CHAPTER 1
Harper carefully wrappedanother canvas in brown paper. Finally, finally, after what seemed forever, spring was here, the sky was clearing from its perpetual gray and the humans were venturing into outdoor activities again.
As an artist who captured landscapes with her brush and paints, Harper always had a hard time staying put during the cold weather. Living on the Oregon Coast meant that she rarely saw snow, or sub zero temperatures, but the whole coastline seemed to lose its color and life during those few months. Brown and gray dominated the horizon and the bite of the ocean wind was enough to have anyone running for a cup of hot cocoa and the warmth of a crackling fire.
Her favorite time of year was filled with color and the opportunity to socialize with friends and customers in the outdoor art exhibits or open air markets found up and down the Pacific coastline. She loved chatting with the adults and children alike as they admired her work and asked questions about her technique.
Harper’s cheeks flooded with warmth as she considered the other reason she was looking forward to the warm season.
Mason Turley.
While his day job consisted of working in the lumber industry, during the warm months, he could often be found at Harper’s art festivals, doing live wood carvings. His skill with a chainsaw was awe inspiring, but Harper found herself staring at more than just the art.
Who could resist a man as tall and broad as a linebacker with the most mesmerizing golden eyes she had ever seen?
She shook her head. Apparently, she wasn't more immune than any of the other women who tried to swarm him at the festivals. The difference was that she couldn’t let herself melt like a fangirl. Handsome or not, Harper was still in the middle of building her professional life and trying to break into the art world took a lot of time and persistence. She simply didn’t have time for anything else. Not that her hormones were willing to listen to her logic.
She had known Mason for nearly five years, after she moved to the coast in order to make a career of her artistic talents. Her crush had come on slowly, though she’d thought him handsome from the beginning. A chat here...a laugh there...a moment when their eyes caught...his quiet willingness to help every person he came in contact with... Ugh!
The paper Harper was wrapping with tore at a corner and she grit her teeth to keep from saying a word her mother would definitely not approve of. She dropped the paper to the ground and began again, forcing her breathing to slow as she turned her mind to something other than her unrequited feelings for a handsome lumberjack.
It wasn’t even fair to call them unrequited. Harper had never bothered to try and see if Mason could ever see her as more than a friend. She couldn’t. For years, her mother had been breathing down her neck to try and force Harper into a mold that her artistic brain just didn’t want to comply with. Sharon Woodson wanted her daughter to be a lawyer...just like her.
As a single mother, Sharon had learned that not all jobs paid the bills and Harper was more grateful than she could say that her mom worked two jobs, went back to school and managed to pass the bar exam, all while raising a little girl. Their life had gone from difficult to luxurious, all because of Sharon’s dedication.
But Harper didn’t have the same ideals. She saw how hard her mother worked, and admired her for it, but she wanted something different. Harper didn’t want premature age lines. She didn’t want to try to keep up with “The Good Old Boys” at work. She didn’t want to create arguments or try to find holes in other people’s stories.
Harper wanted to create. She loved color and nature and her mind often wandered to how she could capture the beauty around her. Sharon said it came from Harper’s father’s mother. A woman Harper had never met before her death. Sharon and her husband hadn’t been together long, but it was enough that Harper’s grandmother had left Harper a small trust fund that she’d been able to use to pay for art school and now help her live independently, despite her mother’s complaints.
“There.” Harper put the last canvas down, admiring her work. Everything was neat as a pin, just as it should be. She even had a few new paintings this time around in order to catch new eyes. After Austin, Aspen’s husband, had asked her to paint some pictures of cake for their bakery, Harper had discovered she enjoyed the bright whimsy of the product and spent some time creating cute, food-centric pictures that would be darling in a little girl’s room, or liven up a brightly colored kitchen.
With a deep breath and a practiced force of determination, she began hauling everything to her car. The crossover vehicle had a large back, which allowed her to drive her paintings around without worry of them being squished or broken during transport, and had been her first big splurge after arriving in Oregon.
After depositing the last canvas in the back, Harper shut the hatch and grabbed her buzzing phone from her back pocket. “Hey, Aspen!” Harper cried, recognizing her friend’s number. “How goes the baking today?”
Aspen’s laughter came through the tiny speaker. “We’re almost sold out of the red velvet whoopie pies already,” she replied. “So I’m busy whipping up another batch. Apparently, people are really into hand held desserts today.”
“Who wouldn’t be with that marshmallow filling you use,” Harper teased. She could practically feel her pants getting tighter as she imagined eating more of Aspen’s delicious treats. The whole town loved them, but Harper loved them a little too much.
“Let’s just hope the trend continues,” Aspen retorted. “It never seems to fail that I replenish something, only for people to decide they want mint instead of red velvet.”
Harper grinned, but didn’t respond. She completely understood the sentiment.
“Anyway...” Aspen continued. “I was calling to ask about the market today. Wait... It is today, right?”
“Yep.”
“Oh, good.” Aspen huffed. “For a second there, I thought maybe my brain was going crazy.”
We call that newlywed brain,Harper thought, though she didn’t bother saying it out loud. She was beyond happy for her friend. The road to Aspen and Austin’s marriage had been a difficult one, and a very public one. There was no way to be anything but ecstatic that the two had finally gotten together and their marriage last month had been just as sweet as a bakery display case. “Nope. You’re right on. I just finished packing the pictures and now I’m gonna shower.”
Aspen laughed softly. “Sounds about right. The paintings always were the priority.”
Harper shrugged even though Aspen couldn’t see it. “People don’t buy them based on how I look.”
“True enough...mostly. So...what are the hours? And remind me what park you’re in?”
“Haven Park. Eleven to seven.” Harper had it memorized. She had been a little eager when the schedule had begun to emerge.
“Perfect,” Aspen responded. “I don’t have to leave early in order to make it.”
“And if you showed up with leftovers...I certainly wouldn’t be upset...” Harper hedged. Who needed slim hips? A couple of Aspen’s cookies would definitely be worth the extra speed walk on the beach or another session of yoga.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Aspen said, her smile heard in her tone. “But I gotta run. See you later! And good luck!”
“Thanks!” Harper shut down the call and headed to her bathroom. Her cottage was tiny but cozy and it only took seconds to reach her destination, but she didn’t mind.
Aspen’s call had reminded Harper that she wasn’t alone. She might live by herself and her work might be slightly isolating, but with friends and future customers on the horizon, Harper knew everything would be alright. Unrequited crush or not, she had everything she needed in order to be healthy and happy.
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