Page 30 of Capture The Moment

Finn laughed again. “Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll be there.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Hell if I know, but I can at least look at the thing.”

“I thought you knew all.”

“Heating and cooling isn’t my area of expertise, but I can plow your driveway while I’m there.”

“You might have to because, if I don’t have heat, I’m going to have to stay somewhere else tonight.”

“I hear Hotel O’Brien has excellent service.”

Harper choked on her own spit. “Um, as generous an offer as that is…”

“I’m teasing. Let’s see if I can fix your furnace, and then we’ll worry about where you’re sleeping tonight.”

“Ok. Thanks.” But there was no reply because Finn had already hung up.

He showed up twenty minutes later as promised, resembling a lumberjack in his red and black plaid coat and chunky brown boots. She noticed that once again, he hadn’t bothered with a hat, gloves, or, heaven forbid, a scarf, and she couldn’t suppress a grin.

“Oh, so now you’re happy to see me. Now that I’m here to save you from frostbite!”

For once, Daisy didn’t yip at him. She just sat on the floor and stared up at him as if she knew he was there to rescue them. Fickle dog!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m always happy to see you,” Harper said flippantly. And when Finn smiled, she realized that it was true. There was just something about him…

“Damn, it’s cold in here,” he teased, and he brushed past her to get to the thermostat. Harper and Daisy hovered nearby while Finn flipped open the little lid that housed the thermostat controls and peered at them.

Harper didn’t pretend to understand what he was looking for. It had been well documented that she wasn’t the least bit mechanically inclined—thus the need for men like Blake and Finn, who always seemed to know what to do.

“There’s another one of these upstairs, right?”

Harper nodded.

“Lead the way.”

The last time Finn had been in her bedroom was over a year ago, when she’d been down with the flu. He’d insisted on visiting her even though her mom had been staying with her at the time. He’d even brought her a steaming container of chicken noodle soup that he’d picked up from the local deli, and he’d practically force-fed it to her, insisting that it would help her get better.

Now she felt a twinge of discomfort as he followed her into the bedroom, because, other than being cold, she was perfectly healthy.

After checking the thermostat there too, he turned to her and said, “I don’t think you’re sleeping here tonight.”

“I was afraid of that.”

“I’ll check the furnace unit itself, but you might want to start packing a bag.”

With that, Finn left the room, leaving her standing there weighing her options. Her parents played cards every Friday night, alternating hosting duties with their friends. If it was their night to host, she’d be coerced into playing cards with a bunch of their old cronies until all hours—not high on her list of favorite things to do. Regardless, they lived in Fenton, which was a thirty-minute drive on a clear day. It would probably take double or triple that in the snowstorm. Then there was her sister, McKayla, who rented a one-bedroom apartment in the nearby community of Lake Orion. Harper could probably crash on her sister’s couch; however, McKayla was allergic to dogs, and as much as she adored Daisy, having her there might set off a severe allergic reaction that could land her in the emergency room. Harper didn’t want that on her conscience along with everything else she’d been feeling guilty about lately. Her last hope was Julia; however, she’d been cagey when Harper had asked her what her plans were for the evening. Harper had a feeling that Julia might be going out with Mystery Man again, and the last thing she wanted was to crash Julia’s private party, if she were even at home.

She was still standing in the middle of her bedroom when Finn reentered. “You haven’t moved,” he said.

“Just hoping that you fixed it.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like the circuit board blew. All we can do is call around and try to get someone to come out tomorrow. Although, with this weather, there’s probably a waiting list. You might not have heat until Monday.”

“Monday! You’re kidding, right?”

Finn shook his head. “My offer still stands. I have two extra bedrooms and a stocked fridge. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to.”