Page 39 of Your Heart & Mine

Nodding, he managed a tentative smile. His voice, filled with emotion, emerged in a rasping whisper as he spoke once more. "Whatever you need, Harper, I'll do it. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for the pain I've caused you."

Returning his hands to his pockets, Wyck looked around the space they were standing in, trying to rein in his emotions. The walls were a calming shade of grey-blue, the white trim popping against it. The floors looked like they had been taken down to the original hardwood and shined to within an inch of their lives.

"You've really done some beautiful work with these," Wyck complimented. "No one would ever know what a disaster they were just a few weeks ago."

Harper tucked her head, unused to the praise. She cleared her throat, willing her voice to stay steady. "Thanks, but really Brenna and Elizabeth have been doing the heavy lifting with the planning and decorating."

Wyck chuckled wryly. "You never could take a compliment."

Shrugging, Harper reached in her pocket for the keys. "We'd better go. I'm supposed to meet the new contractor Brad recommended with Elizabeth."

When they reached the bottom of the steps, Wyck reached out to take her gloved hand in his. "Thank you, Harper, for listening."

Harper gave his hand a squeeze before letting him go. "We should have done it a long time ago."

Long moments passed as they searched each other's eyes. Harper wondered what would happen next. She realized with a start that she was looking forward to finding out.

Chapter thirty-one

Hope

AfterWyckdroveoff,Harper walked the two blocks to the small office she had rented for the foundation. She met Elizabeth with a smile and hoped her sister wouldn't feel the need to give her the third degree about her meeting with Wyck. She'd been unable to sneak out earlier without telling her where she was going.

The jingle of the bell above the door announced the arrival of their contractor and saved her from an interrogation by her sister. In strode a tall man in a leather jacket and well-worn jeans. His full mouth didn't tip up in a smile when he saw the sisters. Harper saw his jaw tighten. She wondered if he knew them from somewhere and wasn't happy about it. "Conner McCrary," he introduced himself brusquely, his voice deep and authoritative.

Harper stepped forward with a friendly smile, extending her hand. "Nice to meet you, Conner. I'm Harper and this is my sister, Elizabeth."

Conner shook their hands with a grip like a vise. Harper tried not to wince.

"So, you're the contacts for this job?" he asked gruffly, getting right to business.

"That's right," Harper replied. "Elizabeth is our architect and has drawn up the restoration plans."

Elizabeth stepped forward eagerly, blueprints and artist renderings in hand. "Let me walk you through our vision for bringing back the original Victorian details..."

But Conner waved her off impatiently. "No need for that. Just hand over the plans and my crew can handle the rest."

Elizabeth bristled, her blue eyes flashing. As a preservationist, she took pride in maintaining historical integrity. "With all due respect, there are important restoration elements I'd like to discuss first."

Conner dismissed her concerns with an arrogant chuckle. "Don't worry your pretty little head, sweetheart. This isn't my first rodeo. I can read plans just fine."

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed pink with anger. Harper could see her sister was about to unleash a scathing retort. She quickly interceded.

"You know, why don't we give you some time to look over the plans first," she suggested diplomatically. "Then we can all meet back on Thursday to discuss details and answer any questions you might have."

A scowl grew on Conner's handsome face, reluctantly agreeing to Harper's proposal before turning on his heel and stalking out without so much as a goodbye.

As soon as he was gone, Elizabeth erupted. "The nerve of that pompous jerk! There's no way I'm working with him." She crossed her arms defiantly.

Harper just sighed, knowing this would not be the last clash between her stubborn sister and the arrogant contractor.

Squeezing her arm sympathetically, Harper said "Let's give him one more chance before we make any rash decisions. Brad swears he's the best and Wyck trusts Brad completely."

"Not winning me over," Elizabeth said under her breath.

Still fuming, she grudgingly agreed before heading to the clinic to help with the final preparations for the open house. Harper dropped into a chair and sighed once her sister stomped out the door. She worked to quell her growing unease. Dealing with Wyck and now a difficult new contractor had her wondering if all this was worth it. Maybe she should pack up, grab Cam, and rush back to Raleigh as fast as she could.

As fast as the thought crossed her mind, however, she dismissed it. The Legacy Foundation had been placed in her care and she would see it through. She would right some of the wrongs her daddy had done to the town with his greed even if it meant dealing with difficult situations. Carrington Ridge's revitalization would be worth the aggravation in the long run.

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