Page 25 of Caspian (HC Heroes #14)
“Me?” She lifted up to glance down at him. “That was not all me, Caspian. You were the reason that was so good.”
He shook his head. “ We were the reason that was good. We’re good together.”
“I agree.” She smiled and settled back down, snuggling close. “I could get addicted to mornings like this.”
He smiled and hugged her closer. “Me, too.”
She sighed. “If I didn’t need food, I’d stay in bed here with you until Sadie came knocking for us.”
He laughed. “I could definitely see her doing that if we didn’t show up for breakfast like we’d planned.”
“Yeah.” She groaned. “What was I thinking?”
“That you’re ready to take your life back,” he said, kissing her head again.
She nodded. “You’re right.” Then she pushed out of his arms and sat up. “But I don’t see any harm in us getting a quick shower first, do you?”
“No, ma’am. No harm at all.” He grinned, following her to the bathroom. “Just pleasure.”
***
A n hour later, Harper sat at the kitchen table savoring the last bite of her French toast as the conversation swirled around her.
Sadie and Dale were discussing their next move, the tension in the room rising.
Cas was beside her, his hand resting on the back of her chair in a way that was both comforting and grounding, like always.
Her thoughts drifted back to last night, how Cas had made her forget about the crazy turn her life had recently taken, by fulfilling her need for him, making her wild with hunger until she’d cried out his name.
It had been amazing and tiring, and she’d actually slept the whole night.
For some reason, she thought for sure her old nightmares would return. But not one reared its ugly head.
When she woke up this morning, she didn’t even want to open her eyes.
She’d wanted to stay there, wrapped in his arms, in his warmth and strength, and never leave.
But, damn, was she ever glad she’d blinked her eyes open and found Cas smiling warmly at her.
Then he kissed her softly, sweetly, making her feel so incredibly special.
Last night had been amazing, but this morning had felt different, more profound than anything she’d ever experienced.
Being with Cas wasn’t just comforting, it was as if they’d connected on a deeper, almost unspoken level that went beyond words.
She felt humbled by the intensity of their bond, blessed to have found someone who truly understood her, and yet, a flicker of fear lingered.
The stakes were higher now—not just with their pursuit of the truth, but with the heart she’d taken a chance and put on the line.
“I just wish we had those missing diary pages,” Dale said, his somber tone breaking through Harper’s thoughts. “It feels like we’re so close, but still missing the most important piece.”
Sighing, she nodded in agreement, tracing the rim of her coffee cup with her finger. Those torn-out pages had haunted her too. It was as if the truth was just out of reach, taunting them with its absence. If only they knew who had taken them.
She straightened her back as a thought hit her. “Sadie, did your mom ever mention anything about Andrew, Mary’s brother? Did he have any furniture that’s still in the house?”
Sadie thought for a moment. “Actually, yes. I remember my mom saying that the credenza in the living room used to belong to Uncle Andrew. It was his pride and joy or something.”
Hope flickered through Harper “What if Andrew was the one who tore out those pages? He might have wanted to protect Mary or even hide the truth himself. Sure, he could’ve burned them. But, what if he didn’t? What if he stashed them somewhere safe?”
Cas sat up straighter as he appeared to catch onto her line of thought. “That credenza has a lot of drawers and compartments. It’s worth checking out.”
Sadie’s eyes lit up with realization, and she quickly stood, gesturing for everyone to follow her into the living room. “Let’s take a look.”
They moved into the living room, the antique credenza sitting elegantly against the wall, another stunning testament to a bygone era.
It was solid, with a rich, dark wood finish, and had the kind of craftsmanship that made it feel like it had stories to tell.
She sure hoped so. Anticipation hiccupped through her pulse as she knelt down and began pulling out drawers, the others pulling them out too.
Tesla jumped down from his perch on the back of the couch and apparently decided this was a game for him. He leapt into one of the open drawers, his tail flicking playfully as he explored his new hideout. Harper smiled, even as her mind raced with the possibility of what they might find.
Dale was going through the top compartments, carefully pulling out old linens and knick-knacks that had been stashed away for years.
Sadie was focused on the bottom drawers, methodically checking each one.
Harper’s heart pounded as she ran her fingers along the insides of the drawers, feeling for anything out of place, any secret compartment or hidden spaces that she sometimes found when refurbishing antiques.
They worked in silence, the air thick with a mix of hope and frustration as drawer after drawer turned up empty. She glanced at Cas, who shrugged, a slight frown on his face.
“Nothing so far,” he said, sounding as disappointed as she felt.
Harper sighed, the brief spark of hope beginning to dim. “Maybe it was just a long shot. I mean, who knows if Andrew even cared enough to keep them?”
Just as she was about to give up, Tesla, who had been nosing around one of the lower drawers, suddenly jumped out, knocking it over. The drawer fell sideways, clattering against the floor with a hollow thud.
“Tesla!” Sadie scolded, though she couldn’t hide her amusement at the cat’s antics.
Harper bent down to fix the drawer, but as she did, something caught her eye. There, taped to the underside of the drawer, was a yellowed envelope, edges frayed from years of being hidden away. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Guys, look,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she carefully peeled the envelope from the drawer’s underside. It was old, the paper brittle under her touch. She turned it over, and her breath caught when she saw the name scrawled on it.
Mary