39. Daphne

39

DAPHNE

Traffic was stop-and-go as we made the drive back to Firefly Island from the mainland. Aunt Rhonda had fallen sound asleep five minutes after we left the hospital. She was snoring softly beside me. As we crawled along the highway, my mind wandered back to the place it always did when I wasn't actively thinking of something else: Harlan Mitchell.

Since the power outage three days ago, we'd spent every night together, but last night had been the most…special. Maybe it was because we both knew that it was our last. Our last hoorah before Aunt Rhonda came home and I went back to California. Or maybe it was just because we'd gotten really good at sex.

Either way, it was magical. The first time, we'd barely made it past the front door. Harlan had me up against the wall next to the stairs. Then we'd tried to make dinner, but within ten minutes, he'd pulled up my dress, bent me over the kitchen table, and taken me from behind. Those encounters had been animalistic, raw, and carnal. They were, hands down, the hottest, most erotic experiences I'd ever had. I was his, to do with what he wanted. I surrendered to it, to him completely.

Once we'd finished round two, we'd eaten and gone to bed. Within minutes, I'd fallen into a deep, sound sleep, only to be woken up about an hour later by soft kisses down my neck, shoulder, and arm. Harlan covered my entire body, every inch of me, with his tongue and lips before he slid inside me. That last time was…it was different. It wasn't sex. It was more. I wasn't sure where I ended and began. I'd never felt like that before. My favorite position had always been doggy style, because it felt the best. But that changed last night. He was on top of me, staring into my eyes as he drove in and out of me. He pinned my hands above my head and threaded his fingers through mine. Now, my favorite position is missionary, but only with Harlan.

I had no sense of how long our last encounter had lasted. It felt like both the blink of an eye and an eternity. When we came, we came together, and then I held him as he lay on top of me, absorbing the weight of his body. The last thing I remember saying to him before I fell back to sleep was reminding him that I hated goodbyes.

When I woke up this morning, he was gone. The sheets were cold beside me. Even though I knew his reason for leaving was because he had to teach his classes, I still felt lonely waking up alone.

Even now, as I drove across the bridge to the island, my chest ached thinking about him. I missed him, and I hadn't even left yet. I missed the feeling of being in his arms. I missed the way he looked at me and touched me. I missed his eyes, his smile, his laugh, his musky scent, and his deep voice.

Last night was beautiful, intimate, and special. I told myself that I wouldn't allow any regret for spending my last few nights with Harlan. But there was definitely a price I had to pay for it. If I hadn't been sure before, I knew now I loved Harlan Mitchell. I was in love with him.

At first, I was certain our connection was based on lust, that it was physical, and that my borderline obsession with him was pheromone-based. I thought friend-zoning him these past few weeks would make it easier to leave him. I was an idiot. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Every time we had sex, it was good. But last night, there was more to it than that. I loved him, and my body knew that before I'd even admitted it to myself. Now that we knew each other on a deeper level, we were more in sync, more in tune, and more intimate than I'd ever been with another human being and feared would ever be again.

A tear slid down my face as my phone rang, cutting through my inner turmoil. I reached into the console to grab it before it woke Aunt Rhonda. Unfortunately, my clumsy fingers weren't able to turn the ringer off before her eyes fluttered open. She glanced around the truck's cabin, looking confused as she took in her surroundings.

I managed to silence it and set it back down, hoping she would drift back off to sleep.

"We're already back in Firefly?" Aunt Rhonda asked as we passed Abernathy Manor.

"Yep."

"I must have crashed out."

"You need the sleep." No one ever got good sleep in a hospital. Aunt Rhonda complained, more than once, about just falling asleep when a nurse would come in, flip on the lights to take her blood pressure, or give her medication.

"I'm just so happy to sleep in my own bed." She sighed as her heavy eyes closed once again.

Thankfully, the rest of the drive was uneventful. There were no calls to disturb Aunt Rhonda's rest. As we pulled up to the farmhouse, I saw Harlan standing on the porch, his hands in his pockets. My heart jumped into my throat.

What was he doing here?

He knew Aunt Rhonda hadn't wanted anyone to know when she was coming home. I'd made that clear to him.

Was he here for me?

I wasn't leaving until the day after tomorrow, and I'd made it clear I hated goodbyes.

Also, no one knew about us, so was he trying to blow that?

"It looks like I have a welcome party." Aunt Rhonda sat up a little straighter.

"I only told Harlan," I said, sounding a little more defensive than I'd planned to.

Her brows rose, indicating she didn't believe me.

"I promise," I assured her.

By the time I shut the engine off, Harlan was already down the steps of the porch. When Aunt Rhonda opened her door, he was standing on the other side of it.

"Well, hello there! Are you my welcome party?"

"It looks like it." Harlan smiled. "I just wanted to make sure that you got inside okay."

Aunt Rhonda patted Harlan's cheek. "What a good boy you are."

As Harlan assisted Aunt Rhonda up the steps, I grabbed her bags from the back. She'd amassed quite a collection of stuffed animals, cards, and various other gifts during her stay.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Harlan asked.

"Oh, no, the couch. I want to watch my shows."

Aunt Rhonda leaned on Harlan as he guided her to the front room. It took her quite a while because she was still having a difficult time getting around, but he cracked a joke, and she laughed. He'd done the one thing I hadn't managed to do for almost a month: put a smile on her face and make her laugh.

Harlan Mitchell had a gift. He had a way with people that made them feel seen. He made people feel safe. He made people feel important.

Everyone from his grandad, my Aunt Rhonda, Mrs. B, AJ, Zoe, to all of his Farm Strong clients. He had this magic that allowed people to be totally themselves.

It made me think about what he would be like as a dad. Not just any dad, but a dad to our kids. I had visions of him kissing my pregnant belly and him rocking our baby in the middle of the night.

Stop it . I shook my head. That is not what you want.

I started up the stairs with Aunt Rhonda's bags, but Harlan was suddenly behind me. "I'll take those up."

"It's okay, I've?—"

"I'll take them," he insisted gruffly.

The only other time I'd heard him sound that authoritative was when we had a lot fewer clothes on. My body responded to his commanding tone with a tingle spreading from the tip of my head to the tips of my toes. I immediately set the bags down, and he picked them up.

I felt flushed as he walked past me. A thrill chased down my spine as he made his way up the stairs, his muscles bunching beneath the cotton of his T-shirt. His triceps flexing as he lifted the bags. He was a walking Greek god.

Trying to shake off the arousal that had just spiked in me, I headed to the kitchen. "Can I get you some water, or lemonade, or some sweet tea?"

"Water would be great," Aunt Rhonda's voice sounded weak.

The drive home had clearly taken it out of her.

I walked back into the front room when Harlan was coming down the steps.

"Alright, Miss Rhonda, well, I'm glad you're back home. You let me know if you need anything; I'll be right next door."

"Okay, thanks for stopping by and being my welcome home party."

The fact that she kept saying welcome home party made me wonder if she'd been lying about not wanting anyone to ‘make a fuss' and had actually wanted a welcome home party.

I set the water down and went to walk Harlan to the door. When he stepped out onto the porch, I tilted my head to the side and lifted my hands, silently asking him what he was actually doing there.

He lifted his phone from his pocket and mouthed, "I left it in your room this morning, and the house was locked up."

"Oh," I smiled widely. Now I understood why he was waiting outside and insisted on taking Aunt Rhonda's bags upstairs so he could get his phone. "Okay, well…" I started to say goodbye, but I stopped myself.

Harlan bent down and rested his forehead against mine and repeated. "Okay, well…"

I closed my eyes as his breath fanned my face. Even though I knew my aunt was just in the next room, I really wanted him to kiss me.

"Buttercup, can you get my pills from my bag?" Aunt Rhonda called out.

My eyes opened, and I sighed.

Harlan grinned. "Duty calls."

"Yep, duty calls." I stepped back, and the screen door shut behind me.

I walked up the steps to get the pills from Aunt Rhonda's bags. Halfway up, I turned back and saw that Harlan was gone. He wasn't on the porch. I wondered if I'd see him again before I left. I was sure I'd see him teaching, but I didn't know if I'd talk to him again or if ‘duty calls' would be the last words we'd say to each other… I guess it was better than goodbye.