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Chapter39
HARPER
“Sweet, so sweet, hello, to my favorite treat.”
With a box of bonbons, her cell phone, and an envelope tucked under her arm, Harper sang her bakery bonbon tune softly and stepped onto her front porch. She inhaled a breath of cool air.
Fall had arrived in the Mile-High City, and October in Denver might as well be calledLeaf-tober. She peered down the tree-lined street, taking in the canopy of brilliant fiery reds, golden yellows, and burnt oranges. She’d rarely appreciated the view from this spot, which was a shame. From this west-facing vantage point, one could see the outline of the downtown skyscrapers with the white-tipped peaks of the Rocky Mountains framing the view. She turned her attention to the front steps—steps that used to be the reminder of the little girl nobody wanted.
Now, they were part of her story—a string of lyrics in her song.
A song that didn’t have an ending…yet.
She sat on the middle step, set the bakery box and the envelope next to her, then tapped the email icon on her phone and scrolled to the message from Richard P. Snodgrass, previously known to her as the annoying jerk from the bank. His calls and emails used to trigger sheer panic, but not anymore. She opened an email from the day before and peered at the attached image of a loan statement.
Balance Due: $0.00
She reached into the pastry box, popped a sweet treat into her mouth, and let relief sink in.
Nobody, especially not some guy named Richard P. Snodgrass, had any claim to the house her grandparents had purchased years ago.
She’d done it. She’d saved the day.
Four days ago, sitting on a swing with the support of her friends, she’d called the number on the shiny black business card and told Mrs. Luxe she was ready to reach for the stars.
Hours later, she’d opened an email with the subject line: Luxe Media and Entertainment Contract. They’d offered the same terms as Landon’s contract—full control of the rights to her songs and to the sound recordings. An artist couldn’t ask for anything more.
But there was more.
A bonus.
A one hundred thousand dollar signing bonus.
That gave her plenty of cash to pay off Babs’ loan and put a little money aside.
Was she relieved?
Of course.
Was she also shaking in her brown Bonbon Barbie boots over taking the leap to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer and songwriter?
Absolutely.
But her friends were right. It was up to her to decide who she was, and fear of rejection wouldn’t hold her back.
She had to become the person she was supposed to be.
She had to believe in herself.
She closed the email and scrolled through her inbox. Today was supposed to be the day of theCelebrityBake or Bust’sthird and final challenge, but she hadn’t received any information, nor had she heard from Landon.
She set her phone on the step and gazed at the diamond on her left hand. Her heart ached for Landon and Aria. She’d spent the last four days holed up in the living room. She’d slept on the couch, not because she couldn’t bear to go upstairs but because she’d channeled her emotions into music. Composing from early in the morning until late at night, she’d sit on the piano bench, where her legs once dangled, and allow her fingers to dance across the keys. Lyrics and melodies came to her faster than she could get them down.
But a girl had to eat…eventually.
Armed with bonbons, she’d wander upstairs, stand in her bedroom, and close her eyes. She could smell the scent of Aria’s shampoo in the air and hear the whispers of Landon singing the girl to sleep. She’d give herself that moment to imagine their presence, and then she’d get back to her piano.
She’d been furious with Landon, but that anger had cooled into a guarded sense of hope—hope that the man, her husband, would see his value and embrace it.
