Page 31 of Laying it Bare on the Run

After pulling into my driveway, I rushed up to my front door, pleased to see my order had arrived and Harper had abided by my wish and had not gone outside for anything. Once I had the door unlocked, I gathered the packages into my arms and headed inside. I was taken off guard when not only did Harper greet me but also the smell of cleaners.

“Let me take those for you.” Harper grabbed the packages from me and placed them on the bar. “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was a little excited to have some different clothes.”

Untying my boots, I slid out of them and then joined her at the bar. “I’m glad we could get you some things. And maybe next time we meet the guys for drinks you can wear one of those sundresses.” I waggled my eyebrows at her. “And I’m also glad you didn’t go out to retrieve them. You seem kinda stubborn and I know you’re independent but I’m relieved you didn’t go outside. Did you go out at all today?”

“No. Maybe later you and I can sit outside again. For some fresh air.”

“Well, it definitely smells fresh in here.” I raised an eyebrow at her. “Did you clean my house?”

She shifted from one foot to the other nervously. “I figured it was the least I could do.”

“But you are a guest, I don’t – ”

“I know. And that’s not exactly what I meant.” She cut me off. Then she gave me a half smile. “If we were in a relationship and living together, we would share the chores, right?”

“Yes. So I guess I will have to address that later.”

When her face fell, I realized I hadn’t made it sound as flirty as it had in my head. “When I had said address, I meant reward.” I winked at her. “And I told you I want a relationship. This was just a really nice surprise. Thank you.” Then a disturbing thought struck me. “Did you clean the bathrooms too?”

“I did.” She smirked. “Don’t worry. You’re not as bad as you fear. My brother was worse. I hated when I lost bets with him and had to clean his bathroom.” Her smirk dimmed a bit. “But I’d give anything to be able to clean his disgusting bathroom again. And I wouldn’t even complain.”

“It’s okay to talk about him. I want to hear all about your family.” I kissed her forehead. “I know what will make you smile. I bought you a rose today.” Snatching the wrapped flower from the bar beside her boxes, I held it out to her. “I wanted to get you a dozen but I figured you’d frown at me for spending more money and I want to see you smile.”

Her eyes grew watery. “You went out of your way to buy me a rose? That’s so sweet. And it’s a beautiful shade of pink. I actually prefer other colors rather than red.” She put the flower up to her nose and sniffed. “Thank you for thinking of me.” Her lips curled into a lovely smile.

Like there were many moments when I wasn’t thinking of her. And her reaction more than likely had more to do with the fact it had been a while since she had anything normal in her life. “You’re welcome. Boyfriends buy their girlfriends flowers and I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it. And I guess I need to get used to being your girlfriend. It’s still a bit surreal to me but I can get used to this. Do you have a vase we can put it in?”

I gave her a sheepish smile. “No. But I do have a tall glass we can fill with water for it.” Circling the bar, I reached into one of my high cabinets and grabbed a glass before filling it with water. After she placed the rose into it, I set it on the bar.

“That looks really nice there.”

“Let’s move these boxes to my sister’s old room and then I wanted to take you down to the station to talk with Greg. Maybe if you share your story with him, something will strike him that I missed. I came up with nothing when I was digging around today but I refuse to give up.”

She took in a deep breath. “Okay. I mean it’s not like I’m embarrassed, it’s just hard to talk about. But I know I need help and since I can trust you, I can trust him.”

Pulling her into a hug, I kissed the top of her head. “I told you I’m going to make it safe for you again. My buddies and Sarge will help us.”

Grabbing the packages, I headed down the hall and into the room before plopping them onto the floor by the closet. “When we get back you can put these where you’d like them. And if anything needs washed, I can throw in a small load. Are you ready to head out then? We shouldn’t be long.”

The two of us headed to the front door and then on out to my car.

When we pulled into the station’s lot, Harper twisted in her seat to face me. “I’m a little nervous. I don’t know why. I’m not the one who has done anything wrong. Well, not exactly anyway.” She shot me a wry smile. “Maybe that’s why I’m nervous.”

“He doesn’t need to know about any of that. And even if he did, in the big scheme of things, it’s not a big deal at all. And it’s not pertinent to your story.” I cupped her cheeks with my hands. “If anything, it made me proud of you. You overcame a lot and I think very highly of you. I think you’re really amazing.” I gave her a quick kiss.

She tossed me a small smile. “You’re pretty amazing yourself. I never in a million years would’ve thought I’d meet someone like you.”

“I’m glad you took a chance with me. So let’s go. The sooner we get done, the sooner I can get you home then.” I shot her a mischievous grin. “Is that alright with you? I don’t want to come on too strong. But I will always be honest with you. And honestly, I can’t wait to be home with you tonight.”

An adorable blush crawled across her cheeks. “I like the sounds of that too.”

After hopping out of my car, I circled around to help Harper out. Then, grabbing her hand, I entwined our fingers and the two of us entered the station. It was pretty quiet, thankfully. Hopefully that meant Sarge could meet with her soon and we could be out of there within the hour.

Once inside, I escorted her down the hall to my cubicle. “You can sit behind my desk if you want. I’m going to go see if Sarge is available. I’ll be right back.”

She gave me a quick nod, a hesitant look on her face, before walking around my desk and plopping down on my chair. Her expression gave me pause but I figured it was left over nervousness and hurried out so we could get this over with.

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