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That’s what Harper did. I knew it was. That was the only reason she shone so brightly—because she presented herself to the world, to everyone, exactly as she was. She’d been hurt. But she still looked me right in the eye and told me how she felt, what she wanted, what she hoped for. And I’d failed to do the same.
Was I that much of a coward?
As I watched her, something in my heart shifted. Shame at being afraid began to solidify and morph into resolve to be brave instead. I knew what I wanted. I’d known from the moment I’d first seen her. I wanted her. I wanted to be close to that honesty, that bravery. But I wanted to be worthy of it too, and that’s what had taken longer.
When my duties at the reception were done, I’d find her. I’d talk to her. I’d tell her not to go—beg her if I had to.
And if she turned me down?
It would hurt.
But wasn’t the chance at standing in Harper’s light, even for a few minutes, worth the fear of being hurt again?
As Maddie and Connor kissed, solidifying their future, I took a breath to steel myself, resolved to begin my own future tonight too.
* * *
The reception was perfect,and again I marveled at Harper’s ability to anticipate what people would want, how things should be. After Maddie and Connor arrived, I began to look for her. I couldn’t wait any longer. I imagined talking to her under these huge sturdy trees, beneath the darkening sky as music filtered down from the big open deck. I imagined kissing her there, with the background noise fading away until all I knew was her.
But I couldn’t find her anywhere.
Tuck was off to one side, filming the dance floor, and I tapped his shoulder. “Seen Harper?”
He lowered the camera and turned to give me a serious look. “Man, she left.”
I frowned, shook my head as his big hand squeezed my shoulder. “Left?”
“Her car was packed. She was getting on the road tonight. Thought she would have said goodbye to you. Sorry.” He was watching me, waiting for a reaction.
I still needed to make a speech. I couldn’t leave—I’d be letting my sister down. But if I didn’t go after Harper, I might never see her again. “How long ago?”
“Just a few minutes, actually,” he said.
“Can you stall?” I asked. “I have to get back to make my speech.”
Tuck shook his head. “I’m just behind the scenes here, man.”
“Please. I’ll be back.”
He grinned. “For Harper, yeah. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you Tuck.” I practically flew off the deck and down to the dusty parking lot, jumping into my truck and pulling onto the road before I’d let myself have a second thought about it.
I maneuvered the truck through the narrow aging streets of the village, seeing things differently, noticing colors I hadn’t before, feeling each jolt of the truck’s tires in the potholes more violently than before. It was like I was finally awake, finally present. And God, I hoped Harper hadn’t left yet, but I’d drive all the way to Austin if I had to. Only I couldn’t do that tonight. I hoped she hadn’t left.
As I pulled up the driveway, relief washed through me. Her car was still there, packed to the roof. A crate stood open in the back seat, and I smiled, glad she’d at least planned to take a dog.
But as I began to climb the steps to the big house, a puppy whined at me from the deck. I went up to find Number One sitting on his haunches, looking lost.
“What are you doing out here?” I asked him. I peered in the front windows as I picked up the little dog, but the house was quiet and still. I figured Harper was upstairs, and went to put the little dog in the pen out back.
I was even more confused to find another puppy inside the pen, all alone. “What the hell is going on, guys?” A pit of worry was forming in my gut. Something wasn’t right.
As I stood still, thinking, a sound ripped through the still evening air that chased away all the warmth I’d been feeling. It was a dog, and the sound was a barking snarl that spoke of fear, of anger…Matilda. My feet were moving after the sound before I could even begin to guess at why she was out, why she was across the ravine. And then I heard another sound that sent my heart into my mouth and jolted my entire body into a flat-out sprint. Harper. Screaming in fear as the ungodly shriek of the mountain lion joined the chorus.
Oh God. Oh God, no.
The brush and debris on the ground fought me every step of the way, but I ripped and tore through the bushes, pounding down the hill and up the other side until I was close enough to see.
