Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain [Buck]

Chapter One

This is book two to Life After You. If you have not read Life After you, please pause and read it first. Thank you!! -Katie

Harper

"How have you been, Harper?" Nikki's voice asked, pulling her back to the present. Nikki was smiling, her brown eyes were filled with kindness. Harper bit her lip, letting her blue eyes trail across the rug in Nikki's office. How had she been?

"I have been OK." Harper said, tucking a strand of her fire red hair behind her ear. "I just got back into town."

"I heard." Nikki said, "We miss you around here you know."

A month ago, Harper was discharged from the hospital. The next day she quit her job and booked a one-way flight to Eastern Kentucky. She spent the last month with Hannah and Logan. She was doing what she done best, running. Being kidnapped, admitting love, and finding out her dead fiancé wasn't really dead, had almost pushed Harper off the deep end.

"You have to stop running, Harper." Hannah said to her a few nights ago. "Running from your problems won't make them go away. They will still be there tomorrow."

Harper smiled at the memory. Her little sister was stronger than Harper could ever be.

"I miss it here too." Harper answered honestly. "I have had a really hard month."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Harper nodded, "I have to talk about it. That's why I came back."

Nikki leaned forward. "What's going on, Harper?"

Harper felt tears sting her blue eyes. "I just have so many emotions and they are all hard to feel. I feel love for two men. I feel anger at one for lying to me. I feel gratitude because they both saved my life. I feel anger at Juan for killing himself. I feel empathy for Juan. I feel sadness because I miss my sister and home." she said, wiping tears from her cheek.

"Have you told these men how you feel?" Nikki asked.

"They both know I love them."

"I didn't ask that." Nikki challenged, "I asked if they both know how you are feeling right now."

Harper sighed, shaking her head. "No, I sent them both a lame text a month ago and haven't spoke to them since."

"Don't you think you should start there?"

"It's exactly where I need to start."

Nikki smiled, "I think you know the answers. You just need a little help getting through the options sometimes."

"You are exactly right." Harper said, standing up. "Thank you, Nikki."

"I mean what I said." Nikki said, "We do miss you here."

Harper smiled. "Maybe I can come back when I'm feeling better."

"You will always have an office here."

Harper smiled at Nikki, before leaving the office. She made her way to the elevator and pulled her phone from her pocket. She clicked on Buck's name first. She wanted to crawl away from embarrassment looking at the message she sent him.

I have a lot going on, Buck. I need some air and to breathe. I will let you know when I'm back.

Of course, his response was perfect, she thought.