Page 46 of Steady and Strong

Luca reached for Harper’s hand, lifting it to kiss. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, sunshine.”

Conor nodded, struggling for a moment to speak. “Beautiful isn’t a strong enough word,” he finally managed to say.

Harper blushed at their compliments, then reached out to a table by the door to grab her clutch. “So, are you going to tell me what this surprise is now?” She stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her.

Luca shook his head. “Nope.”

The question from Harper and that response from Luca had been playing on repeat ever since Thursday night at dinner, when they’d issued the invitation. Harper was, apparently, no fan of surprises. She’d texted, called, and nagged, and Conor had been grateful they’d only had to survive two days of her constant inquisition.

When they stepped out of the hotel and Harper spotted the limo, she stumbled slightly. “That’s for us?”

Conor placed his hand on the small of her back, propelling her toward the car. He was aware they were drawing a bit of attention as several phones were suddenly pointed their direction. While Harper was becoming more of a familiar face around Philadelphia, she still turned heads every time she went out in public. It wasn’t unusual for her to sign autographs or pose for several selfies as they pushed their cart through the grocery store. That kind of scrutiny would have driven Conor mad, but Harper handled it with good grace, always smiling, never rude. It was no wonder people loved her, viewed her as the girl next door. There truly wasn’t a mean bone in her body.

They climbed into the limo together, Harper laughing as Conor popped the cork on the champagne bottle, pouring them each a glass. The three of them were sitting together on the backseat, Harper nestled between him and Luca.

“To surprises.” Luca lifted his glass.

Harper narrowed her eyes, pretending his toast annoyed her, but she still tapped her glass against theirs and drank.

Conor was amazed by how comfortable he was with these two people. He’d always struggled with establishing close relationships. Most of his younger years were spent with his brothers as his constant companions and playmates. Dad was a private, judgmental man, who believed children should be seen, not heard. Between his temper and Mom’s wavering mental health, he’d never felt comfortable inviting friends over to his house.

Then, after he started having panic attacks, he retreated even more into himself, terrified someone might witness him falling apart. After so many years on his own, he figured he was probably socially stunted, but none of that was apparent when he was with Luca and Harper.

With them…he fit.

The chauffeur had been given directions to take them on a scenic drive of the city, mainly because Harper’s hotel was only a few minutes away from the restaurant and he wanted to ensure they had time to drink their champagne and enjoy the ride.

They’d just polished off their second glasses when they pulled up in front of the restaurant.

Harper frowned. She’d stopped by just this morning armed with their Saturday coffee and donuts—yet another set routine established over the past few weeks.

“My surprise is the restaurant? Did you finish something?”

Conor could hear the confusion in her tone. Probably because she knew they were weeks away from completing the kitchen and the apartment above.

He shook his head, stepping out of the limo when the chauffeur opened the door before reaching back to help her.

Harper took his hand, joining him on the curb. He didn’t release it. When Luca emerged from the limo, he grasped the other.

“Ready?” Luca was clearly excited to reveal what they’d done.

Conor unlocked the front door, hitting the light switch—the one Luca had rewired just for tonight, to turn everything on at the same time.

Harper’s eyes widened as the disco ball began spinning, and the soft accent lights beside their booth and countless strings of twinkle lights turned on. Those lights, plus some dim recessed lighting behind the bar, allowed them to create the perfect atmosphere for their prom.

Luca had even gone so far as to recruit Liza and Keeley to create a banner that he’d hung on the wall, revealing their prom theme. Because of time constraints for decorating, he’d opted for “Night Under the Stars,” something they’d managed to create simply enough by stringing all the twinkling lights around the room.

“Oh my God!” Harper released their hands, walking farther into the room, spinning around to take it all in. As she did so, Luca strolled over to their booth, lighting the candle, while Conor headed to the bar, turning on the instrumental music he’d selected for during dinner.

He’d called Liza for suggestions, and she’d told him to simply download the soundtrack to Bridgerton, which he’d never heard before but had to admit was quite beautiful. The orchestral strands of “Wrecking Ball” began playing.

When he turned around, he caught sight of Harper wiping her eyes.

“Harper,” he said, walking over to her at the same time as Luca.

“You made me a prom.” Her voice was thick with unshed tears.

Luca smiled, pulling her into his arms for a hug. “We wanted to do something nice for you. You’ve been feeding us gourmet meals for weeks.”

---