“How close are you two?”
“Close.”
“How close?” he presses.
“What exactly are you asking me?”
“Do you love my daughter?”
Studying him for a long moment, I make a decision then lean forward once more. “No disrespect, but the first person who’ll hear that information come out of my mouth is not fucking you.”
“Fuck me.” He sighs, shaking his head. “I knew it. Fuck.” He looks away.
“Look at us, one big happy fucking family,” Wes mutters, and I fight back a smile.
“I hope you both have daughters one day, so you can experience the pain I’m feeling right now,” Nico says, looking between Wes and me, and an image of a little girl with lots of golden-brown hair and eyes just like Harmony’s fills my mind. Until Harmony, I never thought about the future. I always lived one day at a time, not putting much thought into where I was going. But with her, I want that. I want to make plans, I want her to be my wife, to have my ring on her finger, and my last name attached to hers. I want to have kids, at least a couple of them. I want to wake up early on Saturday mornings and run out for doughnuts then lounge around all day in our pajamas like I used to do with my parents before I lost them. Fuck but I want that with a hunger that is almost unbearable.
“You marry my girl, you better not even fucking think about taking her to the courthouse.”
I raise a brow at him, and ask, “You givin’ me your blessing to marry your daughter?”
“Would you even ask me?” he counters.
“Probably not,” I reply, and his eyes narrow.
“I see I should have laid off the kid she was dating a few years ago. At least he knew when to back the fuck down.”
“You’d want that kind of man for your girl?” Wes asks. Nico looks at him, and Wes shakes his head, holding up his beer in Nico’s direction with his finger out. “You wouldn’t. Him”—he points at me—“having your girl’s back means you don’t have to worry about her going it alone, carrying the weight a man should help her carry. And in the future, if I do have a daughter, I pray to God she finds a man who’s a man, not a fucking pussy that leaves her to deal with all the shit life throws her way on her own. Your daughter might be able to find someone you like more for her, but I guaran-fucking-tee you she won’t find anyone better than the man she has right now.” With that, Wes pushes back from the table and stands, not understanding the blow he just dealt. “Now, I need another beer. Either of you want one?”
“I’m good,” Nico says, and Wes nods at him then looks at me.
“I’ll take one.”
He lifts his chin and heads for the bar.
“He’s right,” Nico grumbles, and my eyes go to him. “I don’t like it, but he’s right.” He takes a pull from his beer, sets the half empty bottle on top of the table, and stands. “I’ll let you know what I find out. In the meantime, take care of my girl.”
“Always.”
“Sophie wants you two over for dinner on Harmony’s next day off. Make sure that happens,” he murmurs, and I lift my chin, getting the same gesture from him in return before he disappears into the crowded bar.
“Fuck,” I whisper to myself, taking a pull from my almost empty beer. “Fuck.” That shit did not go as planned, but then again, I’m thinkin’ it went way fucking better. On that thought, I grin.
***
Lying on Harmony’s couch, Dizzy sprawled out on my chest, eyes pointed to the TV, I hear Harmony’s car pull up. Dizzy, who hears it too, jumps up to stand on my chest, bounces once making me grunt, and then hops off me and the couch, taking off toward the door.
It’s Tuesday, five days since I met with Nico. The day after I met with him, I spoke with Evan to see if he could find out any information for me, and this morning while Harmony was in the shower, he called. He was able to find out that there have been way more than two nurses at the hospital who got fired unexpectedly, but he’s having trouble finding out why. Still, he’s digging, and hopefully, I will know something soon.
Harmony’s told me that Hofstadter hasn’t approached her again and that she hasn’t seen him around the hospital, which could mean he’s either decided to back down or is trying to come up with a new game plan. I’m hoping for the first and preparing for the second.
Coming out of my head when the front door opens, I watch Harmony walk in carrying an iced coffee in one hand and two reusable grocery bags in the other.
“Angel, I just went grocery shopping yesterday,” I remind her, something she should remember, since she bitched about all the food in the fridge—like she’s done every time I’ve stocked it. She complains she won’t be able to order takeout and will have to cook, when she hardly ever cooks, since I do it most of the time.
“I know.” She smiles. “This is for Mom and Dad’s.” She heads to the kitchen, dropping the bags to the counter before coming to me.
“I thought we were going to their place for dinner?”
“We are, but I’m making crab cream cheese delight to take with us,” she says. I have no idea what that is, but I have no doubt it will be really fucking good. She hasn’t cooked much, but when she does, it always tastes amazing. Seeing she’s close but not close enough, I do a half ab curl, wrap my hands around her hips, and pull her down on top of me, kissing her hard and fast. I listen to her whimper before pulling my mouth from hers and lying my head back against the arm of the couch.
“How was class?” I question, sifting my fingers through her hair, and she rests her chin on one hand at my chest, her other hand curving around my neck.
“Good.” She shrugs. “Easy.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, I still wish I could have spent the morning in bed with you then been here when you got home,” she says quietly, while she studies her fingers that are lazily running down my throat.
Hearing her call this home, my hand on her hip tightens. “I’ll take Thursday off. We’ll spend the day together, maybe go for a ride on my bike, and then out to dinner.”
“Really?” she whispers, her eyes locked on mine, and her hand slides up to cup my cheek as her thumb skims over my cheekbone.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I don’t know what to do with you,” she answers.
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs, glancing away before looking back at me and continuing. “I never knew I could have this with someone, this easiness, this kind of bone-deep happiness. But with you, I feel it everyday, and everyday, it gets better and better. So when you do sweet things like say you’re going to take time off work so we can spend time together, that better is way better.” She pulls in a deep breath before finishing quietly, having already knocked me on my ass. “And I don’t know what to do with that.”
“Fuck.” I sit up, forcing her to her back, then loom over her with my face close to hers. “How long is it going to take you to cook the shit you bought to take to your parents?” I ask, and she blinks up at me, looking a little stunned by our new position.
“I… wha— Why?”
“Because I want to eat you and fuck you, so I need to know how much time I got. Need to know if I got time to take you with my mouth, or if I need to just fuck you, leaving the eating you part for later.”
“Oh,” she breathes, then she turns her head and looks at the DVR player and the time there.
“Angel,” I growl impatiently, and her eyes come back to me. The raw, primal desire there, is hard to miss.
“I… I don’t think you have time to eat me,” she whispers, and fuck me, my mouth actually waters at the idea of tasting her.
“That’s all right.” I run my tongue up her neck, then whisper in her ear, “Means I get to take my time eating dessert when we get home.”
“Oh,” she moans, her hips lifting into mine. Raising my head above hers, I look into her beautiful eyes then lose sight of them as I slant my head and take her mouth in a
deep, long, hot kiss before I fuck her on the couch. After we’ve both come, I watch her walk naked toward her bedroom carrying her clothes, and yank up my jeans.
“Want a beer?” she asks, coming out a few minutes later wearing no bra, a white tank, and sweats cut off as shorts, running her fingers across the back of my neck.
I tip my head back to look at her upside down. “Yeah, baby.”
“Kay.” She bends over, kissing me upside down, then leans back and smiles before heading to the fridge, coming back a second later with a beer. She hands it to me with another kiss before disappearing into the kitchen.
Sitting on her couch, bare feet up on the coffee table, beer in my hand, listening to her in the kitchen, I know without the shadow of a doubt that every single moment in my life led me right to her, that not only am I in love, but I’m in love with her in a way I will be until the day I die.
Chapter 9
Harmony
HEADING TO MY PARENTS’, sitting next to Harlen in the passenger seat of his SUV—an SUV that should have been towed to a junkyard about a century ago—I shift, hearing the worn, dried, and cracked leather crunch under me.
“Honey, exactly how old is this thing?” I ask.
He glances over at me quickly before looking at the road once more. “Why?”
“Just wondering how long it takes leather to go from…” I pause, trying to figure out how not to hurt his feelings. “Well… leather to dust,” I say, and he laughs, loud, squeezing my fingers that are threaded through his.
“It’s a ninety-two,”
“A ninety-two?” I repeat on a whisper, looking around the interior. The back seats look just as bad as the front, maybe even worse, the material ripped and flaking off in spots. The carpet on the floor is missing in huge chunks, the metal showing through, and the outside is mostly rust. Sheesh, it’s not just old; it’s really old.
“Yeah a ninety-two.”
“Do you think maybe it’s time for an upgrade? I mean, it doesn’t have to be anything crazy. It can even be like a two thousand or something.”
“I don’t need anything newer. I only drive this when I can’t ride my bike, and luckily, that’s not often.”
“So you’re saying I’ll probably ride in this thing more than just this once,” I surmise, thinking I should update my tetanus shot sooner rather than later.
Laughing, he lifts my hand to his lips, kissing my fingers. “Yeah, baby, that’s what I’m saying.”
“Are you opposed to seat covers?” I ask, and he smiles at the windshield.
“No.”
“Well at least there’s that,” I mumble, enjoying the sound of his laughter when he does it again, and then his eyes come to me briefly as we pull onto the road that will take us to my parents’ house.
“You worried about dinner?”
“A little.” I pull in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I want tonight to go well. I want my dad to see me with you, and see how happy you make me, and maybe, just maybe, be happy for me that I found this,” I confess, and his fingers tighten around mine. “Are you nervous?”
He glances over at me and frowns. “No.”
I’m not even a little surprised by the firmness of his answer. I can’t imagine he’d be nervous about anything. He’d probably be just as blasé if he was the one who had to decide whether or not to press the button that would set off a nuclear bomb that could possibly start World War III.
“Should I be nervous?”
“I don’t know.”
“You gonna end things with me if things don’t go well?” he asks as we pull up and park in front of their house.
I laugh. “No.”
“It’ll be okay. It’s dinner, and your mom will be there. Even if your dad’s unhappy, he won’t let that show in front of her.”
“How do you know that?” I whisper, stunned. I know that, because I have spent my life around my parents. Dad always shields Mom from anything that could make her uncomfortable or upset her. But Harlen hasn’t been around my parents enough to know Dad will do that for her.
“I know, ‘cause I’ll do whatever I need to make sure tonight is good for you.”
“You and my dad are a lot alike,” I tell him as he shuts off the engine and looks at me doubtfully. “It’s true.” I slip off my seat belt then lean over the middle console between us, resting the hand that’s not holding his, against his chest. “You’re both protective of the people you care about. Gentle, even though looking at you, you’d never know you could be gentle. You’re both sweet, and kind.” I hold his eyes then whisper, “You’re the best men I know.”
“You love me.” It’s not a question; it’s a statement. And looking into his eyes, I realize I do. Holy shit, when did that happen? Holy shit, how did that happen?
“I…” I try to sit back, but before I can get away, he drags me out of my seat and settles me on his lap between him and the steering wheel.
Framing my face with his big hands, he pulls me close—so close, all I see is him. “I love you.”
“What?” I breathe, staring into his beautiful eyes, his breath mingling with mine between us.
“I love you,” he repeats, and I shake my head, trying to wrap my head around the fact that he’s telling me he loves me, when I just realized I’m in love with him.
“How?” I close my eyes, dropping my forehead to his chin, feeling like an idiot for asking that question.
“Do you want a list of reasons?” he asks, sifting his fingers through the hair at the side of my head, and I know from his tone he’s smiling.
“No.”
“That’s good, since it’s a long fucking list.” I open my eyes and tip my head back to look at him, finding he’s still smiling, and also finding his eyes soft and a look, that can only be described as love, shining brightly back at me. Sliding his hand down my cheek then neck, his fingers circle my throat then slide back into my hair, and he pulls me in, pressing his forehead to mine, where he whispers, “You love me.”
“Yes.” That one word comes out in a rush, and I feel my nose and eyes start to sting. I grip his shirt at his sides as my chin wobbles. “I’m going to cry.”
“No, you’re gonna kiss me.”
“No,” I deny, shaking my head. “I think I’m seriously going to cry.”
Using his hand in my hair, he tips my head to the side and brings my mouth closer to his, and then his tongue slides across my bottom lip. Feeling that, my lips part automatically and I taste him and kiss him back, completely forgetting about crying.
Ripping his mouth from mine, he mutters, “Fuck,” and I realize there is a light blinking on and off through my closed lids.
“What th—” I open my eyes and turn my head, feeling my eyes widen when I see my dad standing on the front porch with a flashlight directed our way—something he used to do when I was in high school and had a date drop me off and we were making out. “Seriously?”
“Fuck me,” Harlen grumbles, and I fight back the laughter I feel bubbling up inside my chest and look at him.
“We should go in,” I whisper, knowing just by looking at him that he does not want to go in to have dinner, but is doing this for me.
“Yeah,” he sighs. “Come on.” He opens his door then helps me get out, which is a little awkward, seeing how my back is to the door. Once my feet are on the ground, he gets out, slams the door, and then grabs the crab dip I made from the back seat.
I smile up at him, and he grins before his eyes go to the front porch and his smile disappears.
Seeing his smile fade away, I look at my dad, who’s watching us, looking—you guessed it—still pissed, and I do something I never ever in a million years would have done before. I grab Harlen’s hand firmly in mine and walk toward my dad, saying loudly, “I just realized I’m in love, so if you’re going to be a jerk, don’t be. I like my bubble right now, and I don’t want you to pop it.”
“Christ.” Harlen chuckles, and I look up at him, finding his eyes on hi
s boots and a grin on his lips. Better.
“Boom,” I hear a familiar voice rumble, and my eyes widen and shoot back to the porch.
“Shut it, Dad,” my dad growls, and I keep scanning the dark until I find him, my grandpa sitting in one of the rocking chairs with a beer in his hand. The second our eyes lock, he smiles at me.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“Grandpa,” I whisper, and he stands, taking three steps across the porch and stopping at the top of the stairs. “What?” I look at my dad and back again. “What are you doing here?”
“Me and your grandma are here for a visit. Your grandma was gonna call to tell you we were in town, but your ma said you’d be here tonight for dinner, so we thought we’d surprise you,” he says, and I rush up the stairs and wrap my arms around his waist. His arms close around me while his lips touch the top of my hair. “You doin’ okay?”
“Yes!” I squeeze his waist then tip my head back to look up at him. “Even better now.” I grin then whisper, “I’d like you to meet someone.”
“All right.” He touches his lips to my forehead again, then wraps his arm around my shoulders, tucking me into his side as I slide mine around the back of his waist.
Turning him to face Harlen, I smile huge and throw my hand out. “Grandpa, this is Harlen. Harlen, my grandpa.” I wave my hand between them.
“Nice to meet you, sir.” Harlen sticks out his hand, and Grandpa takes it, smiling at him.
“You too.” Grandpa looks from Harlen to my dad, and something I don’t get passes between them before he releases Harlen, looks down at me, and smiles.
Okay, super weird, but whatever.
“Is grandma inside?” I ask on a squeeze of his waist, and he shakes his head.
“Nope, your mom and her had to run to town to pick something up.”
“Oh.” I frown, and he grins.
“They’ll be back soon.”
“How long are you in town for?”
“About a week.”
“Are you here to look for a place to live?” I ask hopefully, and he shakes his head.
“No, sweetheart.”