A Forever Kind of Family (22 page)

Harper was a wife and a mother now—two titles that six months earlier she could not have imagined being applied to her. She would always regret that it had taken the loss of two of her best friends to get her to where she was now, but she loved her life with Ryan and Oliver. She loved being part of Ryan’s family and the family that they’d built around Oliver.

She still wanted to make executive producer someday, but it wasn’t the entire focus of her life anymore. For so long, she’d fixated on her career because it was the only thing she had. Now she had a husband and a child, and she looked forward to every day with both of them.

After the show, Harper was finalizing some details for their first week back after the holiday when Diya poked her head around the corner.

“Call for you on line one.”

It wasn’t the words but the excitement in her assistant’s voice that made Harper ask, “Who is it?”

“Annette Grantham.”

The name sounded familiar but she wasn’t sure why.

Diya filled in the blanks for her. “Senior vice president of development at WMBT.”

Harper picked up the receiver. Her assistant, obviously understanding the potential significance of the call, gave her two thumbs-up and closed the door.

She pressed line one. “Harper Ross. Garrett,” she added, wondering how long it would take for her to get used to the new name.

“Harper—it’s Annette Grantham from WMBT in Florida.”

She twisted the phone cord around her hand. “What can I do for you, Ms. Grantham?”

“Come to the station for an interview,” she said bluntly. “We’re losing Jay Corrigan to
Sunrise in Seattle
and I don’t have anyone here who can step into his shoes. I think you can.”

“I’m...flattered,” she said, because it sounded less obsequious than flabbergasted or ecstatic—both of which were equally true.

“Don’t be,” Annette said. “I’m not in the business of stroking egos. I have contacts in television all across the country, and I consider Adam McCready a personal friend. This phone call could jeopardize that friendship if I succeed in luring you away, but that’s a chance I have to take. Are you interested?”

“I’m interested,” Harper confirmed.

“When can you get here?”

“As of Monday, we’re on hiatus for two weeks—”

“Monday works,” the producer said. “Why don’t we say ten a.m.?”

Her head was spinning. She had to talk to Ryan. She had to talk to Adam. She knew that going to Miami for an interview wasn’t a guarantee of anything, regardless of what Ms. Grantham thought she knew or wanted, but this was the opportunity Harper had been working for and there was no way she was going to turn it down.

“I’ll be there,” she confirmed.

* * *

Harper went directly to Garrett Furniture when she left the studio. It seemed strange to think that she’d never been to her husband’s office—but she’d never before had a reason to seek him out there. But the news about her interview in Miami was bubbling up inside her, refusing to wait until he got home.

She gave her name at reception—this time remembering to add
Garrett
—and the young woman at the desk gave directions to his office, explaining that Ryan’s secretary had just gone out on lunch, so she could go right in.

His name was on the door and the L-shaped desk was offset from the opening. He was working at his computer, set up on the wall side, so he didn’t see her until she was standing in front of his desk. He glanced up, a surprised—and partly guilty—smile creasing his face.

“Hard at work, I see,” she noted, her gaze shifting to the picturesque beach scene that filled his monitor—a young couple embracing on a beach of white sand contrasted by crystal clear turquoise water.

“Now you’ve ruined the surprise,” he told her.

“What surprise?”

“Our honeymoon.”

She was stunned, sincerely touched and more than a little scared. Because like the wearing of his mother’s veil had made her a real bride, the promise of a honeymoon seemed to make their marriage more real.

“Since we didn’t know what was happening with the custody hearing when we got married, we didn’t have a chance to get away,” he explained. “Now that that situation is finally settled, I thought we could take a few days.”

“The custody hearing is why we got married,” she reminded him.

“One of the reasons,” he agreed. “So where would you like to go? I know it’s short notice, but I figured we could squeeze in a trip while
Coffee Time
is on hiatus. With or without Oliver—your choice. But I have to tell you, my mom is pushing for us to leave the little guy with her.”

It was an incredibly romantic gesture, and the idea of spending a few days on a beach somewhere with Ryan was undeniably tempting. Almost tempting enough to make her forget that she’d already committed to being in Miami the following week.

“Actually, I have to be in Florida on Monday,” she told him.

“Why?”

“I got a call from Annette Grantham at WMBT. She’s looking for a new executive producer for
Mid-Day Miami
and wants to interview me.”

“When’s the interview?”

“Ten a.m. Monday morning.”

“Miami isn’t Jamaica,” he said. “But that could work.”

She shook her head. “It’s a job interview, not a vacation.”

“There’s no reason we couldn’t spend a few days at the beach after the interview,” he said.

“Having you there might be too much of a distraction.”

“Then I’ll come Monday night.”

It sounded perfectly reasonable, but Harper wasn’t feeling reasonable. The call had been unexpected and so were the emotions churning inside her. This was what she’d wanted for so long, and now that she was on the cusp of getting what she’d wanted, she was feeling torn. Because as much as she wanted the job, she didn’t want to leave Ryan and Oliver—even for a few days. And the unexpected offer to go with her only added to Harper’s confusion.

“I don’t need you there.” She’d worked hard to get where she was in her career, and she’d done it on her own. His unexpected show of support didn’t just surprise her—it worried her, as if sharing any part of this trip with him would somehow make the opportunity less than her own. She knew it didn’t make sense, but it was how she felt.

She didn’t need him there, but there was a part of her—maybe the biggest part—that did
want
him there. And the wanting scared her. She couldn’t let herself rely on him, because then she’d be lost without him when he was gone.

She looked at the rings on her finger, the beautiful diamond solitaire he’d given to her the day he asked her to marry him and the matching band he’d slid on her finger when he promised to love, honor and cherish her. She’d spoken the same words to him, wanting to believe that their marriage would last forever but not really trusting that it could.

“I know you don’t need me there,” he said patiently. “I was hoping you’d want me there. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to me that you’d discuss a major career relocation with your husband before you make a final decision.”

Somehow those words were what she needed—his pointed reminder of their marital status gave her a target for all of her conflicted emotions. “I’m not giving up this opportunity just because I’m wearing your ring on my finger.”

He drew back to look at her, his gaze intent—and showing a hint of frustration. “Do you think I would ask you to?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“If that’s true, then you don’t know me at all.”

“Maybe I don’t,” she allowed. “Everything happened so fast—too fast. I know we were both trying to do what was best for Oliver, but maybe playing at being a family—”

“Is that what you think this is?” he interjected, his tone moving beyond frustration to anger now. “Some kind of elaborate make-believe?”

He wasn’t just angry, she realized—he was hurt, and she was sorry for that, but she couldn’t back down. “Isn’t it?”

“No. Our marriage is real. Our
family
is real. My
feelings
for you are
real
, dammit. I love you!” Then he drew in a breath and said it again, not yelling or swearing at her this time. “I love you, Harper.”

She sat down, hard. Her knees felt like jelly. Her heart was pounding so hard and fast inside her chest she felt as if her ribs might crack. She wanted to believe him—she so desperately wanted to believe him! But she was wary. This was a man who had manipulated her into marriage to bolster their claim for custody. How could she be sure that he wasn’t using those words to manipulate her emotions to his own purposes now? The truth was, she couldn’t.

He was silent, watching her, obviously waiting for some kind of response.

“Your timing sucks,” she told him.

One side of his mouth turned up a little. “I know. And my delivery could use some work, too.” He sat down beside her and took her hands in his. “But neither of those factors makes my feelings any less real.”

Her throat was tight and her eyes burned. She knew he wanted her to say the words back to him, but she couldn’t. Because the truth was, she wasn’t sure how she felt. When she was with him, she felt as if she was finally where she belonged. But how much of that was directly linked to their desire to give Oliver the real family he’d lost when his parents were killed? The past few months had been such an emotional roller coaster that she honestly didn’t know.

“Our lives have been in complete turmoil the past several months,” she pointed out to him. “It’s been a long and difficult journey and I’m so grateful that you were by my side through all of the highs and lows.”

“You’re...grateful?”

“I am,” she insisted, struggling to find the right words to explain. “I don’t know that I could have gotten through any of it on my own. But I can’t help but wonder if what we feel for one another would have developed outside this situation or if everything is tied up in our emotional connection to Oliver.”

“You think I don’t know what’s in my own heart?”

“I’m not sure I know what’s in mine,” she told him. “But I hope this trip to Miami will give me the time and space I need to figure it out.”

“When are you leaving?”

“I thought I’d fly out on Sunday.”

“Why wait?” he said. “If you need time and space, why not go today?”

She understood then how much she’d hurt him. Not on purpose, of course, but the lack of intent didn’t mitigate the result. She didn’t want to leave like this, but even if she stayed a few more days and tried to set things right, what purpose would that serve? It wasn’t as if she had any intention of changing her plans. She was still going to get on a plane to Miami to participate in the interview that had been offered to her.

After that... Well, she’d figure that out after. For now they’d said everything they needed to say—and maybe more than they should have.

“I’ll pick Oliver up on the way home,” she said.

“Fine.”

She glanced at the computer screen, at the white sand and turquoise water, and wondered if that might be the closest she would ever get to a honeymoon with her husband.

* * *

By the time Ryan got home from the office, Harper had her flight booked and her suitcase packed.

“I guess you decided not to wait.”

She looked at him, hurt and confusion and maybe a little bit of regret in her eyes. “You told me to go.”

“Yeah, I did,” he acknowledged. “I just didn’t anticipate that you’d finally listen to something I said.”

“A few days apart will be good for us.”

He didn’t agree, but it was obvious that she’d made up her mind, so he only asked, “When will you be back?”

“After my interview.”

“Okay.”

Oliver had been playing on the floor with his blocks; Coco was beside him chewing on a rope. She picked up the little boy and gave him a big hug and kiss. “Auntie Harper has to go bye-bye for a few days.”

Oliver curled his fingers down to his palm, waving. “Bye-bye.”

“You be a good boy for Uncle Ryan while I’m gone, okay?”

“Bye-bye.”

She smiled, then pressed her lips together when they trembled as she put Oliver back in the middle of his blocks.

“Can you text me your flight details?” he asked her.

She nodded. “Sure.”

He caught her hand as she reached the door, halting her departure just long enough to kiss her. He was mad and he was hurt, but he couldn’t let her leave with harsh words being the last thing they exchanged.

She kissed him back, and when he finally let her go, there were tears in her eyes. Without another word, she walked out.

Oliver toddled over to where Ryan stood at the window, watching as the taxi that carried Harper away from them backed out of the driveway. He lifted his hand and waved again. “Bye-bye.”

Ryan watched until the vehicle was out of view, wondering if he’d done the right thing—letting her go. Not that he could have made her stay, but he could have gone with her. Of course, he still could, but she’d made it clear that this was something she wanted and needed to do on her own. Which meant that he had to let her—for better or for worse. But as he turned away from the window, he felt as if his heart was a lead weight inside his chest.

He picked up Oliver and propped him on his hip. “Well, it looks like it’s just you and me, kid. So what should we do tonight—smoke cigars, drink beer and play poker?”

“Po-ka.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ryan said. “But maybe we should swap the cigars and beer for spaghetti and milk?”

“Um,” Oliver agreed.

* * *

Spending the weekend in Miami sounded great in theory but was incredibly lonely in reality.

Harper checked into her hotel, worked out in the gym, swam in the pool and watched a lot of WMBT. And she missed Ryan and Oliver—every minute of every day.

On Sunday morning, she decided to track down an old friend who had moved to the Sunshine State a few years earlier. Paige was living in West Palm Beach now but was happy to make the trip to Miami to have dinner with Harper.

They exchanged pleasantries, then talked a little bit about Harper’s upcoming interview and Paige’s work as an interior designer for the rich and outrageous.