Page 149 of Crossed Wires: The Complete Series
Keith’s entire body relaxed and a grin emerged. “Then you must be here for our Amy.”
Our Amy.Andrew sucked in a deep breath. “No,” he wanted to say. Amy was his.
Or so he prayed.
Then an uncomfortable thought emerged. “I was. But now I’m thinking I might like to know what the hell is going on between you two and my sister.”
Marc’s anger faded and he looked chagrined. The guilty look had Andrew’s fists clenching again. He knew it!
“Listen, mate,” Keith raised his hands in surrender. “Harper and Amy are back at the main house. Why don’t we give you a lift and we can all have a nice long chat?”
“Or you could answer my question here.”
Keith didn’t seem offended by his demand. Andrew’s respect for the man notched up, despite his suspicions. It was clear one of these men was interested in Harper in a more-than-friendly way. Which meant one of them had upset her enough to call Amy crying. Problem was, Andrew couldn’t figure out which of them was the villain.
“You’re definitely gonna want to kick our arses later. But I think you need to talk to Harper before we get down to the brawlin’.”
Ourarses? Andrew wasn’t sure what to make of that.
The image of him and Tom making love to Amy at Velvet Chains drifted through his mind. Then he looked at Marc’s and Keith’s somewhat guilty expressions and imagined the same scenario with the cowboys and Harper.
He’d fucking kill them.
“Come on.” Keith turned before he could reply and Marc grabbed the bag at Andrew’s feet. “I know two women who are going to be over the moon to see you.”
Andrew followed, trying to calm down. He’d gone from excited to arrive, to nervous about seeing Amy, to pissed as hell over whatever the fuck Harper had been up to. If he didn’t find a way to rein all of that in, he was going to screw up everything.
Marc—and his luggage—sat in the back of the truck while Andrew claimed the passenger seat. None of them spoke on the short ride back to what Keith had called the “main house”. As he rode, it sank in how different his and Amy’s lives truly were. He’d been raised a city boy, but this vast wilderness had been Amy’s childhood home.
The truck stopped in front of a large, well-kept house. Andrew stepped out just as Harper emerged, standing on the front porch.
“Andrew?” Harper sprinted toward him, leaping into his arms. He embraced her, so fucking relieved to find her not only healthy, but happier than he’d seen her in years.
“Damn, you’re a sight for sore eyes.” He kissed the top of her head. “Never again, Harper. I swear to God, I don’t care if you travel to China, you tell me. I promise I’ll give you your space, but you have to at least tell me where you are, keep in touch.”
“I’ve missed you so much. I’m sorry for leaving the way I did. I just wasn’t sure how?—”
“How to break loose of your insanely overprotective brother. I get it. I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to go to such extremes.”
Harper shook her head. “I’m just as much to blame as you. I guess we’re long overdue for a heart to heart chat.”
Andrew nodded. Opening up to Amy had made him realize how long he and Harper had swept the past under the carpet, ignoring the elephant in the room rather than facing it and moving on. “Yeah. We are.” Andrew looked around, aware their conversation could be overheard by the other men.
Harper noticed his glance. “What do you say we table the conversation until we get home? Enjoy Australia together.”
He pulled her close for another hug. “Deal. Now…about Marc and Keith. What the hell is?—”
“Andrew?”
He stopped speaking as Amy’s voice sounded from behind him. He released Harper, trying to figure out why his arms had suddenly gone numb.
Turning, he faced her. He grinned, so fucking happy to see her again. She was even more beautiful then he remembered.
She returned his smile, but her eyebrows lifted in rebuke. “So Harper was right. You did travel halfway around the world to find her.”
He shook his head. “No. I came for you.”
Her smile faded and he thought she suddenly looked pale. He stepped closer, worried she was going to pass out.
