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What did she have up her sleeve?
“You’d know a thing or two about flailing, wouldn’t you, Mr. Pop Star?” she crooned.
This woman was crafty as hell. He’d be wise to walk away and do whatever it took to end this conversation.
But he didn’t. The buzz that took over when they were going at each other was too hard to resist.
He shifted his stance. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve been flailing for years,” she tossed out, taking her turn to saunter around the room like a shark circling. “Your sister and Trey disappeared from the pop scene to raise Aria. She’s seven. That means, for over seven years, you haven’t made any new music.”
It was actually longer, but he wasn’t about to cop to that. “It’s complicated.”
“Oh yeah? Did they tell you that you couldn’t write while they took a break to raise their little girl?”
Shit.“No.”
“Would they have stopped you if you had?”
Double shit.“No.”
“Then why didn’t you? Why didn’t you keep doing what you loved? You clearly had the vision and the time. You weren’t raising a child. I remember seeing you splashed over the internet, dating a string of bubble-headed models. What’s your truth, heartthrob? What kept you from making music?”
“Ladies first. What’s your reason?” he shot back, deflecting her attack.
“You really want to know my truth?” she snapped.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
She nodded like she was harnessing her strength. “I haven’t written anything since Vance broke my heart. You’ve got me there. And you’re right about my grandma. I’ve kept her in the dark about the house because I love her. She’s the only family I’ve got, and I’ll do whatever it takes to save her home and give her peace of mind. I owe it to her.”
Harper’s eyes glittered with anguish, and his snarling energy shifted in the blink of an eye. The desire to go tit for tat with this woman disappeared.
He flicked his gaze to the framed photos. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come at you like that.” He gestured to the pictures. “I get that you want to help your grandmother. Your grandparents took you in after your parents passed away, right?”
“What?” she breathed.
“I overheard you tell Aria that your parents had died. I figured that’s why they raised you.”
“Yes and no,” she answered, her voice taking on a sharp edge. “When I was five, my mom and dad were very much alive when they handed me an envelope and a granola bar, then dumped me on my grandparents’ porch.”
“Where did they go?”
“They were musicians, and they took off with their band. I still remember when my grandparents got to the house and found me sitting on the porch steps. They were shocked to find me. It was a Saturday night, and they’d had a performance. I’d been there for hours. It had to be close to ten. They brought me inside and gave me a warm glass of milk. After that, a box of bonbons mysteriously appeared, and then they opened the envelope.”
She’d lost theI’m about to kick you in the ballsvibe.
“What was inside the envelope? Was it a note saying when they’d be back to get you?”
A muscle ticked in her jaw. “It was my birth certificate and my social security card.”
He felt like an ass. “Harper, I’m sorry.”
She returned to the dish towel. “A few days later, a police officer came to the house. He told us that the van my parents were traveling in had lost control and that they’d died when it jumped a guardrail.” She stilled. “All I remember about that day is the officer at the door and then my grandparents taking me down to the bakery to get bonbons. It was a big deal to get treats again, since we’d also had bonbons the night I arrived.”
“Is that when the bonbon infatuation started?” he asked, softening his tone. He hoped she’d see he was trying to make peace.
“It became our thing. It was a little escape. We’d walk to the shop and make up silly songs.” She smiled like she’d slipped back in time. “My grandparents rearranged their lives to raise me. So you see, I owe it to my grandmother to save this house. They bought this place the day after they got married. My grandad wouldn’t want her to lose it. And I’m here to make sure she doesn’t.”
She hid the pain so well.
She lifted her chin and captured him with her shining chameleon eyes. “Now you know my truth, heartthrob. What’s yours? Why haven’t you written anything? I’ve told you my secrets. I want to hear it from you. I dare you to tell me. No,” she continued, narrowing her gaze, “I double-dog dare you.”
