Chapter 7

7

HARPER

“ Y ou what ?”

Nikki’s surprised shriek makes Jocelyn jump, then laugh.

I made a point of waiting until they'd both had at least one cup of morning coffee before revealing that Griffin and I dating is now a local news item to be compared against the gossip of Jonah and his new girlfriend. I figured placating them by having breakfast ready might smooth the discussion.

From the way Nikki's eyes narrow, I can tell she's not amused. "I really don't think we're supposed to insert ourselves into this study."

"Well, it's happened. Let's move on." Jocelyn turns to me. "I'm not asking for all the juicy details, but is it going well so far? How was your date?"

They both laugh at my pink cheeks. "Ohmygod, she got some!" Nikki crows. "And?"

My head shakes. There's no way I can discuss what happened last night without glowing crimson.

Most of what I feel for Griffin can't be put into words: that's a huge first for me. I guess our relationship is going to be filled with firsts. I adore that he's older, experienced, and has the nerve to just go for what he wants. He definitely wants me. But is he still going to think that way when he gets to know me better?

"Let's get back to work." I stand up and refill our mugs, then grab one of my ever-present notepads. "Griffin explained that the Wolfe family kind of runs Old Hemlock Valley. They own a lot of land around here, and a whole bunch of businesses."

"Yeah, I see their name in all of the local listings," Jocelyn pipes up.

"Right. So if Jonah Wolfe is from a well-known family, and Griffin Dirty's family is lesser known, is the news of their new…" Crap, I don't even know what to call us. "I mean, the fact that they're both dating someone new to this town. Does that news travel at the same rate?"

Nikki grabs her laptop. "We'll start with a rough outline of their respective family histories. I'll give each of us a section, then we'll haul ass to town to work on it while we listen in. I'll take Fran's. Jocelyn, you take Corina's." She grins at me. "Harper can assume a position on that bench outside of the library and see if anyone recognizes her as the talk of the town."

My eyes roll, but I know she's right. "Sure. Oh – I forgot to mention. I saw one of the senior Wolfes last night. Carver Wolfe, Jonah's dad. Hmm." I pause in my note taking. "He merely nodded a greeting to everyone else out on Main Street, but he stopped to say hello to Griffin. I'm not sure why, but that felt important somehow."

Jocelyn's pen is flying across the page. "If both families have been here a long time, maybe he's a friend of Griffin's dad?"

"Maybe."

"What's his dad's name, anyway?"

"No idea."

Nikki laughs. "I guess you'll have to ask a bunch of questions on your next date." She looks straight into my eyes and arches a brow. "Which is when?"

"Tomorrow night. He wants to make me dinner."

Jocelyn grins. "Translation: he wants to get her alone."

We sink into our research, and I try not to let their teasing get to me. Yet some of it keeps rolling around in the back of my mind, making it tough for me to concentrate on the work.

Is it a seriously bad idea to start a relationship with a man who lives in such a small town, on a mountain where everything is so rough and rugged? I don't know the first thing about life in a mountain town. But from the big trucks I saw today hauling logging equipment right down Main Street, it feels like a lot of things are dangerous up here.

With Griffin beside me, though, I feel incredibly safe, because I know for a fact he would never let anything bad happen to me. Even though the only observations I've made on how a man should treat a woman come from books and movies. Not factual textbooks. Part of me feels completely unprepared.

I'm especially unprepared for the reality that I'm considering not getting that perfect apartment, and am thinking about moving here instead.

Looking up and down the street, I pretend I'm just writing in a journal as I jot down fragments of conversation that I hear. As always, there's a lot of talk about the weather. Someone had a small birthday party over the weekend. An older man grumbles to his friend that he's positive he knows who is hogging a couple of spy thrillers from the library that he wants to read. Apparently, he's been waiting for over a month, and thinks there should be a fine for slow readers.

That makes me laugh. As I write it down, I almost miss a middle-aged woman talking with an older woman who I would guess is her mother.

"Remember? We have an appointment with Jonah tomorrow to check on that."

"Oh, yes." The elderly lady's eyes sparkle as she smiles. "We'll have to bring extra raspberry tarts in case his new lady friend is acting as his receptionist again."

"We don't know for sure that they're together," the daughter smiles, walking slowly as she holds her mother's arm.

" Pfft. Of course they are. You saw the way he looked at her."

They're out of earshot before I can write down anything else. But it does prove that Jonah at least is being talked about.

That makes my mind race even harder for the next few hours as I take notes at several other downtown spots, then pick up the girls and drive home. Do I want to be talked about? Heck no.

Do I want to be known as Griffin's lady friend, though? Heck yes. I can't help it. Every time his deep, sexy voice murmurs in my ear, it's like I'm drunk on lust and I don't think I ever want to sober up. I just want to ride out this feeling to see what happens next.

You know…for science.