Page 85 of Tanner

I saw the asshole he’s talking about once at a bar. He’s the reason I kissed her. Come to think of it, I should thank the douchebag.

“But with you? She lights up when she’s around you. I can hear it in her voice every time we talk on the phone. She’s happy, and I know that’s because of you. I knew Aaron wasn’t making her feel that way, and she was lying to herself about how she truly felt. She was comfortable, and I was scared she was going to settle for comfortable.”

“I don’t want to leave her,” I say honestly.

“That’s why, if you ask her, I’m going to tell her to go. I know the importance of family, especially when running a business. If your family needs you, you should go. Harper can find a job teaching in San Francisco. She’ll get her license there, and I’m sure she’ll love it. I have enough money to help you with coming to visit us as much as she wants, so I don’t want you to worry about that or feel like that would be a burden.”

My heart swells with admiration for this man standing in front of me. I truly see what Harper talks about when she says he’s her hero.

I stand up straight, honored he finds me worthy of her love. “I can tell you, sir, without a doubt, I feel the same way about Harper. She’s something special, and I want to stay with her forever, truly.”

He smiles from ear to ear, and I know I’d have his blessing if I asked him for her hand in marriage at this very moment. I almost get up the nerve, but Harper enters the room.

“Okay, how close are we to eating because my insides are starting to gnaw at themselves?”

“Calm your horses. The men are trying to solve the world’s problems over here,” he says before turning back to me. “Good talk, Tanner. Glad to see we’re on the same page.”

* * *

We stay later than originally planned. Harper’s dad takes me into the garage and shows me the ’64 Mustang he’s restoring. When it comes to classic literature, I could win Jeopardy. With classic cars though, I’d be scratching my head.

While I don’t know a thing about cars, Austin would love an afternoon with Kevin. Not only does Austin like to race them, but he also gets a hard-on when you talk engines and cylinders and all that nonsense.

Bryce would be impressed with the business Kevin Doyle created. While my friends were concerned Harper was after me for my money, it turns out, Doyle’s Auto in Long Island City is one of the most successful mechanic shops in the area and specializes in foreign cars. They get a ton of business from Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW because they know the systems and can beat their high-end dealership prices.

When Harper and I get on the train, I pull her into a two-seater at the back of the car. I can’t wait a second longer to show her how happy I am from our day with her parents. When the train starts moving, I pull her legs on top of my thighs and run my fingers under her hair and around her neck, and I bring her lips to mine.

She lets out the smallest of sighs in appreciation. She needed this, too. I run my tongue against hers and rub circles with my thumb on her neck, feeling her pulse beat against my skin.

Someone taps me on the shoulder, so I pull away, placing my forehead to hers as we catch our breaths before realizing it’s the conductor asking for our tickets. He punches holes in them, and I resume my position back on Harper’s lips.

At Penn Station, we transfer to the subway where I pull her into a corner. She holds on to the long pole as I stand on the opposite side of it, gripping her by her waist, bringing her to me while placing tiny kisses on her neck. The car lurches forward as she holds onto the pole, and I grab her ass, keeping her upright.

Since she didn’t bring an overnight bag—or those glasses she’d teased me with earlier—we stop at April’s building. When we step off the elevator, it’s to an absolute shit-show. A man dressed in a suit is banging on her door.

Aaron.

“Stay here,” Harper says with a pinched brow.

“No way,” I say too loud on purpose to get his attention.

He turns, and his face lights up for a second at the sight of Harper until he sees my arm around her shoulders.

The man standing in front of us now looks nothing like the man I saw at the bar the first time I met Harper. That night, he looked like your typical businessman—a take-charge attitude and a self-assured smirk. Tonight, he is a man who’s lost control.

“What are you doing here?” she asks him in a stern tone.

Aaron glares in my direction, eyeing me up and down with a sneer before saying, “I heard you were dating someone else.”

His shirt is untucked, and his tie is hanging limply to the side. He’s in desperate need of a shave and not in a good way. I’ve been growing out my beard lately, but I keep it trimmed and clean. Aaron’s not a guy who can pull off a five o’clock shadow. Instead, his face is blotchy with patches of hair growing at different lengths.

Harper crosses her arms in front of her body. “Is that why you came here?”

Aaron’s steps are staggered as he pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. “You’re evicting me?”

I feel her body sag slightly in my arms.

“I sold the apartment. You won’t let anyone in for the inspection or the appraisal. You have two weeks to get out.”