Page 1 of Capture The Moment

Prologue

Widowed at age thirty-one. It had taken a long time for the reality of that to sink in. Harper’s husband of five years was dead, and she was alone. Her entire life, her future, and her dreams had gone up in smoke on that fateful day in June when her husband had collapsed while playing basketball with his friends, never regaining consciousness, never able to tell her goodbye.

She’d never forget when she’d received the call from Finn, her husband’s best friend since high school, who had been playing basketball with him that day. She’d known immediately by the tone of his voice and the fact that he’d never called her directly that something was terribly, horribly wrong. Finn had broken down while relaying the news that her beloved husband and his closest friend was dead at age thirty-two.

Later, it had been determined that Blake had died from a brain aneurysm, a sudden death with no warning symptoms, at least none that she’d known of. Looking back, she’d tried to recall if he’d been complaining about severe headaches or neck pain, but she honestly couldn’t remember.

All she knew was that his death had changed her in innumerable ways. Before, she’d gone through life the way most young people did, without fear of the future or of death. Now, she’d gained a new understanding about the fragility of life and how it could change in the blink of an eye. There was a wariness about her now, not to mention an ache in her chest that never seemed to go away. Other than losing her grandparents when she was very young, she’d never experienced the death of someone that close to her, and there hadn’t been anyone closer to her than Blake.

He’d known her better than anyone, maybe even her family. She’d been more open with him than with any other guy she’d ever dated, and their marriage had been strong and vibrant because of it. Part of what had drawn her to him in the first place was the ease and comfort she’d felt with him. Finally, she’d found someone she could truly be herself with, warts and all.

She’d loved Blake without reservation and had looked forward to a lifetime of happiness. Prior to that tragic day in June, they’d been discussing starting a family, and they’d agreed that she should go off the pill. But now they would never have children together, never know what it would be like to hold their grandchildren someday, and the list went on and on.

Harper wasn’t sure how she’d survived those early days and months after his death without having a serious breakdown. Thankfully, she’d been surrounded by close family (hers and his) and friends; otherwise, she might have holed up in her house forever, mired down in her grief and paralyzed by her new reality. Blake was gone. She was alone. She would never know that kind of love again. At least, that’s what she believed.

Chapter 1 (One and a half years later)

“You shouldn’t be alone on New Year’s Eve,” Finn said.

“I’m not alone. I’ve got Daisy and Netflix. I’ll be fine,” Harper said, trying to sound lighthearted even though this would be the second New Year’s Eve in a row that she’d be spending alone.

“Yes, but a dog can’t talk to you.”

“I think you underestimate Daisy,” she quipped, and was met with Finn’s gruff laughter.

“All that little furball is capable of is yapping,” he teased.

“Hey, she’s not a little furball. She’s a cuddly Pomeranian.”

“Same thing,” he said.

“Anyway, you go out and have fun. Drink a glass of champagne for me.”

“I’d rather you come and drink one yourself.”

She sighed. “We’ve been over this, Finn. You know how I feel about going to parties that are mostly made up of couples. It’s hard enough for me at this time of year…”

“You’re right. Sorry for pushing.”

“That’s ok. I know you have my best interests at heart. I’m just not up for it. Not yet.” She wondered when she ever would be. She’d made some strides over the past six months or so, but she still had a long way to go. The ache in her chest over losing Blake had dulled some, but it was still there, ever-present, a constant reminder of what she’d lost. Add in the holidays, when everyone was celebrating with their loved ones, and it was a recipe for disaster. She was much better off staying at home with Daisy than trying to make small talk with a bunch of partygoers.

“Well, if you change your mind, you’ve got my number,” Finn said.

After they’d hung up, she hugged Daisy to her chest and sighed. “It’s just you and me, kiddo,” she said. Her parents had given Daisy to her last Christmas, believing that a pet would help her get over Blake. While a dog could never replace a person, she’d appreciated the sentiment, and Daisy had proved to be a loving and faithful companion. Now she couldn’t imagine not having the little “furball” by her side.

Scrolling through the options on Netflix, Harper settled on the movie TheHoliday, starring Kate Winslet and Jude Law. She’d seen the movie before, but it seemed especially fitting at this time of year and based on what she’d gone through. Like her, Jude Law’s character had lost his spouse, and he was having a difficult time rebuilding his life without her. Of course, in the movie, he had two kids, which would make things infinitely harder. But maybe not. Maybe it would have been better if she and Blake had had children. At least then she’d have living proof that they’d had a happy life together even though it had been cut short.

She’d often wondered what their kids would have looked like. Would they have had golden-blonde hair and light-brown eyes like hers, or dark-brown hair and caramel-colored eyes like Blake’s? Or maybe a combination of both. It seemed like her images of him were becoming fuzzy, like an old photograph that was starting to fade. When she was feeling particularly lonely, she’d pull out pictures of him and of the two of them just to remember.

But tonight, she didn’t want to feel sad. She wanted to lose herself in the movie and admire Jude Law for a little while. The man was easy on the eyes, and she hadn’t looked at a man that way since Blake. Somehow, it didn’t make her feel guilty to ogle a celebrity, but a flesh-and-blood male—well, that was a different story. Her sister and a couple of her girlfriends had recently been talking about setting her up, but she’d managed to hold them off. They’d been insisting that she “get back out there” and “explore her options,” but she didn’t feel ready for that. Not yet.

Dating had been tricky enough back in her college days, but to consider it now, at almost thirty-three—well, the idea was daunting at best. She couldn’t imagine starting over with someone new, having to go through the ritual of getting to know someone, becoming intimate, navigating the emotional roller coaster that was love. The sex part especially tripped her up whenever she thought about it (which wasn’t often). Would she ever be able to have sex without thinking about Blake? Would she feel guilty, like she was cheating on him? How could she be intimate with another man when she still felt married in her mind?

It was all too much to handle, which was why, tonight, she was staying in. She didn’t want to mingle with strangers who were on the prowl to get lucky. She didn’t want to appear like the poor, lonely widow—one of the few people without a date. Of course, Finn had offered to be her date, but that wasn’t the same.

Finn O’Brien. Her husband’s best friend since high school. The man who had been her rock after Blake’s death. The man who’d taken it upon himself to protect her, rushing to her aid whenever she needed him and even when she didn’t like tonight. He’d literally called or stopped by to check on her once a week ever since Blake had died. Without making a nuisance of himself, he’d made it clear that he’d be there for her for whatever she needed whenever she needed it.

She’d often wondered if he and Blake had made some sort of pact, that if anything should happen to Blake, Finn would be there to help her out, since that’s exactly what had happened. It was hard to imagine a single, good-looking guy like Finn, hanging around her for any other reason. It certainly couldn’t have been because of her sparkling personality, because she’d been anything but sparkling over the past year and a half. Yet he’d continued to be there for her, strong and steadfast, refusing to be pushed aside.