Ghost’s fingers combed through the hair on his chest, then on his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling. The sun was just cresting the horizon and illuminated his room. He hadn’t slept at all last night thinking of Harper’s full, pink lips and her shy smiles. When he’d dropped her off, all he’d wanted to do was kiss her. Her nervousness stopped him.

He lifted his arm to cover his eyes with his forearm. She had smiled and laughed, except for that one moment when she froze on his porch. The light had disappeared, but once it came back, she was more beautiful than before. He wanted to hold and touched her. Instead of doing what he’d wanted, he tried to talk to her—learn about Harper. She’d avoided the personal questions preferring to talk about books, movies or him.

Before he’d closed her door when he’d dropped her off, he opened his mouth to ask her on a date. What had he done instead? Told her goodnight and closed her door. He had watched her until the taillights of her shitty little compact car disappeared. The thing had barely started, and he’d wanted to follow her home just to make sure she got there.

His alarm went off interrupting his thoughts, and he reached out slapping the off button. It was Sunday, but he loved his routine and was always up by six. Which normally meant if he and the band had gigs, he went without sleep, but it was his day off so he could be lazy. Although, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he rolled from bed and went to take a shower.

Two years of being cautious. Rethinking every decision he’d ever made, especially when it came to his decisions on his dismal love life. Maybe it was time to take a chance. Carol, Twitch, Gregory, Sin and Saint were driving him crazy to start dating. He was only interested in one person, and he wanted to spend time with her. But first, he needed information. Some advice from the person who seemed to know her best—Joker.

* * *

“Fuck you,” Joker barked never looking up from the cluttered top of his desk.

The man despised office work, but he refused to hire someone to do it. No one was in a particular hurry to jump at the job.

“Come on, man, help me out, all I need is a phone number. I’m not asking for an address.” He plopped down in the chair in front of Joker’s desk. He rested his bearded cheek in his palm and braced his elbow on the arm.

“You’re not getting your dick anywhere near Harper. Not fucking happening.”

He was starting to get a bit insulted. He had always assumed he was a nice guy.

“I wasn’t planning to—”

“She said she was naked at your place.”

“She was soaked from the rain. She took a shower to warm up. We were not naked in the same space.”

He couldn’t believe he had to explain that to one of his best friends, or thought was his best friend.

“So, you don’t find Harper beautiful?”

Joker logic just made him dizzy. One minute he wasn’t supposed to fuck Harper and the next he was in trouble because he possibly didn’t find her attractive.

“She’s gorgeous. Sweet. Quiet. Skittish. I just wanted to ask her out to the farm for lunch. I don’t plan to get her in my bed anytime soon or at all. It would just be nice to spend time with her.”

“You know about her, right?”

“What about her? She didn’t talk much about herself last night.” That was one of the reasons he wanted to take her out. Maybe if he could just have the opportunity to talk to her on the phone, she could become more comfortable with him.

“She has shit taste in men.”

He didn’t remember much about the stories he’d heard about Harper. She acted as a caretaker for Nettie, Crave’s mom. She babysat the Crew’s kids. They loved spending time with their Aunt Harper. Again, the stories weren’t prevalent, everyone was entitled to their privacy. One thing he’d learned was there were rumors that a local bigot loved to take his anger out on her. He had a feeling it was more than that, but again no one shared.

“It’s lunch, not a marriage proposal.”

“You’re going to lose teeth.”

Joker didn’t joke, it was why the man got the nickname he did.

“Jackson.” He waited for the man to turn away from his paperwork. “I like her. What’s wrong with that? It’s lunch. New friends getting to know each other. What’s the harm in giving me her number?”

“No one is—”

“Joker?”

He turned his head to find Harper standing in the doorway of Joker’s office. Rage and Gunner, Psycho’s twins, perched on her hips. They’re hands tangled in her long blonde hair. He stood and gave her a smile as he approached.

“Hi, Harper, want me to take one of them,” he asked.

“Yes, Rage is trying to snatch me bald.”

“Can’t have that. Come on, Rage, let’s give Aunt Harper’s scalp a break.” He held out his hands and waited for the toddler to make up his mind. It was well-known among the Crews Rage didn’t like a lot of people. Luckily, he was one of the ones Rage tolerated.

The chunky boy lunged forward. Bright green eyes stared up at him, and he smiled as he held Rage against his chest. Rage was a terrible nickname for a kid, but the boy had a temper and as vocal about who and what he didn’t like. They were going to have to start calling Rage by his real name before the boy went off to school. He didn’t know what was wrong with the name Thomas, it was perfectly fine and normal name.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad to see you. I was trying to get Joker to give me your number.”

“Why,” she asked, bouncing Gunner on her hip as the boy tried to get to his twin.

Rage and Gunner couldn’t deal with being away from each other. Getting out of each other’s sight was an instant meltdown in the making.

“I was hoping I could take you to lunch or dinner.”

Her pretty eyes widened. “Why?”

He tightened his arms around Rage to keep from reaching for Harper. Her shock at him wanting to spend time with her saddened him.

“Because I like you.”

“O…oh, like friends?”

“I was kind of looking at it like asking you on a date, but friends would be great too. No pressure, Harper. Lunch or dinner, maybe a picnic at the farm. I’ll show you around the greenhouse.”

He didn’t like when she looked away and down at her bare toes. The nails were painted a pale pink to match her long, loose dress that fell to her ankles. He curled his fingers into his palms to keep himself from stroking her cheek and lifting her gaze to his.

“You want to take me on a…date?”

She didn’t look at him as she asked the question. He knew he had to be patient with Harper. What he did know of her past wasn’t pretty. He sensed no one outside of the Crew treated her with kindness—touched her gently. Loved on her. He wouldn’t lie especially to himself, he wanted her. He just didn’t know if she could let down her guard enough to let him in.

“Yes, but if you don’t want to, all you have to do is say no.”

“I don’t…don’t know.”

He forced his smile to stay in place. “Why don’t you just come out for a picnic? Just friends.”

“O…okay.”

“You can bring the twins.”

“I was just coming to ask Joker to take me to drop them off. My car wouldn’t start.”

“We can get their car seats in the backseat of my truck.”

“Harper, I’ll go over to your place and tow it in.” Joker was up from his desk before he finished talking.

The man would make any excuse to avoid office work.

“I can’t—”

“I’ll tow it in.”

Harper’s pale cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. He knew she was going to protest because she couldn’t afford to get her car fixed.

“Did you want me to walk over with you to get their car seats? That way you don’t have to carry them both back.”

“Thank you.”

They said their goodbyes to Joker as they exited the shop and made their way down the block. Harper kept a good distance between them. He tried to pretend it didn’t hurt. He knew patience was key. He’d just met her, but he knew she was worth whatever he had to do to earn her trust. First step, spending some alone time with Harper, everything else would work itself out.