At first I was taken aback by the blunt comment. I still felt kind of nervous about acknowledging what had happened last week with Riley and Harper. Like if we talked about it out loud it would ruin the mystique.
But then I found the discussion refreshing. Logan thought it was normal enough to bring up after only half a glass of wine. Harper’s fair skin was blushing, but he shared a small smile with me too. What had happened on Black Friday was amazing. It was an experience unlike anything I had ever had before. All of us were willing participants. Why should we feel embarrassed about it?
“I hooked up with Harper and Riley because they’re sexy and sweet,” I said casually. “Getting over my ex was just a bonus.”
Logan chuckled and tore into a piece of garlic bread while smiling at me.
We wolfed down our food. Harper insisted on cleaning everything, so I let the small dogs out of their room so they could go outside. They came back in and played with Logan on the floor of my living room. Even the two Chihuahuas scurried up to the dark-haired man after a few tentative barks.
“I’m good with dogs,” he said. “They know I’m the shit.”
After the dogs were played with, we put them away for the night and returned to the living room. Harper sat down on the couch next to me. “What you said about your ex… I get it. It’s not easy breaking off a long-term relationship. I dated a girl in high school for two years. By the end I think I was just going through the motions. Doing what was familiar rather than doing what was right.”
“Did she pop your cherry?” Logan asked.
Harper’s blush deepened. “I don’t see how that’s relevant.”
“Hah! That’s a yes. No wonder you clung to her like a puppy.” Logan gave me a quick wink. “Did the same thing with my first. Should’ve been a one-night stand but stuck with her for months. No shame in it now that we’re all older and wiser, right Harper?”
Harper ignored him and turned to me. “My point is that I understand how hard it can be to end things. Change is scary.”
“You’ve got that right,” I muttered. “Complicating things further was the fact that Pierce handled all the finances for Happy Bones. All the bank accounts, credit cards, supply orders, QuickBooks… Everything.”
“If you ever want some help, I’m good with finances,” Harper said.
Logan grunted. “She just explained why it’s a bad idea to mix business and personal relationships.”
“I’m not saying I would take them over,” Harper argued. “I’m just offering to help her get a handle on them. It must be overwhelming having all of that dumped on you at once.”
“I wouldn’t know, because he hasn’t given me anything yet,” I said while pouring more wine for Harper and Logan. “He keeps making excuses about turning everything over to me.”
“For three weeks? Don’t you need that information to run the shelter?” Harper asked.
“I’ve been getting by. Using personal credit cards, and some paper checks lately. But it would be nice if he finally gave me control of my own non-profit…”
“Want me to go kick his ass?” Logan asked.
I laughed.
“I’m not joking.” Logan scratched at his thin beard. “Say the word and we’ll take care of him.”
“We?” Harper sputtered. “Leave me out of it.”
“Fine. Me. I’ll do it.” He looked at me, waiting for an answer.
He’s serious, I thought.
“As tempting as that sounds, I’ll pass. Pierce is harmless. He really is. He’s just clinging to the last connection between us. The last amount of control he has.” I sighed. “Honestly, it’s my fault for breaking up with him right before Thanksgiving. I can’t blame him for being upset and dragging his feet. If I had let him down easier…”
“No,” Harper said emphatically. His blue eyes were as hard as steel. “Don’t let him do that.”
“Do what?”
“Twist things in your head to make it seem like you are the bad guy. Happy Bones is your shelter. He needs to give control of the finances back. Period. The way you two broke up is irrelevant.”
Logan cocked his head. “Damn, Harper. Never seen you this intense.”
He cleared his throat and shrugged, embarrassed. “I just don’t like seeing someone like Christie blame herself. You know?”
I examined him next to me on the couch. Fiery red hair, freckled cheeks above his chiseled jaw, and eyes that penetrated like daggers. I hadn’t seen that look in