Page 15 of Caspian (HC Heroes #14)
H arper ran her hand along the newly finished feature wall, admiring the rustic charm of the barn wood Cas had collected.
The dark, charred edges gave the room a warm, lived-in feel, and she couldn’t help but smile at how well it had turned out.
They’d spent the past three days sanding, cutting, sealing, and waxing before carefully fitting each piece, and now the wall looked like it had always been there—a perfect blend of old and new.
She glanced out the window to Cas, who was near the burnt-out barn, setting up their next project. They were going to transform one of the barn doors into a headboard for his bed. With a smile tugging at her lips, she headed downstairs and outside, eager to start the new project with him.
Cas was focused, his brows knit together as he measured the door he placed on a set of sawhorses, then used her circular saw to cut it to size.
A familiar flutter took up residence in her chest. He knew his way around tools and was unexpectedly sexy using them.
Inhaling, she steadied her heartbeat as she continued to watch him.
Harper enjoyed the rhythm of working alongside Cas, and their fun banter and quiet moments that made the ranch feel like a second home.
“Hey,” she said, stepping closer as he set the saw down. “Need a hand with that?”
The handsome man looked up, his expression softening into a smile. “Always. You know I’m just the muscle here. You’re the brains. But I hope you don’t mind that I got started.”
“No, of course I don’t mind.” Harper grinned, playfully nudging his shoulder. “You act like you have no IQ.”
He chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but I’ve seen you wield that sander. This is your show. I’m happy to work as an extra.”
At the mention of show, Harper kind of felt bad, since both projects would’ve made great content for her cousin’s video channel, content that Sadie had been encouraging her to consider.
That gave new meaning to “putting herself out there”.
It definitely wasn’t something she was comfortable with at the moment, if ever.
But her cousin had been so helpful, and letting her stay rent-free in the garage apartment was amazing, so she was seriously considering allowing Sadie to record her working on Sam’s wall.
Right now, though, she was happy to enjoy her secluded time on Cas’ ranch.
Unable to help herself, she carefully brushed her fingers over the rough surface of the door. She loved working with wood. “So, what’s the plan with this headboard? Are we going for a natural look, or do you want to retain some of the color?”
Cas thought for a moment, tilting his head as he examined the door. “Since the wall is a combination of lighter and darker wood, let’s retain some of the color.”
“The contrast with the wall will look amazing.” She smiled, appreciating his eye for detail.
They set to work, side by side, sanding the door just enough to rid the wood of any loose paint.
As they worked, Harper found herself stealing glances at Cas—at the way his muscles flexed with each stroke, at the concentration etched on his face.
It was hard not to admire the easy confidence he brought to everything he did, and more than once, she found herself lost in thought, imagining what it would be like if this were a more permanent arrangement.
It was a scary thought, but one she’d entertained more often than not over the past few days. Being with him made her happy, and happy had been missing from her life for a long, long time.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, dipping down to catch her gaze.
Harper shrugged, and a playful smirk tugged at her lips. “Just thinking about how much I love being here. It’s been a busy few days, but I don’t think I’ve felt this relaxed in, well…in years.”
Cas’s smile widened and his gaze softened. “It’s been nice having you around.”
Warmth spread through her chest and remained there as they worked in comfortable silence for a while, the sound of sandpaper against wood filling the air, punctuated by the occasional laugh or shared glance. It felt so natural, like they were in sync without even trying.
As the morning wore on, they took a break, sitting on the porch steps with glasses of cold lemonade.
Harper leaned against Cas, her shoulder brushing his, and he slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer.
They sat like that for a while, enjoying the view of the horses grazing in the rolling pastures and the soft breeze that rustled the nearby trees.
“I could get used to this,” Harper murmured, her head resting on Cas’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” he agreed, his voice low and content. “Me too.”
The unmistakable sound of an engine, along with the sound of tires on dirt, ended their quiet moment. Harper sat straight and watched Dale’s truck coming down the driveway toward them. A second later, he and Cooper climbed out of the truck.
“Hey, lovebirds,” Dale said, a teasing grin on his face as he approached with a familiar pink box in his hands. “We won’t stay long. We’ve got some updates for you but didn’t call because the Champion twins insisted you two needed some apple-cider muffins in your life.”
She smiled. “They’re not wrong.”
Cas grasped her hand and brought them both to their feet before the guys reached them. “Smart women.”
Cooper nodded. “Except for choosing Dean and RJ, that is.”
They all laughed.
She tugged her hand free to take the offered box of goodies from Dale. “Would you guys like some?”
Both men shook their heads, so she set the box on the porch near the two half empty glasses of lemonade before turning back to face them.
“What have you discovered?” Caspian asked the men, while reaching for her hand again.
A mix of anticipation and nerves swirled in Harper’s chest, wondering what the latest news might bring.
“We went through the envelope again, and unfortunately, there’s not much more to go on,” Dale began, his expression serious but not overly concerned. “Cameras didn’t pick up anything useful. Whoever left it knew exactly where to stand to avoid detection.”
Frustration bubbled up inside her. “So, we’re back to square one?”
“Not entirely,” Cooper chimed in, holding up a folder. “We did some digging into the prominent families you mentioned. Turns out, they all had stakes in the land around the old church, but their involvement seemed more about property disputes than anything directly tied to the fire.”
Cas nodded thoughtfully, taking the folder from Cooper. “So, no obvious connections to Mary or any ongoing motive?”
Cooper shook his head. “Not that we’ve found. But we’ll keep looking.”
“Thanks.” Harper offered a grateful smile, even as the disappointment lingered. “I know this isn’t easy with little to go on.”
“You’re family.” Dale smiled and winked. “And we take care of family.”
Harper’s chest squeezed as warmth flooded in. She’d forgotten what it had felt like to have friends that were more like family that she could count on. With the exception of Loni and Lori, the last time she’d had friends like that, they’d died.
After Dale and Cooper left, Harper and Cas headed inside for a quick lunch.
They threw together some sandwiches and ate in the kitchen, the air between them light and relaxed despite the lingering uncertainty of the investigation.
Her worries eased as they chatted about their plans for the headboard, then enjoyed some apple-cider muffins for dessert.
It was just the pick-me-up she needed.
After lunch, they made their way back outside to sand the other side of the door.
Cas turned on some music, a soft country tune that played through his phone he’d set on the hood of his nearby truck.
As they sanded, Harper found herself swaying to the beat.
Cas noticed, grinning as he set his sandpaper down, then stepped closer, catching her around the waist.
“You dance too?” He smiled, turning her gently into a slow spin.
Harper laughed, rolling her eyes but didn’t pull away. “Not really. But it’s hard not to when the music’s good.”
Cas twirled her again, then pulled her close, his hands settling on her hips.
Harper found breathing difficult as she looked up at him, the playful atmosphere shifting into something intimate.
Something that made her heart skip a beat.
They were close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin, the steady rhythm of his heart against hers.
“Harper,” Cas murmured softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers in a gentle, lingering kiss. She immediately melted into it, her hands sliding up to rest on his broad shoulders as she returned his kiss with equal softness.
They parted just enough to look at each other, their foreheads resting together. Exhilarated and calm, the strange blend of emotions left her feeling grounded and light at the same time.
Unique and incredible, and she wanted more.
“This is nice,” she whispered, afraid to break the spell.
Cas nodded, his thumb gently brushing her cheek. “Yeah, it is.”
Then they were kissing again, each one a little longer, a little deeper, a little needier, until they were both breathless and smiling. A delicious, warm tingling spread through her, the kind that came with knowing she was exactly where she wanted to be.
When he broke the kiss, they were both sucking in air, and just when she thought he was going to take it to the next level, he kissed her nose and released her.
She blinked and watched a little dazed as he picked up his sandpaper and got back to work.
Normally, she would’ve been grateful for his control, because she’d felt the evidence of his true feelings pressing against her lower stomach as he’d kissed her stupid. But she was kind of done with normal. She was ready for more. Ready for wild and, well, all of him.