Page 310 of Untouchable

"And I sneezed for three or four dozen days."

Parker frowns. "Whatever. You're the one who signed up to be the social chair for the Danger Clams because Mandy said she wanted to make more friends but no one was stepping up to organize—"

"Okay," Mandy says, leaning in towards Parker, "but you're the one who planned a four day hiking—"

"Children, children," Harp says, holding up his hands. "We're all equally nauseating. Let's stop."

"Fine," Mindy says, crossing her arms and giving Harp a dirty look.

"She started it," Parker insists.

"Do you know what you want?" Harp asks, forcing the conversation to march forward, now that he knows they're on a deadline. "I could suggest something..."

“How hungry are you?” Parker asks. “We could split—” Harp gives him a look and Parker laughs, remembering that Harp has never, in the history of ever, wanted to split something with him. He leans over, frowning down at the menu. “What salads do you think I would like? I feel like I should probably have a vegetable sometime this month.”

Parker could read the menu himself if he wanted to, but this has become a strange tradition of sorts. Parker’s shame and anxiety surrounding reading has all but vanished now, simply because he knows that, if he does struggle with it, Harp will be there to help him.

It’s a good feeling, he thinks to himself, to have a protector.

They decide on their food—a salad that’s more bacon than lettuce for Parker and a steak for Harp—and, after they order, Parker glances over and catches Mindy and Mandy lost in each other’s eyes yet again. He grins.

“So how’s Haven Home?” he asks. “How’s that… thing with the… those little pipe things that Harp brought home the other day?”

"Oh the irrigation system?" Mandy asks, brightening. Parker nods. "We're almost done!"

"What? That's so fast," Parker says. "Didn't you two like, juststart?"

"Everything goes faster when Harp's around."

"Hey, I'm just a good helper," Harp points out. "It went fast because Mandy's a machine and the plans she drew up were perfect to start with."

"Hmm, tell me more about how great my girlfriend is," Mindy says, reaching over to squeeze Mandy's biceps.

Mandy blushes and bites down a grin.

“Oh!” Parker says, pulling out his phone and showing Mindy a picture of Bo wearing a sparkly pink bowtie. “Bo says thank you, by the way. For the birthday present. The Bo tie. You’re still planning on coming to his party next week, right?”

* * *

The two womennod and Harp smiles. Bo's "birthday party" is really just a glorified excuse for a dinner party at their place—not that Harp ever cares about Parker having an excuse to invite people around.

Sure, it had taken some getting used to. It felt awfully strange the first time Mindy had come up to the mountain, for example, and at first Harp thought he'd never adjust to having people in his home who weren't Parker or Gil. But after a few months, Harp stopped thinking so much about it. Everyone said kind things about the cabin, the scenery, and Harp's cooking, and Harp had found that he actually believed them.

They'd even hosted a party for some of the other employees at Rocky Mountain Bodywork Center, real strangers to Harp—not just Mindy and Mandy.

Once they'd gotten over that hurdle unscathed, every gathering has been less intimidating. Harp even finds himself looking forward to it sometimes in idle moments when he's alone and working on this or that at the cabin.

"You're gonna make brisket, right Harp?" Mandy says hopefully.

"Absolutely."

"We're gonna do a real barbecue. Harp's even going to make a dog cake," Parker cuts in.

"Like a dog-shaped cake, or a cake for dogs?" Mandy asks.

"A cake for dogs. There'll be human cake, too," Harp adds quickly. "But it's, ah... not dog shaped."

"Damn Harp, I thought you'd be more daring than that," Mandy teases. "I was picturing a chocolate ganache dachshund or something."

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