Page 28 of Your Heart & Mine

Atsix-thirtysharp,Wyckpulled up to the Carrington house, his palms damp on the steering wheel. He couldn't remember ever being this nervous, even trying to impress Harper as a teen. Tonight felt momentous. He had to rebuild her trust in him. Drawing a deep breath, he walked up and rang the ornate doorbell.

It felt strange standing on the front porch, waiting at the door. He'd never done it before. From the first time he'd come to the Carrington's, he'd entered through the kitchen doors in the back like the family. Standing in front of these heavy oak doors with their detailed scrollwork made a lump form in Wyck's gut. Picking up Harper here highlighted how much had changed.

Just as Wyck was reaching to ring the bell again, the door opened to reveal Harper. She was breathtaking in a simple emerald sweater and jeans, her blonde waves flowing over her shoulders. She gave him a tense smile.

"You look beautiful," he said sincerely.

"Thanks." A pretty blush colored her cheeks when she answered.

He guided her to the SUV with a hand in the small of her back and opened the heavy door for her. Once in the SUV, stilted conversation about work and the weather filled the space between them. He could practically feel her discomfort radiating off her in waves. She avoided his gaze and nibbled her lip. Sure signs she was uncomfortable. It ratcheted up his own nerves another level.

"I hope you like Italian food. I made reservations at Carmela's in Galax," Wyck told her as he drove.

A real smile lit her face for the first time that evening. "I love it. I haven't been there in ages."

Wyck matched her expression. "I hope it hasn't changed. The food was always so good."

At Carmela's, the intimacy of the restaurant and the red wine eased the tension between them somewhat. By the time they were halfway through their lasagna, an easy familiarity had taken over. Finally, she asked about his work. Wyck chewed thoughtfully while thinking over his answer.

"I run a construction company out of Richmond," he explained. "We build commercial and residential projects. I'm sure Mitzi's told you that I'm heading up the community center construction here now."

That was all true. He hadn't gotten word from Davis about getting their house situation sorted and didn't want to take the chance to tell her he was Ward Development at this point. There would be plenty of time to explain himself.

"Giving back to the community like that is wonderful," she said. "That's what we are trying to do as well. I guess you saw Elizabeth, Brenna, and I with Jackie the other day. We're doing some renovation projects of our own."

"I did. That's really great." He wanted to tell her about everything he was doing, get her input, make her a part of it, but he didn't want anything to mar the easygoing evening they had fallen into. He knew how much Harper hated secrets.

As the meal progressed, they relaxed more, but talking about their past relationship still felt off limits, an invisible wall between them.

Wyck studied her features in the candlelight, noting small changes time had wrought. Faint creases marked the porcelain skin around her eyes when she smiled, though the hazel still sparked with wit and warmth. She gestured animatedly as she talked, and he found himself mesmerized by her hands, wishing to hold them again, to feel them on his skin.

"What made you decide to stay and build the community center?" she asked.

Wyck contemplated his response as he sipped his espresso. "Being back here, I realized how much this place shaped me. But I also saw how much people were struggling, how the town has declined." He met her eyes. "I want to help rebuild it, make it better. It'll always be my home."

Harper nodded thoughtfully and reached out a hand to cover his own. "I have to admit, I'm pleasantly surprised. You're wanting to give back means a lot, Wyck."

The touch of her hand spread warmth throughout his body that had nothing to do with the hot coffee he was drinking. He felt profoundly grateful she could see the sincerity behind his actions. He wanted her to know the real him before she learned what he'd been up to these last fifteen years.

After tiramisu, on impulse, he took her hand in his again. "I'm not ready for this night to end. Join me for a drink at my cabin?"

Biting her lip, she ducked her head and looked uncertain. He held his breath, willing her to agree.

"I suppose, for a bit," she finally agreed. "It is pretty early."

The drive to his cabin was quiet but didn't have the anxious edge it'd had earlier. Once they entered his home, Wyck added logs to the fire and it crackled cheerfully causing Harper's hair to shine like molten gold.

He noticed the way she was perched on the sofa's edge, a pensive look over her ethereal face. Was she remembering the last time they were here? The disastrous way the evening had ended? His own nerves returned full force. What now?

"It's strange being back here in Carrington Ridge," she mused. "So much has changed."

He sat beside her. "Not everything." Slowly, giving her time to pull away, he reached to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear.

She shivered at his touch but didn't recoil. Her eyelids fluttered close and, emboldened, he dipped his head and kissed her. Soft, undemanding.

At first, he felt her tense. Doubt spiraled through him, and he started to pull back but then she was responding, Leaning into him. Tentatively returning his kiss. In another moment, the wine glass tipped from her hand, spilling burgundy liquid to the dark hardwoods as her hands gripped the front of his button down. Neither seemed to notice.

He kept their kisses languid, soothing. He slid his hands around her waist, pulling her along the length of his body, thrilling as she relaxed into him. How often had he dreamed of holding her this way again?

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