I froze. Bye-bye, dignity. It was nice knowing you.
On second thought…I clung to the last shred as it limped away. I stretched my arms out in front of me and rested my forehead on the ground. As much as every fiber of my being was screaming at me to get my bum out of the air—the one that was currently giving Landon a full-moon view—I left it there. “And that is how you do child’s pose, Harper.” I pushed back and settled into a kneeling position, rubbing my hands together to get the dust off my palms.
Did I really think anyone would buy that I had gotten down on Carol’s floor to teach Harper a yoga pose? Not really, but I challenge you to come up with something better on the spot.
Time to face the music.
I stood and turned. Slung over Landon’s shoulder was my bag. My oversized, purple-paisley, frayed-around-the-edges purse. My eyes widened to take in the whole picture. Bearded mountain of a man, red and black plaid, an aura of masculinity about him, and…my purse.
The image momentarily erased my embarrassment.
He grinned as he hiked the leather straps up higher on his shoulder. “Ready?” he asked again.
I was just so thankful he hadn’t made any comments about…you know…that I probably would have gone anywhere with the man at that moment. Especially when I got a good look at Carol’s twinkling eyes and Harper’s red face. It looked like she would burst into uncontrollable laughter at any second.
Which would totally blow my very thin cover.
“See you guys later,” I said over my shoulder as I followed Landon out the door.
We paused at the end of the hall in front of the elevator. “Where are we going?”
He pressed the button for the bottom floor before sliding his gaze toward me. “Kind of thought if you’re going to be my wife, I should get to know you a little first. I mean, I can’t marry just anyone, now, can I? What if we aren’t compatible?”
