“You never mentioned this before.”
“I know.” I watch his knuckles turn white around the beer in his hand. “I didn’t want you to worry.” I take a step toward him, watching him pull in a deep breath, and I rest my hands against his chest. “I’m probably just overthinking this, and who knows if the rumors are even true?”
“Who is he?” he asks, and my stomach twists.
“I’m probably overthinking this and worried about nothing,” I try again, and he dips his face closer to mine.
“Who is he?” he repeats, ignoring me.
“Harlen—”
“Who the fuck is he, Harmony?”
“His name is Hofstadter, but you can’t do anything to him. The only thing he’s done is ask me out. That’s it. He hasn’t technically done anything wrong.”
“He asked you out?” he clarifies, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper, and my eyes slide closed. Shit. “He asked you out?” he repeats once more, and my eyes open, meeting his.
“I… yes, but I told him no, obviously.”
“So you turned him down, and in return, he got you into a class that was full and has already started,” he surmises, and I feel my stomach drop. “Fuck,” he clips, and his eyes go over my head.
I slide my arms around his waist and rest my ear over his T-shirt covered chest, listening to his heart as it pounds heavily against his rib cage.
“Please calm down,” I whisper, and his arms slide around me, one going around my waist, the other around my shoulders, holding me tightly against his frame.
“You tell me if he does anything. I don’t give a fuck if it’s him offering you a fucking tissue after you sneeze, or a piece of gum. You tell me about it,” he orders, and I nod my head. “Take the class.”
“What?” I tip my head back to look up at him, and his face dips to meet my gaze.
“He might have given a recommendation, but you would have gotten in on your own eventually. He can’t hold that shit over your head, and if he tries, I’ll deal with him personally.”
“Harlen,” I sigh, dropping my eyes from his, and his arms give me a squeeze.
“He know you got a man?” he asks, and my body locks. “He doesn’t know,” he mutters, and I bite my lip.
“I didn’t have a chance to tell him,” I admit quietly, keeping my eyes off his.
“Right.”
“I was going to,” I defend quietly, not wanting him to think I wouldn’t tell him that I have a boyfriend.
“I believe you, baby.”
“Promise?” I question, tipping my head back to look at him, and the moment our eyes lock, his search mine.
“Promise.” He dips his head, brushing his lips across mine.
“Good.” I wrap my fingers around the side of his neck then lift up on my tiptoes to touch my mouth to his, and his arms tighten around me.
“You need me to help with anything?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, I got it covered.”
“All right, finish up, babe. Let’s eat before it’s cold.” His lips touch mine then the top of my head before his arms loosen. I study him for a moment before I let him go and finish making our plates while he watches, leaning against the counter and drinking his beer.
***
Laying sprawled out on top of him, three hours and two servings of casserole and a slice of chocolate pie later, I stare blindly at the TV, trying not to think about what he meant when he said he would deal with Dr. Hofstadter personally, and failing miserably.
“Thanks for dinner, baby.” His words whisper across the top of my hair, and I lift my head off his chest to look at him.
“You’re welcome.” I run my fingers across his bearded jaw.
“It was the shit, even if it was tater tots.” He grins.
Laughing, I say, “Thank you. But I kinda guessed that when you finished off three servings.”
Smiling, his fingers run along my cheek then his voice drops. “Stop overthinking what I said earlier.”
“Are you a mind reader?”
“No, I just know you and that brain of yours.” He taps my temple with his index finger.
“Whatever,” I mutter, annoyed that he can read me just as easily as my sister can. Dropping my temple back to his chest, I look at the TV.
“Babe,” he calls, wrapping his fingers around my ear and sliding them around my lower jaw, forcing me to look at him again. “It will be okay.” Studying the soft look in his eyes, I believe him. “Promise.” He drags me up his body with his hands under my arms then puts pressure on the back of my head until our mouths touch. “You believe me?” he asks, against my mouth, and my eyes close.
“I believe you,” I whisper, knowing that even if it’s not okay, he will do everything he can to make it all right for me. And on that thought, I press my mouth to his then curl myself deeper into his chest, letting worry from earlier wash clean away.
Chapter 8
Harlen
WATCHING HARMONY HEAD down the sidewalk toward the double doors that will lead her into the hospital, I feel my scalp prickle. I look to the left and feel my jaw clench when I see the guy I spotted earlier with his eyes on Harmony. I clocked him sitting in his car when we pulled up, noted his brand new black Mercedes SUV is parked in one of the spots reserved for doctors. I also noted, even with the distance between us, his eyes are locked on Harmony and me through his windshield. Seeing that, I knew who he was without needing confirmation. I also knew that him realizing the fact that Harmony had a man, didn’t sit real well with him.
Locking my eyes with his, I lift my chin, watching his chin shoot back and his eyes narrow. Fuck but he’s gonna be a problem. Putting her car in drive, I take off toward the hospital exit and head across town to the shop. As soon as I arrive, I pull her car up and park in the lot out front, so I can fix her taillight at some point today.
I shut down the engine and get out, slamming the door and pulling my cell out of my back pocket. Finding a number I never thought I’d call, I hit send and press my phone to my ear, listening to it ring two times.
“Yo,” Nico answers, and my jaw clenches.
Fuck, I don’t want to talk to him, but I have no choice.
“You got time to meet me this evening?”
“Is Harmony okay?” he asks, and I wrap my hand around the back of my neck, thinking about the way she woke me this morning and the kiss she left me with when I dropped her off. She’s definitely okay, but I want to keep her that way.
“She’s fine.”
“Where do you want to meet?” he asks after a moment of silence, and I stare down at my boots.
“Skitter’s, at six.”
“See you then.” He disconnects and I shove my phone back into my pocket. Going into the garage, I pull a pair of coveralls on over my jeans and tee then get to work on an engine I’ve been rebuilding for the last two weeks.
***
Later that evening, I tag my cell off the top of my toolbox, pull up Harmony’s number in my phone, and put it to my ear as I head out the open bay door and away from the loud noise in the shop.
“Hey, honey,” she answers after the fourth ring, and I feel a smile twitch my lips. I never thought I’d like a woman calling me honey, but coming from Harmony, in her soft, sweet voice, I not only like it; I fucking love it.
“You got a second to talk?”
“Yep, just walked into the break room to warm up my lunch. Is everything okay?”
“Your light’s fixed.”
“That was quick. How much do I need to tell Gareth it cost?”
“It’s on me,” I say, knowing Gareth personally, and also knowing his ex left him over two years ago, abandoning him and his two boys behind. She also abandoned him with a mortgage and a shitload of bills, which is why he not only works full time at one of the local tattoo parlors, but also part time at a mechanic shop in town that his uncle owns.
“Are you sure?” she asks, and I can picture her biting her bottom lip—somethi
ng she does when she’s indecisive or overthinking shit.
“Baby, he’s on his own raising two boys. He doesn’t need a hit to his pocket for fixing your taillight when it cost me almost nothing to do it.”
“So he is single,” she mutters, sounding far too curious, and I frown at my boots.
“Yeah, he’s single, but I’ll remind you—you most definitely are not.”
“I know that,” she grumbles, and I shake my head. Christ, I don’t know when I turned into the kind of man who gets jealous over petty bullshit. But with her, the word mine is constantly rolling around in my head, along with the urge to tattoo my name across her forehead.
“Since I got your car, I’ll stop by your place, grab Dizzy, and bring him with me to pick you up. We’ll stay at my place tonight. You good with that?”
“As long as I get to go to sleep with you and wake up with you, I don’t care where I actually sleep,” she answers, and my chest gets tight. She’s not just saying that shit to say it. She doesn’t give a fuck where she stays, as long as we’re together. Fuck but I’ve fallen for her, and done it hard. “Besides, I like your bed more than I like mine anyway.”
“You do?” I ask, surprised.
“Yeah, it’s like sleeping on a fluffy cloud of marshmallow goodness,” she says, and I laugh, shaking my head. “Seriously, it’s awesome,” she adds, and I smile.
“All right, Angel. I’ll be there when you get off. Everything been okay today?”
“It’s been quiet,” she murmurs, and her telling me she hates when it’s quiet ‘cause the day drags and she’d rather be home with me filters through my head. Yeah, I’m falling hard for her. “But things should pick up. I have two patients coming in soon.” She quiets when the microwave on her end of the line dings.
“Okay, eat. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“See you when I get off.” She hangs up, and I shove my cell into my back pocket.
Going back inside, I head for the office, where I find Wes sitting at the desk, glaring at a stack of papers in front of him. “We need to hire someone to run the office, so you can get back to work,” I tell him, and his eyes come to me as I lean against the doorjamb.
Rolling back from the desk, he runs his hands over his head and sighs. “Ten interviews in one week, man, and swear to God every single one of the chicks who applied came in here looking like they just rolled off the set of a nineties rock ‘n’ roll video. I don’t know about your woman, but July would lose her goddamn mind if she came here and saw a chick wearing a tube top, jean skirt, and heels prancing around the office, playing secretary.”
“Maybe we can convince one of them to throw on a cardigan over their tube top,” I suggest, and his lips twitch.
“You can sit in on the next interview and suggest that shit.” He laughs, then asks, “You taking off?”
“Yeah, I’m meeting up with Nico at Skitter’s in about thirty minutes.”
“You having a beer to bond, or do you need backup?”
“No bonding, it’s about Harmony,” I say, and his eyes narrow.
“What’s going on?”
“Doctor at the hospital asked Harmony out. He makes her uncomfortable. Didn’t like it much, but figured it wasn’t a big deal. Then today, I saw him, saw the way he watched her, and I didn’t like the vibe I was getting from him. As you know, the Mayson name tends to bring drama, so I’m trying to prevent that shit from happening before anything actually does happen.”
“You didn’t like the vibe you were getting?”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “Don’t know what it was, just know I didn’t like the way he was watching her.”
“I’d never felt jealousy until I met July. It’s not a comfortable feeling, not even something I’d recognize before. Now, it’s an old friend, but at the beginning, I didn’t know what it was. Didn’t know what to do with it.”
“It’s not jealousy.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I’ve accepted those feelings. This is different, and if she’s telling me that he makes her feel uncomfortable and there are rumors of nurses losing their jobs because of him, I need to make sure she’s protected.”
“That’s probably smart. With everything that’s happened with Dillon and Ashlyn recently, you can’t take a chance.”
“You’re right.” I lift my chin in agreement.
“You’ve fallen for her.”
“Hard and fast, brother,” I mutter, and he smiles.
“It’s a good ride. Hold on tight and enjoy it,” he murmurs back. He would know; him and his wife July fell hard and fast for each other. It wasn’t always easy and they had their own dramas, but things between them are solid and have been that way from pretty much the beginning. I’ve never seen my friend as happy as he is now.
“When did you turn so sentimental?”
“I do not fucking know. But it probably happened around the time I moved into a house and became the owner of a bird, a dog and a fucking cat.” He laughs and I smile. “I’ll go with you to Skitter’s.” He stands, but I shake my head.
“I’m good going alone. Go home to your wife.”
“I know you’re good.” He claps my shoulder. “But I also remember a time when you had my back when I needed it. I’ll never forget that. Haven’t had a chance to return the favor until now. So I’m going with you. Besides, I need a beer and some entertainment, and I figure I’ll get both if I go. I don’t imagine Nico’s warmed up to the idea of you with his daughter in the last week, regardless of what he’s told her.”
“You’d probably be right about that,” I chuckle.
“Let’s roll. Don’t want to make a bad first impression on your future father-in-law,” he says, walking through the door, and I laugh while following him out to my bike.
Parking in the dirt lot of Skitter’s at ten to six, I shut down my bike as Wes pulls up and parks next to me. Skitter’s is in the middle of nowhere, off one of the back-country roads in town. Three years ago, it was nothing more than a rundown cabin. Then a couple from Montana bought it and the surrounding fifteen acres. They put thousands of dollars into the renovations, with plans to turn it into a small winery.
They didn’t take into account the two well-established wineries in the area, both on hundreds of acres set on hilltops with views of nothing but open land, rolling hills, and pure beauty. Knowing they had no way of contending with the competition, they changed the name from Sovon’s to Skitter’s and started serving beer and bar food. The place immediately became popular with bikers, locals, and those just passing through.
Climbing off my bike, I tuck my keys into the front pocket of my jeans and head toward the front porch of the bar, where there are a few people standing outside smoking and watching the TV that’s chained to the wall. I enter after Wes and I scan the room. Even on a weeknight, the place is packed; every stool lining the bar is taken up, along with most of the tables on the floor.
“Gonna get a beer. You want one?” Wes asks, and I lift my chin in the affirmative then watch him head toward the bar while I go in search of a table. I find one in the back near the jukebox that’s playing some country song about a man, his pickup truck, and his dog. Taking a seat, Wes comes over handing me my beer and sitting in the chair on the opposite side of the table from me. “Was thinking on the way over here, man. We should talk to Evan about this, see if he can find anything out about the rumors and if any of it’s true.”
“I thought about that too. I’ll give him a call tomorrow,” I say at the same time I spot Nico at the bar getting a beer from the bartender. The second our eyes lock, he walks our way, his long stride eating up the distance quickly. It doesn’t surprise me that he tried to convince me to leave Harmony alone, and if I were anyone else, it might have worked. Even at his age, he’s fit with an air of intimidation that’s hard not to notice when you’re around him. It’s not his tattoos or piercings. It’s more than that. It’s how he carries himself, how you know just by looking at him that if you cross him, he will hav
e no problem taking you out with a bullet between your eyes. What he didn’t account for when he came at me is I would have no problem doing the same, without even blinking.
“Wes… Harlen.” Nico lifts his chin to Wes then me before taking a seat, resting his beer on the top of his knee. “What’s going on?”
“I need a favor,” I tell him, and he lets out a bark of laughter, tossing back his head and leaning back in his chair.
“You need a favor from me?” He lifts his head and his hand holding his beer, pointing at himself with his index finger.
Fuck.
My jaw clenches, and it takes everything in me to stay seated and to not walk away from him. If this didn’t have to do with my woman’s safety, I would walk away, but only after laying his ass out.
Gritting my teeth, I lean forward in my chair. “There’s a doctor at the hospital who makes Harmony uncomfortable. Rumor is he’s gotten a couple of nurses fired. I don’t know if those rumors are true, but I do know all rumors have a little bit of truth to them. He asked her out, and she turned him down. Yesterday, she got into the class she wanted to take. He got her in by giving a recommendation. She tells me that it’s not a big deal, but seeing how drama is constantly swirling around the Mayson family name, I’m ignoring her and following my gut. My gut says this guy is bad news.” I lean even closer. “I came to you, because you’re her dad and a cop. Personally, I don’t mind dealing with him myself, but I figured you might like me even less if I’m in prison for beating the shit out of a motherfucker. So yeah, I’m here asking you for a favor.”
“Jesus,” Wes mutters, but I ignore him and keep my eyes locked on Nico’s.
“He makes her uncomfortable?” Nico questions, and I lift my chin. “Fuck.” He lifts his free hand, running it through his hair. “Who is he?”
“Last name’s Hofstadter. He drives a G63 Mercedes. Besides that, I don’t know much about him.”
“Fuck,” he clips again, shaking his head. “She didn’t tell me about this.”
“She wasn’t exactly an open book when I found out about it,” I mutter, taking a pull from my beer, and his eyes change, causing me to brace.