“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked, suddenly much more intense as she looked up at him.

“I know what it feels like to need a friend.”

She fell silent, but she didn’t look away.

“What?” he asked.

“What if…”

“Go on…”

“What if I don’t go back to my sister’s this week?”

“Don’t tell me you’re considering tracking Axel down, wherever he’s at!”

“No, I’m thinking that maybe, if you don’t mind, I’ll just stay with you.”

When he coughed in surprise, they both nearly fell. That was the last thing he’d expected her to say. She’d been so careful to make sure he understood she wasn’t open to a relationship. “Why would you do that?” he asked once he’d caught his balance and steadied her, too.

“Because I want to live a little. I married young and became a mother only a year later. I’ve carried the bulk of the responsibility for my children and everything else that wasn’t strictly music related ever since. And you make me feel good. I like being around you. Do I have to have a reason beyond that?”

He brought them to a stop and gripped her shoulders instead of her hands. “Harper, you have to be careful.”

“Of what?”

“It would be easy to think…” He scrambled for the right words. “To think you feel more for me than you do, I guess. That’s why rebound relationships are so common after a big breakup. But what you’re feeling isn’t real—it’s just some psychological construct that kicks in when you suddenly find yourself at loose ends after being in a close relationship. It’s natural to try to avoid feeling the loss.”

“It might not be real, but it’s a relief. So am I a bad person for wanting to roll with it? I’m tired of feeling awful!”

“I understand that, but we can’t hang out if it’s going to get confusing for you.”

“I’m not going to get confused.”

“But I’m trying to help you, not make matters worse. Getting involved with me would be… Would be totally reckless.”

“So? Why can’t I be reckless for a change? Have a fling with a sexy stranger while my kids are gone? I’m sure Axel isn’t denying himself for my sake.”