Seeking Mr. Debonair (The Jane Austen Pact) Read online

  “I’m not dealing with her wrath.”

  “I’ll make it up to you.”

  “Horseback ride tomorrow.”

  “You got it.” He winked at his sister, stood as quietly as he could, and hurried out of the church.

  Driving twenty miles over the speed limit, he was to the Redlands’ house in just under eight minutes. Harley was pacing the front lawn in a T-shirt and yoga pants. Relief rushed over him. She was okay. He jumped from his truck and strode to her.

  “Crew,” she croaked out. Tears were falling from her eyes and staining her cheeks.

  He opened his arms and she came readily into his embrace. Crew wrapped her up tight, swaying slightly and wondering if Clint had passed. He’d seemed great last night, but Crew had been reading up on personal stories of terminal cancer. The person often took a quick downturn and sometimes was gone in hours.

  “Your dad?” he whispered into her hair.

  Harley’s entire body shuddered. “Yes. He’s …” She sniffled and Crew waited, fearing the worst. “He was so with it last night, giving me advice.” She paused and glanced up at Crew. He knew Clint loved him almost like a son, but he also knew he would put his real daughter first. Clint would give the advice that would make his girl happy, even if it broke Crew’s heart.

  “He didn’t get out of bed this morning,” she said, breaking from his embrace and pacing again. “He’s so out of it he hasn’t even said anything that makes any sense!” This sentence finished in an anguished cry. Crew wanted to pull her close again, but she pressed her knuckles against her mouth and kept walking. “Doc Thurgood and a home health care nurse have already been here. They started him on some morphine because he was moaning and looked like he was in pain.”

  Crew stood by helplessly, aching for his friends but clueless about how to make this better. He wanted to be here for Harley, and he told himself that if all he could be was her friend, he would take it. She obviously needed a friend right now.

  She stopped pacing and turned to stare at him. A sob ripped from her throat and she burst out, “Oh, Crew, I don’t think I can do this.”

  Crew couldn’t take it any longer. He crossed the distance and pulled her against his chest. She clung to him and he simply held her close. “You’re tougher than you know, Harley.”

  She shook her head against his neck, her tears wetting his suit coat. “I can’t lose him. He’s been the best daddy anybody could ever ask for.”

  He rested his chin on her soft curls. “I know. He’s one of the best men I know.”

  There really wasn’t anything else to say. He wanted to reassure her that he’d be there for her, he wanted to tell her that her dad would want her to be happy, but all he could do was hold her. At least she let him do that.

  She finally pulled away and wiped her tears. “How was church?”

  “I made it through the opening song, then saw you weren’t there and left.”

  Her eyes widened. “You left church … for me?”

  He grinned. “It was a big sacrifice, not sitting on that hard bench and poking Jessie for an hour.”

  She smiled, though it was watery. “Thank you for being such a good friend.”

  Friend. He wanted and needed so much more, but now was definitely not the time. He reached out and she took his hand, letting him squeeze her small fingers. “Of course,” he said. “Your family is my family. Especially because your mom’s such a great cook.”

  She laughed. “True. We’d better get inside.” She looked at her house like it was a den of dangerous vipers.

  Crew squeezed her hand again. “Come on. Let’s go help your mama and Ryker. We both know what a wimp he is.” He winked. Ryker was the toughest man he knew, next to Clint.

  Harley laughed again. “That’s for sure.”

  They walked hand in hand up the porch steps. Crew swung the door open and smiled down at her.

  Harley stopped, lifted onto tiptoes, and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Thanks. It means a lot.” She walked in front of him into the house.

  Crew followed, dreading saying goodbye to one of his close friends and a man he admired above anyone besides his own father, but he was glad he could be here for Harley and at least help her laugh and smile a little bit. He knew that’s exactly what Clint would want. It was exactly what Crew wanted, too.

  Chapter Twelve

  Harley wasn’t certain how she survived the worst Sunday of her life, if not the worst day, period. Actually, she did know how she’d survived it. Crew. He’d been there for all of them and been able to even make her mom smile and laugh a couple of times, using one of her daddy’s lines or telling a story about something Ryker or her daddy had done.

  They all had spent the day gathered around her dad’s bedside upstairs in the master suite. Once church let out, the visitors starting piling in. Aunt Vicky and Lucas even made it up the steps to say their goodbyes and talk about what a great guy her dad was. The kitchen counter, fridge, and freezers were overflowing with food. Sadly, not even Ryker felt like eating much.

  The next morning she checked in on her dad early. He was breathing evenly. Her mom was snoring next to him on the bed, her hand on her husband’s chest like she couldn’t stand to be away from him even in her sleep. How was her mom going to survive without him? How would any of them?

  Harley needed to pound out some miles and try to clear some of the doom and gloom from her head. She slipped out of the house and ran to the north. She did an eight-mile route that she’d always enjoyed through the trees and along some mountain trails.

  On the way back, she approached a large two-story home that she’d admired several times on her runs and walks since she’d been home this summer. It was the perfect mix of farmhouse and modern design to her. Wide HardiePlank siding in a deep tan color covered the exterior, contrasting nicely with the white trim around the windows, doors, and wraparound porch railings. There were so many windows that if she was snoopy and looked in the front entry of the house, she could see clear through to the windows at the rear. She imagined it was full of light and love and wondered who had built it.

  As she slowed to admire the house once again, the breath caught in her throat as she saw a well-built blond man bending over the front flower bed, pulling out some small weeds.

  “Crew?”

  He stood and turned to her with a smile. “Hey, Harley. How was the run?”

  “Um, good. What are you doing here?”

  “Here?” He looked around as if he didn’t understand her question. He looked really good in a neoprene T-shirt and loose-fitting shorts. Had he just finished a workout also?

  “This house is great, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I’m quite fond of it.” He was giving her a funny smirk now.

  “So … do you work here too?” She looked at the weeds in his hands. She didn’t want to ask if he was their gardener, but maybe he was? It was certainly impressive what a hard worker he was and all the different businesses he had. Maybe landscaping fit in well with his construction business.

  “Yeah, I definitely work here.” Now it was like he was fighting to keep from laughing in her face.

  “Look.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Yesterday was the most horrific day of my life, and today doesn’t look to be any better. My mind is a little foggy from lack of sleep and now you’re obviously laughing at my expense. What is it?”

  The mirth left Crew’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to laugh at you.”

  Her temper cooled and she felt a pang of remorse, but she still wanted to know what was going on. “It’s okay. So what gives? Why are you here at my dream house?”

  “Your dream house?” Something else sparked in his eyes that made her want to throw herself into his arms and run away from him at the same time.

  “Yeah,” she admitted, gesturing at the home. “Look at all those windows; I can just imagine the light inside. The wraparound porch is amazing. The property is perfect too, with the stream
running through, all the trees, the horses and barn out back, and the landscaping is well done but not too formal. The owners are probably asleep, huh? Could you maybe give me a tour sometime? I’d love to see if the inside is as fabulous as the outside.”

  Crew let out a half-laugh. “Um, nobody’s inside right now. Do you really want a tour?”

  Harley clasped her hands together. “I’d love one. I’ve never told anyone, but …” She looked down at her hands. Was she really willing to share this with him? Yet Crew had always been there for her and wouldn’t make fun of her for something like this. She looked back at him, and he was patiently waiting with an encouraging smile on his face. “I toyed with going into architecture and home design instead of business for my undergrad. I seriously love looking at homes, but I usually think of some way I’d improve upon the design or the interior decorating.”

  “I … that’s great, Harley. You’d be amazing at anything you do, but home design really fits you. Why didn’t you go for architecture?”

  She shrugged. “Business just sounded more practical to me.” And she didn’t want to bring up the barrier between them, but business was the avenue that would take her far away from here.

  He laughed. “Not in this area. Homes are getting built so quick I can’t keep up.”

  She smiled. “Do you love what you do?”

  “Yes, very much.” He gestured toward the porch. “Are you ready for your tour?”

  “Yes, thank you.” She bounded toward the wide front porch steps, thrilled and excited and grateful to Crew. He made her happy and she really needed that today. Today might be the day her daddy left her forever. She wanted to cry thinking about it, but pushed her mind toward this house and being with Crew for a short time. It was the perfect distraction. Crew had proven himself to be a very good friend. If only memories of his kisses didn’t make her tingle from head to toe.

  Crew swung the wood and glass door open, and Harley paused to admire the gorgeous entryway. There was a wide staircase on the right with a black decorative table underneath it. An arched entry on the left revealed a daylit office. The huge desk had a nice desktop computer with double monitors and house plans covering it, but the thing that drew her eyes was the massive bookcase dominating the entire wall behind the desk.

  “Let’s start upstairs,” Crew said, interrupting her inspection of all those books. Many were hardcovers, but there were paperbacks as well. Self-help, religion, historical fiction, contemporary fiction. Her eyes scanned the book spines hungrily.

  “B-but, the books …” Whose house was this, and could they be Harley’s new best friends?

  Crew smiled gently at her. “I know. Let me show you the rest of the house before you get lost in the books.”

  She let him take her arm, and they walked slowly up the steps and along the wide balcony that overlooked the entryway and the large great room at the back. On the right side of the balcony there were two tastefully decorated bedrooms with a joined bathroom; it didn’t look like anyone lived in them. On the left side there were another two bedrooms and a bath, then beyond that lay a short hallway that opened into a huge room above the garage. The room had a pool table, a ping-pong table, a foosball table, a flat-screen television, a couple of leather sofas, a wet bar with a fridge, a soda machine, and an old-fashioned popcorn popper.

  “This room is so fun. Like the ultimate teenage hangout.”

  Crew nodded. “Bigger boys enjoy it too.”

  “I’ll bet. You and Ryker would go nuts in here.”

  He smiled. “True.”

  With his hand on the small of her back, they retraced their steps through the upper story, down the stairs, and past that glorious office/library. How she longed to go look at all those books. Reading would be the perfect escape from her reality right now.

  The great room was set up just right in her opinion, and the two-story windows looking out at the thick trees and mountainside were fabulous. There was a large laundry/mud room to the far left that connected with the four-car garage and had a full bath as well. A sturdy concrete sink sat in the bathroom, sloped like a trough and stained in brown and gray swirls.

  One of Crew’s businesses was concrete sinks, so he obviously knew who owned this house. “Did you make this?” she asked, touching the rough edge.

  Crew nodded.

  “I love it.”

  “Thanks.”

  She kept oohing and ahhing over everything as they continued their tour. The house had obviously been professionally decorated and was clean except for a few dishes in the kitchen sink and a pile of laundry in the laundry room. There weren’t any personal touches like family pictures, but she liked the trendy décor mixed with the farmhouse feel.

  The kitchen to the left of the entryway boasted lots of windows, illuminating knotty cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a walk-in pantry her mama would’ve died over. The dining area connected the open kitchen and living area, and included a great pine butcher block table that fit with the country theme. Harley loved the distressed mahogany floor that ran throughout the main floor of the house except for the living room, which had a thick carpet. The living area of the great room was open and comfortable with a beautiful granite fireplace and comfortable seating. The owner had even thought to hide a television in a cherry wood cabinet above the fireplace. She liked that. The husband could still watch sports, but he’d be close to the family.

  Beyond the living area to the far right was the master suite. Harley thought the designer was brilliant, as the master bedroom and attached bath and walk-in closets had windows facing the rear, the side of the house, and also the front. Between all the light flooding in and the wooded property surrounding the house, they could leave their blinds open and never worry about someone looking in.

  As they perused the master suite, she finally saw a picture on the side table. She hurried to it, but Crew grabbed it and faced it away from her.

  “What?” she demanded. “You’ve got to tell me who lives here. That’s the first picture I’ve seen that might give me a clue.”

  Crew held it out of her reach and grinned. “You guess who lives here first.”

  “How should I know? I haven’t been home much in four years.”

  “Okay, wait I have another question first. You said you always have ideas for changing design or decorating when you walk through a house. Lay it on me.”

  She stared up at him. Dang, he looked good in that fitted shirt with his hair tousled and his blue eyes all smiley at her. He’d obviously been working out, but he didn’t stink; he smelled like the outdoors, which she liked a lot. She started worrying if she stunk, but tried not to care. She wasn’t going to date Crew, even though she did love him and he was a great guy. She was going to England and he seemed to be understanding that now, not challenging her about her dreams every other second. He was a great guy.

  Oh, wait, he’d asked her a question. “What would I change about this house?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, besides the fact this is the first personal touch I’ve seen—” She pointed to the picture he was holding away from her. “Nothing. It’s amazing. I think for once the interior is even better than the exterior.”

  “Thanks.” He smiled broadly at her. “That means a lot.”

  “You built this house.”

  “Yes.” His pride was evident.

  Harley burst with pride for him too. Her dad had bragged about how successful Crew was, but it was amazing to see a finished product that was this fabulous and know that her friend had done it.

  “And designed it too,” he said.

  “What?” She turned in a circle, taking in the view of all the pine and aspen trees outside and these huge windows with wood trim set against pale grayish-green walls. “You didn’t.”

  He nodded.

  “But … I thought you were the contractor.”

  “Yeah. I do both most of the time. I took design classes online through a tech school out of Salt Lake C
ity and got my drafting degree a few years ago.”

  “You?” Harley was sure her jaw was dragging on the floor. “But you told me you didn’t go to school. You big fat liar!”

  Crew laughed. “I didn’t go away to school, but yes, I got my degree and I try to improve my mind so I won’t fall too far behind a certain brilliant businesswoman.” He winked at her.

  Harley was still trying to catch up. “You designed and built this house? It’s unreal. You have to take me to more houses you’ve designed and built.”

  He grinned, looking very pleased with himself. “Anytime.”

  “You’re seriously amazing, Crew.”

  “Thanks.” He started to look a little embarrassed, which also surprised her. Crew had always been overconfident. She remembered what her dad had said about debonair meaning confident, stylish, and charming. Crew definitely fit all of those. His sense of style was etched into everything in this beautiful house, and he was so charming she wished she could kiss him again.

  Harley blushed. None of this meant she could let herself love him, give up her dreams and never leave Wyoming, but she was impressed with her friend right now. She reached for the picture. “So who did you build this house for?”

  Crew still held it away, looking suddenly serious and uncertain. “There are family pictures in the office—you probably missed them because you were so excited about the books. Maybe you should look at those.”

  “I want to get back to that office and check out all those books, but show me this picture first.”

  Crew pulled in a breath and studied her face. He slowly turned the eight-by-ten frame around, and the oxygen whooshed from her lungs. It was her. It was the day of her college graduation this May, weeks before she’d come home. Her parents and Ryker had flown out for the weekend and she’d loved every minute. This picture was her in her white dress, without her cap and gown. She was standing by the Cross Campus Elm, smiling. Ryker had taken that picture.

  Her eyes focused on Crew again, and he looked uncertain and embarrassed. “Why is my picture in this house?”