Page 53 of Bittersweet

“Hi,” he said.

She smiled shyly. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

He kissed her forehead. “You’ve had a rough day. It’s understandable.”

Harper glanced over at Kayla. “She’s so precious when she’s sleeping.”

“I know. So peaceful. I hate to wake her.”

“I said you could stay here, and I was serious.”

His lips scrunched to one side. “Maybe just for tonight.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

She carefully stood and took away her warmth, sending a shiver through him.

Logan shifted as slowly as he could, trying not to wake his sleeping daughter, and carefully replaced his knee with a pillow. She was usually a deep sleeper, unless she fell asleep on him and he tried to move her. In that case, she’d stir and then take forever to get back to sleep. But somehow, he’d managed to keep her asleep. Maybe it was being at Harper’s. She seemed to sleep more soundly there, which made him smile.

“There’s bedding and extra pillows in the hall closet.” Harper spoke softly. “Help yourself. I’m gonna use the bathroom real quick, and then you can get in there if you need to.”

“Okay, thanks.” He watched Harper disappear into the bathroom, then opened the hall closet, and found a pillow and a few extra blankets—one for Kayla and a couple for him to make a bed on the floor. As he was about to shut the door, his gaze stopped on some boxes stored on the top shelf with the name of a familiar bakery supply store printed on the side. He dropped the bedding to the floor and pulled one of the boxes down.

The date printed on the shipping label was a dead giveaway, and his heart stuttered as he opened the box and found the baking sheets and supplies he had ordered for Harper all those years ago. He set the box on the ground and grabbed another. Inside was the Kitchen-aid mixer he’d bought her, still in its original package, along with the note he had written to her.

The bathroom door opened, and Harper’s mouth fell open.

“You never used them.”

She slowly shook her head. “I couldn’t.”

He didn’t know what to say.

“I wasn’t sure what to do with them, though. I thought about returning them …”

The room was silent and the weight of what he’d done hung heavy. He could only imagine what it must have been like for her to receive those packages just days after he had left town.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered as his heart wrenched. “I ordered all this stuff … before.”

Harper’s shoulders lifted in a weak shrug, and he could see the hurt there in her eyes.

“These things …” He motioned to the box at his feet and the ones in her closet. “They were meant to celebrate our love and support your dreams.”

Harper’s eyes turned unexpectedly soft and filled with love.

“Instead they caused you more pain.”

Her chest lifted as she took in a deep breath, and she held out her hand to him.

He slowly stepped toward her and took her hand in his, and she let out the breath.

“I told you … I forgive you.” Her words were soft and quiet.

Logan gently tugged her toward him and wrapped her up in a hug. After all he’d put her through, he knew how lucky he was to have her in his arms again.

After several minutes, Harper gave him a tight squeeze then pulled back, glancing over at Kayla, fast asleep on the couch. She turned and took his hand in hers again, guiding him down the hallway to her bedroom.

His heart leapt into his throat as she closed the door behind them. She let go of his hand and lay her palms against his chest, and he encircled her waist with his arms, holding her close.

---