Page 48 of Finding Home

“I’ll flag one of the workers down. Then do you trust them to take it back while we look for my tree?” I ask, and Harper’s smile falters.

“Oh, um. Yeah. We can do that.” Lizzie settles her head on my shoulder, so I reach my other hand to grab Harper’s chin, gently raising it so she has to look at me.

“What did I say?” My eyes search hers, dipping to her mouth as she licks her lips, then chews on the bottom one.

“What if you didn’t get a tree?” My heart rate picks up. Is she asking what I think she is? God, I fucking hope so. She’s silent, staring at the tree, and my impatience is driving me mad.

“My cabin will seriously lack holiday spirit without one.” Again, I watch the way her thoughts flit through her eyes. Silently willing her to ask me before I do. Moving in together is a huge step, especially with Lizzie. I may stay over a lot lately, but I still leave before breakfast most days, so I don’t want to pressure her.

“What if you didn’t live in your cabin?” Her voice is soft as her eyes find mine. I can’t contain my smile.

“Then where would I live?” Finally seeing the answer on my face, she smiles.

“What if we lived together? What if I asked you to move in with us, and never have to say goodbye at the end of the night again?”

“Nothing would make me happier, baby.” I pull her in close, Lizzie now nearly asleep on my shoulder. Holding them both, my new family, my whole world, my everything.

“Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring tingle tingling, too. Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you…” Christmas music blasts through the speakers as we pull into The Toasted Bean parking lot. Lizzie’s little legs bounce along with the song in perfect rhythm. This little girl never ceases to amaze me. Seriously, the way she can match a beat at her age is so impressive. Unable to resist, I join in singing with Harper. We are wearing matching reindeer antlers, which is pretty dorky, but I low-key love the way it screams she’s with me, so I’m going with it and likely any other crazy couple thing Harper comes up with.

Pulling in, I spot Blake’s red Tacoma in the lot and make a mental note to see if Gary has sent him any last-minute updates for the grand opening ceremony in a couple weeks. Much like starting the project, Gary is full of grand new ideas, and in general, being a real pain in the ass.

“Well, aren’t you two cute?” Bree calls from the door that she holds open for us to walk in. “Is this what we have to look forward to now? Next week, will you show up in matching track suits or something?”

“If they’re Christmas themed, then it’s a real possibility.” Harper spins toward me, grinning like a fiend. Like she’s mentally picturing me in some holiday get up. I slowly start backing up, heading for the door. “Where you running off, Jace?” Her voice is full of laughter. The sight of her lit up with so much joy threatens to bring me to my knees. I love her like this, but the smile drops from her face suddenly, eyes glued over my shoulder. My heart thunders against my ribcage as her face goes ghostly pale.

“Bree, watch Lizzie,” she says, voice shaking, without turning around. Then she’s stumbling out of the door. With a quick glance to make sure Bree has Lizzie, I rush after Harper.

“Tink, stay, watch Lizzie,” I call over my shoulder, knowing she won’t move from her side. Adrenaline is coursing through me, not sure what is happening, but ready to take it head on. No way in hell is she facing whatever it is alone.

“Harper.” I catch up in a few steps, but she doesn’t look at me or show any signs of hearing me speak. “Haper?” I try again as we round the corner. Her steps quicken, eyes searching. “Stop.” Grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop, I search her face. I need to know what’s happening, what we’re heading into. Her eyes are haunted, but at least she’s finally looking at me. “You are not alone.”

“I think…oh, God, I think I saw…” She doesn’t get to finish her sentence. She’s rendered speechless by a cold voice coming from behind us.

“Ah, there she is. I knew you would find me. Nice antlers, Harper.” The man before me runs his eyes up and down her, cunning and calculated, and with something else that has me seeing red, lust.

Chapter 33

Harper

A weight settles firmly on my shoulders hearing his voice. Heading into The Toasted Bean, I felt happier than I could ever remember. For the first time, all the anxiety and feelings of being not enough were quiet in my head. I marvel how Jace fits so perfectly into our life, and how in such a short time, he has become my safe harbor. Happiness fills me, and instead of being scared, I embrace it.

I thought for sure my eyes were playing tricks on me when I spotted that mop of sandy blonde hair. That I was self-sabotaging, finding something to hamper the good feelings that were flooding through my system. His face was turned away from me, but it was there, that flicker of familiarity. When he walked in the opposite direction, his gait, the swagger he’s always had, sealed the deal. Curtis is in Juniper Falls, and suddenly, I remember why I can’t be happy.

Jace chased me through town. I vaguely remember him calling my name, but nothing could penetrate the roaring in my ears. My heart beating wildly in my chest, each beat pulsing in my ears, its reverberation deafening. I thought wondering if it was him was bad, but it doesn’t hold a candle to actually seeing him, hearing his voice.

“What are you doing here?” I croak out. His brown eyes turn to ice, going dark, almost black for just a second, before he masks it with a too bright smile that never reaches his eyes. I feel like I’m back in his car, nineteen, sobbing as I confess that I think I’m pregnant.

Flipping his hair like he’s in some teen heartthrob movie, he licks his lips, stepping close and crowding my space. Jace, who I almost forgot was there as I was too tunnel visioned and spiraling, shifts his body so he’s slightly between Curtis and me.

Curtis sneers at him for a second, then his attention returns to me, like a dismissal, as if Jace is nothing more than a gnat, a nuisance in the background. “Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?” Jace stiffens at his tone, greasy and dripping with insinuation. “Can’t an old friend pop in to see the mother of his child? Speaking of which, where is my daughter?”

“Fuck you,” I seethe, “she’s not your daughter. You lost that right, actually, no, you signed away that right long ago, so stay the hell away from her!” He eyes me like I’m some whiny bratty child making a scene. Huffing a huge dramatic sigh like I’m fucking bothersome, he rolls his eyes, then from the messenger bag at his hip he pulls out a large white folder, flipping it open.

“Elizabeth Quinn Murphy, goes by Lizzie, cute.” He fixes me with a fake smile that grates at my every nerve. A picture of her playing at daycare is clipped to the inside of the folder, and it feels like the earth shifts, like I’m free falling. Jace clutches my arm and sets his other hand around my waist, my legs no longer able to support me. Blinking slowly and peeling my eyes from the photo, I stare at Curtis's face. His smile is cruel and cold.

“Tsk, tsk, Harper. I see you haven’t changed. Still emotionally unstable, and from the looks of it still falling on your back for any man that pretends to give a shit about you.” His words barely permeate the fog engulfing me. Why does he have a picture of her? Why is he here? What the actual fuck is happening? Jace has gone rigid beside me, but lunges for Curtis at that final line.

“You fucking bastard,” Jace growls and I barely stop him before he plows into Curtis. I have never seen Jace so angry.