Page 26 of Your Heart & Mine

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Page 26 of Your Heart & Mine

"That door locks automatically, sweetie," Jackie announced. "Just give a knock when you're ready to come back in. I can't wait to show you the retail spaces below as well!"

"Will do," Harper agreed, turning toward the stairs.

"I'm coming with you," Cam declared. "My shoes will never be the same," he whispered in her ear.

She stifled another laugh and headed down the dark, narrow stairs. Once on the sidewalk again, she drew in a great breath of cold, winter air and tipped her face up to the weak afternoon sun. "Lordy, I thought I was going to melt right into a puddle."

"That's probably why the carpet is so…uh…springy," Cam said, staring balefully at his leather boots. He picked up one foot and glanced at the bottom.

Harper let herself laugh out loud this time. "It's just old and compressed. I'm sure you didn't step in any actual melted bodies. It was pretty disgusting, though, I'll give you that." She shook her head as her laughter faded. "And to think, people were actually living there not long ago."

Shoes forgotten, Cam swung an arm around her shoulders. "But you and your sisters are going to make everything clean and bright and bloody fantastic for the next people who live there!"

"We are," she agreed. But when they started on the benefits of laminate versus vinyl flooring and replacement windows, I had to get out of there."

"They can be a lot all at once, can't they?" He asked with a chuckle. "And what's with the heat? I was about ready to strip down to my skivvies and give everyone a right good show!"

Harper slapped him playfully in the chest and grinned. "You might have ruined Brenna for all other men," she declared. "She's got a serious crush on you already, you know."

Cam gave her a crooked grin. "I can't help it if my charms are so strong they attract men and women alike," he laughed, then his brow creased. "She does know I'm gay?"

"Of course. But a girl can dream," Harper fluttered her eyelashes at him mockingly.

Hammering and equipment noises drew her gaze down the street. She suddenly saw a familiar dark head in a distinctive sheepskin coat sitting on a bench down the block near the church. Wyck. He appeared to be eating something out of a paper bag and watching some construction across the street. Her brow furrowed and her arms wrapped around her middle instinctively.

"Must be where your mum said the new community center is going up. I've never seen her so excited." Cam shoved his gloveless hands into his coat pockets. "And who's the crazy bloke sitting on the bench across the street? What's he doing, eating lunch out here in this frozen tundra?"

Harper didn't answer. She couldn't. Her mouth was suddenly as dry as sawdust.

"Is that him, then?" Cam asked quietly behind her.

"Who?" Harper asked, trying to sound innocent but Cam knew her too damn well.

"The one who shall not be named who you've been pining over since we got here?" her friend asked.

Mouth dropping open, she turned to him in astonishment. "I have not been pining over anyone. But if you mean Wyck, yes, that's him."

"You should go talk to him," Cam said.

"No, I definitely should not," Harper answered, her hands digging into her coat pockets searching for her gloves. Her hands were suddenly freezing.

"Look, Love, I know what he did to you, but you obviously have unresolved feelings you need to work out. If nothing else, you have things to say to him that you've never gotten to. You need the closure." He nudged her shoulder. "Go on. I'll go back into the jungle and keep the natives busy while you talk to him." He gazed forlornly at his shoes. "The sacrifices I make for you."

Harper's lips pursed into a tight line. She hated it when Cam was right. He could always see right through her.Dammit!There were plenty of things she wanted to say to Wyck, but almost none of them on a bench in the middle of Main Street for the whole town to see. Still, they were grown-ups now, right? They could be polite to each other. And it would make the annoying habit of her clothes falling off around him less likely. She sighed. "Fine, I'll go talk to him."

Like he felt her eyes on him, Wyck's head turned her way and spotted them on the sidewalk. A hand raised in greeting. Her hand raised to wave back, completely against her will.Shit!

Cam nudged her again. "Go on, Love. We'll be here."

She sighed but plastered a smile on her face, straightened her spine, and pulled on her leather gloves like they were armor before heading down the sidewalk. A strange feeling growing in the pit of her stomach – something between dread and anticipation.

A bright smile lit his face as he watched her marching toward him. After their last encounter, she was surprised he even wanted to speak to her, but he stood as she arrived at the wrought iron bench he'd been sitting on. "Hey, Harper. Good to see you. Have a seat."

She sat stiffly, adjusting her long coat to cover her legs. "What are you doing out here in the cold?" she asked.

"Oh, just having a bite and watching the work," he answered, sitting sideways on the bench so that he faced her. "Brad and the crew have been making good progress."

"Mama told me you were building the church a new community center. She's very excited about it," Harper admitted.


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