“Is he your boyfriend?” Drew asked, wide-eyed.
Harper giggled and ruffled his hair. “No sweetie, he’s just a friend. I haven’t seen him in a while and wanted to catch up.” She glanced at Deke. “He was at the bar the other night. You must have seen him.”
He’d been too focused on Harper to notice anyone else. “Yeah, I think I saw him.” He tried to remember everything he’d heard about Paul in recent years. “He’s, uh, engaged, isn’t he?” Please God, let him be engaged.
“Was.” She grimaced. “Let’s just say he and I have a lot in common. His ex isn’t any more trustworthy than mine was.” She side-eyed Drew, but he was too busy devouring his sandwich to question her.
Great, just great. The guy was single. They had a lot in common. Old friends. Deke started the day feeling like nothing could get him down now that he had Harper back in his life, but she’d just put the kibosh on that notion.
“You okay?” she asked, handing him a paper napkin.
“Yeah.” He couldn’t tell her the truth, that he was seeing red because she was spending time with another man. “Sure. You can catch a game with us some other time.”
“We should go to a game this weekend,” Drew said. “All of us.” He looked at Deke. “You said you’d take me to a ballgame this summer, Uncle Deke, and it would be more fun if Harper came too, doncha think?”
He definitely did. Deke raised an eyebrow as a slow smile spread across his face. “What do you think, Harper? You game? We could head into the city Friday night, grab some dinner, and catch the game on Saturday?” The more time he spent with her the less time she’d have to catch up with old friends.
“Um, I’m not sure—”
“Please, Harper!” Drew grabbed her hand, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. “Please, please, please!”
Harper laughed. “How can I say no to you?”
***
Harper still hadn’t told Deke that she intended to take him up on the offer of the apartment, but now that they were alone, manning the grill on his balcony, it seemed like the perfect time.
“So I talked to Jude today,” she said, peeling the peppers he’d grilled and depositing the skins into a grocery bag.
“Oh yeah? About what?”
She was suddenly nervous. What if he’d re-thought his offer and realized he’d been too generous. No way could she afford the rent on a place like that by herself, especially since she hadn’t even secured a teaching position for the fall yet.
“Um, about the apartment. That is if you still want me to stay there while I’m looking after Drew? If not, I totally understand. As it is, you’re being way too generous with the salary and expenses and—”
“Harper.” He grinned. “Can I get a word in?”
“Sure.” She dipped her head to hide the blush staining her cheeks. She always babbled when she got nervous.
“I want you to take the apartment… if it’s what you want?”
“It is.” She’d have to be crazy not to want a place like that. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He turned the foil wrapped baked potatoes after moving the steaks to the top rack to rest. “And Jude was okay with it?”
“Yeah. In fact, she’s thinking about asking Jason to move in.”
His eyes widened. “Wow, she doesn’t waste any time, does she?”
Concerned she’d given her friend bad advice, Harper asked, “You think it’s too soon? If a woman asked you to move in with her after one night, you’d be freaked out, even if you’d known each other forever?”
“Depends on the situation, and the woman, I guess.” He closed the lid and turned to face her. “Now if it was you who asked me to move in with you…”
His eyes zeroed in on her mouth and she could almost feel her lips tingling. “What would you say?” she asked, tipping her head back. He towered over her, but somehow they always seemed to fit perfectly.
“I wouldn’t be able to book the moving truck fast enough.”
He leaned in and so did she. Deke slipped his hand under her hair, closing around her neck, and she hooked her thumbs into his belt loops. She knew it may be a huge mistake, but the desire to taste him again overruled her better judgement.
