Page 81 of Capture The Moment

Chapter 19

“How was your Valentine’s Day?” Harper asked Julia a couple of days later.

“Eh.”

Harper jerked her head away from the computer, where she’d been editing some photos. “Well, that doesn’t sound very good.”

“It wasn’t,” Julia said, setting down her pen.

“What happened?”

“It’s more like what didn’t happen. Connor was distracted all night, and then he left before we even had sex, and believe me, that’s not like him.”

An image of her night with Finn flashed through Harper’s mind. After she’d made the decision to stay over, he’d used the rest of the evening to make her glad she had! She got warm just thinking about it.

“Did you ask him about it?” Harper said.

“I tried to, but he just gave me some lame excuse about Finn riding him hard at work.”

And there went another image of her and Finn! “Well, maybe that’s true. Finn can be tough on his brothers sometimes.”

“I know, but Connor is one of the most laidback guys I’ve ever known. I don’t think it’s Finn. I think there’s something else he’s not telling me.”

More secrets. Harper instantly felt relieved that she and Finn had talked everything out on Valentine’s Day. “You have to keep talking to him, Jules. Eventually, he’ll tell you what’s on his mind.”

Smirking at her, Julia said, “Is that what you and Finn did on Valentine’s? Talk?”

Harper smiled big. She couldn’t help it. “Among other things,” she said. She’d spoken before thinking and then worried that she’d made Julia feel worse, but her friend was grinning too.

“I’m glad things are working out for you two.”

They had just gotten back to work when Harper’s phone rang, and her eyes lit up when she saw who it was. “I’m going to step outside and take this,” she said to Julia, who just waved her away.

Today was one of those rare fifty-degree days that occurred sometimes in the middle of February as a precursor to spring. True Michiganders weren’t fooled, though. Harper understood that next week she could be snowed in again.

Closing the door of the studio behind her, she said, “Hello.”

“You alone?”

The question gave her a twinge. “Why? What do you have in mind?”

“Are you flirting with me?”

“What if I am?”

“I’d love it, although I’m calling about business, not pleasure.”

“Oh,” she said, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

He laughed. “I was asking if you were alone because I didn’t want Julia to overhear our conversation.”

“Julia? Why? Is something wrong with Connor?”

“Huh? No. Not that I know of.”

“Oh. Well, go ahead, then. I’m outside my studio.”

“I took your advice and contacted Nicole Branson about the store.”