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Whatever crossed Chase’s expression caused Darryl to frown, the hard cop appearing in a second flat. “Want me to help search?”
“Sure. You take the kitchen and living room.” Chase strode down the hall
way. When he entered the bedroom, he whistled again, then froze. He cocked his head, listening hard, wondering if maybe Houdini had gotten stuck under something.
When silence still surrounded him, Chase searched the bedroom and his closet. Coming up empty, he moved on to his bathroom then opened the double doors in the hallway which housed the washing machine and dryer. “Where are you?” Chase asked beneath his breath.
“Chase.”
The tightness in Darryl’s voice turned Chase around and had him jogging back into the living room. Next to the kitchen, he discovered Darryl squatting by the back door. “Whatcha got?”
Darryl glanced over his shoulder, his brow wrinkled. He pointed at the floor-to-ceiling screen door, and in the very bottom corner, the screen had been chewed with a big enough hole for Houdini to escape.
“Rule number one,” said Darryl. “No screen doors with dogs around.”
Chapter 16
On the other side of town, Harper shoved the final box into her trunk then bounced on her feet, shutting the lid against the full trunk. The last twenty hours had been a whirlwind, and she sensed the exhaustion in her muscles, the unknown swirling in her mind. There was so much to think about. To get straight, even. Chase was not far from her mind, the urgency to go to him and tell him she was staying becoming more and more overwhelming. Yet she wanted—no, she needed—to get settled first. At least get all of her belongings into Megan’s before she went over to his house later. Besides, since she hadn’t heard anything more from Emma about Joel, she figured the guys were still cleaning up that mess.
When the trunk clicked shut, Brody asked from behind her, “All set?”
The heaviness in his voice tightened her chest. She turned and gave him the smile she knew he needed to see to ease his worries. “Yup.” She nodded. “That’s everything.”
“Good. Yeah, okay, good.” Brody stuffed his hands into his pockets, shifting on his feet. “You don’t have to go, you know.”
Harper studied her brother. She had never taken into consideration that this would be hard on him. She should have. “You and Faith are newlyweds. I don’t want to be around that.” The memory of Chase, the chocolate, and the kitchen table brushed across her mind.
Brody stared at her. Hard.
Now understanding his tension came from a place in his heart, she reached for his arm, wrapping both of hers around one of his. “You’ve been really good to me, Brody, but this is your time. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
Any amusement fled his expression. “I’ll always worry about you.”
She squeezed his arm and winked. “And I’ll always have a love-hate thing going on with that.” She noted the tension in his jaw, his typical telling sign that he was far from happy. To put this to bed and settle him completely, she said, “You’ve given up enough for me. I’m twenty-seven years old. It’s time to cut the cord.” She laughed, hoping he would too.
He frowned.
She heaved a long sigh, trying another route. That was usually the trick with Brody. Keep going until he gave in. “I. Am. Fine.” She paused. Then to put the cherry on the top, she added, “I’m happy, Brody. Truly. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
His dejected sigh was the first crack, then his slumping shoulders came, obviously accepting what she told him. “How long do you think you’ll be at Megan’s?”
“I’m not really sure.” She wasn’t sure of anything. Her future job, where she was going to live, even her relationship with Chase were all up in the air. Which, oddly, was satisfying.
For her entire life, she always had plans. She knew she would go to culinary school. She knew she would move to Vegas. Looking back now, she assumed maybe that was a defense mechanism after her parents died. She tried to control the world around her, and yet never really felt happy or settled in that world.
This new, free world excited her.
She considered her next steps. “All I know is that I don’t want to rush all this. I’m tired of planning and thinking everything through. I’m going to let my heart lead the way and see where I fall.”
Brody smiled then, though it was a little forced. “Whatever you decide, you’ve got your inheritance. Surely, that’s enough to get you into a good home and to start up a restaurant. But if you need anything more—”
“Oh my God, Brody. Stop.” She cupped his face. “Seriously, all this energy that you put into me, put that into Faith. Go have some babies or something.” She paused, reassessing. “Actually, have a girl, so then you can go all crazy protective father on her. I’m sure she’s going to love that.”
Brody cracked a smile, an honest one.
Harper threw her arms around him. She stared at her childhood home, spotting Faith walking past the living room window. Things were going to change. Faith would likely redesign the house now, and maybe it was about time that happened.
Happy tears welled in Harper’s eyes as she managed to choke out, “All that I am, and all that I have is because of what you gave up when Mom and Dad left us. I love you, Brody.”
