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sifting through the mail and set the pileback on the table. He and Blake had become close friends since the engagement. Their shared interest in dolphins cemented a natural affinity.
    “Not moving? I thought he was heading out to James Island. Closer to NOAA.”
    “Carson doesn’t want to leave Sullivan’s Island. At least she’s firm about something.”
    Taylor kept silent but his brows gathered.
    Harper turned off the stove and lay the wooden spoon on the counter. She knew Taylor’s silences held back a lot of words. As quick as Harper had been to imply one of Carson’s faults, her defense of her sister came naturally. “It’s not like Blake doesn’t want to live on the island, too. It’s his apartment.”
    Taylor took a long swallow from his beer. “When’s Carson arriving, anyway?”
    “Tomorrow afternoon. Blake is picking her up from the airport, then bringing her here.” Harper chewed her lip. “Her room is all freshened up. I’ll put fresh flowers in tomorrow and some lowcountry snacks . . . benne wafers, pralines.”
    “You’re doing a lot, honey. Is it really all necessary?”
    Her face lit up as she caught his gaze. “I want to. Taylor, it’s beginning. The weddings.”
    Taylor’s eyes kindled. “I only care about the one wedding. Ours.”
    He leaned against the table and rubbed the back of his neck. Harper knew this as a signal that something was on his mind. She leaned against the counter, crossed her arms, and waited for him to speak.
    “I was talking to my parents,” he began.
    Harper said nothing.
    “We were getting our ducks in a row. Do you know how long Granny James will be staying here?”
    Something in his voice made Harper glance up sharply. No love was lost between those two when she and Taylor were dating, but peace had been made.
    “She’ll stay until the wedding for sure. After that, as long as she cares to.” Her voice sounded more unyielding than she’d intended.
    “Of course,” Taylor hastened to reply. He looked down, his fingers drumming the table behind him. “The reason why I was talking about dates with my parents is that my mother thought it might be nice for me to return home for a while. Before the wedding. Sort of a last chance to be with her boy again before I become your husband.”
    Harper relaxed again and moved closer to Taylor to slip her arms around his waist. “I’ve always assumed you would go back home for a while before the wedding. It’ll be a flurry of estrogen and lace here. But I’ll miss you. How long would you guess? About a week?”
    He looked down and his eyes caught hers. “Actually, I was thinking of leaving soon. Before Granny James arrives.”
    “What? But that’s next week!”
    Taylor nodded.
    Harper was stymied. “But . . . but why? There’s no need for you to leave that early. It’s insane. Getting to work every morning all the way from McClellanville will add hours to your commute.”
    “It’ll only be for a short while.”
    Harper released him and strode across the room for her tea, feeling a sudden need for its warmth. She closed her handsaround the heated ceramic and stared at the dark brew. “I don’t understand,” she said softly.
    “You remember how things were between your grandmother and me.”
    “That was last year. She loves you now.”
    “Love?” he said dubiously. “Tolerates, maybe. Accept, possibly. She raked me over the coals.”
    “Granny James was just being protective. She didn’t know you and wanted to be sure . . . well . . .”
    “That I deserved you.”
    “Yes.” Harper’s lips twitched.
    “And that I wasn’t after you just for your money.”
    Harper shrugged. “That, too. And you passed with flying colors. So what’s the problem?”
    “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to stay here, living in this house, sleeping in your bed, before we’re married.”
    “It’s no secret. She knows you’re living here.”
    His eyebrows shot up. “She does?”
    “Oh, for