Take a Chance

Harlow

Adam had been polite and attentive during dinner. He hadn’t mentioned my dad or Mase once, which was a relief. It helped wash that worry away. Old habits die hard, and I was good at putting up walls when I was suspicious of guys using me to get to my dad.

We had watched an action movie because we both liked them. It was nice not to be “on” and worried about conversation for two hours. Then he had taken me home. Nan’s car was gone and so was Mase’s truck. I could invite him in, I guessed. Was that what I was supposed to do?

“I had a good time tonight,” I told him as we walked toward the door.

“Me, too. I’m hoping we can do it again,” he said with sincerity in his voice.

“I’d like that,” I answered honestly. Because it was true. I had been nervous but the date had been easy. It had also given me something to do tonight.

I reached into my purse and pulled out the keys. “Would you like to come in for a drink? I have coffee,” I suggested, not sure if I should be offering something stronger.

Adam grinned. “Yeah, I would. I wasn’t really ready to say good-bye just yet.”

I sighed with relief. I had done the right thing.

I opened the door and held it for him as he walked inside.

“Come on in,” I said.

He let out a low whistle. I glanced around. The place was kind of impressive for a house on a beach. “Nan has expensive taste,” I explained and set my purse down on the table by the entrance. “Kitchen is this way,” I said before walking toward it.

“You adjusting to living with someone you don’t get along with?” he asked.

“Yes and no. It is what it is. We’re working through it but ignoring each other,” I replied. We entered the kitchen. “You want coffee or something else? Nan has a full bar.”

“I need to drive home so coffee is good,” he said.

I kept myself busy making the coffee and let Adam look around the place as he waited. “Is your brother staying here, too?” His question immediately made me tense. I had to remind myself that he was just trying to make small talk. Talking about Mase did not mean he was interested in my dad.

“He’s staying here while he’s visiting.”

“A family gathering,” he said with a smile.

I wouldn’t think about that. I would not. I had to learn to trust people. Just because he was mentioning my family did not mean he was a fan of my father’s. I had to overcome that insecurity.

“Not exactly,” I replied, and pulled two cups down from the cabinet.

I heard the beep that sounded when an entry door or window opened and I froze. If it was Nan this could be bad. Then I heard her voice laughing and a deeper voice. I felt sick to my stomach. Please, God, don’t let that be Grant. Not right now. I can’t deal with that. I wasn’t ready just yet.

Her heels clacked against the marble as she walked down the hallway. They were headed this way.

“Nan,” I explained to him as I poured a cup of coffee.

“Ah,” he said simply.

“Cream and sugar?” I asked.

“Black is good,” he replied.

I handed him the cup as Nan came staggering into the kitchen on the arm of a tall blond guy with a dark tan. He was dressed in a pale pink polo and a pair of plaid shorts. If he weren’t so attractive the outfit would have looked ridiculous on him.

“Well, hello,” he said, smiling at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. Then his gaze moved to Adam and his eyes widened a bit. “Adam, hey,” he said as Nan looked sourly at both of us.

“What are you doing here?” she snapped.

“I live here, and he’s my company,” I replied, stirring the sugar into my coffee and praying she would just go away.

“Pull in the claws, kitty. It’s your sister and Adam. Be nice.”

“She’s not my sister,” Nan said angrily.

I wasn’t in the mood for her stupid temper tantrums. I was getting sick of it.

“Then you probably should move out of the house my daddy paid for,” I said, and took a sip of my coffee.

The hate sparking off her eyes told me I’d pushed the right buttons. Good. She needed to grow up.

“How dare you!”

“How dare I what, Nan? Remind you that we share a father who owns this house? It’s as much mine as it is yours. If you want to argue, then please call him. I’m sure he’ll clarify that for you.”

The smart mouth was coming from somewhere. I wasn’t sure where; it was as if I’d been possessed and had no control over my words.

The tall blond guy laughed, then patted Nan’s arms as if to soothe her. “She’s your sister, all right. That mouth says it all. Calm your sexy ass and leave her and Adam alone. We aren’t here to drink coffee,” he said, then winked at me as if I wanted to know about his and Nan’s plans. “I’m August, by the way,” he said.

He was the golf pro I had heard about. I was just glad he wasn’t Grant. More glad than I wanted to admit. “Harlow. Nice to meet you,” I replied.

“Don’t talk to her,” Nan spat.

“You get mean when you drink tequila. I told you I was going to stop letting you drink so much,” August said.

“No, she’s mean all the time. Tequila has nothing to do with it,” I assured him.

Adam laughed this time, and I saw August hold back a smile. “I think I’ll stop things before we have a fight on our hands. Come on, Nan, let’s go upstairs.”

The beep sounded again and we all turned to see who was here.

The heavy sound of boots told me it was Mase before he walked into the kitchen.

“Shit, now he’s here,” Nan complained, which only made me smile.

Mase stepped into the kitchen and around Nan and August with a glance at them before he looked at me and Adam. “What’s up? Am I missing a family fight? I hate to miss those.”

“I’m taking this one upstairs to keep any swings from breaking out,” August told him.

Mase leaned against the counter in front of me before crossing his arms in front of his chest. “She can take swings if she wants, but she won’t touch Harlow. Not if she wants to keep her bones in working order,” he drawled as if he were bored.

August’s eyebrows shot up. “Dude, Harlow isn’t innocent here. She was mouthing off pretty good, too.”

Mase glanced back at me over his shoulder. “Did you talk back to her?” he asked.

I nodded. No use in lying. A grin broke out on his face. “Well, I’ll be damned. That’s my girl.” he turned back to August. “You can go on and take up with that one all you want. But when she’s stomped you under her spiky heels and crushed you, then you’ll see what a stupid idea this was.”

“Ugh, I hate both of you. Come on, August. Let’s go,” Nan grabbed his arm and they left the kitchen. We could hear Nan’s heels as she stormed up the stairs like a preschooler.

“That was . . . uh . . . interesting,” Adam said, then took a drink of his coffee.

“Ain’t it though. This place is a damn zoo,” Mase replied, and looked back at me. “Got any coffee left?”

I nodded and fixed him a cup then walked around the bar. It was awkward now. I wasn’t sure what to do with Adam after all that.

“I’m Harlow’s brother, Mase.”

He was introducing himself to Adam. I was a horrible hostess.

“Adam. Nice to meet you,” he replied.

“You two have a good night?” Mase asked.

“Yes,” we both said and I blushed.

Mase chuckled. “Well, I’ll head on up to bed. See you in the morning. Nice meeting you, Adam,” he said, kissing the top of my head, then heading for the stairs.

Once his heavy footsteps hit the stairs I looked over at Adam. “I’m sorry about all that. Maybe asking you in was a bad idea.”

“No. I, uh, get it now. Why you don’t like staying here. She’s mean as a damn snake. I am trying to figure out why August is messing around with her. I wonder if she even knows he has a little girl. Surely he isn’t letting her near his kid when he gets her on his weekends.”

Whoa . . . Nan was dating a man with a kid? I couldn’t imagine that.

“I hope he doesn’t. I’m afraid Nan would see a kid as competition for his attention. She’s that immature.”

Adam nodded and frowned. “I was thinking that, too.”

I drank some more of my coffee and considered inviting him into the living room or just saying good night. I was tired and after all that I wasn’t sure I wanted to make this last any longer. Especially if Nan started getting loud.

“I’m getting tired and my head is a little scattered.”

Adam nodded and gave me an understanding smile, then stood up.

“I get that. I would be, too.”

I set my cup down and led him back to the door.

“Thanks again for tonight, and I’m really sorry about all this.”

Adam didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stared down at me a moment as if he were deciding something important. Then he bent down slowly and in that brief moment I knew what was about to happen. It would be my first kiss since Grant. I had kissed Grant a lot during those two weeks. I didn’t want to compare him to Grant, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.

When his lips touched mine they weren’t as soft but they were warm. He moved over my mouth gently and it was pleasant. He didn’t try for anything more. When he pulled back and smiled at me I knew that nothing would ever be as good as Grant’s kisses but that I could live with this.

“They are as soft and plump as they look,” he said, then shook his head with a grin on his face. “Good night, Harlow.” He opened the door before I could say more and stepped outside, closing it behind him.

He wasn’t Grant but he was nice. He wanted me. And the smile on his face made me feel special. As if I had been something special for him. Grant Carter was made for women’s fantasies. Adam was more real. He wasn’t the kind I would need to worry about getting in too deep with. He was just someone to spend time with.