More of You

Chapter 22

The next morning Luke was having breakfast with Emmeline when Harper joined them. She had joined them every morning since they had arrived, but Luke had his doubts that she would show that morning. Last night's revelation could have meant a lot of different things, and he didn't doubt, that in the cold light of day, Harper was hoping that he thought she meant that she loved him as a long-time friend, and maybe he would have believed that that was what she had meant if she didn't kiss him like she did.

"Good morning Harper," he said as he opened the door to her.

"Good morning," she greeted, unable to look at him, something that pleased him greatly.

"I thought I asked you to stay last night Harper?" Gran accused.

"I did stay, until Luke returned." She sat down at the table and reached for a slice of toast, thanking Luke as he poured her a cup of coffee.

Gran looked back and forth between them, as if expecting some great revelation.

After a few minutes of silence, in which they ate, Harper cleared her throat.

"I was still planning to go and visit my family today as long as I'm not needed here," she reminded them.

Gran nodded. "Yes, I'm very tired today and I don't want to go anywhere. Luke why don't you go with Harper," she suggested as she leaned back in her chair.

"Perhaps Luke has plans already or there is something else he would like to do?" Harper sat her cup down with a little click.

"I can't think of anything," Luke said before his grandmother could say anything more to get herself in trouble. She was walking a fine line with Harper's patience.

"I've never met your family, I would like to come, if I may?" He was using every ounce of charm he possessed.

Harper only nodded and rose. "Will you be ready to go in about half an hour?" She still wouldn't look at him.

"Yes," he agreed before watching her leave the suite.

"Please Gran, lay off Harper." Luke looked over at his grandmother who looked put out.

"What's wrong with the girl, I can see she's crazy about you and your crazy about her, what's the hold up?" She threw her napkin on the table.

"The hold up is a lifetime of habits to change. To go from friends to romance is not as easy a leap as one would think,"

"I know what it's like to lose the one person you love, I know that hurt, and I know that it never really goes away. I don't want either one of you to experience that?" Emmeline's eyes begged Luke to understand.

"Yes, I get that, but you also said that you did what your parents wanted you to do, and that you couldn't stand firm against them. Did you ever think that Harper has the same problem? Her whole life has been spent living up to other's expectations, she doesn't know how to take what she wants, she waits for some one to tell her it's alright."

"That's nonsense!" Gran complained.

"It wasn't nonsense with you. You did what Harper has been doing her whole life. You caved, you didn't wait."

Emmeline frowned as a sadness crossed her face, and Luke hated that he had hurt her, but he had to make her understand before her interference caused more problems.

"Give her time, give me time, I promise I won't give up, and once she realizes that the entire family supports the idea of us, she'll come around. If not, I'll figure something else out." He stood throwing his napkin down. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date. Thanks for arranging that by the way," he winked at her and she gave him a small smile.

"Last time I promise!" she said as she held up her hand.

Luke checked his emails, grabbed his stuff, and headed over to Harper's room. He expected her to be ready to go when he got there, but instead of joining him in the hall, she pulled him into the room and closed the door behind him.

Luke bit his tongue so that he wouldn't make the smart-aleck comment that came to mind as he watched her pace.

"I'm not crazy about you tagging along today."

"I can tell."

She shot him a quelling look.

"If you do come I want you to make me a promise." She stopped pacing and turned to look at him.

"Sure," he agreed.

"Today is about me and my family, it has nothing to do with us, and I don't want it to. I need a break from this." She motioned with her hand between the two of them. "I want to enjoy myself and forget about everything."

"Understood," Luke nodded and Harper looked at him, waiting for him to say something else, and he couldn't let her down.

"I just want to say one thing then I'll say nothing else about any of it, at least for today."

Harper took a deep breath, unable to hide her look of resignation. "What do you want to say?"

"I love you too," he said it clearly and strongly.

Harper's eyes grew wide and she looked at him like he had lost his mind, waiting for him to say more. He could tell she was full of questions.

"But we've agreed, were not going to talk anymore about this," he reminded her, watching her face turn bright red either in anger or frustration, he couldn't tell which. "And I can tell that you want me to kiss you right now, but I made a promise, so I won't." He held up his hand in a promise just as Emmeline had a few minutes earlier.

Harper continued to stare at him as if she was debating the best way to kill him. It made him happy, it was how they used to be, how he wanted them to be again; friends. Above everything he wanted to be Harper's best friend.

"Poor Harper, caught in your own trap, aren't you?" He could no longer suppress his grin.

"Shut-up!" she insisted as she reached for her bag.

"Hey, your family owns a winery, right? Does that mean we get to sample all of the wine?" he asked as she led the way out of the door.

"Usually," she said as she marched ahead of him. "At least since your so fluent in French I won't have to hold your hand and act as translator all day." She pushed the button for the elevator a little more forcefully than she needed to.

"We're not doing us today, remember Harper, of course if you really want to hold my hand, I'll let you."

She grumbled something under her breath and stomped off towards the stairs, loosing patience with the elevator.

She was going at a decent pace when her foot slid on the carpet causing her to lose her footing. Luke caught her and pulled her against him to keep her from falling. He held her close a little longer than he needed to and she let him. They had both stopped breathing and time had stopped for a brief second. Her back was to him, so he didn't see her close her eyes as she attempted to regain control, but he felt the battle raging in her, he felt it in the erratic beat of her heart; it matched his own.

Finally, she pushed away from him with a muttered word of thanks, and then she continued on as if the moment hadn't happened, and Luke followed her lead.