“Not what I meant.”
His brow shot up again. “Seriously? Hell no. She doesn’t need someone like me hovering around.”
Dale chuckled, slapping him on the back. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got a knack for being there when people need you, even if you don’t realize it.”
Cas shrugged, his eyes flicking back toward the garage apartment. “Yeah, well…I’ll just keep my distance. She’s got enough on her plate.”
Chapter Two
Harper sat at the small kitchen table in Sadie’s house, cradling a steaming mug of coffee between her hands. The house used to belong to their great-grandmother before being passed down through generations. She’d always felt at home here and was relieved to find that feeling hadn’t changed over the years.
She glanced around the cozy kitchen, a warm and inviting space filled with the kind of charm that felt like a hug. The morning sunlight streamed through the gingham curtains, casting soft patterns across the old oak table where they sat. The walls were painted a cheerful shade of buttercream yellow, adorned with vintage signs and framed family photos that told a story of love and laughter. A stack of cookbooks leaned precariously on a nearby counter, their pages dog-eared and stained with memories of countless meals shared.
The smell of freshly baked muffins wafted in the air, mixing with the rich aroma of coffee, and it helped ease some of the tension in her shoulders. She still felt the echoes of yesterday’s exhaustion, but it was worth it. Her apartment was almost free of boxes, and she had her friends and their men—and Caspian—to thank for it.
Cas.
Just thinking about the hot guy sent a fluttering through her chest that she didn’t entirely like. Dark hair, warm brown eyes, and a body honed by years of active duty, he’d grown even more handsome since the last time she’d seen him in their teens. And those muscles—she couldn’t help but notice how they flexed when he’d effortlessly lifted boxes that had her struggling. It wasmaddening, really, the way her heart had quickened every time he came near.
She took a slow sip of coffee and worked to steady herself. Cas was potent, that was for sure. There was something about him—confidence, experience, the kind of man who’d been through some things and came out the other side stronger. She’d told herself she didn’t want to get caught up in a strong attraction again, not after everything that had happened in Michigan. And yet, there was something about Cas that made her feel unexpectedly safe.
Tesla, Sadie’s fluffy gray and white cat, walked out of the kitchen toward the living room. A few seconds later, the word “Breakfast” sounded in her cousin’s voice.
Harper laughed. “You just had breakfast, Tesla.”
“Exactly.” Sadie shook her head. “Don’t listen to him. He’s always angling for seconds. Or treats.”
“Hungry,”Tesla’s button declared next, and Sadie rolled her eyes.
“He’s got a one-track mind,” her cousin said, reaching for a muffin from a plate in the middle of the table. “But he’s not the only one. You’ve been staring into that coffee cup like it holds the secrets of the universe. What’s on your mind, Harper?”
She hesitated, trying to play it cool. “Just thinking about yesterday and how much help everyone was.”
“Mm-hmm,” Sadie said, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. “You mean Cas?”
Heat funneled into her face, and she almost choked on her coffee. “What? No! I mean, yes, he was there, but I’m talking about everyone. You, Loni, Lori, even RJ with his endless jokes. It was a team effort.”
“Right, a team effort,” her cousin teased, sitting across from her. “But you were a little more grateful to one team member in particular, weren’t you?”
Harper laughed, trying to brush it off, but she could feel her face getting warmer. “Okay, fine. Maybe I appreciated Cas’s help a little more than most. He was…he was nice.”
Her cousin grinned. “Nice? Cas?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, nice. And comforting, which surprised me, honestly. I guess I always saw him as this larger-than-life guy, you know? Like, too much of everything. But yesterday, he was different. Calmer. More I don’t know…grounded.”
“Interesting.” Sadie leaned back in her chair, a sly smile spreading across her face. “Sounds like someone’s got a little crush.”
Harper snorted. “I do not have a crush. He’s just nice to look at, okay? And he’s helpful. But don’t go getting any ideas. The guy is a little too experienced for my taste.”
“Experienced?” Her cousin raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you mean in that rugged, worldly way that makes you wonder what’s going on behind those brown eyes?”
She groaned, but she couldn’t help laughing. “Stop. I’m just saying, he’s…a lot. Too much for me, probably. And I’m not looking for anything like that.”
Sadie nodded, her expression softening. “I get it, Harp. After everything you’ve been through, it’s natural to want to keep your distance. But maybe, just maybe, you don’t have to decide anything right now. Just see how things go. No harm in letting yourself feel something, even if it’s just a little flutter.”
How had her cousin known about the flutter?
Because you blushed, idiot, her mind supplied.
