Page 49 of After the Fall

“What secrets?” Harper asked. She knew her mom had been upset lately. Hope thought she was good at hiding her feelings, but in reality, she was an open book. At least to Harper.

Hope smiled. “Everything’s fine. Just parent talk that you weren’t meant to overhear. Now, where is that lighter?”

As they lit the candles and sang happy birthday, Joe’s eyes glistened with love and happiness for his family. He didn’t want to lose them. He would finish his research and find a way to leave Genocorp, before he could get sucked any further into Maximus’ web of terror.

TWENTY-FOUR

WYATT

With Harper on my arm,I led her through the mansion, past the guards and into the garage.

“Pick one.” I pointed to the row of cars.

“Where are we going?” She bit her lip as she scanned the fleet of vehicles.

“Wherever you want.” I patted her hand and then draped my arm over her shoulder. “I think it’s a good idea to get away from the house for a while, just the two of us.”

“Really?” She turned to face me, her eyes shimmering with tears. I swiped at the one that slipped down her cheek with the pad of my thumb. Cupping her face, I bent and kissed her softly.

“Really,” I whispered. The sides of her lips turned up. I didn’t know a lot about women’s tears, but I learned that I liked the happy kind better than the angry variety. “Everything has been so crazy around here. I wish that we could go back to the time that we spent together in the cabin on the island.

She nodded, the tears returning.

“Shit,” I muttered. “I’m sorry.” The majority of the time at our cabin was spent together before Harper lost her memory. She didn’t remember some of the best times we shared together.My stomach clenched. The ramifications of what Valentina had done to us were constantly showing up, and likely would plague our relationship for years.

Harper bit her lip and stood on her toes to kiss me. “I may not remember it, but…” she placed her hand on my chest above my heart and looked up at me, “I can feel it. I know that what we shared before was amazing.”

“I’m sorry I brought her back into our lives.” I hugged Harper, squeezing her body tightly to mine. “Baby, what we’ve got now is amazing. You have to believe that everything I’m doing here is for you.”

“Even dumping me as your date for the gala?”

I stiffened. This was going to be a sore spot for a while, and I got it. “It’s safer for you to stay here. We’ve already gone through this. As soon as we’ve sorted out this whole Carder, Genocorp thing, and fixed your father, I’ll make sure Valentina knows that she’s no longer welcome in the house – or in the north.”

She sniffed and pulled away from me. “For good?”

“For as long as you shall live.” I smiled, but hers faltered. I was sticking my literal big foot in my mouth with each word that came out. Harper’s lifespan was shorter than mine. I’d be heartbroken, traipsing through the damp, mossy forests of the pacific northwest years after her death.

“Right.” She looked to the polished concrete floor.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” It wasn’t even noon and already the day had gone sideways.

“I know.” Harper squared her shoulders and strode to the combination safe on the wall. “Code?” She raised her eyebrows at me.

“Six, nine, six, nine.”

She shook her head and punched in the code. The safe beeped and popped open, revealing the keys to the cars. “Letme guess, Tank picked the code.” She raised her eyebrows and flashed a hint of her playful smile.

“Close. It was Jax.” At the mention of his name, I realized that I still hadn’t heard from him. This whole situation would be so much easier if he was still here.

“How is Jax?” Harper bit her lip as she fingered the key fobs hanging in the safe.

“I wish I knew.” I inhaled. “I haven’t heard from him. But he’s traveling through remote parts of the Himalayas and Siberia, and they aren’t known for their stellar cell phone reception.” I left out the part that Jax had a satellite phone, and I should be able to reach him anywhere on earth. I wasn’t ready to admit that something might have happened to him. I shook my head, ridding the thought from my mind. He was away on a journey to find himself.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to be contacted.” Harper shrugged.

It was possible. More than possible, actually. I stood a little taller and smiled. I couldn’t believe that I was worried about the most capable man I’d ever met. It was likely he was balls deep in a lady Yeti and had decided not to push the power button on his phone.

Part of me admired him for it, another part was jealous. But for the most part, I just missed him.

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