Levi

 

“Another round?” I asked.

Everyone spoke up in agreement, so I motioned to the waitress to bring over another pitcher of beer before relaxing back in my seat, looking at the three guys who would always be my best friends.

“So how’s Harper doing?” Sebastian asked.

I couldn’t help the smile that crept across my face. “She’s good.”

“Aw, would you look at that,” Cole said as he reached over and slapped me on the shoulder. “I think he’s blushing. Isn’t he cute?”

I wanted to tell him to shut up, but the truth was, ever since Harper had shown up at my place with the plant, I couldn’t seem to stop smiling. Life was good, and I didn’t doubt for one second that I was blushing. Just thinking about Harper and how we’d been reconnecting with one another was more than enough reason to blush.

“Leave him alone,” Declan said. “It’s obvious that he’s having a moment. Chicks do that kind of thing.”

They all broke out in laughter, and even I joined in. Yeah, I was having a moment, and I was okay with it. I planned on having a lot more moments with Harper. A lifetime of them. A fresh pitcher appeared, and Sebastian did the honors of refilling everyone’s mugs.

“How’s the building going?” he asked.

I took a drink before answering. “It’s going great. We were fortunate that there weren’t any structural issues, and all the drywall is up, and the painters start on Monday. If everything keeps going at this pace, we’ll be having a ribbon cutting in about three weeks.”

“That’s great,” Seb said. “Really. I’m glad that you found something you’re enjoying.”

“Other than Harper,” Cole added with a laugh.

I almost reached over the table to deck him, but I chose to take the high road. “Yeah, doing the building has definitely been good. But you know what? It’s not something I see myself doing long-term.”

“So what are you going to do?” Declan asked.

It was something that had been niggling at the back of my mind for a little while now, something Harper had kept wanting me to think about. I hadn’t discussed it with the guys yet, and I was waiting for a night just like this to present it. “Actually, I was thinking of how good it felt when I was helping Harper.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Cole said with a snicker.

“Not like that, you ass. I mean that it was kind of invigorating to figure out the mystery behind it all—the investigating, the protection, knowing that I could help someone that way.”

This time there were no snide comments. Declan leaned forward on the table. “What are you saying?”

I shrugged. “I realize that Harper was a unique case. She’s Gavin’s sister, and the situation just sort of landed in my lap. I didn’t come back here to be a PI or a bodyguard, but that’s what I ended up doing. And I think that I did a pretty good job at it.” I looked over at Sebastian. “I think we worked well together.”

Seb nodded. “So what are you thinking? That you want to start some sort of security agency or something?”

I looked at the three of them. It was exactly what I was thinking. “I do. I think that we could be good at it. We could all be good at it.”

Cole made a face. “You mean the four of us?”

“Absolutely. I think we’re all at a point in our lives when we’re looking to do something with our training, something with a purpose. I think we’d be good at this. We’d all bring something to the table.” I took another swallow of beer. “What do you think?”

Declan ran a hand over his face. “How would we possibly get started? I mean, you said it yourself, the situation with Harper just sort of happened. How would we find clients?”

I looked over at Sebastian, who met my gaze with a knowing look. He said, “I think I might have a connection or two that could get us started. I might also be able to dig up the start-up costs.”

“I don’t know,” Declan said. “It seems kind of iffy. What if we never get a case?”

“What if we get more than one?” I asked. “I’m not saying we should all give up our day jobs right away, but I think we should consider it. What do you say?”

We looked at each other for a minute. Then, just like I remember doing as a kid, I put my hand out in the middle of the table. Sebastian placed his on top of mine and Cole on top of his.

“Oh, what the hell,” Declan said as he slapped his hand on the top of the pile. “Let’s do this stupid thing.”

Three months ago, I’d been a man without purpose, with no hope for the future. Things weren’t all perfect now. There were still questions about the accident that caused Gavin’s death that lingered in my mind sometimes—waiting for an answer. But something important had transformed about my world.

I had Harper at home now. And as I sat there and clinked glasses in a toast with my friends, I realized my future was suddenly brimming with possibilities.

I couldn’t wait to get started.