Reignited

Chapter 1

Infinity Resort looked a lot smaller than Harper Webb remembered. But things tended to change after ten years. Or most things did at least. Including Valley Ridge, the rural town in northern New Jersey where she’d grown up. When her parents had moved here from Bergen County, they’d thought it would be a great place to raise a family since it was so quiet and mostly farmland. What they didn’t know at the time was Valley Ridge was being transformed into a vacation town. Today, the area was much more built up. Buildings now occupied spaces that were once open fields. There was even a water park. The town went from being a ski resort town to a tourist attraction for all seasons. But even with all these updates, Harper’s reason for coming to her ten-year high school reunion had everything to do with something that had never changed for her. Her feelings for Mason Shaw .

Everyone had a Mason Shaw in their life at some point. The one they always wanted. The one who was their perfect match in every way except one—he was never single long enough for Harper to make her move. Not that Mason and Harper hadn’t done their share of flirting. It had been clear they’d been interested in each other. They’d gravitated toward each other, seeming to always know where the other was, even in a school full of people. Still, things had never worked out, leaving Harper with a lot of what ifs and pent-up emotions.

She hadn’t been the shy girl in high school. She was the one other girls had come to for advice. Advice on how to flirt, how to let a guy know you were interested, how to ditch your V-card before college.

But Harper was not that girl anymore. Not really. Now she was Harper Webb, owner of Webb Designs, her graphic design business with the name she thought was brilliantly clever when she’d graduated from King’s College at twenty-two. Live and learn. Luckily, her clients thought the cutesy name had been purposefully chosen to be funny.

She pulled up the winding driveway that traveled through the golf course and past the basketball courts and outdoor tennis courts. After her parents had left the Valley Ridge almost ten years ago, she’d stopped coming back to visit. She’d forgotten how all the back roads around here looked like mazes on the road signs. Nothing but a bunch of squiggly lines that made you nauseous just looking at them. Feeling a little queasy, she reached for her ginger ale in the cup holder, only to find it empty. She hoped the bar was stocked. The first item on the itinerary for the long weekend getaway was an open bar so the reunion attendees could get reacquainted with their former classmates. Harper figured they were going with the assumption that nothing broke the ice like alcohol.

She passed the main parking lot, which had a large sign indicating all reunion attendees should park in the reserved upper lot. She guessed the resort employees didn’t want the reunion guests mingling with the other resort guests. Harper couldn’t help smiling at that. Her graduating class had a reputation for being a little more full of life—according to their principal, Mr. Hardt. Infinity Resort was no stranger to the students of Valley Ridge High either since all of their school dances and their senior lock-in had been held there. Harper slowed down as she reached the upper parking lot and spotted her class president, Malik Gibson, who was dressed in a tuxedo. The man was just as gorgeous now as he’d been in high school. All six foot four inches of him. His dark skin and eyes and magnetic smile pulled you in. Harper drove up to him and lowered her window.

Harper Webb, is that you? Malik bent down and leaned his arms on the open window. Malik had been friends with everyone in high school—a real Mr. Popularity—so Harper wasn’t surprised he remembered her.

Hey, Malik. You look fantastic.

He stood up and patted down the front of his tuxedo. Too much? he asked with a quirk of his head.

Not at all. She looked down at her simple black dress and wondered why she’d chosen something so understated for the evening. This wasn’t the way she wanted Mason to see her. Luckily, she’d packed half her closet in her suitcase.

I’m loving your punctuality by the way. Malik winked. In high school, Harper had usually been fashionably late for everything. That hadn’t changed.

She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 5:50. Open bar was supposed to start at six o’clock. I still need to change, she said. We can check in first, right? The drive had taken under an hour and a half, but she still needed some time to freshen up.

Yeah, of course. Park and I’ll walk you inside and help you get settled. I’m already checked in. I just had to go back to my car for something. He patted the front pocket on his suit jacket. Harper had no doubt it was a welcome speech or something like that.

She motioned to a spot up ahead, and Malik stepped out of the way. As soon as the car was parked and Harper popped the trunk, he reached inside for her suitcase. There was a reason Malik had been voted class president all four years of high school. The guy was the epitome of nice. He was also the star point guard on the basketball team and the reason Valley Ridge had made it to States every year.

Only one suitcase? he asked, shutting the trunk.

Harper laughed. We’re only here for two nights. Of course, she’d brought enough clothes for a week—mostly because she couldn’t decide which outfits would grab Mason’s attention.

You’d be surprised by how much some of the women here brought. I helped a few carry their bags—yes, plural—to their rooms. He started for the front entrance, and Harper fell into step with him. So, who are you most excited to see? he asked.

Hmm, that’s a tough one, she said, even though it wasn’t tough at all. Mason Shaw. Harper hadn’t RSVPed until she saw he had. Thankfully, the Facebook group Malik had created let everyone see when someone confirmed they were attending the reunion. Mason had been one of the last to respond, which made Harper the very last before Malik closed the sign-ups. She was sure that was why he’d commented on her punctuality. Arriving ten minutes before the meet and greet began wasn’t very punctual when she still needed to check in.

I wasn’t sure we’d be seeing you. Did you have a hard time getting off work? I tried to plan this for the holiday weekend to accommodate people having to travel. Malik had picked Memorial Day weekend so no one would have to go to work the day after driving home. Harper had to admit it was really thoughtful of him.

No, I actually work for myself, and all I need is my laptop and day planner, so I can be remote. They walked past the building that housed the indoor tennis courts on the way to the front doors of the resort.

Malik held open the all-glass door of the resort and gave her an admonishing glare. You aren’t planning to work this weekend, are you, Harper?

She laughed. I wouldn’t think of it. She’d made sure she’d finished all her outstanding projects before she’d left that afternoon. This weekend was for one purpose only: connecting with Mason. She wanted to know if he’d been thinking about her. If there was still something between them, and if so, finally explore what that was.

Good. Because there is way too much liquor and plenty of walks down memory lane to be had. No time for work or anything serious.

Serious. No. Harper wasn’t looking for anything serious this weekend. She was looking to act like a teenager again. Forget about work, bills, and all that other crap that came with almost being thirty. She wanted to remember what it was like to be eighteen. And she wanted to finally find out what Mason Shaw tasted like.

Malik! shrieked a high-pitched voice.

Harper looked up to see a petite woman waving from the concierge desk.

Samantha Chu! Malik put Harper’s suitcase down on the floor beside her and rushed over to give the woman a hug.

Harper searched her memory bank for the name. In high school, everyone had called her Sammy. She’d had long, dark hair to her waist back then, but now it was styled in a short, sleek bob that barely reached her chin.

While Malik and Samantha caught up, Harper picked up her suitcase and walked to the front desk, which was positioned next to one of the many ballrooms in line with the front doors. The place hadn’t changed much, other than the flooring being updated from carpet to some sort of slate laminate. The atmosphere of the resort was still very romantic, dim lighting mostly through wall sconces. And the fireplace, though not on, was still the eye-catching piece in the lobby. Harper used to love sitting in the big red velvet chairs and staring into those flames when she’d needed a break during the winter semi-formal dances.

Welcome to Infinity Resort, the man behind the desk said. He looked vaguely familiar, and when Harper read his name tag she knew why.

Mr. Arnold? she asked.

He cocked his head, trying to place a name to her face. I’m sorry. I know I’ll be getting that a lot this weekend, but I taught for twenty years, so you’re going to have to help me out.

Harper Webb, she said.

Harper Webb. Harper Webb. His eyes widened, and he snapped his fingers. You spent every study hall on the computer if I remember correctly.

She held her arms out at her sides. Guilty as charged.

He looked relieved he’d gotten it right. You haven’t aged much in ten years. He leaned over the desk and patted his thinning hairline. Wish I could say the same about myself. He winked and typed something into the computer.

So you work here now? she asked in a bad attempt to fill the silence that had descended upon them rather quickly.

Only when enough people call out sick. I’m retired, but the extra cash here and there is nice. And I admit I was curious to see your classmates again when I heard it was reunion weekend.

Yeah, it should be great to catch up with everyone. Harper looked around as Mr. Arnold grabbed a paper from the printer on the desk.

You’ll be staying in room 213. Do you remember where the elevators are?

I remember. Since the room was already reserved with her credit card on file, Harper only had to sign one paper before Mr. Arnold handed her the keycard to her room. Thanks.

I should warn you that the floor you’re staying on isn’t the party floor.

Isn’t? she asked, wondering why he’d said it like it was a bad thing.

No, we booked the third floor first. Late responders were given rooms on the second floor along with the regular resort guests. There are only a few of you from the reunion on that floor, actually. Or at least that’s what the boss told me.

Only the late responders? Harper couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. That’s no problem at all. I like the quiet. She took her suitcase and her keycard and started for the elevators, which were down a hallway just past the concierge desk.

She wondered if Mason was here already and how close his room was to hers. Given that they were the last two to respond, she guessed he’d be right next door. This weekend might work out exactly how she’d hoped.

Chapter 2

Then

Mason Shaw stepped through the front doors of Valley Ridge High School with a scowl on his face. Summer had gone by too quickly, considering he’d had to work out with the football team for most of it. He didn’t feel like he’d even gotten much of a break before he was officially starting high school .

He’d grown a lot over the summer, no longer the scrawny kid with braces. Even the sixteen-year-old bombshell who lived at the end of his block had noticed. Lifting weights in preparation of football season had definitely helped. Mason had a new confidence he’d never had before. And while he was excited to see how the girls he’d grown up with had matured over the summer, it was entirely too early to be walking into the school.

He followed the other incoming freshmen to the gymnasium, where they’d be split up into homerooms after listening to some welcome speech by the principal, a man named Mr. Hardt. Mason wasn’t sure why orientation was even necessary. Sure, it was a new building, but what would really be so different? They were still taking all the usual subjects. They would still be graded on things they’d probably never use again after they graduated.

He walked into the gymnasium and frowned when he saw his classmates seated on the floor. They hadn’t even opened up the bleachers for the lowly freshman class. Mason rolled his eyes and found a spot on the floor beside some guys he knew from the football team. They nodded in acknowledgement, but they looked just as sleepy and annoyed as Mason was.

Ten minutes later, Principal Hardt approached the microphone positioned in the center of the gym and addressed them. Mason didn’t pay much attention. His eyes had drifted across the gymnasium to the girl with the long, dark hair and dark brown eyes. Unlike some of the other girls, who still looked like they belonged in middle school, this girl was more developed. She wore a V-neck top that just gave a peek at her solid B cups. Mason searched his memory for the girl’s name. She looked vaguely familiar, but he was sure she’d developed a lot since middle school.

He knew her name was different. Something with an H. Not Heather. That wasn’t unique enough, and this girl was definitely worthy of a unique name. Har—his train of thought was cut off when one of his teammates, Rick Hartenstine, nudged him with his elbow.

Hey, did you see Alicia Keenan? She’s hot. She grew about three inches and got tits.

Mason wouldn’t deny Alicia had always been pretty. He was sure she was a knockout now if Rick was right. Still, he focused on the girl across the gym. Harper! Harper Webb. That was her name.

Another football player, Josh Mayer, pointed in the exact direction of Mason’s new obsession. Check out Webb. That girl is hot.

Mason wasn’t surprised his teammates had noticed Harper. He was sure the entire male population of the freshman class would. Hell, some seniors would probably hit on her, leaving Mason with no shot.

Man, I hope I’m put in the same homeroom as at least one of them, Rick said. Think about waking up to that every morning.

Mason was already thinking about it, so when they called