Chapter 28

CHAPTER

TWENTY-EIGHT

B elle pulled up to the address she’d been given and looked at Harry’s house. He had a three-car garage with a flat cement pad out front that extended around the side of the house as well. For maybe a boat, or motorhome, or anything else Harry wanted to park there.

It was a single-story house with loft windows, but she knew he had a basement as well. Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, two living areas, and a dedicated office with a half-acre fenced backyard.

Harry had been talking about getting a dog since their beach vacation, and he’d even said any cats that she adopted would be welcome to use one of the bedrooms for their cat scratching posts, beds, and overall feline palace.

Belle could admit the five days she’d spent with Harry in Destin had been some of the best days of her life, and that she had absolutely started falling in love with him all over again. She’d talked to Larry and Ben at the Teton County Sheriff’s Department, and she had not taken on another case.

She hadn’t put in her two weeks’ notice yet, because she was waiting to see how she felt when Harry became a permanent resident of Coral Canyon, Wyoming, while she still lived somewhere else.

Deep down inside, she knew already that it would really bother her and that she would likely be making the move an hour east of Jackson Hole to be closer to her boyfriend. She’d been looking at rentals, as well as cats that she could adopt from the animal shelter, and making plans for her own version of her Coral Canyon future.

Her phone chimed and Harry’s text flashed up on the screen in her car. Ten minutes!

She expected to see his aunts’ and uncles’ cars in the driveway or parked up and down the street, but the curb sat clear.

She parked on the street in front of his house, so he could have full access to the driveway. Perhaps they’d all be arriving any minute, and she’d have to meet them all alone. Belle told herself she’d done many more, much harder things than meeting her boyfriend’s family. Images of using her own body to protect a child on the floor of the van where they’d been moving a quarter of a million dollars flashed through her mind.

It struck and left the way lightning did, and Belle was glad for that. She didn’t want these memories to stay forever. She didn’t want to dwell on them. She didn’t want them to define her.

She got out of the SUV and headed for the house. Harry had given her the code to the garage, and she typed it in. The big white door squealed and protested, but it lifted. Belle walked into his empty garage and then up the few steps to the cement pad landing to the garage entrance to the house.

She hesitated for a moment, remembered the things that she brought to put in his house to welcome him home, and hurried back to her SUV to collect them from the back. Her pulse ran high now, her adrenaline kicking at her to hurry up and get this done.

She thought of how expertly Harry had held her on the couch every evening in Destin as they watched movies together after a long day of splashing in the water, soaking up the sun, talking about their lives, and playing board games.

Inside, she found a gorgeous brown microfiber couch that she and Harry would fit on easily and comfortably. She couldn’t wait to cuddle with him there, whatever he chose on the screen in front of them, but neither of them paying attention to it. He’d run his fingers through her hair and ask her a question, which would reveal more of her life to him. She’d do the same to him and then he’d kiss her until she felt sure she was all the way in love with the cowboy rock star.

Inside, she quickly assembled the cupcake tower and lifted the lid on the pink box that held all the cupcakes she’d purchased that morning. She set them out, and in the very top one, she pinned a flag that said, “Welcome Home!”

She didn’t want to explore his house too much without him there because he’d promised her a tour when he arrived. Confusion ran through her when she realized that he had to be only a minute away and not another single person in the Young family had arrived.

She’d been expecting a massive welcome home party for Harry as he’d told her how they’d all gathered at Bryce’s farmhouse when he and Kassie had made the move from Louisville to Dog Valley.

So where were they?

Belle moved out of the kitchen and living area in the back of the house and went down the hall toward the office, which held a front window. She startled when she saw a big black truck parked in the driveway.

He was here.

But she didn’t see Harry himself, and as she watched, the truck backed out of the driveway and left. Maybe someone had simply come the wrong way and had used this driveway to turn around and head back the way they came.

Then behind her, the door opened and Harry called, “Belle?”

“I’m here,” she called back, and she hurried down the hall into the kitchen. She found him standing in front of the cupcake tower, a broad smile on his face.

And she knew in that moment that she needed to move here.

With feelings running up and around and through her, she launched herself into his arms, laughing as she said, “You’re here.”

“I’m here,” he said back. He held her, gazed at her, and grinned. “Someone’s happy I’m here.”

Belle was, and she had nothing to protest about as Harry lowered his head and kissed her. Yes, she definitely needed to find an apartment quickly and make the move to be closer to Harry.

He didn’t kiss her for too long before he turned his attention to the cupcakes. “These are incredible.”

“I bought them,” she said. “Full disclosure.” She glanced to the garage door behind him. “Where’s everyone else?”

“I just sent Adam down the road to create a blockade,” he said as he picked up a chocolate cupcake with diamond-snow frosting and a bright blue star poking out of that. “I told them they have to give me a half-hour with you alone, and then they can all come.”

“You’re telling me your aunts and uncles are waiting down the street right now? Behind a blockade?”

Harry laughed and shook his head. “No, I told the aunts and uncles that I would be here around four.”

Belle knew what time it was, but she still glanced over to the clock on the microwave. “It’s two-forty-five.”

“Exactly.” He peeled back the paper on the cupcake and extended it to her.

Belle took it, Harry’s sweetness almost overwhelming her. “So we’re delaying your dad, your uncle Otis, and your uncle Tex,” she said. “And Bryce and Codi.”

“Bryce is in on it.” Harry picked up another cupcake and started to unwrap it. “He’s going to pull over and say he has a flat tire and get everyone to stop and help him.”

Belle grinned at him as he took the first bite of his welcome-home treat. “And what do we need an hour and fifteen minutes for, Mister Young?”

His eyes dropped to her mouth, and he lowered his head as he said, “I can think of a few things,” just before he kissed her again with a smidge of chocolate still on his lips.

Belle raised her head from Harry’s chest when the garage door opened behind her again. “They’re here,” she said, and she sat up quickly, so that it wouldn’t be his father who walked in on them cuddling on the couch.

She got to her feet as Harry groaned as he sat up too. “Here we go.” He took her hand, and she expected to meet dozens of people all with his last name today. She told herself that she’d met most of them already. First at Kassie and Reggie’s wedding over a year ago, and then at Bryce and Codi’s just under a year ago.

Sure enough, his dad walked in first, and he’d obviously stopped by his house to get his wife and children, because they all clamored inside, the little kids who could talk yelling, “Harry, Harry, Harry, we’re here, Harry!”

Harry laughed and left her side so that he could scoop Keri and Clay into his arms and hug them. “You’re here, you’re here,” he said, mimicking them. “And now I’m here too. You guys want to stay over at my place tonight? ”

“Do they have beds?” Trace asked as the kids cheered and started asking if they could sleepover, and he smiled at Belle and stepped in to hug her. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again, Belle.”

“You too, Mister Young,” she said, really sinking into the hug. She’d been so starved of human touch while undercover, and Belle wondered if she’d ever feel completely human again.

“It’s just Trace,” he said as he stepped back. Everly took his place, and she took Belle’s face in both of her hands. She studied her for a moment, such kindness streaming through her expression, and Belle had no idea what Harry had told his parents about their relationship or about her disappearance. She had no idea if they knew she’d been undercover or not.

Ev smiled at her warmly, everything about her twinkling with such love as she said, “We have prayed for you every day, and we are so glad you are back.”

“Mom,” Harry said quickly, and Ev dropped her hands and stepped back.

“What?” she said.

“I told you not to embarrass me,” he grumbled.

“You’re not embarrassing,” Belle said quickly, and she smiled at Ev while simultaneously sliding her hand into Harry’s. “Thank you for praying for me. I needed it, and I’m sure it made a difference.”

Ev nodded, her eyes still stuck on Harry, and the door opened again. This time from the garage and from the front. More voices entered, more people spilled into the back of the house. Harry’s uncle Tex and his son Bryce, and his wife Codi. From the front came Abby and their three younger kids, and they all carried food.

“Right here,” Abby said, and she directed everyone into the kitchen where they started laying things out. “Georgia was right behind us, and she has all the drinks.”

Belle hugged Codi, tears pressing into her eyes hard and fast. “I need your number again.”

“Yes, you do,” Codi said. “We have a girl’s luncheon that we need to have. And I know Kassie will make her grandmother’s buttermilk biscuits and pimento pinwheels, and we can all share everything that’s happened in the last year.” She pulled back and smiled at Belle. “I’m so glad you’re here, Belle.”

“I am too.”

“Are you going to move to Coral Canyon?”

Harry growled, his fingers once again seeking Belle’s. “Codi. I told you not to ask her that.”

“It’s fine,” Belle said, giving his hand a squeeze. She liked that he’d been talking about her openly with his family, that he wanted to protect her from all their prying eyes and maybe-difficult questions.

“I actually am going to move here.” She looked at Harry, and he stared back at her, his mouth falling open a little bit.

“You are?” he said at the same time as Bryce. “Well, I’m glad someone told me,” Harry added in his grumbly, growly voice.

Bryce only laughed, and more Youngs arrived at the house, sweeping Harry away from Belle before she could explain more.

More men and women and all of their kids. Luke and Sterling and their three little children and one teenager. Jem and Sunny and their four kids. Blaze and Faith with their baby who was only seven months old, who immediately got passed to Ev to take care of while the other three kids swarmed Harry.

Everyone seemed to want a piece of him, and when they came over to him, they all told Belle how much they’d missed her and how glad they were that she was back. She didn’t get a chance to talk to Harry again before his aunt Hilde arrived in all of her five-foot-ten sophistication.

She wore a pair of black slacks and a black short-sleeved blouse with billowy sleeves, and it was Ev who finally got on a chair and raised her hands high above her head. “Everyone, Hilde would like to give Harry a tour of his house with all of the furniture pieces that have been provided by her store.”

“He bought them,” Hilde said loudly, giving Ev a look that spoke volumes. “Harry bought the furniture, everyone.”

A few titters moved through the crowd, and then Ev said, “If you want to go with Hilde and Harry, group up over here. Everyone else, come on over and get some food. We can spill out onto the back patio as well.”

Harry seemed a little shell-shocked. Belle grinned at him and said, “Hey, you’re the one who wanted to move back here to be closer to your family.”

He laughed, which became such music to her ears. Harry usually played the serious and stoic part and didn’t do a whole lot of laughing.

He kept a tight hold of her hand as they went with Hilde. Bryce and Codi came with them, and so did Adam and some of the older teenagers. None of the aunts or uncles seemed that keen on taking the tour, probably because they’d already seen it all as Hilde had brought in the furniture and staged it all for Harry.

“Did your house come with any of this?” Belle asked as Hilde led them into the first room off the living room—a full bathroom.

“Not a single thing,” Harry said. “And I replaced all the carpet too.”

“We have a wonderful selection of carpets,” Hilde said smoothly. “Harry chose a beautiful line in The Mastercraft series.”

As if Belle would know what any of that meant. Still, she grinned at Harry, who grinned back at her, and they continued down the hall. She saw bedroom upon bedroom, all of which had been set up with beds.

“Why did you buy all the beds?” Belle asked.

“For the cousins,” he said. “Or my brother and sister. They like to come stay with me, and I’ve gotta have somewhere for them to sleep. Can’t just throw them on the floor.” He grinned at her and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Oh no, you certainly can’t,” Belle said with a grin.

Everywhere she looked, she saw money. She chastised herself because of course Harry Young had money. He was a mega music star with three albums out and eight million social media followers. He could put up a video and have a million likes and thousands upon tens of thousands of comments within an hour.

When the tour concluded, Belle found herself in the kitchen, loading up her plate with fettuccine, one scoop of Alfredo sauce and one scoop of meat sauce from the pasta bar. She took two meatballs, half an Italian sausage, a slice of garlic bread, and a big cup of peach punch before she turned to try to find somewhere to sit.

She came face to face with Harry, who had just come through the line with her. “Where are you looking to move to around Coral Canyon?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve just been casually browsing online rentals.”

“So you don’t want to buy?” he asked.

Belle lifted her eyebrows at him, questions and surprise streaming through her. “Why would I need to buy? So I can sell it when you and I decide we’re going to get married?”

“You guys are talking about marriage already?” Abby said, suddenly appearing at Belle’s side.

“No,” Harry barked out. “And Abby, don’t you dare say a word.”

He met Belle’s eyes again, plenty of smoke and fire in his dark eyes, and turned away from her. “There’s a couple of seats over here,” he said in his gruff voice.

Belle went with him, something giddy and something glad inside her. She hadn’t exactly said, I’m going to marry you, Harry Young, and move into this house with you , but she really didn’t understand why she needed to buy a house when he had a perfectly good one that he’d purposely bought with a future family in mind.

Maybe he’s not working toward that , she thought, and then she remembered what he’d said to her in the condo in Destin.

He wanted her here so they could date. So they could fall in love. So he could have a wife and family. He’d made it very clear that he’d quit country music so that he could come back here to find exactly those things.

So she wasn’t going to be embarrassed about what she’d said. And no, she didn’t want Abby spreading it around the family that she and Harry had talked about getting married only three weeks into their new relationship—because they hadn’t.

She also wasn’t going to be sorry for saying she’d been looking at rentals, not houses for sale. She hadn’t quite had the chance to explain, but when she and Harry could find a few minutes alone, she’d open her heart and tell him more.

I’m looking to rent, Harry , she thought. Because the next house I live in that I own will be with my husband.

There.

As she settled at the table beside him, Belle allowed herself to hope and pray that the man who’d become her husband would be one Harry Young.