HAPPY PANTS CAFE (THE HAPPY PANTS SERIES) (23 page)

Harper just couldn’t believe it. Austin had gotten her fired and then had taken a job, a promotion no less, at her paper! What a complete asshole. He really would do anything to win.

Oh, this was the last straw. The. Last. That man was going to pay. If it took every ounce of energy she had, she was going to destroy Austin. First, she would smash his little pious faith to teeny tiny pieces. Then, she would find out whatever he was working on next and crush him. She’d work for one of those online papers if she had to, but she’d make sure that man never had a new story for the rest of his life. She wouldn’t stop until his life was utterly destroyed.

“Well, thank you, Dan. I appreciate the honesty.”

She turned to go find Austin, but Dan stopped her. “You aren’t going to do something drastic, are you?” His tone indicated that he almost seemed hopeful that she might say yes.

“Nope. I’m just going to shake the winner’s hand and be on my way.”

She felt everyone’s eyes on her as she wove her way through the crowd toward Austin. When she came up behind him, she saw him pounding shots with five mariachi gentlemen and that Jodiann woman.

“Hello, Austin,” she said in a sugary-sweet tone.

He turned quickly and immediately frowned. “Harper.” He wasn’t dressed up like the rest of the crowd, but wearing her favorite outfit on him: jeans and his white button-down shirt. His hair was messy but sexy as hell, and the man still hadn’t shaved, which gave him a sinfully rugged look.

“Well, I’m here. All ready for you to prove me wrong.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, about that. I’m calling off the bet.”

“You are? How interesting. Why would that be?”
Because you already took everything from me?

“Let’s just say that I’m no longer interested in what you believe or who you believe it with. Why don’t you go back to Juan? I think I saw him keeping his mouth warmed up for you over in the dinner tent.”

Ah!
He saw Juan kissing her and was jealous. This was her opportunity. She was going to make him wish he’d never been born.

“Oh.” She looked at her feet. “Well, I didn’t want to kiss him, but he said it was the only way I’d be getting in, and I really wanted to see you.” She put on her most offended face and turned away, pretending she was about to leave.

On cue, she heard Austin calling out for her. “Harper, wait.”

She turned and looked at him. “Yes?”

“Did Juan really force himself on you?”

Harper nodded.

“I’m going to kick the crap out of him.”

Oh, look at this guy! Acting like he’s my big protector. What a jerk!

“I can take care of myself. Besides, I slapped him pretty hard. I think he gets the point now.”

Austin beamed at her.

Why is he beaming? I can’t believe this guy!

“Harper, all this fighting is ridiculous. And the bet…” He ran his large hands through his hair. “I-I think that you’re wrong about your beliefs, which is why I came here tonight, fully expecting to persuade you, but I know pushing you will only make you dig in harder. I just wanted to tell you that I respect you and your decision to believe whatever makes you happy.”

“Agreed. So why don’t we bury the hatchet, then? Start over. As friends.”

He looked down at her. “I think I can do that.”

“So.” Harper sighed. “Where’s Libby tonight?”

He narrowed his eyes. “She’s not here. I had to file a restraining order.”

“Really? Why? You two seemed…happy.”

“I didn’t lie to you, Harper. She’s crazy and threw herself at me. And she refuses to accept
it’s over, which is why I came up to St. Helena in the first place. I needed to get away.”

“Oh.” Harper gave it a bit of thought.
Nope. Doesn’t change anything. He still got me fired and now has a job working at my ex-paper.
“Well, I see they just switched music in the dance tent.” It sounded like they were now playing some sort of Mexican-slash-country style music. “Wanna dance?”

“I’d like that.” He followed her over to the dance tent, where about half of the people had cleared out and moved over to the food tent, where someone was making an announcement on a loudspeaker. People cheered, but she couldn’t hear for what.

When they reached the dance floor, she faced Austin and looked up at him, trying not to let his powerful size get to her. She placed her hand in his. It was warm and rough and made her skin pulse. He placed another hand on the small of her back.

Don’t let it affect you. This guy is about as low as it gets. You’re going to destroy him.
But as he pulled her close to his warm body and they swayed to the music, she couldn’t help but feel hurt. Why couldn’t it have worked out between them? She felt so good being in his arms, being close. Even his smell felt right. How could he have done this to her?

Don’t think about that, Harper. Don’t be weak and soft. Think about him calling Dan. Think about him positioning himself for a promotional opportunity at your paper after he got you fired. Step one. Destroy his faith. Show him he can be tricked and fooled, and everything he’s ever believed in isn’t right. Shake his bedrock.

Harper pulled back and smiled at him, doing her best to give him a look of want and lust. “I’m really liking this truce, Austin. It’s like everything in the world has been set right again.”

He smiled, and it was genuine.
Ha.

“So, tell me,”
she said, “I’m curious. What was your plan tonight to win our bet?”

“I thought we were putting the past behind us?”

“Yes, you’re right.” She placed her head on his firm chest, knowing that his ego wouldn’t be able to resist explaining his awesome plan.

“Well, I invited my parents.”

“You did?”

“They’re late but should be here any minute.”

Under any other circumstances, she would be ecstatic to see his parents again. But tonight…
I wonder what they think of Austin’s underhanded ways?

“And then what?” she asked sweetly.

“I was going to let you see them dance. The way they look at each other, it’s obvious that they are still in love even after all these years.”

Harper felt a tiny flutter in her heart. How could Austin be so sweet and so sentimental and such a backstabber at the same time?

Austin gave Harper a little twirl and then pulled her back, placing his lips against her ear. His breath was hot and his mouth was soft, and her knees went all wobbly.

Dammit.
She still wanted this lying deceitful man. But more than anything she wanted the ugly thing he’d done not to be true. This was the person who’d risked his life to save her once. She
needed
to believe he was good.

“And then,” he whispered, “I had another idea.” He pulled her closer, and she felt the full strength of his body.

Her breath stuck in her throat. “Y-y-yes? What was it?”

“I found out that this party is actually a big wedding.”

She pulled back to look into Austin’s eyes. “Really?”

He pulled her back to him, this time using his hand at the small of her back to keep her tightly pinned to his muscled form.

“Yes. So then,” he placed a light kiss on her earlobe, “I planned to make a complete fool of myself and ask you to marry me tonight.”

“What?” Harper stopped moving, but didn’t pull back. Her heart stopped for a moment and then started to accelerate. “Why would you do that?”

“Because,” he whispered, “I love you, Harper. I’ve loved you before I even knew what love was. And I wanted you to see that I’m willing to risk looking like a complete ass in front of the world for you. I wanted you to see that I’m willing to do anything to be with you. Because that’s what people who love each other do.”

Harper felt her heart bust wide open. How could he say these things to her and deceive her like this?

She pushed him away as hard as she could. “You lying sonofabitch. You say you love me?”

She turned and ran, feeling the sting of not only his betrayal, but the heartbreak over his continued deception.

She ran hard, hoping to hell he wouldn’t come after her like some cliché in an old movie. She was running for her life, running from that horrible feeling thumping away in her chest. She made her way through the crowd and slid under the rope, heading out toward the bustling parking lot.

Dear God.
What had she done to deserve this? Her bedrock was completely gone, leaving her standing on nothing but quicksand.

She felt a strong hand grip her arm and pull her back. It was Austin.

“Dammit! Get off me,” she barked.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“I think it’s pretty damned obvious,” she screamed, “you lying piece of shit!”

Anger flickered in Austin’s eyes. “I tell you that I love you, and you push me and then call me a liar. What’s the matter with you, Harper?”

“You! You’re the matter with me. You got me fired, then took a job at my paper, and then you tell me you love me? How could you, Austin? How can you do that to someone, let alone a person you claim to love?”

He was about to speak, but she held out her hand. “Wait. No. Don’t say anything because I
know
the answer and don’t need another lie from you! Love isn’t real. That’s how you managed to do it.”

She turned, and he snapped her back again. “I did not get you fired, Harper. In fact, I asked Dan to hire you back.”

“You’re lying. He said he offered you a job and you accepted.”

“Yes. Those were his terms. He said he’d hire you back, but only if I came to work for him. But he wasn’t supposed to tell you because I knew you’d see it as charity.”

“That’s not at all what Dan said. And he certainly didn’t offer me my job back.” Not that she would take it because Austin was right; she did see it as charity.

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to make a choice, Harper. You’ll have to pick who to trust, because one of us is lying and one of us is telling the truth. Hint: one of us loves you and would do anything to make you happy.”

“Love isn’t real.”

“How do you know?” he challenged.

“Because it’s not. I just know. Everyone falls out of love over time. It’s a fact.”

“Some do, but not everyone. And the only way you’re ever going to know if love is real is by actually trying to love someone.”

“I did love someone. And he broke my heart. Twice.”

Austin looked at her, but his expression was unreadable. He pulled her close and then kissed her hard and pulled back. “You broke your own heart, Harper, by not trusting me. You have no one to blame but yourself.”

“But I—”

“Look at the facts, Harper. We’re perfect for each other. We’ve never found anyone who stacked up, because there is nothing better than
this.
But I can’t make you trust me, I can’t make you love me. You have to want it. You have to want to love me.”

He turned and headed back toward the party.

“Wait. Where are you going?” She wasn’t done yelling at him yet!

“We’re the last couple on the list tonight. I’ll be waiting in front of the reverend.”

Was he serious?

Harper watched Austin disappear into the crowd.

“Now can I see your breasts?” said a male voice.

Sebastian stood there staring down at her chest with a beer in his hand.

“Ugh!”

Just then a bus pulled up and let a few people off. She hopped on.

“Leaving already?” the driver asked.

“Yeah. I’m done here.”

~~

As soon as Austin left Harper, he went straight to go look for Dan. He was going to kick the shit out of that lying, cheating asshole. Then he was going to make him call Harper and tell the truth.

Once back inside the party, he wove his way through the dense crowd, looking for his prize, but something stuck to his slightly muddy shoe. A sheet of paper. He stopped to pluck it off, but the moment he peeled it away and looked at it, the flashing lights of the tent illuminated the words.

“What the hell is this?” he whispered.

There was a picture of Harper and him at the top, and below was a profile of each. Name, age, occupation, family history. The next section was a set of instructions detailing that guests of the party, should they come into contact with either individual, were to attempt to “sabotage” their relationship. Several family members had been assigned particular tasks, so guests were asked to support them. Juan was to hit on Harper. Jodiann was to hit on him. Alberto and Sebastian were to act as wranglers.

Austin felt the blood blister his veins. He marched off toward the house in search of Luci. When he found her in the kitchen, checking on the food, it took every ounce of self-control that he had not to yell at the woman. “What. Is. This. Lucy?” He held up the sheet of paper.

Luci, who was in mid-sentence talking to a server, looked up. “Can you give us a moment, dear?” The server nodded and headed outside.