Pretend You're Mine: A Small Town Love Story Read Free Page A

thought it was because he’s banging Sherri from the bank,” Sophie interjected.
    “Then why would you even suggest him?” Luke pressed his fingers to his temple.
    “I’d let you stay at my place, Harp, but you’d have to sleep on a lumpy chair and probably wake up to a screaming, sticky-fingered 3-year-old,” Sophie said, pouring a pint from the tap.
    “What happened to your couch?”
    “Josh spilled a juice box on it and then Bitzy decided to eat the whole cushion. She could sleep on half a couch. But no juice boxes allowed.”
    Harper hoped “Bitzy” was a dog.
    Luke shook his head and Harper could see his jaw tighten.
    “So your plan is to sleep in your car and your plan is to send her to sleep with a cheating alcoholic shoplifter?”
    “Hey, at least we’re brainstorming here. You’re just shooting down ideas. I hate when you play devil’s advocate,” Sophie pouted.
    Luke sighed again and looked down at the bar. “You can stay with me tonight, and tomorrow I’ll drive you back to your place to get your stuff.”
    Sophie turned away, but not before Harper saw the cat-that-ate-the-canary grin on her face. “Oh, no. I couldn’t. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone,” Harper blurted, her eyes suddenly wide.
    Luke looked at her. “I’ll be more inconvenienced if you sleep in the damn parking lot. Besides, I promised the doc I’d bring you by in the morning so she can get a couple of quick X-rays if you were still in town.”
    “Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Sophie asked in feigned exasperation.
    Luke shot her a look and she shut up.
    “Thank you, Luke. You really don’t have to. I should have to suffer the consequences of being an idiot. Then maybe I’d learn.”
    He smiled down at the bar and she saw the dimple wink into existence.
    “I think you’ve already had a rough enough day.” He turned back to her again. “Are you okay if we stay ’til closing?”
    “Of course.” She nodded.
    What was it about those eyes? Maybe it was the shadow in them. Harper felt a pull every time she spotted it. He was quiet, clearly not at all inclined to talk about himself. Definitely not like Ted the Dick. But the way he observed what was happening around him made her think there wasn’t much that he missed.
    “So what’s your story Luke? I mean, I feel like I should know more about you if we’re going to have a sleepover.”
    “No story.” He scratched the back of his head.
    “Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure.” She raised her eyebrows and drank deeply from her beer.
    He laughed again.
    “My name is Luke. I’ve lived here my whole life. I’m in construction and the National Guard. And Sophie’s my sister.”
    “That’s all you’ve got?” Harper elbowed him.
    “What else do you need?”
    “How about arrest warrants? Bodies buried in the backyard? Unusual fetishes?”
    He leaned in. Close. And could smell his soap. Something with a little spice.
    She could feel his breath on her face. Harper parted her lips. Her breath caught.
    “Define 'unusual'.”

CHAPTER THREE
    T he evening passed in a blur of townsfolk greetings — Georgia Rae did make her appearance — beer and bar food. Harper felt slightly buzzed and incredibly exhausted as she stood with Luke watching Sophie lock the front doors. She stifled a yawn. It was 2 a.m., way past her bedtime. And her face was starting to throb again.
    “Thanks again for hanging out,” Sophie said, as they crossed the lot.
    “Have a good night, Soph,” Luke said, opening the car door for her.
    “You too, big brother. Night, Harper! I hope I’ll see you again.”
    Harper waved with her good arm and yawned her good-bye, “Thanks for everything, Sophie.”
    “Better get her home before she falls asleep standing up, Luke.”
    He tapped the roof of her car and waved as she pulled out. “Ready to go?” he asked Harper.
    She nodded, crossing her arms against the spring night’s chill. They were alone. And they would be for the next several hours.