Page 30 of Spring Tide

I release one heavy breath before I pull open the front door. The sight of a half-drenched Harper greets me, her beachy waves dripping onto the doormat beneath her feet. She’s struggling to balance three paper bags in her arms. Her clothing is damp, small droplets of rain clinging to her exposed skin.

“Hey there, stranger.” Her voice is soft, pleasant despite the circumstances. Her cheeks tighten with a carefree grin. If I were to make an educated guess, I’d have to assume that this girl enjoys the rain.

“Come in,” I say.

As we step inside, I make a subtle move to reach for her bags. Unfortunately, Bentley comes bounding in behind me. His seventy-five-pound frame nearly knocks Harper off her feet as my hands instinctively move to steady her, fingers wrapped loosely around her upper arms. She sways and stumbles a bit, but we manage to effectively right ourselves before toppling over.

“Shit,” I swear under my breath. “He’s a little aggressive, but he means well.”

“It’s okay,” she says cheerfully.

Once she’s steady on her feet, I gather the bags into my arms. As she follows behind, I guide us toward the kitchen, corralling the dog to my side with a low whistle.

“What a beautiful baby,” Harper coos, softly stroking Bentley’s fur. “Luca, what’s the puppy’s name?”

“He’s full-grown, but his name’s Bentley.”

She tsks. “I’m pretty sure all dogs are puppies forever.”

I acknowledge the comment with a humorless snort.

Once I set her bags on the dining table, she steps forward to rifle through. First, she pulls out handfuls of hot-sauce containers. Then taco after endless taco. There are at least twenty greasy white pouches on the table now.

I cock one brow. “This seems like way too much food for one person.”

“It’s not for one person, you goof.” She crumples up the now-empty bags, spinning around in search of a trash can. “I brought you and Taylor some. I got lots of hot sauce, too. Do you like things spicy?”

“I told you this wasn’t necessary.”

“It’s all good, Luca.” She waves a dismissive hand. “I can’t just eat in front of you without offering anything. Besides, I wanted you to try this place. It’s one of my favorites.”

I can feel the warmth gathering in my cheeks. “Okay.”

“So, you’ll have some?”

“Since it’s here, yeah, I probably should.” I clear my throat, gathering the trash from her hands. “We don’t want it to go to waste.”

“Of course not.” She glances back at me, waiting patiently as I stuff the paper bags under the sink. “And your sister, is she around?”

“She might pop in later. I think she’s working on a project in the circuits lab.”

“Circuits?” Her brow quirks as she settles into a dining chair.

I grab a few plates from the cupboards, joining Harper at the table. “She’s a master’s student in electrical engineering.”

“That’s kinda badass.”

“Yeah, it is.” One corner of my mouth turns up. “Taylor, uh, she works really hard.”

Harper gathers a few tacos onto her plate, carefully unwrapping them one by one. She drenches them in hot sauce before she says, “Must run in the Reynolds family.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I clear my throat, unwrapping a few tacos for myself. “Speaking of—if Taylor comes home soon, what do you want me to tell her?”

“Hm?” she mumbles on a mouthful.

“Your friend Eden, she originally called me your boyfriend.” I nearly stutter over the word. “But I know that’s not what you’ve been telling your roommate, so I’d like to make things clear. My sister and I are straightforward people. Should I tell her we’re together?”

Her chewing is slow, deliberate as she ponders my question. “You, um, you could tell her we’re just seeing each other for now. Nothing serious.”

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