Page 61 of The Final Draft

Keep it on the DL about my date. I want to surprise everyone.

The chat continues to blow up, but I have other calls to make and things to do. I’ll catch up with them later.

They’re in for a surprise when they see Harper. I’d go stag before bringing a high-profile date to Ashleigh’s wedding. But Harper? I want her by my side. I need her there. The fact she’s friends with Ashleigh and Darcy is a bonus. If I have it my way, she’ll be a part of the Decker Connection from here on out.

Ashleigh and Cole’s guest list is small: family and their closest friends. They’re having a second reception right before spring training that will include his teammates, all her friends and clients, and anyone who wants to party and celebrate with them. It will be quite the bash. I hope Harper will join me for both, but that’s a decision she has to make. I’ll never pressure her to do anything.

I make a quick call to a friend to make dinner plans and then check on Harper. Somehow, Noodle has miraculously climbed onto the bed and is nestled in Harper’s arms. Lucky dog.

I crawl into bed and make myself the big spoon. She stirs and wiggles her ass in my crotch, waking up my dick. That is not why I snuggled with her, but damn if I don’t like it. Unfortunately, I’ve made plans, and against my dick’s demands, I have to tell him no.

Holding her like this, feeling the steady beat of her heart against my chest, evokes a sense of belonging I've never experienced. I’m usually not a cuddler, but I could get used to this. “Hey gorgeous, did I wear you out?”

She turns her head toward me, a lazy smile on her face. “Hey. What time is it?” She rubs the sleep from her eyes and finds dusk setting in, creating a soft dim glow in the room.

“Time for dinner. Come on, I’ve made reservations.” Her smile vanishes and is replaced with panic.

“What? Reservations? I didn’t bring anything nice to wear.”

I keep my hands above the sheets and trace her body with my fingertips. I can’t start anything now. That’s for dessert.

I groan a little to myself. “While I enjoy you dressed up, I really like you naked.” This is killing me, and I’m reconsidering my grand plan. Seeing her stretch as she wakes is making it extremely tempting to stay in bed with her. But knowing how excited she’ll be gives me the willpower to get up. “Our dinner guests will be fine with what you wore today. Come on, it’ll be worth it. I promise.”

She stands beside the bed, totally naked. I close my eyes and exhale. Sometimes I hate my brilliant ideas.You can do this, I tell myself as I step into my walk-in closet. I get dressed in my most casual clothes and put on a Liberties baseball hat to complete the look. I don’t want her to be self-conscious at all. She’s a ten no matter what she wears. When I enter the bedroom, she’s pulling on her leggings.

“Here, put this on under your sweatshirt.” I hand her one of my long sleeve thermals. “It might get chilly when the sun goes down.”

The sight of her in my clothes makes me possessive in a way I can’t quite explain, but I like it. More than I probably should.

“We need to take Noodle out before we leave,” she says.

“Already taken care of. We’re going to take him down with us, and Frankie will walk him and bring him back.”

“Your doorman walks dogs?”

“Baby, this is New York. People will do anything for the right amount of incentive.” I take Noodle’s leash and hold out my hand to her. We meet Frankie in the lobby, and he assures her Noodle will be well taken care of, and they head into Central Park.

“Are you up for a short walk to dinner?”

“Sure.” She heads down the sidewalk, and I pull her to a stop.

“Nope. This way.” I point to Central Park across the street. “We’re having a picnic.” There’s one of her surprised but joyful expressions I crave.

We walk through the park, swinging our clasped hands like a couple of lovebirds. We’re enjoying the leisurely pace until we reach our destination. The Central Park Zoo.

“Oh, it looks like it’s closed.” She sounds disappointed, and as hard as I try to keep a straight face, I can’t stop my grin.

“What did I tell you? This is New York. Anything is possible.” I walk toward the employees-only gate and am met by Becca, one of the zookeepers.

“Hey Becca, this is Harper, our guest of honor.” Harper looks at Becca and back at me, then back to Becca.

“It’s nice to meet you, Harper. If you’re ready, follow me. Your dinner guests are waiting for you.”

We walk through the zoo, and Harper oohs and aahs over different habitats. Becca points out the ones that have overnight indoor and outdoor access and suggests we look for them when we leave. We’re walking hand in hand, and I knock shoulders with her, making her laugh. “I bought you a season pass, and you can come as often as you like.” This brings her to a hard stop.

“You did what?”

I panic and second guess myself. I thought she’d like the zoo because she loves animals.

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