She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,141
said excitedly. “A client brings you a contract, and you go back with a counterproposal. Give Harley a counteroffer, on your terms. The worst that can happen is he’ll say no, and then you’ll eat more sugar and we’ll figure out how to survive losing the man you love.”
“Oh God!” Piper’s chin fell to her chest.
Jiggs licked her cheek.
“You could hold Jiggs hostage until he agrees,” Willow said. “But Harley loves you, and you love him. You guys will find a way to make it work.”
“He wants a ring and the whole nine yards.” An idea formed in Piper’s mind. “Oh my God. I know what I have to do!” She jumped to her feet, sending pain searing through her foot, and collapsed to the floor with a wail.
“What?” Willow asked frantically.
“You need to help me. I hurt my foot.” She put her arm around Willow’s neck and hopped toward the kitchen. “Come on, Jiggsy!”
Jiggs trotted behind them as they walked into the kitchen.
Zane came through the back door, took one look at them, and said, “You’re on the move. Is that good or bad? What’s happening?”
“I think we’re closing the bakery for the day,” Willow said. “Can you handle this?”
“I’m borrowing your wife!” Piper snapped. “Do not tell anyone you saw me here or I won’t bring her back. Walk faster, Willow!” As they hobbled out the door, she said, “I’ll call Kase to fix the door!”
Tuesday morning Harley was exhausted, worried, and stressed out beyond belief. He’d finally given in and texted Piper at six thirty, but she’d never responded. He’d driven by her house, but her truck was gone. He’d gone inside to get Jiggs, but Jiggs was gone, too. He’d driven by her siblings’ houses, thinking maybe she’d stayed with one of them, but her truck wasn’t there, either. He’d gone to the Mad House, and when there was no sign of her there, he’d headed to her job site, but Kase said nobody had heard from her, either. He’d run out of time and had finally gone to meet Marshall at Delaney’s.
Marshall was waiting on his bike in front of Delaney’s house when he arrived. As Harley climbed from the truck, Marshall closed in on him with a concerned look in his eyes.
“Oh man, Har. You look like hell.”
“Rough night, but I’m here.” When I really want to be trying to figure out where the hell Piper is.
“I need to tell you something, and I hope you’re not going to get pissed.”
“No promises. I’m in a shit mood. Piper and I got into a fight last night.”
“I know. I saw her speed past the church last night and followed her home. She was a mess.”
“You saw her? I’ve been looking for her all morning. Do you know where she is?”
He shook his head. “No. I was only there a few minutes, and when I left she was sitting on the porch with Jiggs. She told me you proposed.”
“I was an idiot. She told me she’d never get married, and I got carried away. If I lose her, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“She loves you, Harley. I know she does. This is all my fault, and I’m sorry. I knew I hurt her in high school, but I had no idea how badly. I thought she’d just written me off as an asshole and moved on. She never wallowed around giving me nasty looks in the halls like most chicks did when they got burned. But I don’t think she ever wrote me off. I think she just changed who she was, got tougher, and threw away the notion of marriage and forever. That’s on me, man, and I’ve been up all night wishing I could fix it.”
“It’s not on you,” Harley said with a heavy heart. “You might have been the start, but a lot of the guys she’s gone out with have wanted her to change in some way. Now I’m on that damn list, too. Let’s get this over with so I can find Piper.”
“You can go, Harley. I can do this.”
“No way. I always honor my wo—Damn it. I always try to honor my word.”
“Okay, thank you. What did Delaney and Mom say when you talked to them?”
“They both wanted to know everything, but I felt like that’s your story to tell. I told them you were back, hopefully for good, and that you wanted to see them. I apologized to them for not trying harder with you and not giving