5. Harper

CHAPTER FIVE

HARPER

" A nd you're sure you don't mind?" I asked Kristen for the thousandth time.

"Very," she said. "I love spending time with my niece."

Said niece was in her room, grabbing her own dresses. She saw mommy getting dressed up and decided she wanted to join. "And you're sure this outfit is cute?" I'd decided on a floor-length dress with a gray knit sweater on top to keep me warm in the chilly fall air.

"It's great," Kristen promised. "He's going to eat you up," she added with a small laugh.

I laughed. "Wolf joke? Really?" I had told her everything when I asked her.

She shrugged. "Maybe you can set me up with of his friends in the photos. They're all so tall and attractive."

She turned, looking at my jewelry, but her comment rubbed me the wrong way. Not that she'd said anything wrong, but thinking of any of the men in the photo with her—or anyone else—made my blood boil. I shook that feeling off; it was ridiculous. I probably just felt that way because all this time we'd been talking, I couldn't picture just one of them. Since I didn't know who was who, it was easy to think of them all while chatting.

My mind kept trailing back to that call. When he said he'd called by accident, I thought he didn't want to talk at all, but when he told me he was glad he did, I couldn't help but blush. His voice was deep and grumbly, making me think he was the one with the beard, but who really knew? I could have asked earlier, but if I was honest with myself, the mystery of it all excited me. Thinking about all three of them excited me.

Something else held my thoughts. When I was hanging up the phone, I could have sworn I heard him say " we'll see you there." The we stuck with me. Did it mean…

No. I must have misheard, or he must have misspoken. "These!" Kristen cried, pulling me from my thoughts. She held out a pair of small silver hoops. "They match the dress perfectly."

I had to agree. I took the earrings and popped them in. My hair was half up so it showed them off nicely. Kristen had put on my makeup when she got here while Aria was napping, and it still looked great.

"Mom!" I heard Aria call as she ran towards my room, followed by heavy clicking on the floor. She ran in wearing the princess dress my mother bought her for Christmas last year. She had on the small plastic heels that went with them and carried her tiara.

"You look amazing!" I said, walking towards her to wrap her in a hug. "Do you need help with your tiara?" I asked.

"Yes, please," she said.

"Come here, munchkin," Kristen said, gesturing to Aria. She clacked over and turned around. I took that moment to gaze at myself. Though I liked to dress nice for work, this was different. Right now I looked hot. I'd always been a larger person, and getting pregnant only made my figure fuller. Though I had some new stretchmarks and a fuller belly, my body was still beautiful.

Once she was done, she ran to the mirror. "I look pretty like Mom," Aria said, and my heart melted.

"Thanks, Ari," I said, squatting to her level. "I'll be gone tonight, but I'll see you in the morning, okay? Be good for Aunt Kristen."

"I will," she said. "Auntie Kristen promised pizza and movies!"

"That sounds like the best time," I told her.

I kissed her forehead before grabbing my purse and checking myself in the mirror once more before leaving. When I went to my car I pulled up my GPS for directions to the restaurant he'd sent. It was uptown and very nice; one I'd never been to.

With a deep breath, I got going.

I pulled up to the restaurant and switched my car off. It was an upscale Indian place and looked way fancier than I expected. I worried I wasn't wearing something nice enough, but it was too late to turn around. I shot out a text to let him know I was here, and he said he would meet me outside in the front.

I looked in the sun visor mirror one last time, cringing as I clocked the cheerios on my back seat. I really needed to clean my car. I grabbed my purse and got out, looking around. As I did, I saw a man with cropped blond hair in a black button-up and tan slacks. So, this was him. When our eyes met, he perked up, waving my way. I gave him a small smile and waved back.

"Jasper?" I said.

He nodded. "The one and only. It's great to meet you."

"You too," I gestured behind him. "This was a great pick. I've never been."

"Thanks. It's Leo's favorite. Let's head in, we have a table inside."

His words made me pause for a moment, but I followed him in.

The host straightened when he saw Jasper. "Hello, Mr. Keaton," he said. "Your table is ready if you'll follow me."

Keaton? Did he use a fake name on his profile? I tried to shake the thought as we walked through the restaurant. I was sure he had his reasons. Wanting privacy on a dating app wasn't that unusual. The restaurant was a mix of light wood furniture and white-topped tables. The entire bar was underlit in gold, bathing the space in a warm light. It was a comfortable atmosphere, and I could tell why it was his favorite.

As we approached the table, I stopped dead in my tracks. Sitting at the there was the man with longer black hair and the gruff-looking man with the beard. I was stunned. I thought I'd just deluded myself into believing it was three of them, but here they all were.

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked me.

"T-there's three of you," I managed.

They looked between each other, confused. "I wasn't expecting there to be three of you." I clarified. I didn't mean to be so blunt about it, but I was shocked.

Their eyes widened. "I'm sorry," Jasper said. "We never meant to deceive you. We didn't really know how the app worked, and we assumed you knew there was more than one of us."

I looked between them. If I was honest, this was the outcome I'd secretly hoped for. "It's fine," I said finally.

"Are you sure?" the bearded man asked. "We don't want to make you uncomfortable."

I shook my head. "I've been talking to you all, right?" I asked as they collectively nodded. "I've enjoyed that and wanted to get to know the people I talked to."

Jasper smiled. "We want to get to know you too." He pulled out my chair, and I sat down.

"I guess we should do introductions, then," the man with black hair said, putting out his hand. "I'm Leo."

I took it, noticing how soft his hands were. "And I'm Hawthorne," the man with the beard said, also taking my hand. His were rougher but warm.

"It's nice to finally meet you. All of you," I said with a laugh. I opened the menu to take a look. "Is there anything you recommend?"

When I looked up, all three had their eyes glued to me, and I felt myself flush under their attention.

Leo seemed to blink himself out of something before answering. "I love the tandoori chicken, but their rogan josh is also amazing."

"I personally like the biryani," Jasper chimed in. "And this one normally eats half of it." He gestured to Leo.

He laughed. "It's just so good."

That made me laugh. I looked to Hawthorne, who was looking at the others with admiration in his eyes. "What about you, Hawthorne?" I asked.

His eyes cut to me. Something about him was intense, but it didn't make me uneasy. "I order something different every time," he said. "I think this time, I'll have the samosas. I haven't had them before."

"Those all sound so good," I commented. "It'll be impossible to pick."

"Why don't you pick something, and we can all share so you can try everything?"

"Oh, I don't want to be difficult."

"Don't worry," Jasper cut in. "This way, we can all have a bit of everything."

I smiled. "Then I guess I'll get the chicken tikka masala." The waiter came soon after to take our orders, and Leo added an aloo tiki appetizer and a lot of naan bread.

"I will never understand how you fit all that food in that small body," Jasper said to Leo adoration lining his tone.

He shrugged. "My wolf is always hungry."

I looked around at them. "So, you're all wolves?" I asked.

For a moment, they all looked at each other with uncertainty. "I don't mind," I said quickly. "I know some humans…feel differently, but I don't."

"We are," Jasper finally answered. "We're from the Enski Mountain pack."

"I've never been out that way," I said, tearing off a piece of naan and dipping it into the thogayal the server had left. "I've heard it's beautiful."

"There's some nice spots," Leo jumped in. "And some amazing waterfalls. You have to hike, though," he added with contempt.

Jasper scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with hiking."

"So you're the hiker," I noted.

He smiled. "I love it."

"Well, I don't," Leo said. "It's boring. You stare at a bunch of trees until you get to something pretty, have a snack, and turn around."

I giggled. "Not to mention it's always too hot," I added.

"Exactly!"

Jasper huffed, but an amused smile touched his lips. I looked to Hawthorne, who'd stayed very quiet, watching with an amused expression. "What about you?" I asked him. "Do you hike?"

His eyes shifted to me, and once again the breath left my lungs. It was odd, he was so quiet, but he could make you feel so much with just a gaze.

"I go with Jasper so this one doesn't complain," Hawthorne said, gesturing to Leo, who sputtered in disbelief.

The waiter arrived with our appetizers, and we continued eating and chatting. I found out Leo was a home baker who made small batches for events, and Hawthorne was the leader of the pack.

I blinked when he said that. "What does that mean?"

Hawthorne looked a bit sheepish, but no one else stepped in to answer for him. "Every pack normally has a line of alphas," He explained. "Mine has ran the Enski Mountain pack for about four generations, and it was passed to me about five years ago."

"So you're like a king?" I asked.

Jasper laughed. "He wishes."

Hawthorne bumped him lightly. "Smartass," he chided. There was such care in his voice it almost made me long for that.

"I do technically lead the pack," Hawthorne clarified. "But I more keep things running smooth and manage communication with other packs."

"Sounds like a king to me," I joked. They all laughed. I was relieved it seemed to be going well, but I was still curious. "If it's appropriate, can I ask, are you guys all…dating?"

Jasper fielded the question easily. "We are," he confirmed. "We've been together since high school."

I wanted to ask more questions. I had about a million swirling in my head, but I couldn't bring myself to ask any of them. Why did they decide to date when they seemed very content? And how would I fit into their relationship that's gone on for so long?

I forced myself to shut those feelings down. This was a first date. It wasn't anything serious, so I didn't need to worry about all of that right now.

The rest of the date went smoothly. They were all kind and fun to be around. It didn't feel like I was fourth wheeling in any way. Any time they brought up someone I may not have known, they looped me into the conversation easily.

As the check came and I was full with curry, they insisted on paying.

"Would you like to come out with us?" Leo asked. "We were thinking of going to the bar down the street."

I looked down at my phone. It was already ten thirty, and though I trusted Kristen, I didn't want to leave her there all night. "I'm sorry," I said. "I would love to, but I have an early morning tomorrow. But I would love to go out again."

"Of course," Hawthorne said, pulling out my chair. "Can we take you to your car?"

I smiled. "Absolutely." I was glad they didn't seem upset. I didn't want to push them away, but I wasn't ready to tell them I had a kid just yet. I had gone on one date after having Aria; I told the guy during it, and he all but ran away. Since then, I decided I should give it some time before I said anything.

We walked out together. As we got to the parking lot, Leo grabbed my hand easily, giving it a light squeeze.

"I had a really great time tonight," I said as we arrived at my car. "I hope we can meet up again."

"We do as well," Jasper said. "Maybe we can plan coffee for some time next week?"

"I think I could make that work." I could take a bit of a long lunch maybe, and then I wouldn't have to worry about Aria.

Leo pulled me a bit, my hand still in his, until we were face to face. "Can I kiss you goodbye?" he asked.

I gulped, then nodded. He pulled me in close and planted a sweet kiss on my lips. They were soft and plush, and he tasted strangely sweet.

He pulled away, but I felt myself chase him a bit, wanting more. He hummed. "I'm going to need more of that for sure," he said.

I laughed. "Get out of here," Jasper said playfully. "It's my turn."

Leo stepped to the side, and Jasper was there, in front of me. He was a bit taller than Leo and his blond hair was pushed back perfectly. He had a stronger cologne scent. "See you later?" he asked.

"Definitely." He leaned in and kissed me. His lips were smaller than Leo's but more dominant. He had a more clean, minty taste that was different, but just as pleasant.

When he pulled away, he dropped a light kiss to my forehead. He stepped around, leaving Hawthorne gazing at me.

He took a more tentative step forward, running a hand through his dark hair. He seemed a bit more standoffish than the other two, which made me somewhat nervous about how he really felt.

"Sorry I'm not as talkative as the other guys," Hawthorne said once he was close, "but I did have a great time tonight and would love to see you again."

It felt like a bit of a weight was lifted from my shoulders. "That's good to hear."

He reached a hand up and over my cheek, caressing me gently in a way I didn't expect. "Get home safe, and text when you get there, okay?"

I snorted. "Okay, mom," I snarked.

He laughed but seemed serious. Having someone care like that was new for me. Then, he leaned in and kissed me. It sounded strange even to me, but he tasted like the woods— having an almost musky flavor. His beard slightly scratched my chin as he pressed his body into me, warm and inviting.

After what felt like too long and not long enough, he pulled away. "Have a good night, Harper," he said. "We'll text to plan something soon."

Jasper opened my door and helped me in. They all watched as I drove away, and I realized after just one date, I liked these guys way more than I should.