Page 142 of Tides That Bind

“I was joking about the bears. Were you really that worried?”

“No. I mean, of course I was a little worriedand I’m relieved he’s home but…” Harper takes a deep breath. “I talked with Claire.”

It takes me a minute to understandwhatHarper talked with Claire about.

Me.

Us.

Harper presses up on her toes so she can look behind me.

“He’s outside,” I assure her.

Harper’s body shudders from the aftershocks of the emotion that clearly struck her. “I just…I know we said we’d keep things to ourselves for a little while, but she needed to know, Riley. Claire deserved to know.”

I sigh. I know how important Claire is to Harper, but my stomach twists thinking of her having that conversation alone.

“Are you upset I told her?”

“No, not at all, I get why you had to do it…I just wish you didn’t go through that alone.”

Harper lifts her shoulders in a small shrug before tilting her head toward the bookshelf. “I think I owed it to her.”

I cup her cheek, directing her attention back to me. “And?”

The smile that grows against my skin is her answer. It bleeds happiness into me, so much so that I swear, it strangles my heart a bit.

I know I have to be careful, but I can’t stop myself from pulling her against me for a kiss. The taste Harper leaves on my mouth has an added bonus this time—hope.

Hope that we’ll be a family—me, her, and Lucas.

I catch sight of my dining room table desk.

Tides too.

And that’s when I remember this morning. “Is this a good time to tell you Caroline knows too?”

Harper freezes in my arms.

“And Finn, obviously.”

She pulls back. “I told you. You were being too handsy at the beach.”

“Get used to it.” For good measure, I squeeze her ass.

“How did she take it?”

“Well.” I lean my head side to side. “Caroline might be good at a lot of things but sharing isn’t one of them. Till this day she still holds it against me that I borrowed her bike when I was eleven.”

“Borrowed?”

“I returned it with dented handlebars.” I let go of her only to rub my shoulder, remembering how I flew off them. “Hit a bump and ate shit. All she cared about was the bike.”

Harper shakes her head with a laugh and gives my chest a playful pat. “I’m happy you’re okay. But I guess, I’m a little sorry about the bike.”

She hugs me.

“I’msohappy.”

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