Page 16 of The Complication with the Best Man

“Go. No problem.” Harper waves at her to take the call and not to feel guilty for wasting her time.

Tamra takes her purse and phone outside with her. I’m not surprised Tamra interrupted wedding planning to take a business call. That’s why she’s marrying me after all. But it means I’ve been left alone with Harper, who is now glaring daggers at me.

I understand why she’s upset, but I don’t know why she’s acting as if I’m the enemy. Does she actually think I was lying when I said I was single the night of Hudson’s wedding?

“Something on your mind, Harper?” I arch an eyebrow and lean back in my chair, bringing my leg up to rest my ankle on my opposite knee.

She leans back in her chair as well, crossing her arms. “You don’t find this entire situation untenable? Sitting here with the woman you slept with while you were on a break from the woman you’re about to spend the rest of your life with?”

I lean forward and rest my arms on my thighs. “Yes, it’s uncomfortable, but I wasn’t lying when I said that we were over at the wedding.”

She cocks her head. “Explain to me how you go from things being over to planning a wedding in a month.”

Damn it, I should have been more affectionate. She suspects something is up with this quick marriage. The only reason I wasn’t touching Tamra and pretending that I love her was because I didn’t want to shove it in Harper’s face.

I play off her remark with a shrug. “There’s nothing to explain. We love each other. We’d been together three years and hit a rough patch. Realized how empty our lives were without each other, and when we got back together, we decided we didn’t want to waste time before taking the next step.” The lie tastes bitter.

“So, that makes me what? Your rebound?”

I have to get her off the scent that there’s anything questionable about my engagement. “Yeah.”

Something changes in her demeanor the moment the word leaves my lips. Some of the fiery light leaves her eyes, and I hate myself for being the one to extinguish it.

Harper nods. “All right then.”

I almost take it back, tell her the truth—that I haven’t been able to stop thinking of her since she left my bed that morning. But even if I were single, pursuing a future with her wouldn’t be wise. She’s everything I want, but nothing I can handle.

Harper’s office door opens, and a fresh breeze blows in. “Sorry about that.” Tamra walks back in and joins us.

This time when she sits beside me, I’m the one to show affection. I pick up her hand and kiss her knuckles as though I couldn’t bear to be parted from her for that short amount of time, all while I avoid diverting my gaze to Harper’s. That’s not to say I don’t feel her staring at the side of my face. Pulling off this fake wedding just got a shit-ton harder.

seven

HARPER

After my meeting with Finn and Tamra, my head is a mess, so I decide to take the rest of the day to relax at the cabin so no one can bother me. On my way, I make a pit stop.

I hope this isn’t a bad idea, though I’m pretty sure it’s not.

After my showdown with Finn last night, I talked to Palmer on the phone, letting her know I had decided to have the baby and that I didn’t tell Finn after he sprang the news he’s getting married. She understood why I’d kept the news to myself but encouraged me to tell him soon. I asked her and Hudson not to tell Finn I’m pregnant. I’ll do it soon, but on my time.

But there’s another person’s perspective I’d like to get on this whole situation first.

I’ve always been close to my aunt Sedona. Maybe it’s because she was my parents’ surrogate and carried me for nine months, or maybe it’s because I’ve never felt that she judged me. Sure, she always gives me her opinion on something, but it’s never in a way where I feel like she’s looking down on me or that I’m disappointing her as I do with my mom.

No doubt her own past will give her a unique perspective on the situation.

I pull into her driveway, gather my courage, and go knock on the door. Maybe I should have called first to make sure she was home.

Relief fills me when I hear the pad of footsteps behind the door. Then it swings open, and my aunt looks surprised.

Palmer looks so much like her. They share the same dark hair, though I suspect my aunt’s color might come from a dye box now. The same pale skin and arresting eyes adorn both their faces.

“Hi, Aunt Sedona.” I muster up a smile.

“Harper, how are you? Come on in.” She opens the door wider.

I step into the house, looking around to see if anyone else is here. “Where’s Uncle Jamison?”

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