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“You’ve known her for two minutes.”
“Yeah, but you’ve slept with her so you really know her.”
Riley dramatically recoiled at the comment. “I’ll have you know that I might have been sleeping with her but I haven’t slept with her. I like Harlow, yes, but we work together. And we literally share a tiny bus with each other. I can’t mess that up by asking her on a date.”
The smirk mixed with the arched eyebrows told Riley that Maddie knew something Riley didn’t know she knew.
“Emily said she saw you two holding hands today at the bar.”
Riley didn’t need a mirror to know her face was as red as the Red Delicious Apple on the counter. She wanted to protest; she wanted to tell Maddie that Emily couldn’t have possibly seen that because there was no way she was holding hands with Harlow. Especially since she knew she had to keep her distance or make work awkward. She didn’t want that.
And Riley felt she could fairly confidently say that Harlow felt the same. After all, she hadn’t made a move either. It wasn’t as if Riley was ignoring Harlow’s advances. On the contrary, there were no advances to ignore. If Harper was interested in her, she hadn’t shown it.
But the hand holding…
Letting her mind drift back to dinner at the bar, Riley could almost still feel Harow’s hand in her own. Harlow had been so relaxed that Riley had wanted to snap a picture of her sitting across from her at the table. Even without a photo, Riley knew she’d still be able to picture Harlow in that moment for the rest of her life.
“Hello,” Maddie waved her hand in front of Riley’s face to get her attention, “earth to Riley. Stop thinking of Harlow and focus.”
“Well, do you want me to think of Harlow or don’t you?”
Maddie chuckled. “Like I can stop you from that. You know me; I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. But if you want there to be more between you and Harlow, maybe you should talk to her about it.”
“Says the woman who hates confrontation.”
“It’s a Carlson problem,” Maddie laughed, but they both knew it was true. “Just promise me that whatever you decide to do you’ll keep me posted, okay?”
“You know I will.”
Heading back outside, Maddie handed a water bottle to Walker before sitting in the grass beside her chair and the one where Harlow was seated. Riley joined her in the cool grass, sitting closer to Harlow. The conversations around the fire pit were lighthearted as Harlow and Riley told stories of the tour while Maddie and Walker caught them up on their lives.
Seated across the fire pit, Tony and Lauren seemed to enjoy the easy banter as they held each other’s hand. Although Riley was an only child, she always viewed Maddie as a big sister of sorts. That carried over from Lauren, who often referred to Maddie as her daughter after having helped raise her and her twin brother, Patrick.
Beside Riley, Harlow shifted in her chair. Riley nearly jumped when she felt Harlow’s fingertips on the top of her shoulder. She looked up at her, smiling, and was pleased to find Harlow looking back at her. Harlow winked again as she took a piece of Riley’s hair and twirled it around her fingers.
What. Is. Happening.
Although Riley was fairly confident no one could see them in the moonlight and the fire pit, she still thought Harlow was brave to show affection toward her. If that was what she was showing, after all. Riley still had no clue. All she knew was that when they got back to her apartment, she was going to ask Harlow about it.
Maybe.
If she didn’t talk herself out of it first.
Chapter 11
Harlow
If her first day in Moonflower Cove was any indication, Harlow was going to enjoy her vacation there. Riley’s parents were quirky but fun, and her cousin and her wife were a lot of fun to be around. Harlow hadn’t had as much fun in years as she had had playing cornhole with them. Hell, maybe ever. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed like that. Seeing Riley so competitive was hilarious, as was the fact that she absolutely sucked at cornhole.
Harlow smiled at the memory of Riley running up and hugging her after they beat Maddie and Walker. It was celebratory, Harlow knew that. But there was still a part of her that thought maybe—just maybe—there was something more to the hug. Not that Harlow could decipher what that was or what it meant. Her emotions and feelings were still a jumbled mess as she brushed her teeth in Riley’s bathroom.
The apartment was exactly how Harlow had expected it. Not that she had been picturing Riley’s apartment. But the band posters, vinyl records, and plants covering the apartment perfectly represented Riley. Harlow loved that there was a signed Maine Event poster on one wall surrounded by signed albums and photos. It was so cute that she was such a big fan. For as much as Harlow had been concerned about spending time with Riley, she’d actually loved their time together and didn’t want the tour to end.
After her brief time in the Cove, Harlow was already wondering how she could go back to Colorado. Sure, she loved her house and loved the view, but it lacked the love and life that the Cove radiated. No one ever smiled at Harlow when she walked down the street back home. There was no one she could call up for a late-night game of cornhole when she needed to decompress after a long day. Her life in Colorado was so bland in comparison to the glimpse of a life she got after only a few hours in the Cove.
But Harlow wasn’t sure she was ready to face that fact just yet. Doing so would mean she’d have to consider that maybe her relaxed feeling in the Cove had less to do with the place and more to do with the person smiling at her in the mirror as they brushed their teeth together. The feelings that Harlow had been afraid to develop were now fully taking over her mind and body as she kept her eyes locked with Riley’s in the mirror.
Harlow wished she knew how to express those feelings. She wished she could just turn to Riley, tell her that she maybe possibly liked her, and have that be that. But the fact that Harlow had no idea how Riley would respond or even if she reciprocated those feelings kept Harlow silent.
