“You should go,” he said and sat on the end of the bed.
“I’m sorry. I made the plans a couple of weeks ago—back when I was single—and, to be honest, with everything going on, I just forgot to mention it.”
“Harper, I want you to go. Our marriage was meant to give you extra support, not get in the way of existing supports.”
“Okay, I will.” Some time with other people would probably be good to give her some perspective. “What will you do?”
“I need to go for a run. In fact,” he said and stood, “I might go now.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tonight.”
He gave her a smile and headed out her bedroom door. It wasn’t the same as watching him leave last night—he was going for a run because she already had plans without him—but there was still something vaguely unsettling about watching him go. Perhaps because they didn’t have the core bond to their marriage that most newlyweds had, where they knew they could depend on the other.
She looked back down at her tray and picked up the purple flower he’d added. Nick Tate was a good man. Maybe she needed to relax and let things happen naturally. They’d known going in that this wouldn’t be easy, so now she just had to trust the process.
Seven
A few hours later, Harper arrived at the Texas Cattleman’s Club for lunch with her friend Sophie Prescott and two of Sophie’s friends, Natalie Valentine and Emily Knox.
Sophie was already at a table, looking elegant as usual in a mint-green summer dress, her long red hair pinned up in a topknot. Harper had met her about six months ago at a charity fund-raiser, and she’d clicked with her from the start. But ever since Sophie had found love with her boss Clay Everett recently, there was even more sparkle in her eyes, and Harper couldn’t have been more thrilled for her friend.
Natalie sat across from Sophie, and they were chatting about something that was making them smile. Harper had only met Natalie a few times, but she liked her, and she really admired the way she was building up her wedding dress design business while still running the Cimarron Rose B&B.
“Harper,” Sophie said as she neared the table, and stood to envelop her in a hug. “So good to see you!”
Harper hugged her back, then leaned in to kiss Natalie’s cheek
. “So good to see you both, too.”
Natalie flicked her hair over her shoulders. “I’ve been looking forward to this. I’ve been so busy, it’s going to be great to unwind with my girls.”
“Absolutely, I was—” Sophie said, then froze. “Harper, is there a ring on your finger?”
Harper looked at the gleaming gold band and bit down on a smile. She’d been wondering how to bring the topic up, but it looked like she didn’t have to. “Yes, actually, there is.”
“As in a wedding ring,” Sophie said, her expression incredulous. “That has appeared since I saw you just over a week ago...?”
Even though she tried to hold it back, Harper felt her grin sneak out. “There’s a story.”
Sophie laughed. “I’ll just bet there is. Maybe we should wait until Emily arrives so you don’t have to repeat it.”
Natalie pointed to the main door. “There’s Emily now.”
“Thank God,” Sophie said. “I’m not sure how long I could have waited to find out what happened.”
While Emily made her way over, her tall, athletic body graceful as she moved past the other tables, Harper tried to find a way to explain the last week to these women. So much had happened, and she’d stepped way outside her comfort zone. Would they tell her she was crazy? That she’d gone too far? Perhaps a reality check was just what she needed. Especially from Sophie, who was expecting a baby with the love of her life, and so would have a good perspective on the situation. Her opinion was the one Harper wanted the most.
Sophie stood again and hugged Emily. Then, after the greetings were done, she said, “You’re just in time, Emily. Harper was about to explain how come she’s married now when she wasn’t seeing anyone when we last spoke. A. Week. Ago.”
Emily’s eyes widened. “Oh, that is juicy. Glad I made it in time.”
Harper still wasn’t sure how much to tell, or how to explain, so she just started talking and figured she’d work it out as she went along. “Do you all know my boss, Malcolm Tate?”
Natalie gasped. “You married Malcolm Tate? He’s divine.”
“Not Malcolm,” Harper said. “He has an identical twin brother. Nick.”
“How have I never heard that he had a twin?” Natalie asked. “You’d think I’d remember a detail like that.”