Part 6 (1/2)
”I will try to control myself.”
Her mother opened the door. ”Thank you. Things will get better, I promise.”
”Only if Aunt Viola's daughters come to every meeting and defend us.” Like they always did.
”Harper, this monthly luncheon is tradition, and I won't ruin it,” her mother warned.
She rolled her eyes. ”Don't worry, I won't spoil your precious luncheon.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to take them back. The look on her mother's face made her feel even worse.
”You don't spoil the luncheon; you make it worth going to. I'm proud to show you off to the family.” With that, her mother made her way back to the dining room.
Harper had no choice but to follow her. While she didn't understand her mother's need to be here, she did love her. And a not-so-small part of her understood the need for acceptance.
With a sigh, Harper pasted on a smile and joined Pepper at the table.
Chapter Five.
Harper was in the middle of pulling her hair into a ponytail when she heard a truck pull into her driveway. A nervous flutter made her pulse race as she forced herself to walk calmly to the front door.
Of course, she opened it before he actually had the chance to knock.
”Hey you,” Austin said, a smile lighting up his handsome face. He wore a pair of dark blue athletic pants and a long-sleeved Henley t-s.h.i.+rt.
”No jersey?” she asked.
”Not this time.” He ran his eyes appreciatively over her, taking in her patterned leggings and bright yellow t-s.h.i.+rt. ”However, you look might fine wearing my team colors.”
She began to stammer. ”I didn't... I had no idea.”
”Pretty sure I should be offended right now, but you're so d.a.m.n hot in those leggings that it's impossible.”
”You and your compliments,” she said, waving her hand in the air as if trying to bat his words away. ”If you'll give me a second, I'll call Libby inside.”
”I'll wait right here,” he said from the doorway.
”The park is right up the street, so I thought we could walk, ” she said, grabbing Libby's leash as she opened the back door. ”Libby!”
Her sweet dog's ears perked up, and she sprinted toward her. At the last minute, Libby planted her tail on the back porch and waited for Harper to attach the leash.
”She's really smart,” he said.
Harper glanced over at him. ”Teacher's kid.”
”Most of the teacher kids I knew were troublemakers.”
”Libby's a lady, just like me.” After securing the door, she led Libby out to the front porch.
While she locked the door, he bent down to pet Libby on the head. ”Even ladies can make trouble.”
Brus.h.i.+ng her hair over her shoulder, she made a noise. ”I'm sure you sweet-talked a lot of ladies into making trouble.”
”Some of them might have sweet-talked me, you know.” A wicked grin pushed up the corners of his mouth. ”Maybe even corrupted me.”
”I'm sure you were innocent at one point.” She pointed left. ”The park's that way.”
”Lead on, Ms. Bell,” he said, but she noticed that he not only put her on the inside and away from the road, but that he also walked right beside her.
She wanted to hold his hand, but it seemed silly to do so. Maybe she should concentrate on the weather instead. The day was beautiful, all sunny skies with not a cloud in sight. It was a bit on the cold side, but what more could she ask for in a January afternoon?
”What do you and Libby normally do at the park?” he asked as they began to walk ”Chase squirrels, sniff other dogs' b.u.t.ts, and beg for food.”
”Sounds exciting, but you didn't tell me what Libby likes to do.”
A gasp of mock outrage left her. ”You did not just say that.”
”Sorry.” He held up his hands in surrender, not at all sorry looking in the least. ”You're right, I know Libby's the one that likes to chase squirrels and beg for food.”
”But I like to sniff other dogs' b.u.t.ts? Eww... Wow, Austin, is this how you continue to charm me? You need a new game plan.” She tried to stop and give him a serious look, but Libby tugged hard on the leash, making her stumble around. Her foot caught on an uneven spot in the sidewalk, and she began to fall. ”Holy crud.”
”Whoa.” Austin grabbed Harper by the arm, preventing her from hitting the ground. ”Maybe you should let me hold her leash. I can't have you getting hurt. Pretty sure the parents would riot.”
”Thanks for your concern, but I got it.” She wrapped the leash around her wrist. ”As for the parents of my students, they have no say in my private life.”
”But it wouldn't be so bad if they did find out you actually had a life?” he asked and she sliced her gaze to him, her nose wrinkling.
”Beyond teaching, that is,” he added.
”I have a life,” she said tightly, the familiar pangs of the monthly luncheon resurfacing at an alarming rate. She hated this feeling of being less than, of being thirty and alone, as if that was something to be embarra.s.sed about. She wasn't ashamed of her life choice, but it seemed like everyone and their momma thought she should be. And now Austin, unknowingly, was making her feel the exact same way.
His blue gaze met hers. ”I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings.”
”You didn't,” she lied, wanting to move past her emotions and concentrate on what was happening right now. Or rather, what was supposed to be happening right now.
His hand covered hers, effectively making her, and Libby by default, stop in the middle of the sidewalk. ”I'm really good at reading people, Harper.”
The sun beat down on them, s.h.i.+ning like a halo on Austin's dark head. His skin took on a healthy, tan glow, and his eyes seem to gleam. She'd never seen a more beautiful man in her life. Not even his brother, Tristan, could compare. Plus, Tristan had never inspired feelings of desire like Austin did. No guy had ever come close to making her feel... wanted. Desirable. Like her feelings mattered.
”You know my momma's a McCoy, right?”
He nodded.
”She took my daddy's name. They moved away because my granny got mad, along with a bunch of other McCoys. Lemon wasn't the first to take her husband's name, and it was because of my mother that they made that stupid rule about inheritances.”
His brow creased. ”I don't understand.”
”That part's not important. What's important is that none of them think too highly of my parents... or me, and they're not shy about it either.” She glanced away, willing away the tears that threatened to embarra.s.s her. ”Only Lemon, Apple, and Cherry are nice to us... me, but that's because they're so beautiful and can do no wrong. For lunch today, we had our monthly gathering, I guess you could call it... and it wasn't very pleasant.”