Harper was reviewing the engagement photos she’d taken of the couple in the park when her phone rang and startled her.  The number on the phone was unfamiliar, but she had a feeling she knew who it was before she answered. 

“Hello?”

“Harper.  Hi.  It’s Will.”

Julia had given her a heads-up that Will had asked for her phone number, so her hunch had been correct.  “Hi, Will.  How’s it going?”

“Great, except for this weather.  I can’t wait for spring!”

An image flashed through her mind of Will in his Burberry scarf, bundled up against the cold, and then she recalled Finn’s words: “Real men don’t wear scarves.”  Damn him!

“I know what you mean,” she said, even though she wasn’t as bothered by the cold weather.  Like Finn had said, if you lived in Michigan, you should be used to it. 

“So, I was calling to ask you something.”

“Shoot.” 

“Do you ice skate?”

She laughed at the unexpected question.  “Yes, although I haven’t gone in a few years.  Why?”

“I was wondering if you’d like to go ice skating with me on Saturday.  Not outside, because it’s too cold, but at an indoor rink in Waterford.”

She had to give him props for coming up with an original date idea, and it sounded better than going out to dinner and staring at each other across a table.  “Sure.  That sounds great.”

Will sighed.  “Thank you for saying yes.  I was nervous about calling you.”

His relief was palpable, and his admission put her at ease.  “To be honest, I’m a little nervous too.  I haven’t done this in…forever.”  A bit of an exaggeration, but that was what it felt like.  She’d dated Blake for two years, and they’d been married for five.  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on a date. 

He laughed.  “Well, we’ll bumble our way through it together, then.  Can I pick you up, or do you want to meet me there?”

She liked him more by the second.  How considerate of him to give her a choice, unlike Finn, who was on the bossy side.  Wait a minute, why am I even thinking about Finn? “You can pick me up.  Let me give you my address.”  After she’d given him her address and they’d agreed on a time, she hung up, feeling oddly satisfied.  She had to admit that it felt good to have a man interested in her again.  And not just as someone who needed protecting, but as a flesh-and-blood woman.

She was still feeling contented when her phone rang again, but this time, the caller’s name appeared on the screen.  Speak of the devil!

“Hey, Finn.”

“Hey.  How’s your car holding up?  Bump into any more snowdrifts lately?”

“Ha ha.  No.  Did you call just to harass me?”

“No.  I called because I made an appointment at the Chevy dealership for Saturday afternoon.  My guy was able to work us in at one o’clock.”

Finn was supposed to give her a phone number, not make an appointment for them.  “I can’t make it.”

“Why not?”

Frustrated by his tone and his assumption that she’d be available, she replied, “Because I have a date.”

“A date?”

“Yes.  You know that thing where two people who like each other go out and do something?  A date.”

“Let me guess—Burberry.”

“His name is Will, and yes, it’s with him.”

“Where are you going?”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Finn…”

“Harper.”

She sighed.  “We’re going ice skating, ok?  It’s no big deal.  But thanks for asking.”  The sarcasm dripped from her voice, but she couldn’t help herself.  Finn was acting like a big bully instead of a friend, and she didn’t appreciate it. 

“Sorry.  I’m just not used to—”

“Hearing that I have a date?  I know.  I’m not used to saying it either.  But I want to do this Finn.  I have to try.”

He backed down a little then.  “Ok.  Well, I’ll just reschedule with Rick.”

“You know, I could have handled it on my own.  I thought you were going to give me his number.”

“I was, but I thought you might need my help.  I know my way around cars.”

And women too, she thought.  He was probably used to women jumping at his beck and call, but that wasn’t her.  On the other hand, he was just trying to help…  “Ok, fine.  Let me look at my calendar.”  She flipped through the pages of her desk calendar and said, “How about next Thursday?  I’m free after four o’clock.”

“Ok.  I’ll see if Rick’s available and let you know.  Oh, and Harper, have fun ice skating.”

Something about the way he said it made her feel uncomfortable, but she wasn’t sure why.  Must have been guilt rearing its ugly head again.  But it was just ice-skating!  “Thanks.  Talk to you later.”

After she hung up, she sat there and stared into space for a while.  What would Blake have thought about Burberry?  Great, now she was referring to Will the way Finn had!  It wasn’t fair.  Will seemed like a great guy, and he’d be the first guy she’d gone out with since Blake’s death.  She owed it to herself to take this step, despite what Finn or anyone else thought. 

Shoving herself up from her desk, she went into her bedroom to get ready for bed.  Daisy was already curled up in a tight ball at the end of the bed, where she’d slept every night since Harper had owned her.  While Daisy had a crate with a comfy dog bed inside it, she preferred to sleep with her owner instead, and Harper liked it too.  After sleeping with Blake for so many years, she’d grown accustomed to the sound of someone else’s breathing and movements during the night.  Daisy was a lot smaller than her husband, but she still provided some comfort on those long, lonely nights when Harper had trouble sleeping.  Her sleep had improved over the past few months, but sometimes, she awakened in the middle of the night from a bad dream and looked for Blake’s arms to comfort her.  And then she’d remember that Blake wasn’t there and never would be again, and it’d take her an hour or two to get back to sleep.  Those were the nights when she was especially grateful for Daisy, whose even breathing would help lull her back to sleep. 

She had just snuggled under the covers and cracked open her book about learning to live with the loss of a loved one when her phone rang again. 

“Geez.  It’s like Grand Central around here tonight,” she answered with a laugh.

“Did he call?”

“Who?”

“Will!”

“Yes.  As if you didn’t know!”

Julia laughed.  “Well, I didn’t know for sure.  He said he was going to, but I thought he might chicken out.”

“Why?  Am I that intimidating?”

“No.  I think he’s just trying to be respectful of your situation.  He doesn’t want to scare you off.”

“My situation, huh?  It’s not like I have a disease, Jules.  Besides, it’s been a long time since Blake…”

“I know,” Julia said, saving her from having to say the dreaded word.  “Will is just being cautious.”

Cautious.  Funny, that wasn’t a word she’d associate with the other men in her life.  She’d always described Blake as a go-getter.  When he’d wanted something, he’d gone after it, in both his personal and professional life.  Finn was like that too, which was another reason he and Blake had been such good friends.  They’d shared a similar outlook on life, and it was one she’d always admired. 

“I understand.  I’m being cautious too.  But ice skating seemed like a good first date, so I said yes.”

“I’m so glad.  I hope you two have fun.”

“That’s what Finn said too.”

“Finn?”

“Yeah.  You know, tall, bossy, overprotective.”

“You told him about your date?”

“I kind of had to.  He’d taken it upon himself to set an appointment for me at a car dealership for the same time I’m going out with Will.”

“Oh boy.”

“I know.  It would’ve been nice if he’d asked me first.”

“How did he react about Will?”

Harper decided to leave out the part about Finn’s nickname for Will.  “Surprised, mostly.  I don’t think he’s used to the idea of me going out with someone else.  His loyalty still lies with Blake.”

“Hmmm.”

“Hmmm, what?”

“Just wondering if that’s all there is to it.”

“What else would there be?”

“Oh, nothing.  Never mind.”

But Julia had already set the wheels in motion.  Great!  Could be another sleepless night.  Deciding that a change of subject was in order, Harper said, “So, you never did tell me about your date the other night.”

“That’s because there’s not much to tell.”

“Why are you being so secretive about this?”

“I’m not being secretive.  I went out and had a couple drinks with the guy, and that was about it.  I’m not even sure we’ll go out again.”

“Why?  Didn’t you have a good time?”

“Yeah, we did.  But that’s all this guy is about—a good time.  And I’m not sure I want to get involved with a guy like that.”

“Are you attracted to him?”

“Oh, yeah.  But that doesn’t mean he’s good for me.  He’s kind of like a hot-fudge sundae—tempting but full of ingredients I shouldn’t have.  At least, not on a regular basis.”

Harper laughed.  “Good analogy!”

“Thanks.  Anyway, I’ll let you get to sleep now.  Just wanted to check in about Will.”

After they hung up, Harper shut off the phone and snuggled back under the covers.  She started to pick up her book again but thought better of it.  She’d been reading self-help books since Blake had died, and frankly, she was getting tired of them.  Maybe it was time for a trip to the bookstore for some new reading material.  Something that didn’t involve death and grieving.  Something that featured a tall, strong, handsome leading man and a likable, attractive heroine who were destined to be together.  Yeah.  That sounded like just the ticket!  And then she jolted upright in horror, realizing that the man she’d just been visualizing was Finn!

 

“Welcome to A New Chapter,” an attractive woman with strawberry-blonde hair said as Harper entered the store.  A New Chapter was the closest bookstore to Brandon Township, where Harper lived, and she had arrived just after they’d opened for the day.  After having a disturbingly sexy dream about Finn the night before, she’d decided that a trip to the bookstore was pertinent.  It seemed like her female urges were waking up after a long slumber, and she’d decided that diverting them to a fictional character was much safer than the alternative.  So, she’d looked up the store hours and made sure she was there right when it opened. 

“Good morning,” she said with a groggy smile. 

“Is there anything I can help you find?”

The woman seemed genuinely friendly, and Harper couldn’t help but warm to her.  “Yes, actually.  I’m in need of a light fiction book, maybe even a romance novel.”

And then another woman appeared through a doorway behind the check-out counter.  “Did somebody say, ‘romance’?” she said. 

The first woman laughed and said, “I’m Emma, the store owner, and this is my second-in-command and romance aficionado, Kelly.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harper said, “and yes, I’m looking for a romance novel.”

“Yay!” Kelly said as Emma turned away to answer a ringing phone.  “Now, what kind of romance are you interested in: comedy, drama, suspense, erotica…?”

Harper swallowed hard and said, “Not erotica.  I’d like to start with something on the lighter side, so maybe a romantic comedy.”

“Perfect!” Kelly said.  “Follow me.”

As Harper followed her toward the back of the store, she noticed how Kelly’s hips swayed as she walked.  Harper glanced down at her own narrower hips and inwardly sighed.  She hadn’t been blessed with a curvy figure; her shape leaned toward the athletic side, with straight lines instead of voluptuous curves.  Blake had always liked her body, but now she looked at it with a skeptical eye, thinking most men probably preferred a figure like Kelly’s. 

“Ok, so, I’ll point out a few of my favorite authors, and then I’ll let you browse,” Kelly said enthusiastically. 

It was obvious how much Kelly loved her job, and Harper listened intently as she described some of the novels on the shelf.  After Kelly had walked away, Harper selected several books and carried them over to a corner chair to peruse them more closely.  While she admired the cowboys’ physiques on the covers of some of the books, she discarded them, likewise the books about Navy Seals and undercover agents.  And then she came to a book about a woman who loses her pilot husband in a plane crash and eventually falls in love with another pilot who happens to be her husband’s best friend.  Suddenly, Harper felt overly warm, and she hastily peeled off her winter coat.  Her fingers were damp where she’d clutched the book tightly in her hands, and just then, Kelly walked up. 

“Find anything good?”

“I’m still looking,” Harper croaked, wondering if she looked flushed. 

“No problem.  Take your time,” Kelly said and sashayed away. 

I shouldn’t read this.  Pick a different one.  Harper laid the book on the discard pile and continued looking.  She found a few other books that sounded intriguing and that didn’t hit quite so close to home, and she set them aside.  But a few minutes later, she picked up the taboo story again and re-read the summary on the back cover.  The plot wasn’t an exact depiction of her life, but it was close enough to be tempting and disturbing at the same time.  Yet when she returned the rejects to the shelf, she hesitated to put that one back. 

Just then, the bell over the front door rang, announcing another customer.  Harper quickly shoved the book to the bottom of her stack and moved toward the check-out counter, realizing as she did how stupid it was to feel guilty over buying a book!  Placing her selections on the counter, she glanced over to see Kelly hugging a tall, muscular, dark-complexioned man who’d just walked in. 

As if she sensed they were being watched, Kelly let go and hurried toward the counter, with the hunk trailing a few steps behind.

“Oops, sorry!  My husband just stopped by unexpectedly,” she explained as she began ringing up Harper’s books.

“No problem,” Harper said, shooting a quick smile at Kelly’s husband. 

“Good choices!” Kelly exclaimed as she held up each book before placing it in the bag. 

Harper shifted uncomfortably, wishing that she were still alone in the store.  Not that Kelly’s husband was paying attention, but he was hovering nearby, and if he’d wanted to see the books she was buying, he easily could have. 

“Would you like to be on our email list?  We have book club meetings, ladies’ night, and all kinds of other events in the store,” Kelly said, smiling broadly. 

“No thanks.  Not today,” Harper added, glancing down at her watch.  She didn’t have an appointment until after lunch, but she wanted to appear like she was in a hurry. 

“Ok.  Well, maybe next time.  Enjoy your books!” Kelly said, handing Harper the bag. 

“Thank you,” Harper said and hurried past the hunk on her way out.

Once she was in her car, she leaned her head back and took several deep breaths until she felt calm again.  She hadn’t started the car yet and relished the crisp, cold air against her heated skin.  You’re being ridiculous.  There’s nothing wrong with reading that book.  It’s just a story.  It’s got nothing to do with you.

It wasn’t until she’d pulled back into her driveway that she realized she’d driven all the way home with the windows cracked open and the heater turned off even though it was only sixteen degrees!