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“You look like shit, man,” he said, laughing.
I suspected I probably looked a lot better now, after spending my morning with Harper, than I had in months. “Thanks. Come on in.”
Harper had gone over to see the dogs, and she stood now, sunlight angling through the back windows and weaving a glow through her hair. She looked ethereal, and sexy as hell. “Hey,” she called out, friendly as ever.
“Hey now,” Tuck said, drawing himself up taller and sauntering over to where she stood, his Australian accent suddenly more pronounced.
An ugly feeling of possession rose in me and I pushed it away. “Harper, this is an old friend. Tuck.” I waved a hand at Harper, stepping nearer. “This is Harper Lyles. She’s renting the big house down the driveway, and she’s the one making the movie we need help with.”
“Sounds like we’ll be working together, Harper,” Tuck said, his trademark charm already oozing out of him.
I watched as Harper shook his hand, his big square frame making her look tiny in comparison. Tuck was the brawny surfer type, longish blond hair, blue eyes and dimples in a square jaw. He looked like a rugged Ken doll, and I’d never seen a woman who didn’t brighten under his gaze. Harper, unfortunately, was no exception.
“Look at these little guys,” Tuck said, dropping to his knees near the dogs. “Brand new, yeah?” He didn’t touch the dogs, which was probably wise, given the way the mother dog’s lips were curled back from her teeth as she lifted her head and turned toward him, a low growl coming from somewhere deep inside her.
“Stray,” I said. “Won’t let me close either, but she likes Harper.”
Tuck let out a chuckle. “Of course she does,” he said, and jealousy rose inside me at his tone. I stuffed it down. Tuck had been a good friend for a long time, and Harper had confirmed her interest in me just moments before. Still, I felt a prick of worry as I looked between them, but quickly swallowed it. No matter how much I might want Harper, nothing serious could evolve between us. There was no call for me to be jealous.
“She got a name?” Tuck asked, looking over his shoulder at me.
“Not yet. Feels weird naming a dog that isn’t mine,” I said.
“It’s weird calling her ‘hey,’ too,” Tuck chuckled.
“We can’t think of anything that fits,” Harper said, kneeling next to Tuck and laying a hand on the dog’s head.
“She’s an Aussie,” Tuck said, his voice full of laughter and warmth. “So I should probably name her. As a countryman, and all.”
Harper turned and raised an eyebrow at me, and I waved an arm toward the dog to tell Tuck to go right ahead.
“Let’s see,” he said, looking her over. “Got it. Matilda,” he said, standing and brushing his hands together to indicate the decision had been made.
Harper laughed. “Perfect!”
“Tell me about the film,” Tuck said, directing his words at Harper. She wandered over to the couch and looked up at me, her gaze inviting me to sit with her.
“First of all,” I said. “I don’t think you could refer to it as a ‘film’ — it’s a promo shoot for a hotel, basically.” I swept up my clothes and dumped them into a pile behind the couch, glad Tuck didn’t seem to notice. He folded his big frame into the chair next to the couch as I sat with Harper.
“And a super-romantic wedding movie,” Harper trilled. “So two movies, really.”
“Okay,” Tuck said, laughing. I envied his good-natured ease in any situation. “Sounds like fun.”
We discussed the movie and the wedding for a little while, and finally Tuck said, “Great. So I’ll be here for a while. Where do I sleep?”
I didn’t want to answer because I knew what answer made the most sense. And while I would’ve been fine with this idea a week ago, even maybe twenty-four hours ago, I wasn’t happy about it now. Still, I knew Harper hated being in the big house alone, and I didn’t have room here for Tuck. There was a second bedroom but it’d be a tight squeeze and I was used to being on my own.
“Here?” I tried, knowing it wasn’t the right answer.
“Or,” Harper said, her eyes on my face as if she could read my every thought, “there’s a lot of room in the other house. The one I’m renting.”
“I’d pay part of the rent,” Tuck said quickly.
“Landlord’s kind of a jerk,” she said, elbowing me and laughing. “We’d have to okay it with him.”
Tuck looked between us, understanding dawning. “You own this place, man? And that house too?”
I shrugged.
