Downtown Jepson comes up quick, and it hits me how close to the gallery I am. Maybe after I’m done with work I’ll swing by and surprise my mother. It’s been weeks since I’ve been home, and since we’re essentially within driving distance, I don’t have the greatest excuse.
The realty center comes up and I take the parking spot next to Knox’s white truck. Just the sight of it brings a warm smile to my face. That trip to the grocery store was the best date I had ever been on. Pathetic as it might sound, it was actually pretty fun loading up on gourmet food with someone who actually has a palate for the finer things in life. Justin tried caviar once and almost vomited on my lap. In comparison, everything about Knox is a breath of fresh air.
I get out of the car and step into the heat of the day, and suddenly I’m craving the cool air conditioning of Knox’s rental home. Wow, did I just think of Knox nonstop on the way over? This isn’t right. It’s almost as if I’m interested in the guy.
I stop short.
No freaking way.
My heart breaks into a conga drum solo.
I’m interested in Knox Toberman.
I stare up at the heavy blue sky and withhold the urge to let a primal cry rip from my lungs. It can’t be true. That would make this a classic rebound, and ironically that’s exactly what Knox and I are trying to avoid.
Oh crap. I take the next few steps toward the squatty white building, and my heart starts to pound so fast that I’m terrified I’ll pass out before I ever hit the door. Just knowing he’s in there has my blood racing, my entire body breaking out into a cold sweat, and those butterflies in my stomach just morphed into a bunch of rabid pigeons all trying to peck their way out.
My hand clasps over the handle and I pause a moment.
I’m into Knox. It’s happened. The rational side of me insists I’ve simply transposed all those feelings I had for Justin onto him. And yes, the illogical side of me says I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it. I’m all in, invested in what could be a very real forever, and I’ve only known the guy less than a couple of weeks. Glad to see I’ve kept my head about me like I swore I would.
Happy greets me with her signature over exuberant hello as I enter, and I give an exuberant hello right back before heading to my cubicle. But the reality is, I’m about to see Knox, the boy who has me feeling lightheaded and faint and all of my newfound exuberance morphs right back into a bundle of nerves. My heart gives a few life-ending thuds as if its battery were about to die, thus taking me right along with it. But once I spot a young couple seated with him, I kick-start back to life.
I can do this. It’s just Knox for Pete’s sake. But now that I realize I’m interested in more than a few staged kisses, it doesn’t feel like just Knox. It feels more like oh my God, it’s Knox! He’s gone from the annoying jock that I couldn’t wait to be rid of to the cute boy that I’m losing my shit over whenever I’m near him. Again, there’s apparently no middle ground with me.
“And this is Harper.” Knox sheds a warm smile at the sight of me as the three of them look up from their shared laptop. “Harper, this is Ryder Capwell and his wife, Laney. I’ve shown them all the prospects and they’d really like to see the houses in Hollow Brook Heights.”
“Oh, nice!” I’m quick to shake both of their hands. Ryder is handsome with wavy hair and a peaceable smile, and Laney is a drop-dead gorgeous little petite thing with eyes that say a thousand kind things at once. Instantly, I like them both. “Knox is renting in the area so we’re super familiar.”
Laney gives a knowing nod. “I love that area. Plus, if I wanted, it would be walking distance to the Black Bear. I’m still waitressing while I finish grad school. It’s my final year. And after that, we’d like to get started on a family.”
Ryder wraps his arm around her lovingly. “The waitressing gig is completely optional, but we’re good friends with the owners, and Laney’s been working with her best friend for years.”
“Baya is like my sister.” She gives a tiny shrug as if to say she’s guilty. “We’re actually going to try to time our children so they can grow up together, so don’t be surprised if you get another client soon. She and Bryson are at the Briggs Apartment Building, and I think they’re ready for an upgrade.”
“Oh”—a thought comes to me—“there are actually a few homes available on the street. You could always have them come and check them out as well. If you’re going to raise your kids together, it sure wouldn’t hurt if you were neighbors.”
“Oh my God, you’re brilliant!” She gets right to texting, and the three of us share a laugh.
Knox bears those cool eyes into mine and my insides burn with fire. I’m pretty sure having a sexual experience in front of prospective clients is a no-no, but with this boy around, well, the clients had better get used to it. That tender part of me begins to quiver. There are some things beyond Sylvia’s control, and the feelings Knox Toberman invokes in her are one of them.
“I’ve got the codes to the lockboxes.” Knox gives a slight wink. “Let’s head over and check out some homes.”
I pile into Knox’s truck while Laney and Ryder follow us in their Beamer. I desperately want to say something, anything, but no matter what my brain tries to spit out, I deem it stupid and unworthy and I’m rendered awkwardly silent instead.
“You look good today.” He ticks a quick smile my way before reverting his attention to the road.
“So do you. Those jeans really bring out your eyes.” Oh my fuck. Somebody sew my lips shut. Those jeans bring out your eyes? That’s psycho is what that is. But it also happens to be the God’s honest blue jean truth.
“Thanks, I think.” His lips purse as he stares down the road with a puzzled look. “I’ve got tons of pie left over. You’re welcome to—”
“I would love to!” I shout so loud, so fast it sounds more like a warning than an acceptance of a rather banal offer. Oh dear God. I slide down in my seat, wishing it would open up to some other realm where stupid people get sucked into.
He gives a warm laugh. It’s clear I don’t bring out the nerves or the ridiculousness in him. Which sort of makes me wonder if my sudden infatuation is one-sided.
A stunted silence comes up and clogs the car stiff like gelatin. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable around a person in my life. I sneak a glance and I’m instantly captivated by those high cheekbones, that beautiful straight nose—God help me, I think this is the first nose I’ve actually admired in my life—and those lips. My thighs start to quiver as I edge dangerously close to helping myself to a damn good time.
We pull up to the first house, a quaint colonial, and I shoot out of the truck as if escaping my captor.
Laney and Ryder are already at the door, admiring the wraparound porch and peeking in through the windows for a sneak preview.
“I love this place!” Laney bursts with exuberance before Knox has a chance to get the door open.
Ryder shakes his head playfully at me. “She’s not supposed to fall in love so quickly, is she?”
My heart cinches and I cut a quick look to Knox, and my entire body heats head to toe like a wildfire.
I clear my throat. “I guess sometimes love just sweeps you off your feet before you know what’s happened.” I glance sheepishly to Knox. I’m so not in love. That would be ridiculous. It’s only been like five minutes.
Knox swallows hard, his gaze pressed hard to mine. “I think if it’s right, it doesn’t matter if it’s fifty years or five minutes. You just know.” His lips tug into a slight grin as he says it, and my body and soul sigh in unison.
I am so in love with Knox Toberman. It doesn’t matter if it’s been fifty years or five minutes—Knox said so himself. God, it’s as if he’s garnered the ability to read my mind. Or more to the point, we’re so in sync we were basically destined to be together. I’m rooting for the latter.
Knox and I give the happy couple a tour of their new prospective home, and Laney has a house-gasm in just about every single room,
but once we hit the kitchen, her climax hits stratospheric heights.
“Sub-Zero!”
“I know!” I scream back, matching her enthusiasm.
“And can you just eat those white marble counters with a spoon?” she rages back with unbridled enthusiasm.
“Only if I want to die a thousand delicious deaths!”
She takes up my hand and we engage in a spontaneous bump and grind happy dance.
“Sold!” she shouts with glee, and suddenly I’m feeling professionally accomplished after one mere showing. That has to be a record.
“Not so fast.” Ryder winks, killing her good time. “I need to inspect the property to see if there’s enough room for the pool when the time comes.” He and Knox head out back, but Laney is too busy hugging her new Carrara marble countertop to notice.
“I totally get your enthusiasm. Once I saw Knox’s rental home and all of its luxury amenities, I thought I died and went to five-star heaven. The dorms are rather lacking when it comes to gourmet-worthy appliances, and to be honest, the kitchen in my sorority’s house has been so busy I only have a vague memory of it—not to mention the fact the semester hasn’t even started.”
Laney rests on her elbows, her hands still flattened over the creamy stone. “How do you like the sorority?”
“It’s okay. I sort of had a rough start to the summer, but I’m hoping as time goes by it’ll get easier.”
“I know all about it.” She wrinkles her nose. “I’m sorry, but Ryder told me.” I’m stumped for a moment because for the life of me I can’t recall lamenting my sorority house blues to Ryder at any point in time. Dear God, I should probably get my head checked out. “About the horrible breakup.”
“Oh, that!” To be honest, I had actually put Justin out of my head for the last hour at least. Knox seems to have that effect on me, seeing that he’s been sitting on my brain. Hey? Maybe while Knox was in full confessional mode he let Ryder in on his real feelings for me? “Right. Did he mention anything about—” Wow. Talk about painting yourself into a corner. What was I going to do? Just come out and ask if he liked me? What is this? Seventh grade?
“Don’t worry. He let Ryder know exactly how he feels.” She lets out a little laugh and I’m getting the feeling everyone knows what I’m thinking today. If my new superpower is walking around with a cartoon bubble over my head—with all of my feral thoughts running loose, I demand a do-over. That would be less superpower and more curse if you ask me. “You know”—she wrinkles her nose—“that it’s all set up to get back at your exes.” She grimaces a moment. “That’s really taking one for the team. Especially considering the fact he says you can’t stand one another.”
My face slaps with embarrassment, and for the first time in my life I wish the floorboards would magically rot out so I could fall right through them.
“Oh, right.” My throat constricts. “It’s just a stupid game,” I say while staring blankly at the stainless-steel behemoth taking up the south wall.
“Oh my God.” She jumps up in front of me. “Are you okay?” Her voice grows small as if she were afraid that one more vowel might set me off, and in truth it might. I’ve never been good at hiding my emotions.
“I’m fine, I swear.” I give a mean shudder. “I guess I just thought things were moving in another direction. God, how could I be so stupid?”
“I’m so sorry,” she says each word as if it were its own dramatic sentence, and it’s all I can do to keep from bashing my skull against the creamy white marble because I. Am. So. Sorry—that I was such a fool.
Knox and Ryder come back and we lead the happy couple to the other two houses on the street. Laney selects the one with the white picket fence as a forerunner for her friend, Baya. Knox does most of the talking as I’ve dwindled to a whisper of the happy-go-lucky person who stepped into that office this afternoon.
We say goodbye to Laney and Ryder who decide they’re going to walk around the yard at the house they fell in love with.
Knox leans in with that devilish grin and my heart does a ridiculous pitter-patter. I’d swat it like a fly if I didn’t think a good wallop would kill me.
“They’re all cash,” he says enthusiastically. “We could have this sale buttoned up in a few weeks. Not bad for a couple of interns without a real estate license between us. We’re a pretty good team. Not to mention the fact we’re done for the day.” He holds out his hand and I’m slow to slap him five. He pulls back a notch. “Whoa—everything okay?”
Something about the level of concern in his voice only endears me to him that much more and my emotions beg to flood out.
Stop. I close my eyes. You are not head over heels in love with some boy you hardly know. You are in lust! Get ahold of your head and your quivering pink parts! Down Sylvia. This boy is not heading south to meet you anytime soon.
I take a deep breath and force a smile as I look up at his commanding features. I’m not in love with Knox, but if I were, I could totally see how something like that could happen. The boy is hella gorgeous.
“Are you free this afternoon?”
“I’m all yours,” he says it low and slow and the aforementioned pink parts riot just begging for a single touch. It’s obvious I’m on the verge of climaxing right here in the street while under the spell of Knox Toberman’s bedroom blue eyes.
“What did you have in mind?”
An orgasm, I want to say, but thankfully don’t. “How about we head to Jepson and I show you exactly what I have in mind?”
No sooner do we pull up to Jepson Uptown Gallery than I suddenly have a pang of regret. It looks like I have conveniently forgotten that my mother’s exhibit is strictly adult in nature, and looking at naked couples going at it—albeit a tad abstract—may only bring me closer to home plate, considering the boy who has me all riled up will be staunchly by my side. Both Sylvia and I are sunk into a deep level of regret.
Crap. We head inside and I bounce past the receptionist to the main hall and find my mother on the floor sitting across from her bohemian boyfriend with a man bun and yoga wear, her new boy toy, ten years her junior, Brad.
“Harper Jane Shelton!” Mom springs up with the grace of a ballerina and Brad follows her directive. “Is that you, or am I having a hallucination?” She wraps her arms around me.
“Nope. The acid must be bad. This is reality.”
“Very funny.” She pulls back and holds my hands out to inspect me. “You’re getting too thin! Eat something, would you?”
Mom is beautiful with her red hair and light eyes. My father’s Blackfoot genes are certainly prominent in me, but I have that Irish red hair of hers even if I do wear it several shades darker.
“Dude.” Brad knuckle bumps Knox and I’m actually embarrassed at his effort to relate to the youth. He might be younger than my mother, but the dude is still essentially ancient.
“Mom, Brad, this is Knox—and before you get any big ideas, he’s just a friend.” I wish I had understood that before I got any big ideas. My entire body weighs down with grief at the thought. I’d say easy come, easy go, but considering the fact my body is begging to detonate in exactly that fashion, I’d say there’s nothing easy about this.
Knox shakes their hands in turn and I can tell my mother’s wicked wheels are spinning.
“And where’s Justin?” Her eyebrow does that fishhook thing it’s prone to do when she’s up to no good.
“In some other girl’s arms.” I shake my head at her, hoping she’ll drop it. “I caught him with someone else”—I point to Knox—“his someone else to be exact. That’s sort of what’s bonded the two of us,” I offer. At least it was the truth.
“Is that so?” That brow arches farther up her forehead, and now I’m fearing for both Knox and me.
“And pie.” Knox touches his shoulder to mine. “We also bonded over pie.”
Mom lets out a haw of a laugh. “Yes, well, my Harper has always had exquisite taste in food”—she licks her lips while inspecting Knox
as if he had suddenly morphed into a truffle smothered side of beef—“and apparently, she has exquisite taste in boys as well.”
Brad chokes on his words. “She just said she was dumped.”
“I’m not talking about that boy.” She touches a finger to Knox’s nose, and I’m ready to both leave and vomit.
I hold up a hand before the lunacy goes any further. “How about I give Knox a tour of the gallery and the two of you finish your lunches?” That’s code for don’t you dare follow us the hell around while licking your chops at my new boyfriend. Not that Knox is my new anything. I’m essentially doomed to walk the planet alone. And ironically, up until I discovered what a lightweight my heart was, I was perfectly content doing just that. But clearly Knox and his stealth heart of gold has changed my view of roaming the lonely planet without a plus one.
Mom and Brad heel while I drag Knox into the next room as if there was a pile of free caviar waiting for us. Just the smell of Mom’s Thai food had me begging for a bite. She’s right. I am essentially a foodie, and a proficient one at that. If I had it my way, I’d eat six square gourmet meals a day.
“So, that’s your Mom?” Knox shakes his head in disbelief. Swear to God, if they fall in love in some weird twist of fate, I will not date Brad as a means to drive my mother bonkers. I’m done with that. Just the thought of accidentally falling in love with Brad and his man bun sends shivers up my spine.