Page 13 of Your Heart & Mine

He shouldn't have kissed her this afternoon. He knew that. Had known it then, but he couldn't resist. Being in that old cabin, looking at that old leather sofa with Harper next to him had swept him away into his memories. He'd wanted her to see it again. See if it meant anything to her.

It had obviously brought up the same feelings in her, but she wasn't giving in to them. Despite his frustration, he couldn't blame her. He never should have agreed to Jonah's offer, but at the time, all he could think about was saving his family. Jonah could have ruined them and there would have been nothing an eighteen-year-old Wyck could have done about it. He couldn't let his family starve, so he'd taken the devil's bargain, even though it had ripped out his heart.

He’d tried to convince himself a quick and clean exit, like ripping off a band-aid, was the best option for both he and Harper. It hadn’t worked. After three months, he'd broken down and started writing letters to her, trying to explain though never telling her what part her daddy had in his disappearance. He hadn't gotten one response.

His wounds just got pushed deeper and deeper until they festered. Over the years as his hatred for Jonah had grown, his plans for revenge had become his singular focus and had finally started to come to fruition. He'd blocked out all thoughts of the Carrington women and had been successful for the most part. Except for Harper.

He'd thrown himself into his studies and started creating the plan to take down the man who had driven him away from everything he'd ever known and loved. After graduating with honors, he and Davis had started buying small houses and flipping them. They had been so successful at it, soon they were buying up larger tracts of land, and either holding onto it until a big developer's eye caught it or developing it themselves. Over the last ten years, he had eaten and slept Ward Development Corporation until it was the multi-million-dollar company it was today.

While the money was nice in that he could help his parents not to have to work so hard, he didn't live the lavish lifestyle he could afford to. He pumped all his extra money into buying up Carrington properties to further his goal of retribution. Now he had it all. Why didn't he feel better? He slumped back on the couch with the realization that hismain goal in life for the past fifteen years might just cost him what he realized was his real dream – Harper.

Damn!He slammed his glass down on the table in front of him. After all these years, just seeing her made his blood sing. She’d sat just inches away from him at lunch, her silky locks pulled up in a severe bun after her meeting with the attorney. He’d schooled his expression and tried to keep the encounter light, but he’d wanted to drop to his knees in front of her and beg her forgiveness for being such an asshole and abandoning her all those years ago. And then the cabin and that kiss. That dreamlike kiss. But he'd pushed her too far, and he'd paid for it.

He scrubbed his hands down his face in frustration, his stubble rasping like sandpaper. Wyck knew he had no right to interfere in her life. She had the model perfect Brit significant other – who he had hated on sight – to help her, but he didn't care. He needed to do something to win her back, prove he was worthy of her. Maybe if he did, Harper might give him another chance. A man could dream.

Chapter eleven

Legacy

Harperdraggedhereyelidsopen the next morning realizing she was in her bed but not remembering how she got there. When she looked at the clock on the fireplace mantle, she saw it was 8:30. She had managed to get a couple of hours sleep after all. Looking up at the canopy over her bed, she sighed. She needed to get dressed and go downstairs to face the day though she was loathe to. She and her sisters had a lot of talking to do.

Pulling on some yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen. Her sisters were already there eating breakfast and nodded in greeting. None of them were big morning people. After pouring herself a cup of coffee, she sat down at the big kitchen table with them. She'd glanced at the muffins and bacon on the kitchen island but sat down without making a plate.

“Not hungry?” Brenna asked, reaching for her glass of juice.

“Not really. Too much on my mind. How’s Mama this morning?” Harper asked.

Brenna shrugged. “About the same. She's left out already this morning for some Ladies' Club meeting at the church.”

"Have you seen Cam?"

Brenna grinned. "He came down a while ago. Got a muffin and some coffee and said, I quote, 'it's too bloody early and too fuckin' cold for civilized people here. I'm going back to my room to bury myself under the bloody duvet until it warms up. You may see me in the spring.'"

Harper had to smile back despite her worry. Her friend was even a bigger grump than her in the mornings and he had definitely not brought the right clothes. Maybe she should drag him to the Wytheville or Galax Wal-Mart with her to get some warmer things. Her grin broadened at the thought of Cam buying clothes at Wally World. But all that would have to wait.

Her smile faded and Harper rubbed at her temples where her now daily headache was starting already. “We need to talk about what Mr. Morton told me."

Both of the sisters stared at her. She saw Elizabeth swallow hard. They knew it wasn't good so she might as well get it over with.

"Basically, Daddy left us nothing. He was selling stuff off to pay for the Point Lookout development but then that never took off." She took another sip of coffee, the brew making the acid rise in her stomach. Bracing herself, she told them the worst of it. "And he took out a mortgage on this house. There's a very large balloon payment due in six months. If we can't pay it, we lose it."

Brenna's blue eyes shone with tears at the news. "The house?"

"God damn it, Daddy!" Elizabeth jumped to her feet and started to pace just like she had in the attorney's office a few days before.

"Don't start crying, Brenna. We don't have time for it." Harper knew she was being rather harsh, but they needed to fix the situation. There wasn't time to fall apart, and Brenna was prone to dramatic fits if she was allowed to get going. Or she had been. It had been a while since Harper had been home.

"And sit down, Lizzie. We'll have plenty of time to curse him for what he's done. Right now, we need a solid plan to present to Mama."

Elizabeth opened her mouth looking like she was going to argue but then sat again. She shoved banana muffin in her mouth and chewed with a scowl on her face.

The sisters sat in silence with their thoughts for several long moments, the only sounds the ticking of the old grandfather clock, an occasional sniff from Brenna, and Elizabeth angrily masticating.

“I may have an idea,” Brenna said softly.

"I'm open to anything at this point, Doodle Bug. What are you thinking?" Harper asked, using her sister's old nickname. She felt bad about her sharp tone a moment before.

Brenna went on. “What about a B&B and special event center? Mama and I just rattle around in this big old house, and the barn is still in good shape. Country weddings are all the rage, even with the city people."

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