HAPPY PANTS CAFE (THE HAPPY PANTS SERIES) (9 page)

BOOK: HAPPY PANTS CAFE (THE HAPPY PANTS SERIES)
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Harper really, really didn’t want to have this discussion. There was only one other person in the small women’s jail of five cells—some drunk lady, passed out at the other end—so that wasn’t too bad, but talking about her feelings had never been easy. She was more apt to push a person away than say something mushy and gushy. Simply put, she hated feeling vulnerable or exposed emotionally.

“I think it’s time to go.” Harper stood and was about to call for the officer on duty, but it seemed that Austin had other plans.

“I told them not to bother us until I called. I promised them honorable mentions in the article.”

Harper narrowed her eyes. “What are you trying to do? Rub it in?”

“Get the truth out of you. Why did you really lie?”

She drew a deep breath and looked away. “I really don’t know, Austin. I guess seeing you shocked me a little.”

He tilted his head to one side. “But you didn’t recognize me when we met at the wedding?”

“No. The Austin I remember was short with really thick glasses, a big belly, and lots of big teeth. He looked like a chunky version of Waldo. With lots of big teeth.”

Austin’s smiled dropped off.

“But I still liked him,” she admitted. “A lot.”

He frowned. “Which is why you moved away without ever saying good-bye, I suppose?”

Is that what he’d been talking about earlier at the café when he’d called her a coward and accused her of some wrongdoing?

“I didn’t say good-bye because you didn’t come to the party. You were too busy kissing my sister’s friend Becky.”

Austin’s mouth straightened into a hard line. “How did you know about that?”

“I saw you.”

He bobbed his head and scratched his chin again, grinning with utter cockiness. “Ah, I see.”

“What?”

“Well, you’re right. She did kiss me, but I paid her a dollar.”

“Why?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, well, in those days, there weren’t a lot of girls lining up, and she was the only one willing to teach me.”

“Teach you?”

“I wanted your first kiss to be perfect. Well—slobber-free, really. But still, it cost me a buck, and I never got my real kiss.”

Harper felt all of those tiny little cracks in her heart suddenly fill up. Sure, people liked to believe that events like those that happened when they were children didn’t really matter, “I’m all grown up now. I’m over that!” but Harper knew differently. It was like “The Princess and the Pea.” One tiny little pebble—a setback or a triumph—sometimes became the foundation upon which everything else was built. Harper believed that caring about a boy would only lead to disappointment. Although she didn’t feel bad or unhappy about it, that belief had never left her. Silly, but true.

“And,” he added, “I did come to the party, but I couldn’t find you. Your parents were too busy having fun to help me look for you.”

“Now I feel like a complete ass for never having said good-bye.”

The two stared at each other for several long moments. Harper didn’t know what he was thinking, but she was thinking how happy she was to have met him again. Simply because he’d helped to heal a tiny part of her that she didn’t know needed healing.

“So.” Austin sighed. “What’s next?”

He looked at her with those stunning hazel eyes, and she felt her insides spark up and tingle. The man was gorgeous, no doubt about it.
Chunky Waldo no more.
But there was something else about him she couldn’t articulate.

“I guess you tell them I’m ready to come out?” She smiled.

“Can I have your number, sweetie?” Austin’s and Harper’s heads swiveled to the cell at the far end. The very inebriated woman, who was in her fifties, with mascara smudged across her face, clung to the bars. “I’d like to come out, too. With you. On my face.”

Austin blinked and then looked back at Harper. “I’ll be right back.” He moved toward the secured exit but then stopped. “Oh, and by the way, Harper, I didn’t get an interview with Ms. Luci. I was leaving town when the sheriff stopped me.”

He’d been leaving town and got stopped? “You were really giving up on the story?” Was it because of her?

No, he would never do that. He’s way too competitive.

“Let’s call it a temporary retreat.”

“And now?” Harper asked.

“May the best reporter win.”

Harper’s entire body felt like it was glowing. The idea of spending a few more days with Austin sounded like…
kind of cool. Nothing more than hanging with an old friend.

Uh-huh. Tell that to the nipples.

“Game on, big boy,” she said.

Austin laughed and disappeared out the doors.

 

~~

 

Austin drove back toward St. Helena, trying to keep his eyes on the road instead of on Harper, who sat in the passenger seat looking practically edible. He’d given her his sunglasses to keep the wind from her eyes, and with the large lenses on her delicate, round face and the hot summer sun whipping through her short hair, he decided that
this
was actually one of the best views he’d ever had. Which was why, once again, he began thinking he should head home. The moment they reached their destination, this nice little truce would be over and the rivalry would begin again. The wise thing to do would be to take Harper back to town, drop her off, and let her have the story because, in all honesty, he didn’t really need it.

The trip up there this weekend had been an excuse to get out of the city. His ex-fiancée, Libby, had showed up at his condo yet again, begging him to take her back. In the initial stages of the breakup, her desperate pleas had almost—emphasis on
almost
—made him feel sorry for her. But months later, after he’d had time to fully digest and comprehend the atrociousness of her lies, her whimpers and rants had only pissed him off. This last time, he’d finally stopped playing nice and told her if she came around again, he’d get a restraining order, which had sent her into a fit of hysterical bawling. He had to get out of there.

Once in his car, he found himself heading north over the Golden Gate, thinking it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to get a little fresh air for the day. That’s when he’d remembered his interview with Christina and the café she’d mentioned up in St. Helena. Austin made a snap decision to head that way and
take a couple of photos. Maybe get a few quotes from the owner who might’ve seen or met Christina when she’d come in. But then he’d bumped into Harper, and now, there he was.

You really should drop her off and let her have the story.
That would be the honorable thing to do. But that’s not what he wanted. Austin wanted to spend a little more time with her.
Because let’s face it, Harper is pretty damned hot.
And, frankly, he enjoyed the competition. Yeah, he was such a guy.

Don’t be a dick, and maybe you can see her again when you’re ready. Just drop her off. Go home.
There was still time to meet up with the guys for some Saturday hoops and beer. Maybe he’d even see what Bianca was up to tonight.

He quickly backpedaled on that thought. Bianca was a very, very good-looking woman, but she was the exact type he needed to steer clear of: superficial.

“So, where are you going to stay?” Harper asked nonchalantly.

See, that decides it. I don’t have a hotel room, and I’m not going to get one at such short notice.
He’d heard from one of the police that there was some music festival going on that evening through Sunday, so when Harper had mentioned she’d snagged the last room in town, that was probably right.

“I, uh.” He paused. “I just forgot. I have a couple articles I need to review for Monday.”

“Wait a second.” Harper turned toward him. “Are you…taking off?”

“I wish I could stay and crack open this controversial cookie caper, but I’m afraid I have real news to report on.” He’d been lobbying for months to move over to the political commentary department and out of the local events section, which had been a nice place to start and learn the ropes at this newspaper, but he’d only taken it as a stepping stone. Reporting on weddings, fundraisers and other “fluff” events wasn’t really his thing.

He glanced at Harper, who now silently chewed her lip. Why the hell did she have to do that? She needed to stop trying to seduce him. Not that she was, but it felt like it.

“I think I understand; you’re giving me a pity story,” she said.

Austin flashed a quick glance her way as he slowed the convertible and approached the city limits. “No. I really have a lot of work to do, and…”
Crap.
He was giving her a pity story. “I have what I need already; I wasn’t planning on doing a full page or anything. It was a little fluff piece for the back page.”

Harper glanced away. Now she looked like the cork of a champagne bottle that had been shaken, the pressure slowly building, pushing the projectile to ignition.

Run away! Run away,
he screamed in his head.

They passed the café’s arch, and he signaled to turn toward the B and B where Harper was staying.

“You can let me out right here,” she said coldly. She pointed to a spot just around the corner, close to where he’d spent the night in his car.

“Why?”

“I lost my hotel key when Officer Short-Fuse threw me to the ground.”

That still boiled Austin’s blood. He’d have to look into filing a complaint or something.
Or you could just leave things be. They let her go and didn’t press charges.

Austin did as she asked, and Harper slid from the car, closing the door with a bit more force than he preferred. This car was a classic, an object to be coddled. Of course, Harper probably didn’t know the meaning of the word.

He looked at her, and she shoved his glasses at him. Her green eyes instantly grabbed his attention. And then her boobs.

Dick! Stop staring at her boobs.

She crossed her arms over her chest.

Great, she noticed.

“Well,” she said, “I guess this is good-bye, then.”

“It was nice bumping into you. Maybe we can hook up for coffee?” But as he said those words, he somehow sensed he might never see her again. It just wouldn’t happen. Did he care? He wasn’t sure, really, but he knew he just wasn’t ready to think about opening himself up to another woman.

“Sure. I’ll call you,” she said with a complete lack of sincerity.

He reluctantly pulled his gaze away from the stunning vision standing before him on the sidewalk and put his blinker on to pull out onto the street, but the sound of Harper mumbling something under her breath caused him to hit pause.

“What did you say?” he asked.

Harper lifted her brows, but didn’t respond.

“You just called me a big douche, didn’t you?” Austin seethed.

She shrugged. “If the bag fits.”

That was his line.

“Actually,” she said, “I called you a big pussy. But if you heard ‘douche’, that could be because you’re subconsciously feeling like one.”

Were Harper and Ms. Luci ganging up on him? And the nerve of this woman. He was giving her the story. He was walking away and trying to be nice. And, honestly, with the way he felt about women right now, she should be grateful he wasn’t sticking around. Last night could very well happen again, because she was attractive and he was a man. But he was not going to jump into a relationship right now. Uh-uh. That meant she’d end up feeling used and angry.

You mean, like she feels now?

Shit.
He didn’t want to leave things like this.

He stopped the engine, got out of the car, and walked over to the sidewalk where Harper stood. “Look, Harper, about last night. I think we both know it wouldn’t have worked out.”

“Agreed. I couldn’t be more grateful that nothing happened.”

Huh?

“Don’t get me wrong. Dinner was fun. And I think you’re attractive, but you’re not relationship material. Not for me, anyway.”

What was with this woman? “And you know this how?”

“You’re in love with your work. You’re arrogant and think you’re God’s gift to women. And…frankly, you smell of ‘play-ya’. I’m guessing you have five different girlfriends and you’re stringing them all along.”

Sonofabitch.
Why was this woman so, so…bitter?

“All right, Harper. You figured me out. I am a complete womanizer.” Austin stepped forward and leaned down to whisper in Harper’s ear. “But I have eight girlfriends, not five. And they can’t get enough.”

He pulled away and stared into her mesmerizing green eyes. They truly were gorgeous, but more than that, they made his heart race every time he looked into them.

Dammit. I’m the one who can’t get enough.

“And,” he added, “if you want to get that story, you’ll have to take it from me.”

“As if you could.” She smiled brightly, perhaps feeling victorious because her little move had successfully persuaded him to stay.

He shrugged his brows and returned the smile. What was it about her that made him so…damn, he just couldn’t articulate it.

BOOK: HAPPY PANTS CAFE (THE HAPPY PANTS SERIES)
6.32Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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