says.
“And what’s Harper like?” Jennifer asks.
“Incredible. Selfless, witty, hardworking, and extremely beautiful. I couldn’t be happier.”
Jennifer nods and takes a sip of her wine. “I would love to meet her. You should come over New Year’s. We’re having a little party. Just some of my friends and a few of Rick’s colleagues.” Rick nods enthusiastically.
“Yeah, man. It’s going to be really fun. We’re all going to get drunk, watch the ball drop, and then make out with our dates.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Dakota says, holding up his wine glass, and they all clink their glasses together, chuckling.
At the end of the night, Dakota gives Jennifer a warm hug and a thank you for inviting him. Rick walks out on to the porch to say their goodbyes.
“Thanks again for inviting me, Rick. This was great,” Dakota says.
“You’re welcome, man. Thanks for coming. I’m so glad you could. Can’t wait for New Year’s. I think Harper and Jennifer will get along great.” Dakota nods, smiling.
“For sure. Jennifer’s amazing. I’m so happy for you guys.” Rick looks at his front door as if seeing Jennifer through it.
“Thank you. She has no idea how wrapped around her finger I truly am.”
“I know the feeling,” Dakota says, chuckling. There is a comfortable silence between them for a few seconds. Dakota clears his throat. “Can I ask you something weird?”
Rick nods. “Sure, anything,” he says, folding his arms to protect himself from the late December wind.
“When did you know that Jennifer…was the one? That you didn’t want anyone else and she was it?” Dakota’s face is serious as he watches Rick process the question. He strokes his chin.
“I don’t think there was ever an exact moment. I just…knew. I looked at her and I pictured my life without her in it and I just didn’t like it. I just knew that no matter what happened, I wanted her to be there with me.”
It’s Dakota’s turn to process. He nods his head, slowly going over the words in his head a couple of times.
“Hm,” he responds softly.
“Why do you ask?” Rick says, smirking.
Dakota shrugs nonchalantly. “Just curious,” he says.
“Is my former-juvenile-delinquent-almost-brother in love?” Rick asks, the smirk not leaving his face. Dakota rolls his eyes.
“Goodbye, Rick. Thanks for the lovely evening.”
“You are, aren’t you? That is so cute,” Rick teases further. Dakota punches him playfully in the shoulder and heads to his car.
“See you New Year’s!” Dakota calls, waving at him. He can still see Rick’s smirk as he settles into his car and lets the engine warm up. But no matter how annoyed he was at his friend, he can’t help but smirk too. He is in love, and he doesn’t think it’s going away any time soon. Or maybe, he admits to himself, it isn’t ever going to go away. Period.
***
Harper
Harper comes from the bathroom changed into her PJs. The bottoms have bunny rabbits on them, and her white T-shirt smells like Dakota. Her face is thoroughly flushed red from her goodnight conversation with Dakota. Jamie is lying on his back on his twin bed dressed the same minus the bunnies. Aiden booked two connecting rooms for them, one for Harper and Jamie to sleep in, and one for himself. Harper was grateful for it and, honestly, surprised. She expected a lavish suite of some sort. She was actually surprised by Aiden’s actions the entire day. He was…pleasant. She might even say…nice. When they arrived, they immediately went to get breakfast at a place Aiden loved. He had a car available to chauffeur them around for the day. After breakfast they went sightseeing, pizza at another one of Aiden’s favorite places, and then in the evening they went to see something on Broadway that neither Harper nor Jamie were interested in but were excited to see just because they were in New York. They went to see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, and for dinner
“And what’s Harper like?” Jennifer asks.
“Incredible. Selfless, witty, hardworking, and extremely beautiful. I couldn’t be happier.”
Jennifer nods and takes a sip of her wine. “I would love to meet her. You should come over New Year’s. We’re having a little party. Just some of my friends and a few of Rick’s colleagues.” Rick nods enthusiastically.
“Yeah, man. It’s going to be really fun. We’re all going to get drunk, watch the ball drop, and then make out with our dates.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Dakota says, holding up his wine glass, and they all clink their glasses together, chuckling.
At the end of the night, Dakota gives Jennifer a warm hug and a thank you for inviting him. Rick walks out on to the porch to say their goodbyes.
“Thanks again for inviting me, Rick. This was great,” Dakota says.
“You’re welcome, man. Thanks for coming. I’m so glad you could. Can’t wait for New Year’s. I think Harper and Jennifer will get along great.” Dakota nods, smiling.
“For sure. Jennifer’s amazing. I’m so happy for you guys.” Rick looks at his front door as if seeing Jennifer through it.
“Thank you. She has no idea how wrapped around her finger I truly am.”
“I know the feeling,” Dakota says, chuckling. There is a comfortable silence between them for a few seconds. Dakota clears his throat. “Can I ask you something weird?”
Rick nods. “Sure, anything,” he says, folding his arms to protect himself from the late December wind.
“When did you know that Jennifer…was the one? That you didn’t want anyone else and she was it?” Dakota’s face is serious as he watches Rick process the question. He strokes his chin.
“I don’t think there was ever an exact moment. I just…knew. I looked at her and I pictured my life without her in it and I just didn’t like it. I just knew that no matter what happened, I wanted her to be there with me.”
It’s Dakota’s turn to process. He nods his head, slowly going over the words in his head a couple of times.
“Hm,” he responds softly.
“Why do you ask?” Rick says, smirking.
Dakota shrugs nonchalantly. “Just curious,” he says.
“Is my former-juvenile-delinquent-almost-brother in love?” Rick asks, the smirk not leaving his face. Dakota rolls his eyes.
“Goodbye, Rick. Thanks for the lovely evening.”
“You are, aren’t you? That is so cute,” Rick teases further. Dakota punches him playfully in the shoulder and heads to his car.
“See you New Year’s!” Dakota calls, waving at him. He can still see Rick’s smirk as he settles into his car and lets the engine warm up. But no matter how annoyed he was at his friend, he can’t help but smirk too. He is in love, and he doesn’t think it’s going away any time soon. Or maybe, he admits to himself, it isn’t ever going to go away. Period.
***
Harper
Harper comes from the bathroom changed into her PJs. The bottoms have bunny rabbits on them, and her white T-shirt smells like Dakota. Her face is thoroughly flushed red from her goodnight conversation with Dakota. Jamie is lying on his back on his twin bed dressed the same minus the bunnies. Aiden booked two connecting rooms for them, one for Harper and Jamie to sleep in, and one for himself. Harper was grateful for it and, honestly, surprised. She expected a lavish suite of some sort. She was actually surprised by Aiden’s actions the entire day. He was…pleasant. She might even say…nice. When they arrived, they immediately went to get breakfast at a place Aiden loved. He had a car available to chauffeur them around for the day. After breakfast they went sightseeing, pizza at another one of Aiden’s favorite places, and then in the evening they went to see something on Broadway that neither Harper nor Jamie were interested in but were excited to see just because they were in New York. They went to see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, and for dinner
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