I grab one side and she gets the other. We walk the mattress over to the platform. “Thanks for helping me. I’d be hammering away with the meat tenderizer if you hadn’t come along.”

“Not a problem. What else do you need?”

She looks around the room. “Nothing really. I wish I had a television or more books. I’ll get those later.”

Harper’s belongings are sparse. How does someone who’s been married have so little in the way of housekeeping? Josie is single and her apartment is packed with enough furnishings for three houses.

“I’m so glad you came over. I thought maybe you didn’t like me.”

“I don’t know you.” I give her a pleasant smile. If I had a collared shirt on, I’d be pulling at my neckline.

“When I knocked on your door and introduced myself…”

“I didn’t expect a new neighbor. That’s all.” But now the thing that’s been bugging me resurfaces. I can’t help myself. “Plus, I thought I knew you from somewhere. Have we met before?”

“No,” she answers, shaking her head. “But I thought you looked familiar, too. Actually, I thought you were Joe Delaware, the famous country singer when I saw you one day at a bar I found downtown. I was eating lunch there and you were with Josie. Of course, I didn’t know Josie then. Small world, huh?”

“Joe Delaware is a lot older than I am.” I laugh. “And a lot richer.”

Harper shakes her head. “Well, close up I can see the difference. You’re a better looking guy than he is.”

I don’t do well with compliments. I know I’m not dog-turd ugly. Or so I’ve been told by Josie when her friends asked her to play matchmaker.

Instead of responding to her, I glance around the bare living room. “If you need a book to read, I have quite a few. You’re welcome to borrow one.”

“That’d be really nice.”

“I need to get back to work if you don’t need any more help. Come grab a book if you like.” There. I’m still being neighborly.

I grab my toolbox and Harper follows me across the hall. She hesitates a little in the doorway as if waiting for an invitation.

Man, have I ever behaved like a dick.

“Come on in.” I wave at the shelves lining one wall from floor to ceiling. “There’s a rolling ladder at the end. Help yourself.”

Harper lingers at the end shelf, browsing through the books at eye level. She has a tiny waist that nips in and I imagine my hands spanning across the entire width. For such a small thing, she has a fine ass. It’s my Achilles’ heel and I force my gaze up.

Too late.

I imagine grabbing her ass and pulling her flush to my body, feeling the heat of her skin through her clothes.

I sit on the bar stool, one leg dangling, fighting a hard-on that I’ll have to adjust when I stand. Still, I’m a glutton for punishment and reluctant to stop watching her since she isn’t paying attention to me.

“Can I take this John Grisham one?” she asks and turns to face me.

I nod. “Take anything you want. But no dog ears. I hate those. Please use a bookmark.”

“You’re serious? I won’t. You can trust me.”

“My sister would turn down page corners on every book I owned. We used to fight over that. It’s the reason she named her bookstore Dog Ears.”

Harper pulls the Grisham book from the shelf. “You and your sister are very close, huh.”

“I guess.” I roll my head back and look at the ceiling. “She can drive me insane, but she’s also my best friend. We’re twins.”

I don’t know why I’ve told her this. The story is really one of those inane details.

“You don’t look a thing alike. So you’re not identical.” She throws both hands to cover her face. “I cannot believe I said that.” She drops her hands and her face turns a bright shade of pink.

I cannot quit grinning at the way she’s so embarrassed over her thoughtless remark. “I hope we’re not.”

She holds up the book. “On that totally stupid note, I think I’ll be leaving. Thanks for the book. I’ll bring it back when I’m finished.”

“You’re welcome to borrow all you want. If you need help with something heavy, or whatever, please let me know.”

“Thanks, Leo.”

She closes the door behind her and I stare at it. Harper is someone I could be interested in. Not that I’m looking. But if I wanted more than a hook-up, Harper would be exactly the kind of girl I’d choose. She’s the opposite of my ex, Tori—a woman I now know was all flash and dishonesty.

6

Grandma Lulu’s Litmus Test

Harper

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Take reading for instance. I’ve never been opposed to the task. My daddy asked me read to a Bible verse a day and that was okay. A verse is pretty darned short. Now, I’ve suddenly taken a shine to the written word. Specifically, I’m fond of books that belong to Leo and must be borrowed and then returned.

I thought I had everything under control with fake reading until the second book I borrowed. Yesterday, I’d returned the book, ready to guide the conversation to what he might be writing.

“How did you like Gone Girl?” he asked me.

“Loved it. That book was such a page turner.”

“What about the plot twist in the middle?”

I’d given him a puzzled look.

One corner of his mouth quirked. “You know. When you discover Amy’s an unreliable narrator.”

What. The. Heck. There went my easy ruse.

Now, I guess I’ll have to really read.

It is interesting how his eyes sparkle when he asks me about the stories. He turns his head ever so slightly, like he might miss something important I have to say.

I’m lying on my bed and fluff two pillows underneath my head so I can better position my current read, a zombie novel. Leo’s tastes range from classic to trendy. It’s been a week of borrowing books and so far, those few minutes are the only time I see him. I’ve tried a little of everything he has in his library, as if I’m at some buffet taking a bite of this or that and knowing I can always go back for a different dish.

On the next page turn, I find a piece of paper serving as a bookmark. It’s a business card for a hair stylist. Interesting. Wesley always went to a barbershop, as far as I know.

But then again, he had lots of secrets I only uncovered bit by bit. I grip the card tighter. I close my eyes for a second and shake off thinking ill of the dead.

I flip the card over. There’s a phone number on the back and the word ‘cell’ printed above the numbers. There’s also two tiny hearts drawn next to the name. I turn back to the front and examine it. The card lists a business name and at the bottom, “Stylist Tori.”

I wonder if Tori borrowed this book also. Maybe Leo has lots of friends who borrow reading material.

My cell phone chimes and I grab it from the end of the bed. “Hello.”

“Hi Harper. It’s Josie.”

“Hey.” I gently place the card inside the book and close the cover. I haven’t heard from her in a couple of days. “How are you?”

“I’m good. I’ve been the only one running the store because my help decided to go to Disney World. As if people deserve a vacation.”

I’m silent, since I can’t tell if she’s kidding or not.

“Harper? You there? You OK?”

“Yeah. Things have been good here.”

“Did you find a job yet?”

“Oh. I did. I’m going to be a concierge at a dog hotel.”

“That’s a joke, right?”

“Um…no.” I sit up and pull my knees forward. “Well, that’s what they call it. It’s really a dog walker and assistant type thing at this glorified dog boarding business. But they can call me whatever they want at Le Frou Frous. I start work on Monday.”

Josie’s deep laugh puts the happy in my day. It’s nice to talk to someone.

“Want to come by?” I ask.

“Oh. That’s why I called. Could you go next door and tell my brother to check his voicemail or pick up the phone?”