The Quiet One

22

A week had passed and nothing more had been done to Harper or her things. The day after her apartment had been trashed she, Regal and her family cleaned everything up and made note only one book had been taken. It was a copy of Shakespeare's sonnets George had gifted her on her birthday. She felt they had taken it in spite, taking something important to her from George. The one good thing about her apartment clean up had been introducing Regal to her family.

"Regal it is so nice to meet you! You have no idea how scared we were Harper would never find someone. Now she has a mate and a protector, I feel much better she is staying with you," her mother Helen had gushed upon meeting him.

She had been so embarrassed by her mother she'd hidden away from Regal in her bedroom cleaning up all the books on her floor for a good twenty minutes. Regal found her and assured her,

"I think your mother is sweet, she is just worried about her baby." He kissed her and went back into the living room helping throw away all the broken items after Hainsley made a list of the damages. They would be reporting the items to her insurance and letting the apartment complex know she was moving out immediately.

"Harper?" Regal called from his kitchen, she strode down the hallway wearing her favorite pair of dark wash jeans and a purple sweater. She had curled her hair gently so it framed her face and did light makeup. During the week Regal had mentioned he liked her without makeup on, he could see her freckles better.

"Right here baby," she replied walking up behind him and hugging him. He was standing at the stove cooking her an omelet.

"Have I told you how sexy it is to have a man cook for me?" she asked, kissing his back because she couldn't reach his cheek without a step stool or him stooping.

"Every morning, but I love hearing it anyway. What are you plans for today?" he asked.

"We are hosting a ladies book club, they called me on Wednesday to say their usual place had been booked for a signing and wanted to know if I had space. I'm hoping to become their permanent spot and to get the word out for other book clubs to use our space. I had originally intended my store to be just that, a place where people could come and read. It slowly evolved into the rare book find you see today," she explained, getting out plates, forks, cups and napkins and setting them on the kitchen table. She poured orange juice in both glasses and set to work getting the coffee going. Once it started to percolate she held out the plates for Regal to slid an omelet onto each one. He filled his with plenty of bacon, onions and cheese, hers he put onions, peppers, tomatoes, feta cheese and a hint of spinach.

"These look delicious." Harper poured two cups of coffee and made hers the way she liked with cream and sugar. Regal took his black, something he had started in college to help him stay awake to make due dates.

"Thank you baby, I hope you get the book club account. Have you thought about expanding the store now that you have the money from George?" Regal sat at the table and sipped his coffee. She watched as he closed his eyes and smiled letting the rich flavor wake him up.

"I have to look more closely at the terms for the money George gave me. If I can use it to build out a space for better story hours for The Lily House and for the boys orphanage in Pine Valley then I will. I did contact the man you told me about, Joseph Myers, he seemed genuinely interested in doing a story hour with the boys. Hainsley and I are just going to have to figure out the food side, I don't think boys are going to want to have a tea party," Harper shared. Regal nodded his understanding as he ate thinking over her dilemma. She took a bite of her omelet and moaned softly, she had no idea how he got the eggs so fluffy and the filling spread evenly.

"Did you think of maybe doing a food demo? Maybe make it themed to go with the book you are reading. They may like to get their hands dirty that way and try new things to eat too. I remember as a boy, I was not very good at trying new things when my mother decided we needed to change up our dinner menu," Regal explained. He smiled at her and she tapped her fork onto her plate,

"Hmm, that might not be a bad idea. I'll run it by Hainsley when I get to work, speaking of work I need to head out." Harper cleared her empty plate and took his setting them in the dishwasher. She then cleared their cups and utensils, pouring the rest of her coffee into a travel mug.

"Do you need me to drive you?" Regal asked, standing with her and turning on the water to clean the dishes.

"No, I got my car back last night, you go to your office and start working, I'll wash the dishes and then head out." She kissed him softly and pushed him gently out of her way. He let her and captured her lips in a much more satisfying, but frustrating they couldn't continue in the bedroom kiss.

"I'll be in my office, come say goodbye when you are done."

"Of course I will, now scoot." She waved him off with her hands and he backed out of the kitchen coffee mug still clutched in his hand. Harper took the time to think about everything she and Regal had been through in only a week of dating. He helped get her car cleaned, her apartment taken care of and moved out all within the span of a weekend. She cared very much for him, when she came home tired from work he would rub her feet, listen to her day and offer her suggestions if she asked for them. He hadn't tried to take over her business and even gave her some other collectors he knew about, to send her information to so they knew about her. She hadn't heard back from his friends about anything connected to her apartment. She was pretty certain it had been one of the wolves at George's will reading. The messages left behind had been very clear, she hadn't gone out to the cabin once that week incase someone had been tailing her. That was the only way they could have known which apartment had been hers. She put the cleaned dishes on the drying rack, dried her hands and went into Regal's office to say goodbye.

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