Already, a new ending for her story began to write itself in her mind.
Flockhart’s teemed with lively chatter as Harper stepped in, Fraser’s hand a warm, steadying pressure on her lower back. He planted a final kiss on her forehead before closing the door to keep out the cold.
“YES!” screamed someone among the sea of familiar faces. Harper should have guessed it would be Cam, who almost knocked over a bewildered elderly man with a walking stick in an effort to reach them. “You came!”
Harper barely had time to take a breath before Cam enveloped her into an aggressively tight squeeze. She felt the weight of many eyes on her as she giggled into Cam’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Fuck, yeah!” a broad voice exclaimed from nearby. Andy, Harper saw when she pulled away. They beamed, and Harper wondered if they’d been possessed. Andy had neverbeamedbefore. Not since she’d met them, at least.
Tears filled her eyes as she hugged them. “This place looks amazing, Andy. Congratulations. It’s hard to believe this place was chaos a few weeks ago.”
“Aye, well, your boyfriend works hard when he’s pining after you. You should leave him more often.”
Fraser shot Andy a glare, and they held up two hands shimmering with a dozen rings quickly. “Kidding! Don’t ever leave again. He’s a nightmare when he’s heartsick.”
“So I heard,” Harper said gently, leaning into him again.
Eiley appeared then, sniffling as she took Harper’s hand. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here. I was worried we’d never see you again!”
Harper dipped her head timidly. “I’m sorry I left so suddenly. I meant to say goodbye, I just…”
“You just needed to be dramatic. We get it.” Andy ruffled her hair fondly. “I knew you’d be back, anyway. Saved you a room if you get bored of that dusty old cabin in the woods.” And then they pointed at Fraser. “You’renot allowed to stay, though. I don’t need to hear you making up tonight.”
“Let’s not talk about that in front of his sisters, please.” Cam faked gagging.
Harper only smiled warmly up at Fraser. “I may not need that room after all. I think the cabin is waiting.”
Cam’s gagging intensified.
Eiley laughed. “So, how long are you back? Did you go to the interview, in the end?”
Harper took a deep breath. “I did. And I got the job.” Against her, Fraser tensed up, and she poked him in the ribs. “Don’t worry. I didn’t take it.”
“Youdidn’t?” he repeated incredulously. “But you’re brilliant at it! It’s what you wanted!”
“I didn’t ever want it. You just assumed that.” She wrapped her arms around him, meeting his heated gaze. “What I wanted was to be here. I wanted to finish my book and help you all out and discover more things about myself.”
“Aye? Like what?” Fraser’s voice was so soft, she barely heard it. He tucked her hair behind her ear, face full of a love she didn’t quite know what to do with – because she’d never had it before. Not like this.
“Well, that having a cushy job and lots of jealous Instagram followers isn’t the only version of success. That people can be good and kind and quickly become family.” She smiled coyly at the faces around her. “And that I’m far too fabulous for office life.”
“I could have told you that for free,” said Cam.
“So could I,” agreed Fraser. “You deserve all that and more. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that before you left.”
She shrugged. “It was good for me to go back home. It made me realise that I’d outgrown things that used to mean the world to me.”Wistfully, she thought of Kenzie and the office, and her flat back in Manchester. She’d been mulling over the idea of moving out – to where, she didn’t know yet. She wouldn’t mind moving in with her parents again, even if it felt like a step backward. Nor would she mind if the cabin key in her pocket became a little more permanent until she figured out what was next. If the hot water was fixed, that is.
“I’m ready for a gentler life,” she admitted, “with people who really care about me.”
“Good, because I really need your help with the website,” Andy said, elbowing her wickedly. “And I have something for you in return.”
“Oh, yeah?” Harper leaned forwards, curious.
“I got a new coffee machine,” they said, “and I’ve been learning to brew those pumpkin spice lattes you keep going on about.”
Harper gasped. “You really will do anything to keep me here!”
“Aye, apparently so, because they taste like crap.” Andy wrinkled their nose. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make this a proper party.” They disappeared behind the front desk, connecting their phone to a pair of speakers beside their computer.
