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“I don’t have any prep to do,” she says. “Just ordering and some contracts to send out.”

“Okay so breakfast then to bed with you.” I tuck an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. “After we talk about what you said in the hospital parking lot.”

Her gaze slides away but only for a moment. Then her chin lifts and her eyes fix on mine and she nods. “Yes,” she agrees. “It’s about time we do exactly that.”

God, she’s so damned strong.

I love that about her.

Then again, there are a lot of things to love about Harper—her work ethic, her talent in the kitchen, her kind heart, her perseverance.

She’s a good woman.

A good person.

And I’m going to protect that.

We walk inside, pick a few things from the thankfully still full case. I commit her choices to memory then rebuff her offer to pay. “You want to find a table?” I ask, handing her the placard with a number printed on it.

Her eyes flick down to it.

Then back up, something drifting through the golden-green depths that has me following the path of her gaze.

Number ninety.

My lips curve, and she exhales. “Hockey players and their numbers.”

I grin. “We’re all egotistical bastards.”

She laughs, takes the number. “Thanks for breakfast.”

I pay, snag our plates, nod when the woman behind the counter tells us it’ll be just a couple of minutes for our coffees, then head over to the corner table Harper selected.

It’s tucked away, and I’m glad.

Because I need to level with her, to explain.

Only, as I sit down next to her, I find that words are extremely hard to come by.

Mostly because they seem…inadequate.

I open my mouth, close it. Pick up my muffin. Put it down. Then open my mouth again. Then close it.

Harper settles her hand on mine before I can reach for my muffin again.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”

My shoulders go tight. “It’s not that. Or not exactly that,” I add then sigh. “It’s mostly that I just don’t know where to start.”

She’s quiet for a moment.

“How about why you left that morning?”

“Because I felt what you described. Because it was like the moment I laid eyes on you, my soul relaxed. I had to talk to you, had to get to know you, had to touch you.”

Her lips part on a surprised breath.

“That whole night was magic…” I scrub my hands over my face. “Then I woke up and my phone was a shitshow.”