Chapter Five

LAYKEN

I drove around the city for over an hour, scouting out various hotels. Hoping that she was in one of them, safe and sound. When I found her in one, I would gladly go home and leave her alone. She would never have to know I was out looking for her. All I wanted was to have the reassurance that she was safe. But we don’t always get what we hope for. Which was what was happening to me right now after going to one of the last hotels I could think of.

I pulled into some covered parking to get a rest from the pounding rain. If I was a homeless person living out of my car, where would I be? I thought repeatedly, then prayed to God to help me out, even if it was just a little. Then it came to me. She had to be at the parks. Or near the lake, and if that were the case, she was indeed in serious trouble.

I sent out another plea for God to send me to where she was. Because if he didn’t lead me, I could easily drive around for another hour before I found her. Then it could be too late to rescue her from her impending doom. I put my car in drive and went to one of the most beautiful parks in Georgetown. Sure enough, I saw her vehicle, and the water was quickly rising from her tires. A light was on in her car, but there wasn’t any movement. I had to park my car quite a ways away to keep myself from having the same fate and ran up to her car. My God, how can someone sleep in this? Harper glanced up in shock when I started pounding on her window.

“Get out! Your car is about to go into the lake!”

She quickly sprung into action. Grabbing things and putting them in her purse and laptop case. I leaped out of the way so she could swing the door open.

She gasped in shock when she swung the door open and realized the water was past her ankles and halfway up to her knees. If I had been later, she wouldn’t have been able to open the door. “Help me get my bags please,” she yelled and ran to open the hatch and started chunking bags as far as she could.

I quickly grabbed her belongings and ran them to my car. Wrenched the door open and flung them into the back seat. Looked back to see that she had moved a little but not much and it seemed she was standing in one spot. However, I could tell that she was slowly inching her way towards me. I ran and swooped her off of her feet and ran as fast as I could back to my vehicle. I put her down on her feet. Realizing she didn’t have any shoes on, and instantly understood why she was moving at a snail’s pace.

“Where are your shoes?” I yelled over the sound of the pounding rain.

“They are in my car!”

We both glanced to see that her car was slowly being carried away. If I had been ten minutes later getting to her, I would have been too late. I still would have done everything I could to save her, though.

“I’ll get you some new ones. Get in your soaked,” I yelled and opened the door for her.

She didn’t move. Just stood there watching her car drift away in shock.

“Harper, we must hurry or my car will become stuck and we’ll be in a difficult situation.”

She blinked twice and glanced up at me. I pulled her into a comforting hug, kissed her forehead, turned her around, and pushed her towards the door. She glanced back one more time at her car before sitting down and buckling up. I shut her door, ran to the driver’s side, dove in, put the car in drive, and hauled ass.

“What were you thinking?! Why wouldn’t you stay with Tenley?! I know she has asked you!”

“Please don’t yell at me. There’s no need to shout because I’ve learned my lesson. I hoped that if I left my car at a distance from the water, it would stay safe if it rained. I was mistaken. Worked my ass off for three years so I could pay cash for that car. It wasn’t beautiful, but it was mine.”

“Sorry that I was cross with you. I feared for your safety, is all.”

“It appears God provided an answer to my prayers. I just wish he had conveyed it to me another way. There’s no doubt I’m staying. I could go home to New Jersey and go to a community college, but my soul would shrivel up. Nobody wants that.”

I couldn’t tell if she was talking to me or out loud to herself because Harper was staring out of the window with a thoughtful but sad look on her face. I wasn’t sure what to say.

“You will stay with me tonight since it is already getting late, and I will take you to Tenley’s in the morning. Don’t worry. I have guestrooms for when my parents come to stay. There’s also a playroom set up for my nieces and nephews when my sister or my two brothers come by with their families. I’m hoping you’ll consider staying with Tenley until you get on your feet. She can give you a ride to work and school when that time comes. I can help as well if needed. My office is in Austin.”

“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”

The last of what I just said went through one ear and out the other. Or she’s in shock possibly and doesn’t know how to answer. I’ll leave it alone for now.

“Two brothers and two sisters. A brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law. I have three nephews and two nieces.”

“Wow, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I had siblings. I was an only child. My mom died because of complications during childbirth, and my dad never remarried. My dad died three years ago, and my foster parents could never have children of their own. So even then, I was still an only child.”

Harper speaks as if all of this were no big deal. Of course, she wasn’t looking at me when she talked, and she continued to stare out of the window. I knew this was a conversation we would need to have later on, though. I could feel her emotions as they wafted over to me, and I didn’t want this night to be any harder on Harper than it already had been. But that didn’t keep her from asking me questions.

“So. Tenley told me you were close to turning thirty-one. Are you the oldest of your siblings? And why aren’t you married if the rest of the lot is?” Harper asked in a straightforward and blunt manner.

I cleared my throat before answering. “Yes, I am the oldest. As far as not being married, I haven’t found the right woman yet. In all honesty, I devote all of my time to my law practice, and it drives my family crazy.”

Harper turned to speak to me instead of out the window for once. “You seem like such a great man. Even though we don’t know each other well, I’m honestly surprised that no one has taken you off the market yet. I wouldn’t know much about such things. I’ve never dated or even kissed a guy before,” Harper said, and chuckled.

She’s never even kissed a guy before. Now I was feeling like a perverted old man. What kind of game was God playing here? I decided then and there if we were to get into a relationship, I would take things slow with Harper. It would be hard because my emotions and body were always on hyper-drive when Harper was concerned. But I want to do what is best for her, and I would never take advantage.

HARPER

I can’t believe I just said that! What the hell is wrong with me? I mentally slapped myself and chuckled to lighten the mood. The shock on Layken’s face tells me he won’t touch me, and boy, do I want him to touch me. I want him to be my first kiss and my first of everything. I want him to possess all of me, and I want to possess all of him.

Not only do Layken and I have a profound connection I can’t explain, but he had also just now saved my life. There was no way I was letting him out of my life. The man literally swooped me off of my feet. I had to tell him I needed him. I just hope that he feels the same things that I do, or my heart might break into a thousand pieces. That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m smitten with a man I’ve just met. Realized in that moment that I was the one who had to take the lead regarding Layken and me. I had to show him I could manage the situation with maturity.

Beyond Layken, I have bigger fish to fry. I no longer have transportation. I promised my dad I would never depend on anyone, especially a man. But in this case, I needed help, and I had to take what they gave if I were going to make it in this world. I thought I had it all figured out, and being on my own was going to be so easy. I’m realizing now just how naïve I have been.

Layken and I drove the rest of the way to his home in silence. I could see him in the window when he would glance at me, and I wished I knew what was going through his mind right now. Mine is on hyper-drive, and for the first time in my life, I don’t have my shit together. I’m not sure what my next step should be. I’m certain I don’t want to stay at home and attend a community college. Juan and Sarah are so dear to me. They have been the best foster parents one could ever ask for. I have to figure this out on my own and allow the help that is going to be given to me by Layken and Tenley.

I don’t know what I was expecting exactly when we arrived at Layken’s home, but I sure wasn’t expecting a two-story house on a lot out in the country with no neighbors. Layken laughed as he rode the car into one of the three-car garage slots. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw a very expensive truck and SUV in the other two slots. Then I was confused. Why didn’t he take his truck?

As if Layken knew what I was thinking because of the shocked look on my face, he put the car in park, turned to me, and smiled.

“I’m an attorney with an impressive record and I run a law practice. Had to invest my money somewhere. I’m single and living alone. But I’m hoping that one day I’ll have a family. Let’s get your things inside, so you can take a shower and get warmed up, alright?”

“Um, yes, of course, thank you, Layken.”

I went to grab the handle to open the door, but Layken stopped me.

“Stay there,” he said and exited the car to run over and lent his hand to me to help me out of the vehicle. I tripped, and Layken caught me, bringing me up to his rock-hard chest. I glanced up into those gorgeous hazel-green eyes of his and melted. This was my chance to take the lead and show him I wasn’t fragile, and that I needed him, that I was grateful for him saving my life.