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CHAPTER 2 - HARRISON
Grace climbs under the blankets and pats the opposite side of the bed. “You know you can’t deny me.”
She gives me that confident look of hers, the one where she knows she’s right.
“Are you gonna play nice?” I cross my arms over my chest, not budging.
Her brown hair is splashed across the pillow as she sinks into the mattress, letting out a relieved sigh. Grace closes her eyes. “So comfortable. Would be better if my bestie were here. After he turned off the lights.”
This isn’t the first time Grace and I have ever shared a bed, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. When we were kids, we bunked together on trips until we were teenagers, when hormones were raging. As soon as Grace got boobs, our mothers refused. Probably for the best.
It’s not even a big deal now, but I like to poke at her about it because her last boyfriend lost his shit. I mean, I get it. I wouldn’t want my woman sharing a bed with a man like me either. But with me and Grace, it’s different. We are just friends who talk about farting, buttholes, and everything else. And because we’ve experienced every embarrassing thing together, we’re overly comfortable.
She knows me better than anyone. But it goes both ways.
I climb under the sheets and tug the blankets over my chest, then realize how cold it is in this house. I sit straight up and turn on the lamp next to the bed.
“Where are you going?” Grace opens her eyes.
“I’m turning on the heat.” I place my feet on the floor and stand.
“Good idea. I thought it was just me.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I make my way down the hallway and spot the thermostat on the wall. It’s not on. I flick on a light, and the inside temperature reads sixty degrees. I click a few buttons and then wait for the furnace to rumble. Nothing happens. So, I slide the temperature gauge to eighty. Still nothing.
I go to the bedroom. “It’s broken.”
“What?” Her voice goes up an octave.
“Yep. You’ll have to call the host tomorrow and let them know.”
She groans. “That sucks. I’m gonna be an ice cube tonight.”
“Let me see if I can find some extra blankets.”
I grab my phone and turn on my flashlight and search in every closet. There’s a quilt folded in the linen closet and a throw blanket draped over the back of the couch, so I swipe them both. It’s better than nothing.
I place them on top of the comforter, then crawl back between the sheets. Grace stretches and touches me with her cold-as-fuck toes.
“Holy shit, woman!” I jolt away from the icicles. “Your feet are frigid! Get those things off of me!”
“They’re going to fall off! Help me!” She stretches her feet out further and presses them against my thighs.
“Ow!” I try to wiggle away, but I’m also laughing my ass off. “This is another reason why I didn’t want to share a bed. You make me sweat. Plus, your fingers and toes are always like this!”
“You’re going to mistreat my poor tootsies like that? I’m finding a new bestie to share a bed with who doesn’t mind if I touch all over them. I don’t have cooties.” She playfully pouts.
I get up and walk out of the room. “I can promise you, no one is going to ever want those icy nubs on them. No one.”
“Oh, come on! Don’t sleep on the couch. I need your body heat tonight. Don’t make me beg.”
I chuckle as I search for my duffel bag in the living room.
As I unzip it, she continues, “Okay, fine. I’ll beg if that’s what you want.”
“Waiting.”
I stop digging for a brief moment and wait. Silence. Then, I reach in and find the thick socks that I like to wear with my boots in the winter. I grab them in my fist and go back to the bedroom, but I stop at the doorway.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you begging.”
“Pretty please with cherries on top. I will play nice.” Her nipples are rock hard and poking through the silk tank top she’s wearing. She notices me take a peek. She clears her throat. “I know. I seriously have tits of mass destruction right now because it’s so cold. Imagine how cold my toes are. My nipples aren’t any better.”
“You didn’t ask me to warm those up,” I say, my words very clear.
When she gulps, I burst into laughter, walking toward her. Then, I pull the comforter down and grab one of her ankles.
“Hey!” She kicks. “You’d better not be tryin’ to hog tie me!”
She yelps with laughter as I slide a sock on one foot, then the other. Then, I rub my hands across them, trying to create some sort of friction. I used to warm her feet up like this when we were kids.
She sighs with relief, and I help reposition the blankets on her.
“Good night, princess. Keep your body parts to yourself.”
“I’ll try.” She snickers. “Thank you.”
“Welcome.” I climb back into bed and roll over on my side. With my back facing her, I close my eyes.
“You’re too good to me,” she whispers.
If she wasn’t taken and I wasn’t chickenshit, I’d be good to her in other ways, too, but I keep that to myself.
My body relaxes, and I slowly begin to drift off. Right before I fall asleep, she speaks.
“Do you remember the first time we kissed?” she asks.
“Yes.” I laugh with a sigh. “I distinctly remember you telling me that you needed to practice before homecoming because you were nervous about kissing your date.”
That was the only time we’ve ever crossed the unspoken off-limits line. However, Gracie has tempted me on more than one occasion.
She rolls over, moves in, and wraps her arm around me. Her breasts are pressed against my back, and her warm, hot breath flutters against my skin.
I turn and try to look at her, but she’s too close. “You agreed to no snuggling.”
“Shh.” She squeezes me tight.
“Gracie,” I groan.
She sighs and then rolls away from me. “Fine. I’ll freeze over here instead. Nice knowing you.”
Of course, I feel guilty, but I also know we won’t be able to do this forever. One day, we’ll be married and living our own lives. I can’t imagine her future husband would ever allow this, so I’ll take what I can.
I move in close to her, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her into my body.
“You’re toasty,” she says, relaxing against me. She releases a content sigh.
“I hope you know you’re the only woman I spoon with.” I think I feel her smile. “Good night, Gracie.”
“Night, Harri.”
And then I’m left wide awake, holding her, until her breathing slows.
Tomorrow, she’ll be with her boyfriend with hopes of moving their relationship forward.
In six months, she might move to the other side of the state.
While I’m exhausted, I lie awake. I take it all in, knowing that we’re growing up, and hope that we don’t grow apart.
It’s in the silent moments when I hold her like this that I wish things were different.
* * *
I wake up without an alarm because I’m sweating. I don’t know when I rolled over in the middle of the night, but Grace is holding me, lightly snoring like a Disney princess in my ear. She’s also sleeping in the middle of the bed, hogging all the space, with her leg wrapped around mine, like usual.
When I slide out from under the blanket, it feels like the middle of July. I grab my phone, noticing it’s a few minutes before five. Of course it is. Working on the ranch all my life has ruined my internal clock.
Going back to sleep won’t happen, so I get up and curse the thermostat before turning it off. Guess it’s not broken; it’s just cranky.
I grab a cup of water and chug it, needing this headache that I can feel coming to go away. Probably dehydrated, but it doesn’t stop me from brewing a pot of coffee. I pour a cup of coffee, leaning against the counter as I glance at notifications on my phone. I didn’t check anything yesterday while we were driving.
The first person I text back is my brother. Beckett is several years older than me, and we’re business partners. We’ve been training horses and teaching people to ride them since we were young teens. After he purchased the Horseshoe Creek Ranch with the love of his life, we built a large training facility. I called in several favors and did tons of begging to be able to join Grace on this trip.
Once I press Send, his text bubble immediately pops up. Of course his ass is awake. His internal alarm clock is like Old Faithful too.
Beckett
Oh, looky, you’re actually alive. I texted you yesterday and heard jack shit from you.
Harrison
Sorry about that. I was occupied. You know, driving across the fucking state.
He loves to give me a hard time, but it’s a two-way street with us.
Beckett
How’s Houston?
Harrison
The traffic makes me want to never drive again.
Beckett
Sounds about right. So, today is the day? You gonna meet him?
The situation was heavily discussed before I left, and he knows exactly why I’m here—to make sure Grace is safe. She met this fuck on a dating app and has seen him a few times over the year. He’s practically a stranger.
Then, I think back to our chat last night. I didn’t realize how serious she was about this man, and none of it is sitting well with me. While I want to meet—threaten—him, I don’t want to do anything to influence her relationship.
Harrison
Nah, I’m gonna drop her off, then head to the bar.
Beckett
I hope you have fun. Wear protection. And try to make it home in one piece.
Harrison
Will do.
Beckett
It’s gonna work out.
Harrison
Thanks, bro.
Today might be one of the longest days of my life. I voiced my concerns when she invited me on this trip, but I was told to stop acting like an older brother. No matter how hard I try, I can’t do that. Protecting her, making sure she’s safe, is something I’ve been doing since we were kids. That ain’t changing.
After I finish one cup of coffee, I open a dating app to find my next distraction. Gonna be honest—this part of Texas has some attractive women. Blondes, redheads, brunettes—it doesn’t matter to me. If their profile makes me laugh and they’re attractive, I swipe right.
Just as I’m going for cup two, I hear feet walking across the floor, and moments later, Grace enters the kitchen. Her dark, long hair is a mess, and she smiles up at me. Then, she chugs a cup of water.
“Thirsty?” I ask, laughing.
“For more than just this,” she mutters.
I glance down, noticing she’s still wearing the socks I gave her.
She looks at them too. “These were cozy. Instantly fell asleep once my toes were warm.”
“You sure it was the socks?” I lift a brow, looking at her over my mug.
A sly grin meets her lips, and there’s an underlying current streaming between us. Or maybe I’m just tired.
“Could’ve been little Harri pokin’ my back all night.”
“Pfft. Little? Please.”
She snorts and sits on the stool. “Show me then. Prove me wrong.”
I meet her eyes. “You sure about that.”
“Nah, I was kiddin’. Don’t want to see your sausage this early in the morning.”
My phone vibrates, and I get a notification from the dating app.
Grace glances down at it. “You should let me pick your dates.”
I unlock it and hand it to her. “Go for it. You know what I like.”
She starts swiping and stops. “Oh, she’s really pretty.”
Grace turns the phone around and shows me.
“Gorgeous.” I meet her eyes, knowing for damn sure I ain’t talking about that stranger on the app. “Want some breakfast?”
Her eyes quickly slide up and down my body. “I had them stock the fridge with food. Should have some bacon and eggs in there. I can cook for us.”
“I got this,” I say, opening the fridge and pulling everything out.
Grace yawns, and I pour her a cup of coffee and add the perfect amount of vanilla cream.
She sips, then hums. “Nailed it.”
“The color of caramel.”
I grab a skillet from a lower cabinet and place it on the stovetop. Once it’s hot, I carefully put slices of bacon on the bottom, and it immediately sizzles.
“That smells so good,” she says.
When I turn around to meet her gaze, she’s looking down at her phone, smiling. Joey must already be awake and texting her.
After the bacon is crispy, I start the eggs. Grace loves them over easy, so I carefully flip it so they don’t overcook. A minute later, I hand her a fork and a napkin and then sit beside her at the little nook.
She bumps her body against mine.
“Thank you, Prince Harri.”
“You’re welcome, Princess Grace.”
It reminds me of the moment I officially made her my best friend in first grade. Our class dressed up for Halloween, and I was Prince Charming and Grace was Cinderella. Of course, our mothers coordinated it because they’re best friends.
Six-year-old me wanted her to be my princess forever. I even told her as much.
Grace cuts open her eggs, and the yellow yolk runs out. She mixes the white with it and takes a mouthful. I do the same.
She locks her phone and then slightly turns her body toward me. “I’m actually nervous about today.”
“Are you sure it’s not excitement?” I meet her brown eyes.
“It might be.”
“He’s gonna be thrilled to see you, especially knowing you drove all this way to be with him. Men love that.”
She laughs. “True. I was thinking I would do the whole knock on his door, wearing a coat.”
“And?”
“And when he answers, I’ll open it and show him the lingerie I picked out just for him.”
“Like a flasher?”
“Exactly like that. Would you be surprised if that happened to you?”
“If a woman that I love and haven’t seen in months shows up on my doorstep, wearing sexy-as-fuck lingerie …”
She nods.
I smirk. “I’d be fuckin’ thrilled. Probably wouldn’t make it off the porch though. Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
“I don’t want it to seem like the start of a bad porno though. Tell me the truth. Is it too … cheesy?” Her nose squishes.
“I mean, it is, but it’s also so adorably you. So, I say go for it. Be yourself, princess. Who gives a shit if it’s cheesy?”
A wide smile fills her face, and I see that twinkle in her eye. I know that look—it’s the in love one. I hope this one lasts, but if it doesn’t, I’ll pick up the shattered pieces of her broken heart and help her glue it back together again.
She’s a hopeless romantic, still searching for her fairy tale, and I want her to have her happily ever after. But with me.
“Thanks, Harri. I needed that pep talk.”
I smirk, then bring my attention back to my food. She’s the only person in the world I’ve ever allowed to call me that.
It doesn’t take long before we’re finished eating. I wash our dishes and then doomscroll on social media to busy my mind as Grace quietly works on her laptop.
She’s the receptionist at the local newspaper, but she’s also been helping my older sister, Kinsley, with a new weekly article that’s launching the first week of January. It’s called Dear Kinsley, and my sister is answering anonymous questions from the townsfolk.
Hours pass, and we have lunch, and then Grace rejects Joey’s call. And I know it’s him because of the number of vibrations her phone does. I look over my shoulder at her, hoping she changed her mind.
“It’s a part of my plan. We were supposed to FaceTime and get naked … which means he’s ready for me.”
“Eww. Way too much information. Keep that shit to yourself.”
“I’ve got to get dressed!”
She’s giddy, and I love seeing her this happy.
“Nothin’ to worry about at all. Promise ya that,” I confirm, trying to be as supportive as possible. My lower back hurts from sitting on this concrete couch all day.
She stands and rushes to the bedroom. “I’ll be right back.”
When the door closes, I lean my head back, knowing I need to snap out of this funk. I take in a few deep breaths and promise myself that I won’t barge through his door and ask him a million questions before I leave her there. I will not bash his face in. I will not sit outside of his house and wait like a stalker.
I run my fingers through my hair.
When Grace returns, she’s wearing a long black trench coat over her curvy body. The waist is cinched with a tie, and her hair is in bouncy curls. Her high heels match the ruby-red lipstick she’s wearing, and I can see the black fishnets. If I had to guess though, I’d say they’re thigh-highs. More her style.
My mouth slightly parts, and she nearly steals my damn breath away. My best friend is fucking gorgeous.
“Too much?” She chews on the corner of her plump bottom lip—something she sometimes does when she’s nervous.
“No.” I clear my throat and stand. “Not at all. Give me a spin.”
She does and then tucks hair behind her ear before breaking eye contact.
“He’d better never let you go.”
She grins. “I hope he doesn’t.”
There was more I wanted to say, but the moment passes me by like a warm summer breeze. So, I change the subject. “Give me five, and I’ll be ready too.”
As I pass her, I stop and place my hand on her shoulder. “You’ve got this.”
She shoves her hands in her deep pockets. “I do.”
I grab my duffel from the floor and pull out some jeans and a polo, and then I go to the bathroom. I lean against the door for a few seconds, knowing I need to stop the turmoil swirling inside of me.
I’m just afraid of losing my bestie.
I’ve been warned about this over and over—that one day, one of us would find a partner and forget about the other. I’ve seen it with a lot of my guy friends who get married. Hell, even my brother, Beckett. His life now revolves around Summer. And Grace’s will revolve around Joey’s while I’m still fucking around to forget.
I almost feel guilty for being so … selfish. For wanting to keep her all to myself. But my intuition is hardly wrong, especially when it comes to her.
I splash cold water on my face, hoping it will jolt some sense into me. It doesn’t, so I push away the nagging thoughts and plaster a cocky-as-fuck smile on my face. I’m good at pretending. Well practiced.
Once I’m dressed, I meet her in the living room. As I slip on my boots, I steal glances at Grace.
When she looks at me, I laugh and shake my head.
“What?”
“Nothin’.”
“You’d better tell me,” she warns.
“Was just thinking about what Sadie said yesterday when I stopped to get us doughnuts.”
Sadie is the bakery owner who used to babysit me as a kid. She always gives me a hard time about Grace. But then again, who doesn’t?
“Well?”
“It wasn’t nothin’ she hasn’t ever said before.”
She lets out a sigh. “You’re doing that thing where you kinda tell me what someone says, but not really.”
I walk past her. “Let’s get goin’.”
“No, no, no.” She walks toward me, her heels clicking on the floor, then playfully pokes her finger into my chest and presses me against the door. “You’re gonna tell me, mister.” Her face goes from semi-serious to a smirk. “Oh God, you’re wearing that cologne.”
I lift a brow. “I always wear it when I go out.”
“Seriously brought some weird memories.”
“Weird?” I make a face.
“I should’ve said good memories, but it was weird they came to mind.”
I lift my brows, and she takes a step back, removing the space between us. I wonder what she remembered. Our history is decades long, so no telling.
She narrows her eyes. “You’re distracting. What were we talking about?”
I shrug, and she follows me outside, holding her coat close to her body just in case the wind blows it open. We climb inside the truck, and I immediately turn on the heat. Dark, ominous clouds hang over us, and they meet my turmoil.
“Is it supposed to rain?” she asks, looking out the windshield.
I realize I didn’t check the radar this morning. “Kinda looks like it, doesn’t it?”
She pulls her attention away and navigates us to the destination.
On the way there, my body temperature rises, and I try to find the right words to say before I drop her off.
After one last turn, we arrive at a two-story home with a fountain in the front. The neighborhood is ridiculous with cobblestone driveways and bushes that are stories high.
I lean forward, staring at the double oak doors of this man’s mansion.
Then, she looks at me proudly. “This is it.”
I meet her eyes, finding it hard to let her go. “It is. Good luck. Make sure he wears protection.”
“Oh God, you sound like my mom.”
“If you need me, please call me. Okay? I don’t care where I am or what I’m doing.”
“You’re still going with the parent thing.”
I zero in on her. “I just want you to be careful. I know how some men are. I am one, okay?”
“Okay.” She nods, fidgeting with the hem of her coat. “Did you figure out what you’re gonna do tonight?”
“Not yet. It’s gonna be a choose my own adventure, fuck around and find out kinda night.”
“Same.” She licks her lips like she’s going to say something else, but doesn’t.
“Go have fun. Get outta here. Joooeeeeey is on the other side of that door.” I force a laugh.
“Yeah, he is. I’ll see ya.”
I give her a wave and watch her get out of the truck.
Grace struts down the sidewalk like it’s her runway, swinging her sexy hips in those heels. Before she makes it to the door, she turns and gives me a thumbs-up. Then, she takes a few steps forward and rings the doorbell.
***
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