2
Harper
“Okay, that’s it, you’re certifiable.”
Sitting at my kitchen table, I stare at my best friend as she flips through the photos on my phone. Her jaw is practically sitting on the table, as she shakes her head at me, unable to wrap her brain around me turning down Liam’s offer. Then again, did he really offer to be Gavin’s big brother? He only said there was a chance. “Harper, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“How much time do you have?” I tease, even though Emma knows everything about me, everything from how Gavin’s father took off after he was born, never to be heard from again, to the next guy in my life who slowly drained the inheritance Mom and Dad left to me in their will four years ago, when Gavin was only one. Simply put, I’m a bad judge of character.
Emma continues to stare at the pictures, and I’m about to offer her a napkin to wipe the drool from the corners of her mouth when she drops my phone and shakes her head. “You said no to Liam. Girl, he could have been Gavin’s big brother, and your big daddy.”
I pick up my mug and cover my smile with it. Maybe I shouldn’t have told her every single word we exchanged, and maybe I shouldn’t like talking or thinking about him so much. “That’s not funny.”
“Then why are you laughing?”
So much for hiding my reaction. I can’t get anything by her. She glares at me, waiting for an answer. But I’m not about to tell her I’m smiling to hide what I’m really feeling deep inside me—right around the juncture of my legs. I took one look at Liam when he dropped to his knees in front of my son, and nearly sank down with him. I mean, I’ve seen the pictures, know he’s smoking hot. But the photos of him splashed in the tabloids pale in comparison to the real thing. Liam Dalton is seriously the hottest guy on the face of the earth, and when he smiled at me, I swore I could hear the clench of my ovaries.
Emma snickers. “He was that hot, huh?”
“What?” I ask. “Wait, why are you staring at me like that?” Once I realize my coffee cup has been hovering over my mouth as my mind drifted, I take a big sip.
“Because you totally zoned out, and I’m guessing that’s because you were thinking about big daddy and all the spankings he could give you. I mean, you did see the leaked sex tape, didn’t you?”
I laugh, and coffee comes out my nose, which stings horribly. “Ohmigod.” I jump up and run to the small bathroom just off the kitchen. Emma’s laughter fills my small house, rising over the sounds of Gavin and Holden playing video games in the living room as I grab a cloth and wipe my face.
“No, I did not see the tape, nor do I want to see the tape,” I call out. “And that hurt.”
“I bet he’d make it hurt so good.”
“Are you still at it?” I step back into the kitchen, and find her on my phone again.
“Man, I need to have a kid.” She glances up at me, the hope in her eyes reminding me of the look Gavin gave me before I sort of shot down his dream of having Liam as a big brother. Did I make the right decision? “Do you think he’ll still be offering his big daddy services in nine months, ‘cause girlfriend, I’d like to match my face right to his—”
“Stop.” I grab the phone from her and set it aside. “I’m sure we’re not going to be matched, and I don’t want Gavin with a guy like Liam, anyway.”
“You mean a guy who fights to defend a woman’s honor. A guy who was nice to Gavin, gave him a hat and took pictures with him.” She puckers her lips. “Yeah, I see what you mean.”
“I just…have to be careful who I bring into Gavin’s life, Emma.”
She touches my hand. “Is this really about Gavin?” she asks.
I stiffen. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, even though I already know the answer and she knows I know it.
“It took me forever to convince you to get Gavin a big brother in the first place.”
“He needs the male influence, you were right.”
“But what do you need, Harper?”
“I don’t need—”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You’re twenty-eight years old with lots of needs that are going neglected as you let life pass before your eyes.” I’m about to tell her I’m a busy single parent, working full time and trying to save for my own pet store and doggy daycare business, when she holds her hand up to stop me, the look on her face suggesting she’s heard it all before. “Look, all I’m saying is you shut down.” She puts her hand over her heart. “In here. You don’t go out, don’t date, don’t do anything just for you.”
“What does any of this have to do with Liam being Gavin’s big brother?”
“Because you were attracted to him, and that frightens you. I think he’d be good for Gavin.” She wags her brow. “And for you.”
“Are you suggesting—”
“I’m suggesting you have some fun. He has a reputation, I know, so you know he’s not looking to put a ring on it. Why not have some fun with him, and Gavin gets a superstar, professional hockey player for a big brother?”
I shrug. “I doubt they’ll be matched, and it could take months. That’s what we were told anyway.” My cell phone rings, and I practically jump out of my chair. I reach for it and see that it’s from
