Breaking Clear (Full Hearts Series Book 3) by Mj Summers Page A

house, so that she could continue pulling out weeds, working in the shade now. Stopping to take a long drink of cold water, she looked down at the pots of plants waiting to go into their new home. The muscles in her hands and back ached.
    “Okay, Harper,” she told herself. “Let’s get this done.”
    She thought of her dad lying in bed, staring out the window when she had arrived that morning. He was lonely. He had been lonely for many years, but now he was really alone. Until now he’d been able to hide from that feeling from sun-up to sundown at a construction site. Harper knew it was killing him to lie there, unable to do anything for himself. Her dad was a man who despised weakness so vehemently that she knew a part of him would have preferred that the accident had ended it all right then. But it hadn’t. He had lived, and Harper was going to do whatever she could to make sure his homecoming and recovery were as smooth as possible. Maybe this could be a fresh start for them as a family. Maybe almost losing him would remind them all of how much they still had, in spite of the void her mother had left.
    Her pondering was interrupted by the all-too familiar sound of Mrs. Morley from across the street calling her name. “Haarrrppper! Helllooo!” she called as she bustled over on her short legs. She wore a pastel track suit and running shoes, as she did every day. The neighbours believed that her attire was chosen for the sole purpose of making it easier for her to keep tabs on everyone in the vicinity. She was a little wider now than when Harper had last seen her, and her short hair was salt-and-pepper, but she still moved with the agility of a cat when there was a story to be uncovered.
    “Oh, hi, Mrs. Morley. How are you?” Harper asked, feeling her heart sink as the neighbourhood gossip closed in on her. She rose to her feet and gave her a tight smile.
    “Excellent and improving. Things were a little rough there for a while. Neil needed a hip replacement in February, so that wasn’t easy going, let me tell you. But he’s doing much better now. Even started golfing again.”
    “Oh, I didn’t know Mr. Morley needed surgery. I’m glad to hear he’s doing well,” Harper answered politely, wondering how long it would take for Mrs. Morley to leave her alone.
    “How’s your poor father doing?” she inquired, her face pulling into a pout.
    “He’s coming along, thank you. And thank you for sending him those cookies. He really appreciated it.”
    “Well, it’s the least I could do. He’s been through so much. So, so much . . .” She let her words hang there as though tallying up all the horrible events of Roy Young’s life. “Such a shame that he never met a nice woman after your mother left with that boy. You and your brothers certainly could have used a motherly figure in the house. But maybe he’ll fall for one of the nurses. You know, a Florence Nightingale thing? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” She nattered on as Harper turned and began arranging the plants in the flower bed. There really wasn’t much need for her to answer. “It’s not like you or your brothers are ever here, anyway. You all take after your mother, never wanting to stay in one place too long.” Mrs. Morley put a hand on her generously sized hip and gave Harper a knowing look.
    Harper stiffened at her words. “I’ve been in the same place in New York for eight years, actually.” She didn’t know whether to be more annoyed with Mrs. Morley or herself for feeling obliged to answer at all. “I should get back to work.” She crouched down to yank out a weed she’d missed, wishing that something—anything—would just get this woman the hell away from her.
    “I really like what you’re doing out here. It’s about time someone fixed it up. I’ve been staring out at this mess for years now. Pretty much since your family moved in.” Mrs. Morley laughed to soften her comment, though they both knew she meant it. She