She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,113
narrowing as she said, “I’m your mother, and I will not make an excuse for hugging you and celebrating your love for Harley.” Her mother’s arms circled her again, and she said, “I noticed a bottle of the body wash Harley likes missing from my supply yesterday. Did you take it?”
“A little extra insurance doesn’t hurt,” Piper confessed. She’d ducked into her mother’s workshop after meeting with her father yesterday afternoon. “Don’t mention it to Harley. I put it in the store-bought bottle.”
“The apple does not fall far from the tree, baby girl.”
Her mother hugged her again, and the others looked on longingly, filling up Piper’s heart even more. She sighed and said, “Get in here, you big pains.”
More cheers and hugs ensued, and for the first time in her entire life, Piper realized she wasn’t so different from them after all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE HARMONY POINTE Middle School gym was decorated with balloon arches over the dance floor and silver stars hanging from the ceiling. A group of high schoolers were streaming music from laptops on the stage, but nobody was dancing. Girls huddled together decked out in fancy dresses, whispering behind their hands, while fathers milled about sipping punch and trying not to look too far out of their element. Harley might be out of his element, but nothing could throw him off his game today. He was too high on love, fighting the urge to tell everyone, Piper loves me! She’d texted him at Dutch’s earlier with the message Get ready to strip down. Hotness is on its way. He loved her unabashed sexual nature, and he’d gotten all revved up thinking about her coming over for some lovin’ in the middle of the day. Imagine his surprise when a gift box had arrived via courier instead of his sexpot girlfriend. She’d sent him a pair of dark jeans, a crisp white dress shirt, a light purple tie, and a pair of white Converse, with a card that read You’ll be the hottest man at the dance. Love you, Trig. He had no idea when she’d found the time to shop, much less how she knew his sizes. But when his girl had the will, she always found a way.
She’d made his day . . . again.
After work, he’d changed into the clothes Piper had sent him, which fit perfectly, and picked up a wrist corsage for Jolie from Bridgette’s flower shop. Jolie, Sophie, and Delaney had gushed over it. Jolie had been a nervous wreck when they’d arrived at the dance twenty minutes ago, fidgeting with her dress and standing behind him. She was finally loosening up a little and no longer hiding behind him.
“Do you want to go talk with your friends?”
Jolie shook her head, still fidgeting with the hem of her simple light purple dress. One knee was bent, the toes of her Converse resting on the floor. She looked beautiful and innocent, just like her mother had at that age.
Harley silently vowed to do a better job of protecting her from assholes like her father than he had for Delaney. “You’re the prettiest girl here. You should get out there and dance, show off that dress.”
She blushed and rolled her eyes.
“You can roll your eyes, but I sure hope I have a daughter as cool as you one day. Do you think when I have kids you can teach them to play soccer?”
“Can’t you do that?”
“Not really. I can teach them to pour drinks, play football, or pilot a boat, but I pretty much suck at soccer.”
She seemed to think about that for a minute before saying, “Are you going to marry Piper?”
Surprised, he said, “Where did that come from?”
She shrugged. “She’s your girlfriend.”
“Couples don’t always get married, Jo.”
“I’m never getting married.”
His heart hurt at that. She was too young to be making such a determination. “Aw, come on. You don’t know how you’ll feel when you meet that special someone and fall in love.”
“I’m never falling in love,” she said as casually and confidently as if she’d said her sneakers were purple.
“Well, I hope you do, because love is wonderful.”
“If I don’t fall in love, I won’t get hurt.”
He wondered if Piper had told her that and quickly dismissed the idea, knowing Piper would never thrust her views on a child. “Not everyone gets hurt when they fall in love.” He held her gaze and said, “Do you remember Grandpa?”