Breaking Clear (Full Hearts Series Book 3) (33 page)

Forty-five minutes later, he paid the cab driver and stepped out in front of
Style
’s head office. She was here. His Harper was here. And he was going to go find her. Taking a deep breath, he walked through the doors to a large reception desk. A young woman in a fitted red-and-black dress smiled up at him. “Third floor. Ask for Billie. But you’re not going to get it. You’re too young.”

“Pardon me?” Evan asked.

“Your agent sent you for the silver-fox photo shoot, right? She wasted your time. You don’t even have grey hair, but you might as well go up anyway. They’re doing a rugged-mountain-man thing in a few weeks. Maybe they’ll like you for that. Third floor. Ask for Billie.”

“I’m not here for a photo shoot. I’m here to see Harper Young,” Evan said.

The woman gave him a skeptical look. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but I’ll wait.”

“Okay. Have a seat over there and I’ll see if I can find her.”

Evan walked over to the window and stood, waiting. A few minutes later, he heard the sound of high heels clicking across the marble floor. He turned with a hopeful expression, but his face fell when he saw it was the woman from the front desk approaching him. “I can’t seem to get a hold of her assistant. She must be in the photo shoot. Can I take a message?”

Evan nodded. “Sure. I think she must have changed her cell number when she moved back here, so I don’t have it.”

“I can email or put you through to her line so you can leave a voice mail.”

“Voice mail would be great.”

“Voice mail. Maybe you are old enough for the silver-fox shoot,” she said wryly. She walked briskly to the front desk, dialed Harper’s extension and handed the receiver to Evan.

Evan turned his back on her, hoping for a little privacy as he waited for the beep. “Harper, it’s me. I’ll be in New York for the next two days. I’m staying at the Radisson down the block from your office. Please text me or call when you get this. I need to see you right away.”

*     *     *

The next day, Evan returned to the office early in the morning. A different well-dressed young woman was at the front desk; she blinked at him as he approached. “Can I help you?”

“Yes. I need to see Harper Young.”

“Of course. Let me ring her assistant. Your name?”

“Evan Donovan.”

She pressed a few buttons on her phone. “Jasmine, there’s a Mr. Evan Donovan here to see Ms. Young.” The woman’s eyes grew wide for a moment. Then she turned her back. He had to strain to hear her. “Well, what do you want me to tell him?” There was a long pause. “Okay.”

“I’m sorry. She’s not in the office today. Her assistant said she’ll pass along the message.”

Evan’s face was determined. “I’ll wait.”

“Pardon me?”

“I’ll wait. She’ll be back eventually.” He walked over to the seating area and made himself comfortable.

The receptionist called Jasmine back once he was out of earshot. “That man, he says he’ll wait for her. I can’t just let him sit here all day. I have to tell him she’s gone.”

“You’re going to lose your job if you do,” Jasmine advised her. “Blaire said no one can know she’s gone until her replacement is well established. No one.”

“So we’re just going to let him sit there? What if he comes back tomorrow?”

“Tell him she’s in Paris to get ready for Fashion Week. That’ll get rid of him.”

“Okay.”

A moment later, the receptionist made her way over to Evan. “I just heard back from her assistant. I’m afraid Ms. Young is in Paris right now for Fashion Week. I misunderstood earlier. I apologize.”

“Really? That’s what she told you to say?”

Her expression turned cold at the challenge. “I said it because that’s where she is.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

Boulder, Colorado

Evan poured himself some water and made his way back to his desk in the trailer, heavy-hearted. He’d gone to get her but instead of seeing him, she’d chosen to have people lie to him on her behalf. She couldn’t even be bothered to give him a minute of her time, but he couldn’t really blame her after what he’d said to her. Now he had to face the fact that it was over. All hope was gone. He had reached the part where he would have to forget about her and everything they’d done together and said to each other. He would have to erase her face and her laugh and her smile from his memory. Boots got up from the dog bed next to Evan’s desk and rested his thick head on his lap, staring up at him with sad eyes. “I know. You miss her too. We’re just going to have to get used to life on our own again.”

Harper sat on her new couch in her new living room, surrounded by boxes. It was late in the evening and she was alone in her condo for the first time. Her father, Craig, Megan and Luc had spent most of the day helping her move. Craig had lingered until a few minutes ago, more to make sure she was okay than for any other reason. She had learned in the past weeks not to use the word
fine
if she wanted him to believe she was actually doing well. Today, she had done her best to put on a convincing show of a woman who was happily starting a new chapter of her life. As she sat in the silence now, she doubted that anyone had believed it.

Checking her watch, she saw that it was already after ten, and just the thought of making her bed seemed like too much for her. Wandering into the kitchen, she washed out her new kettle, then filled it with enough water for one mug of tea and set in on the stove to boil. Megan had brought Harper a gift basket of teas, chocolates and a couple of bottles of wine. Selecting a bag of camomile, she picked up her cell and sent Megan a quick thank-you text, thinking about how full her life really was.

As Harper poured boiling water into a mug, her mind took its normal detour down Evan Lane, as it did at least a hundred times a day. He’d be at home by now, maybe at his desk working or, if he was tired, in bed reading. She could picture him that way, propped up on two pillows, under the covers, no shirt to hide that hard body of his. She missed that body, even if the person in it had turned out to be so disappointing.

Bringing her tea along, she made her way down the hall to get her bed ready for its first night of service. She set the mug on the counter in her ensuite, glancing at herself in the mirror as she did. She looked tired. And, to her eyes, old. Standing a few feet back from the mirror, she could pick out every line and see those three grey hairs that had started to emerge again along her part. Normally those hairs would garner a swift reaction from her. She glanced at her make up bag for a second before deciding to leave the dreaded hairs in place. She didn’t have the energy tonight to tweeze them. And what was the point, really? She wasn’t trying to impress anyone these days. She really couldn’t care less if she looked thirty or fifty at the moment. For the first time in her life, she didn’t mind the thought of waking up at age fifty. By then she would have fifteen years between her and the pain she had been feeling since Evan ended their relationship. But she couldn’t speed up time now any more than she could have stopped it when they were first together and everything had seemed so perfect.

Half an hour later, she turned off the light in the bedroom and found her way to bed in the dark, making a mental note to buy bedside lamps. Snuggling under the covers, she moved her pillow to the centre of the bed, stretching out her arms and legs, feeling the cool sheets and the soft mattress under her. This was okay. She could do this. She would take the next few days to get settled in and then find a routine of working, volunteering, going for long walks and reading. Through the window next to her bed, she could see clouds floating slowly past the almost-full moon. She watched them move, willing herself not to cry. This was her fresh start. Right here in her new bed in her new bedroom in her wonderful new condo. She wouldn’t cry. Knowing that Evan wouldn’t be crying himself to sleep helped her set the pain aside. He wasn’t lying in bed heartbroken. He was relieved. And because of that, he didn’t deserve another one of her thoughts.

*     *     *

“That’s beautiful. Just like that,” Harper said from behind the camera lens. “You two are an absolutely gorgeous couple. I can’t wait to see how you’ll look on your wedding day.”

Patricia, the bride-to-be, beamed at Harper. “Thank you. I just love this location. How did you think of it?”

“Oh, my partner, Megan, knows all the best places in town. This must be the best staircase in the state though, right?”

“It is. I had no idea that the university had such great old buildings,” the groom, Will, remarked.

The bride-to-be rolled her eyes, but her expression revealed pride rather than annoyance. “That’s his subtle way of getting you to ask where he went to school so he can say ‘Harvard.’”

“What? No. You thought I was . . . ?” He shook his head and then turned to Harper. “Harvard Law, actually. Graduated summa cum laude. No big deal.”

Harper laughed at their adorable exchange. They were a fun couple and the wedding itself was going to be spectacular. It would be held in one week at the Boulder Country Club in front of three hundred guests. They were doing a last-minute engagement shoot on the insistence of the mother of the bride. Harper was looking forward to the entire event, from the rehearsal dinner on the Friday night to the gift-opening on the Sunday. She would know them very well by then, and it thrilled her to be a part of this special time in their life together. As she said her goodbyes and packed up her camera, she smiled to herself, thinking of them. They were both in their early thirties, well-established in their respective careers, he a lawyer and she a physical therapist. They were old enough and had been together long enough that there wasn’t likely to be a lot of drama to the event.

She thought of the happy couple, wondering what that would feel like—to be in the middle of planning your wedding, getting ready to commit your life to the man you loved and knowing that he was going to promise his life to you in return. What would it be like to have the confidence in each other that she saw in them? A heavy sigh accompanied the click of her seat belt as she started the car and drove toward her condo. She would spend the evening with a pot of chai tea and her computer, carefully selecting the best shots to edit. She dialed Megan’s number when she was stopped at a red light.

“How’d it go?” Megan asked excitedly.

“Really well. They’re both such sweethearts. I think I managed to really capture who they are.”

“I know you did. I’ve just finished the edits on the Parker baby shots you did. Gorgeous work! I’m going to add them to Dropbox so you can give them a look before I make prints. I should have the album finished and wrapped by Wednesday for them to pick up.”

“That’s great, Megan. I can’t believe you got through them so fast.”

“Well, Amelie has been particularly cooperative today. She had a long nap this afternoon,” Megan answered. “Say, what are you doing tonight? Do you want to come by for dinner?”

“I thought I’d tuck in and get to work on these photos.”

“You sure? You’ve done nothing for weeks but work. I think you’re overdoing it. I saw that you edited over forty of the Anderson family photos on the weekend, which is a little bit—”

“Enthusiastic?”

“Obsessive. They only paid for ten edited shots, Harper. That must have taken you all weekend. Did you even sleep?”

“I slept as much as I needed to. I just don’t need to sleep as much as you humans. I’m fine, seriously. Experience is the only way to improve.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm what? You’re not going to bring up Evan-Not-From-Heaven again are you?”

“It’s just that I’m worried about you. You haven’t been letting yourself have any fun, you’re spending most of your time alone and you do need sleep, in spite of what you think.”

“Honestly, there’s no need to worry. I’m totally over what’s-his-name.”

“Really? Well then, how about a date with a nice guy?”

“Are you trying to set me up?”

“I met someone I think you’d really like. Handsome. Smart. Funny. Single.”

“No thank you.”

“Don’t you even want to know a little about him?”

“I wish I did, but I can’t imagine anything less appealing right now. And my cellphone is about to die. Talk to you tomorrow,” Harper replied.

“Call me if you change your mind.”

“About what?”

“Both. Dinner and the guy.”

“I won’t. Talk to you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

*     *     *

The following Saturday morning was unusually relaxed for a wedding. The ceremony wasn’t until late in the afternoon, meaning hair and makeup and family photos wouldn’t start at the crack of dawn for a change. Harper was out the door at ten to pick up Megan and then meet the bridal party at the salon. She saw her friend waiting at the door when she arrived. Getting out of the car, Harper waved enthusiastically to Megan as she descended the steps.

“Good morning, Mrs. Chevalier!” she called.

“Good morning! Someone’s chipper this morning!” Megan returned.

“I am. I’m excited about the possibilities today. We’ve got a great couple to work with, great weather and, as you saw last night from the photos, we’re off to a pretty decent start in documenting their big day.”

“I did! Nicely done, by the way. I took a quick peek at them right before bed last night. Have you got the address for the salon?”

“Already programmed into my GPS. We’re off and running,” Harper replied as they got into the car. “Coffee for two,” she said, gesturing at the to-go cups in the console.

“Thank you! You’re in such a great mood. I haven’t seen you this happy in weeks. It’s really nice.” She sipped her drink. “What? Did you get laid last night or something?”

“No.” Harper gently swatted at Megan’s arm with the back of her hand. “I’m just ready to move on. It feels good.”

*     *     *

The day flew by. Harper and Megan had gone from the salon to the groom’s parents’ house, then over to the parents of the bride’s to catch shots of the bridal party getting dressed. Driving just ahead of the limo carrying the ladies, they made it to the country club at a few minutes past three, both quickly devouring protein bars and water along the way. The ceremony would be held at 4 p.m., followed immediately by cocktails and dinner in a large white tent on the grounds. There wouldn’t be a moment to rest until late that night.