8. Miles

Chapter 8

Miles

Driving away from my house and Harper didn’t feel like the right thing to do, but she wasn’t giving me a choice. She wouldn’t even turn around and look me in the eyes.

It takes less than ten minutes to get to Harper’s house from my place, but I need to talk to someone about what just happened. Usually, I would call my sister, Clara, but I have no idea what time it is wherever she’s traveling with her boyfriend, Ethan. My brothers would probably have good advice too, at least Wilder and Knox would, but since Ivy was the one that suggested I go for it with Harper, I call her.

The phone rings through the truck speakers and I hear my niece’s babble before I hear Ivy. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Miles. Is it not a good time? The little princess sounds like she’s being kind of demanding.”

Ivy laughs and so does my niece, Jovie. “She’s always a little demanding, but we were just playing on the floor. I can talk as long as you don’t mind her listening in.”

“I think I can trust her to keep this between the three of us,” I laugh. “I need help or advice… something.”

“Is this about Harper?”

“Of course.” I haven’t seriously looked at another woman since I met Harper. “We kissed.”

Ivy lets out a whoop that is imitated by the baby and we all three laugh. “But that’s not all.”

“Did you have sex?” Ivy shouts.

“No, Ivy. We kissed and then she shut down and wouldn’t even look at me. We were interrupted by a phone call and she went from totally into it —in fact, she kissed me first— and then just turned away.” My confession is met with silence. “Ivy?”

“I’m here, just thinking. So, she kissed you?”

“Yeah, we had breakfast and were talking about her staying at my house while hers is being renovated. She was overwhelmed and I hugged her like I’ve done hundreds of times before, but it was different.”

“Different how?”

“I can’t explain it. It just felt different, and I asked if I could kiss her. I thought she told me no and I was trying to back away when she kissed me.”

“So, you misunderstood her. Maybe you’re misunderstanding her now?”

“I guess.” I’ve made it to Harper’s house and I’m just sitting in my truck in front. Several of the crew are giving me odd looks that I just wave off. “What should I do?”

“You have to talk to her and find out how she feels about what happened.”

“I know. I think I was just hoping you’d have some secret girl knowledge.”

Ivy laughs. “Nope, you just have to communicate, and you have to be honest about what you want. Don’t discount your feelings.”

“I won’t. Thanks, Ivy.”

We hang up and I get out of the truck. Ivy’s right that Harper and I need to have a conversation about what happened, but right now I need to focus on her house. That’s what I can do to help her and ease her burden.

After a quick walk-through, I know that there will be no quick way to fix Harper’s house. The damage to her walls is extreme and a lot of her furniture was ruined too. The water had to have started running first thing in the morning after she left her house.

Harper still hasn’t shown up, so I call to see where she is.

“Hey,” she quietly answers.

“Hi, Harps. I’m at your house. Are you coming soon or…”

“Yeah, I’ll be there soon. Don’t feel like you need to wait for me.”

What? Does she think I’m gonna let her do this on her own? “I’ll be here, but I was going to ask if you wanted me to call a moving company to come help pack up the stuff that needs to be stored. We need to clear out everything.”

“Everything?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but yeah. Most of the house will need to be gutted. The living room, your office, and the bedroom will have to be completely cleared out.”

“Okay, I’ll call Daphne and Bridget to see if they can come help.”

“My brothers and Scarlett can probably come too if you don’t mind them helping.” It’s like she’s trying to push me out, but even if whatever happened this morning never happens again, she’s my best friend. I won’t let that change.

“Sure, um, I’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”

“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll be here.”

We hang up and I sit on the bed of my truck. I hate that this has happened to Harper, but maybe it’s a blessing in disguise and we can find our way to a new phase in our relationship because of it. I send a quick text to Wilder, Knox, and Hunter asking if they can help clear out Harper's house. Wilder and Hunter are both available, but Knox and Scarlett have an appointment. If we still need help later they will swing by. One of the best things about being a St. James is that we are always there for each other.