“Bill James.” She scowled. She pulled out the letter, handwritten on Keisler Aeronautics letterhead. Basically trying to go over her head to get to her father personally, and accusing her of being rude and unprofessional. He also told her father he didn’t believe Harper had the “necessary business acumen” to do their corporation justice.
“Are you shitting me?” she yelled after she read it.
Her father laughed, nudging Doug. “See? Knew she’d do that. I love it when she gets all fired up. That’s why I showed it to her.”
She shook the letter at her father. “I had a lunch appointment with this rude bastard. I told him no then, and in no uncertain terms.”
He waved away her irritation. “Honey, don’t get your blood pressure up. I’m not about to sell out to that idiot. I don’t even know where he’d begin to find the capital to meet our price tag. Don’t worry.”
She settled back in her chair and gave the letter another once-over before balling it up and sending it sailing into the garbage can in the corner. Nothing but net.
“Not to mention,” her father added, “he didn’t earn himself any brownie points by slamming you in the letter.”
“What did you say in your reply?”
“I e-mailed him back and said that you spoke for the company, and that I knew you’d already refused his offer. Oh, and to fuck the hell off in that direction.” He pointed west, in the direction of the Gulf of Mexico. “Regards, have a nice day, eat shit and die, all that good stuff.”
That mollified her. She should have known her dad would have her back. He always did. The fact that he was swearing in front of her told her how upset the letter had made him as well, even though he did a better job of disguising it with humor than she did. “Did you tell him he’s also a lousy, weasely prick?”
“No, I believe I said something along the lines of ‘fucking asshole,’ but I might have been more polite than that.” He took a pull off his beer. “No one tries to use me to run an endgame around my little girl.” He looked at Doug, tipping the bottle in his direction. “Remember that, son. That’s one of your jobs, to have her back.”
He nodded. “Believe me, sir. I won’t let her or you down.”
Her dad clinked bottles with Doug. “Good man.”
By the time the weekend ended and they returned home to Tampa, Doug knew he wanted far more than just a friends-with-benefits relationship with Harper.
He loved her.
He didn’t know exactly when his feelings for her changed, but Saturday night when they lay in bed after making love, he realized the thought of walking away from her after his contract ended ripped holes in his heart.
But did she feel the same way about him?
He’d have to wait and see. He didn’t want to freak her out by admitting it too soon.
It also meant he’d have to put the feelings he still had for Tate on a shelf. He missed him like crazy, would love him forever, but it wouldn’t be fair to Tate to string him along.
If Tate hadn’t found someone else already.
In her sleep, Harper snuggled tightly against him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as he smiled. He would make her happy. He could make her happy.
Maybe, in some small way, it would atone for breaking Tate’s heart.
Chapter Sixteen
Harper beat Doug to the trunk. She grabbed the casserole dish and wouldn’t turn loose of it.
Truth be told, she was scared witless. She wanted something to hold on to since showing up with a security blanket—or a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in her hand—probably wouldn’t put forth a good first impression on Doug’s family.
He smiled. “You’re not going to let me carry it, are you?”
She vigorously shook her head.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. She had to fight not to swoon. Dammit, he was so sweet. She only hoped he really felt about her the way she felt about him. There’s no way in hell she’d admit it until she knew for sure. She didn’t want to look like an asshole and get her heart broken, even though the past few weeks with Doug had been perfectly matched teamwork in the boardroom, and fiery, passionate perfection in the bedroom.
They’d even gone shopping three days earlier for a present for his mom. She’d insisted on buying a necklace with a heart-shaped diamond pendant for her. Doug admitted she didn’t have anything that nice, and when he worried about the price, she shushed him. “She deserves to have something nice from her son. She sounds like a wonderful woman. I want to do this.”
She didn’t want to admit she also hoped the gift would make Doug’s mom overlook any issues she might have with their whirlwind romance.
He put both hands on her shoulders and made her look him in the eye. “They’re going to love you, baby. I promise.”
She nearly dropped the casserole dish right there and threw her arms around him. One of the things she loved about him was his ability to accurately read her mood and offer up just the right thing to say or do to put her at ease.
“I’ve never done this before,” she painfully admitted.
“What, go to dinner at someone’s house?”
“Meet someone’s parents.”
He frowned. “Are you serious? But you’ve probably dated…”
She looked down as she shook her head. She felt her body tremble as he gently turned her chin so her gaze met his. “I’m really not good at this, Doug,” she softly admitted.
His eyes searched her face. She didn’t know what he was looking for, but she hoped whatever it was, he found the answer he wanted. He leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. As he did, his hands closed around hers, keeping the casserole dish from dropping to the walk and shattering all over the place. As he lifted his mouth from hers, he pressed his lips to her ear.
“They will love you almost as much as I do.”
She couldn’t feel her feet. She realized he, somehow, now held the baking dish.
She swallowed hard. “What?” she whispered.
“I. Love. You. Harper Wells, I love you. And I’ll sign whatever prenup you want me to just to prove it. I don’t want your money. I only want you.”
She wanted to seriously jump his bones right then and there. “I love you, too,” she managed through trembling lips. No one but her family had ever said that to her.
Then he was looking into her eyes again. Those sweet, deep-brown eyes of his that melted her right to the center of her core.
He smiled. “Let’s go introduce you to the family.”
Carl and Sarah Holt were generous and gracious hosts. She was immediately reminded of Gorden and Olivia. Tina and Eileen were also very nice and welcoming, although she couldn’t help but notice a few odd looks Tina gave her brother from time to time.
She blanched when she saw Sarah’s bandaged foot. She realized with some shame that she’d never probed Doug for details about his mom’s illness.
Sarah smiled. “It sucks getting old,” she joked. “I suppose, as everyone keeps telling me, it beats the alternative. The doctors and everyone around here are on me to lose weight, so I’ve started exercising. Dropped ten pounds so far, but it’s hard until that heals.” She pointed to her foot.
“What happened?”
“Diabetes. Fortunately, they only had to take a couple of my toes.”
“You’re lucky, Mom,” Eileen scolded. “What are we supposed to do without you?”
Harper had to fight not to run from the room. She had worked so hard to keep her secret from Doug, and here it was, laid out before her.
I have to tell him, she realized. I have to tell him tonight. Guilt ate at her that she hadn’t revealed it to him sooner, yet she also felt like an idiot for taking great pains to hide it from him. She struggled to not start giggling with relief right then and there. She couldn’t tell him in front of everyone, because it’d be difficult to explain to everyone why she hid it. He would understand, though.