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I swirl the liquid around as he removes the meat from the pan.
“You enjoy it,” I tell him with a chuckle.
“I do,” he says.
I move closer to him, and we lean into each other’s presence.
“Brody?” I finally speak again, my voice barely above a whisper after I take another sip of wine.
He glances at me.
“All of this—I don’t think I could’ve handled any of it without you.”
He leans over and kisses my forehead. “You’re stronger than you think, Harp. Give yourself more credit.”
He continues stirring the veggies and cooking them until they’re done, and then he dumps everything into one skillet.
“Wow, good job, Chef. This looks incredible,” I say, standing on my tiptoes to grab two bowls from the cabinet.
We load our bowls full, and I realize I’ve won the lottery with him.
“You can cook. You clean. You’re an incredible lover. Honestly, I’m glad you built a barrier around yourself for me.”
Laughter rolls out of him. “I’m a catch. What can I say?”
“Love that Calloway cockiness. I expect nothing else,” I tell him, shooting him a wink. “But it’s true. You are a catch.”
After dinner, the cabin settles into a quiet calm, punctuated only by the gentle crackle of the fireplace andThe Golden Girlson TV. Brody sits beside me on the couch with the bottle of wine on the coffee table.
His phone rings, and he makes a face when he sees it’s Billie.
“She’s probably going to give us hell for that photo,” I tell him. “Answer.”
Brody puts it on speakerphone, and Billie is hysterical.
His brows furrow. “Hey, hey, what’s up?”
“They took her!” Billie screams into the phone. “They took her right outside of the office.”
“Billie. Calm down, please. Explain. Took who?”
“Mia! We were walking into Bellamore, and some man took her. They threw a cover over her head, and I think they thought it was Harper. I’ve called the police, and … and … they could’ve taken me, too, but I ran, Brody. Like you told me. I ran and locked down the building.”
My eyes are wide, and my heart is racing.
Mia is our chief marketing officer at Bellamore, and she does have the same build and hair as me. We’ve been confused for one another in the past. But still, this doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand.
“Where are you? Are you alone?”
“No, no,” she says. “Asher’s with me. I have security following me now. It’s gotten so bad and out of control. I’m so scared.” Billie sobs, and I’m spiraling and freaking out.
“Who do you think is responsible?” he asks.
“Micah,” she whispers. “I saw him.”
My heart feels like it might beat out of my chest.
“Please stay safe. Please protect Harper. I have to go,” she says, then ends the call without listening for his response.