Chapter 5 - The Secret She Couldn't KeepThat night, I saw the light on in Harper’s living room past midnight. Without waiting, I crossed the yard, walked through the gap in the fence, and knocked gently on her back door.
She opened it wearing an oversized sweater, her hair pulled into a messy bun. She looked exhausted, dark circles framing her beautiful eyes.
“Owen? It’s late, is everything okay?”
“I had a visitor today,” I said quietly, stepping inside. “Richard Sterling from Apex Healthcare.”
Harper’s face drained of color. She looked away, holding her coffee mug with both hands as if searching for warmth.
“He told me about your father’s medical debt, Harper,” I said gently, sitting across from her at the kitchen table. “Why didn't you tell me? Why were you keeping this to yourself?”
Harper set her mug down with a small clatter, tears brimming in her eyes. “Because it’s my responsibility, Owen! You’re struggling to keep your bakery floating, and I couldn't burden you with my family’s mess.”
“We’re a team, Harper! We’ve always been a team!” I insisted, leaning across the table to cover her hand with mine. “Apex is trying to force me out of the bakery and force you out of your childhood home. They’re using your dad’s care as leverage.”
Harper let out a shaky breath, a tear slipping down her cheek. “They gave me thirty days. If I don't pay the back balances or sign over the deed to Dad’s house, they’ll transfer him to a state facility three hours away in Cincinnati. He wouldn't survive the move, Owen. He needs familiar surroundings.”
I squeezed her hand tightly, feeling the delicate tremble in her fingers.
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“They think they can bully us because we’re small,” I said, my voice dropping into a fierce, steady tone. “They think money buys everything in Willow Creek. But they don't know what this town is made of. And they don't know what I’d do to protect you.”
Harper looked at me, her tear-filled eyes wide with emotional revelation. For the first time in months, the heavy wall of isolation she had built around herself crumbled completely.
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