While sitting in her seat, Harper heard the noise and chatter outside. She knew the whole town was out there. Of course, there was no way Nash was going to be there. He’d made it clear that he had work to do high up on the mountain away from all her friends in town.
She walked into the break room and headed to the refrigerator where she'd put goodies that she'd made last night to bring to the potluck. One of her grandmother’s friends was going to drive her over so Harper didn't have to go home and pick her up. In fact, her grandmother had probably already been here for hours. She'd gone to the potluck every year since she was a little girl and had told Harper about it many times.
Which meant that Harper wasn't going to be able to make a clean getaway by showing her face, saying hi to a few friends, and then going home to sulk a little more about Nash.
She grabbed the trifle dessert and the chicken wings she'd made last night and gingerly closed the refrigerator door. The chief was just coming in when he saw her struggling.
“Let me take one of those for you,” he said. His eyes widened as he looked at the trifle she'd made pretty in a crystal bowl. “This one may not make it to the dessert table.”
“It better or you won't get any of these chicken wings that Caleb is going to heat up on the grill.”
He feigned needing to make a choice over one or the other. But he didn't have to. She knew the chicken wings would be gone almost as soon as Caleb finished heating them up. She'd made them every year for the last six years and they disappeared quickly. This year would be no different.
“What is trifle?” The chief asked with a squinty eye.
“Something yummy. That's all you need to know.”
He laughed hard and then disappeared for a second in his office with the trifle bowl. Then the chief came back out with a piece of paper in his hand, still holding the bowl that had been untouched.
“See? I can be trusted.”
She grabbed the tray of already cooked chicken wings with both hands and followed behind him. “The jury still out on that one, Chief.”
Scarlett had already settled herself at the desk when Harper went to retrieve her purse.
“Oooh, what do you have there?”
“Chicken wings.”
“No buffalo burgers or anything like that?”
“I'm sure that's all out there on the table. Didn't you stop by and get yourself something to eat before you came in for your shift?”
“I had to park down the street because the parking lot is full. So I was running late. I did have time to check out everything.”
“Oh, that's too bad. Do you want me to bring in a plate of food for you?”
“Will you? That would be great.”
She gripped the tray of chicken in her hand and lifted her purse strap to her shoulder, wincing just a little as remnants of pain continued. The doctor had said she would most likely be feeling it for a few weeks. But it was getting better. Her heart was still aching in a way that she didn't want to the acknowledge.
Once outside, she marveled at how beautiful the day was. It was amazing to think that just two weeks ago a blizzard had nearly crippled the town and had stranded her up at the top of the mountain. Today was a gloriously beautiful sunny day with that blue sky Montana was so famous for.
She walked over to the grills that were lined up in a row and found Zeb playing chef.
Harper looked around. “Where's Caleb? I thought he was manning the grill today.”
Zeb shook his head. “Ran off on me as soon as Katie got here. He promised to be back, but I'm doubting his sincerity. Looks like I’m on the grill until one of the firemen relieve me.”
“I've got chicken wings that are already cooked in this aluminum pan. They just need to be heated up. Let me know when they are because if past experience is any indication…”
“I remember your chicken wings. I'll guard them.”
Harper chuckled. “You'll eat them. So will the chief. And I'm pretty sure so will Caleb if he gets back in time.”
Zeb raised the hand holding a spatula. “Every man for himself.”
Harper chuckled as she turned away and made a beeline for the food table. She didn't want to forget making a plate for Scarlett, so she decided to do that straightaway. Maybe the busy work would keep her mind off the unsettled feeling she had. She was so engrossed in all the different samplings on the table that she wasn't paying attention to anything else. She could hear her grandmother’s laugh from somewhere on the far side of the parking lot. She’d go over there to say hi since she was done.
Harper picked up a paper plate and some plastic silverware and started spooning food on the plate.
“Hello, Harper.”
Her heart nearly stopped. She didn't have to look up to see who it was. She knew.
Nash was the last person she'd expected to be here today. Her heart hammered in her chest with delight that he was standing right next to her, even though he’d told her that he didn't want to see her. She was completely pathetic. She wanted a man who didn't want her. He'd said that plainly.
No, he said he couldn’t be with her. That was different. Either way, she was standing there feeling the sweat bubble up beneath her shirt as she lifted her gaze and looked into his eyes and wanting nothing more than to drop this plate and throw her arms around him.
* * *
“I didn't expect to see you here,” Nash said.
Harper looked around. “I don't know why. I work about
