Page 130 of Redeeming Harmony

“Well, son?”

Nathan stared at him, and the man gave him another poke in the leg and an impatient look. “A pretty girl just hollered she loved you. Are you going to stand there with your mouth open collecting flies, or are you gonna tell her you love her too?”

“What?” Nathan said.

“We don’t have all day.” A tired looking woman carrying a baby on one hip and holding a toddler’s hand leaned against the wall of Rainy Day Books. “Do you love her or not?”

“Yes. I love her,” Nathan said.

“Well, shit, son, don’t tell us that. Tell her.” The old man whacked Nathan on the back of his calf with his cane. “Get over there.”

Nathan walked toward Harper. She took a few steps forward, smiling tentatively at him as he stopped in front of her. “I’m so sorry, Nathan. I’m sorry for pushing you away, for pretending that I didn’t want more. I was wrong and stupid, and I want more. I love you, and I know it’s soon to be saying that, but I -”

“I love you too,” he said.

Her bottom lip trembled, but she took a deep breath and blinked away the tears. “You love me?”

“Yes,” he said. “I love you.”

He pulled her up against him and kissed her. She threw her arms around his shoulders, laughing against his mouth when he picked her up and continued to kiss her until they both pulled away to take in much needed oxygen.

She cupped his face, smiling at him as the old man and the woman with the baby and toddler walked by them.

“Nice work, son,” the man said.

“Thanks,” Nathan said.

“So romantic,” the woman sighed before kissing her baby’s cheek and leading the toddler into the coffee shop.

Her face pink, Harper said, “Now I think I need to apologize for the inappropriateI love youscream in the middle of Main Street.”

Nathan laughed and hugged her hard. “No, you don’t. But I do want to know why you changed your mind.”

She shrugged. “My dad talked some sense into me, I missed you so much I thought I might be dying, and I realized that while I’m not perfect, I want to try to be the perfect person for you. Really, there’s a whole list of reasons that I would be happy to go over in bullet point form with you later this evening if you’re open to the idea of having a sleepover tonight?”

“I’m definitely up for a sleepover. But, Ms. Brandt,” he let a wicked grin slide across his face, “I should warn you now… there will be very little sleeping at this sleepover.”

Her grin matched his. “That, Dr. Henshaw, is my favourite kind of sleepover.”

* * *

“Hey, handsome. How was your day?”Harper walked into Nathan’s office and sat on the edge of his desk before leaning over and kissing him.

He made a sexy groan when she sucked on his bottom lip, and she thought about locking his door and starting her planned celebration a little early with a quick blowjob.

“Hey, Nathan, I’m headed home. Are you - oh, hi, Harper.”

“Hi, Dad. How was your day?” She straightened, smiling at her dad and less embarrassed about being caught kissing Nathan than she thought she might be.

“Good. Busy for a Wednesday. Are you two still joining Savina and me for dinner at the house tonight?”

“Yes,” Nathan said. “I have some final notes to make on Tipper Marvelson’s file, and then we’ll be over.”

“Sounds good. See you two in a bit.” Her father left, and Nathan raised an eyebrow at her.

“What?” Harper said.

He laughed and pulled her off the desk and into his lap. “Don’twhatme. How did it go?”

---