"It's better fresh."
Harmony lifted her gaze to Barrett, who shook his head. "He's all healthy and shit. What can you do?"
Harmony laughed and took the pitcher of fresh juice to the table, then got out plates and utensils.
Flynn brought the plate of bacon to the table. "I'm not all that healthy. We're having bacon and fried potatoes with breakfast."
"But the fresh fruit and juice counteract the effects," Barrett said.
"Oh, they do, do they?" Harmony asked.
"Yeah. I read it somewhere. Plus, we burned off about two thousand calories already this morning."
"You'd like to think that," Flynn said, taking a seat at the table.
They dug in and ate. When Barrett took a drink of the juice, he had to admit it was damn good. "Okay, Flynn, you win. The fresh juice is better."
"I can't believe you admitted that."
"Hey, I'm evolving."
"Barrett's right," Harmony said. "The fresh juice is incredible. You should put a juice bar in your restaurant."
"I don't know about a juice bar, since we won't be open for breakfast, at least not initially. But my plan is to use only fresh, organically grown and locally sourced ingredients. So we'll see how it goes."
"I can't wait to see the menu," Harmony said. "Or at least look it up online."
"I told you that you'll have to come back for the grand opening and taste everything."
"Sure. Or, we'll see how it goes, I guess."
Flynn looked from her to Barrett. "You mean providing my brother doesn't fuck up things between the two of you?"
"Hey," Barrett said. "And mind your own business."
"Whatever. So are you heading to the ranch this weekend?" Flynn asked.
"Yeah."
Harmony swallowed, then turned to Barrett. "What's going on at your parents' place?"
"Our parents have invested in a new blues club that's having their opening weekend in Austin. So we're all flying in to hang out with the parents and go to the club. Tucker's off because it's the midseason break, so even he'll be around."
She smiled at him. "That sounds fun."
"You should bring Harmony," Flynn said. "Hell, you should bring her entire family, Barrett. They've come to the ranch before, haven't you?"
She shook her head. "My mom and my brother have been there, but I was on a college trip the last time they came out, so I missed it."
"Then you definitely have to come. Doesn't she, Barrett?"
Barrett had no idea how to respond to that. Bringing Harmony's family would be innocuous enough, except he'd want to be alone with Harmony, and if Drake was there . . .
"What?" Flynn asked.
"My brother doesn't know Barrett and I are seeing each other. And Barrett doesn't want him to know."
"Ohhh," Flynn said, giving his brother the once-over. "So, uh, what's the big deal?"
He knew he was going to end up having this conversation with Flynn. "Drake and I are teammates. He's protective of Harmony. How do you think he'd react if he found out Harmony and I were seeing each other?"
Flynn shrugged. "No way to know unless you tell him."
Barrett shook his head. "No way. We're getting ready to head into training camp, then preseason. The last thing Drake and I need is tension between us. We need a solid defense."
Flynn rolled his eyes. "I think you're underestimating him."
"And I think you're underestimating his potential reaction. I've seen him around Harmony. He's never approved of the guys she dates."
Harmony laughed. "This is true."
"Yeah, but none of those guys have been you."
"Not gonna happen."
Harmony got up and took her plate to the sink, then started doing dishes.
"Hey, leave those," Flynn said.
"Nope. You two cooked. I'll clean up."
Barrett finished his plate, then took it over to the sink, helping Harmony dry the pots and pans.
When she finished with the dishes, she turned to him. "I'm going to go take a shower."
"Okay."
After she left, Barrett joined Flynn in the living room.
"I think you're off the mark with Drake," Flynn said.
"And I think you should butt out on this. This thing with Harmony and me is brand-new. We aren't sure where we stand with each other. It might not even work out. And what if that happens? How do you think Drake would feel then if we break up? He and I have been friends a lot of years. I was reluctant to even start anything up with Harmony for this very reason."
"Oh, so she forced you into it?" Flynn asked with a smirk.
"No. Dammit, Flynn, this is complicated. Which is another reason I'd just as soon leave Drake out of it."
Flynn raised his hands. "Hey, I get it. I'm just giving you shit. What you do in your personal life is your business. But just be careful, okay. I like Harmony. I kind of think you're okay, too. I'd really hate for either of you to get hurt."
"I don't want to hurt her. But let the two of us navigate this in our own way. And that means leaving Drake out of it."
"Your choice. But I think it's going to blow up in your face."
"Maybe. I just intend to take this thing day by day and we'll see how it goes."
Flynn gave him a dubious smile. "You do that, Brother."
"I've gotta shower. I promised Harmony a full day of sightseeing."
"Okay. Tonight we'll head into the city for dinner, since I know you two have an early flight tomorrow morning."
"That sounds perfect."
"Sure wish you could stay longer. I kind of didn't hate having you around this weekend."
"I didn't hate it, either." It was times like this that he missed his brothers, though he'd never admit that to any of them. "But I'll see you again next weekend. And hey, the restaurant is coming along."
"It is. Next time you come out it'll be more than just an empty shell. And I'll have an actual staff."
Barrett smiled. "You have Ken."
"I do. Fortunately, he'll drive the wheel for me while football season gears up. And when I'm in town, I'll get to watch the inside of the restaurant take form."
"Yeah, kind of like my house. I'm anxious to get back home to see how things are going there."
"We didn't get to talk about that. I'm sure you're anxious about it."
"Not really. I have a great contractor, and Harmony's actually handling it all. She's an interior designer."
Flynn's brows rose. "Is that right? Very cool, man."
"Yeah. So hopefully I can just pop in, check progress and not have to stress the minor details."
"Perfect for both of us, since it's about time to get our heads in the game again."
"I can't wait."
Flynn grinned. "Me, neither."
"All right. I'm off to take a shower."
"Yeah, me too."
He headed out to find Harmony. She was in the bathroom, fixing her hair.
"I'm going to shower, then we'll head out for more fun today."
She smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."
He pulled off his shirt, then leaned against the bathroom counter. "Flynn said dinner in the city tonight."
"Sounds perfect. I wish we had a longer weekend to spend here."
"Me, too. You should take more time off work."
She laughed. "I should. I'd love to come back when I have longer to explore. It's a beautiful city and I feel like we just scratched the surface."
"We'll come back."
She turned to face him. "Will we?"
She was wearing a towel. He wanted to pull that towel off of her, bend her over the counter and sink into her. But she was clean, and he was sweaty and needed a shower. So instead, he traced the swell of her breasts with the tip of his finger.
"Maybe we will. In the meantime, what do you think about you and your family coming out to the ranch next weekend?"
She looked at him, and he read the uncertainty in her eyes. "I don't know. Kind of iffy with Dr
ake being there. I really don't know his schedule. Mama would love to go. She hasn't been to the ranch in years and she told me how much she enjoyed spending time with your mother."
"They did have a great time together."
"I guess we'll ask them."
"So you're free?"
"I'm free next weekend."
"Then we'll plan it and see what happens."
She gave him a smile, one filled with promise. "I guess we'll see what happens."
He stripped out of his clothes and turned on the shower, then turned back to face her. "Oh, and Harmony?"
"Yes?"
"I can get you alone on the ranch, away from your brother. So we'll have some time together next weekend."
She moved up to him and brushed her lips across his. "I'm counting on it."
Twenty-Six
Harmony had been working nonstop all week. She always loved being busy. Busy was great for business. But she hadn't had a break all week.
She'd picked up two new clients, so she'd had consults with both of them. One wanted a complete main floor redesign. The other was doing a top to bottom renovation with a redesign. Both were going to be large projects, which would be awesome.
She'd been by Barrett's house and the renovation was coming along nicely. Jeff and his team were right on track, as she knew they'd be. She'd also met with Barrett to go over more choices in furniture and other design items. Not fun for him, but the renovation was moving along and she needed to start making purchases for his new house, since he wanted everything new in there.
Tonight, though, she was meeting Alyssa for early drinks before dinner at Mama's house. They needed to catch up and she wanted some alone time with her best friend.
She hightailed it over to the bar, happy to see Alyssa's car was already in the parking lot. Alyssa was always either early or right on time, one of the things she loved about her. She found her at a booth in the back.
Tossing her purse next to her, she took a seat.
"Girl, you look wiped," Alyssa said. "And I already ordered sangrias for us."
"That sounds incredibly good."
"I thought you might like one."
The waitress showed up and placed the pitcher and glasses in front of them, then poured.
"Any appetizers?" the waitress asked.
"No, I think this will do for now," Alyssa said. "Unless you want something, Harm?"
Harmony shook her head. "I'm good. Thanks."
"I feel like it's been ages since we last talked," Alyssa said. "What's been going on?"
"I'm sorry. That's my fault. Between work and . . . other things, I've just been buried."
"I'm glad work's busy for you."
"It is. Two new clients this week alone."
"That's fantastic."
"Thanks. And they're big clients, too, but I'm going to have to schedule those out, or maybe think about either hiring an assistant or promoting Rosalie beyond her current duties as an in-house assistant, because it's getting to the point where I don't think I can handle everything myself."
Alyssa took a sip of her drink. "Is Rosalie ready for that?"
Harmony nodded. "She has the design skills, and she handles more than just office responsibilities. I just need to look at finances to see if I can afford to hire extra help to replace Rosalie in the office."
"These are good problems, honey," Alyssa said. "But growth is nothing if not painful. I know all about that. It hurt me financially at the start to add the manicure and pedicure staff to the hair salon, but they've brought in additional business, so in the end I'm making more money."
"I know. But you know me. I'm a bit of a control freak, so there's also that part of me that doesn't want to let go."
Alyssa smiled. "Yes, I do know that about you. But you can't grow if you don't let go, you know?"
"Yes. I already have a note in my book to have a sit-down with Rosalie tomorrow and talk to her about increasing her responsibilities."
"She'll go crazy. I know she will."
Harmony grinned. "I know she will, too. She's wanted to have her own clients since I hired her right out of design school."
"Okay, so that's the work part," Alyssa said. "Now tell me all about this 'other.' "
She hadn't had a spare minute to talk to Alyssa about Barrett. Last weekend she'd texted her about being out of town on business. In other words, she'd lied, but everything going on with Barrett had happened so fast she hadn't had time to talk to her about it. And she really wanted to do it in person.
"So you know last weekend I said I was out of town on business?"
Alyssa stirred the fruit in her glass. "Yes."
"I wasn't out of town on business."
Alyssa looked up from her glass. "Okay. And what were you doing?"
"I was in San Francisco. With Barrett Cassidy."
The shock and surprise were evident on her best friend's face. "Get the hell out. You were not."
"I was."
"You're seeing Barrett?"
"I am."
"Damn, girl. Since when?"
"Since . . . very recently. It's all new and we're not sure where it's going, but so far, it's going good."
"Harmony. You've been hot for him since college."
She couldn't help the smile on her face. "I know. But he's very reluctant about it."
Alyssa frowned. "Why? Oh, because of Drake. What does Drake think about it?"
"He doesn't know. And right now, Barrett doesn't want him to know. He really wants to keep it a secret."
"I can't say I agree with that. More importantly, how do you feel about it?"
She shrugged. "I'd prefer to see him out in the open, but I respect his feelings about it. He loves my brother. They're best friends. He's afraid Drake will disapprove."
Alyssa let out a short laugh. "Of course he'll disapprove. He always does. He always has. No guy will ever be good enough for you in Drake's eyes."
"This is true. But I mean, it's Barrett. Drake loves Barrett."
"Drake loves Barrett as Drake's best friend. As your lover? No. Not only no, but oh hell no."
Harmony could see Alyssa's point. "Which I think is where Barrett's head is at. He and I are just getting to know each other on an intimate level. We really don't want Drake poking his nose into that part of our business."
"I can see that. You're entitled to your privacy while you two figure it all out." Alyssa took a swallow of wine. "Oh, and how intimate is it?"
Harmony laughed. "Pretty damned intimate."
"Is he as hot and sexy as he looks?"
Now it was Harmony's turn to take a long swallow of her sangria, as a rush of sexual memories slammed her. "Oh, yes."
"Honey, it's written all over your face."
She fanned herself with her napkin. "I can't help it. The man is passionate."
"Now you're making me jealous."
Harmony reached across the table. "Don't be jealous. There's an awesome and hot man out there for you somewhere."
"I know there is, and I'll find him, but, honestly, I'm not in a hurry. My business keeps me busy. Though it doesn't give me countless orgasms, and from the satisfied look on your face, I'd say you've had quite a few lately."
Harmony laughed. "This is true."
They finished off their wine and Alyssa followed her to Mama's house. As they parked outside, Alyssa put her arm through Harmony's.
"So, this might be awkward tonight. Barrett's going to be here, isn't he?"
"We talked on the phone last night and he said he was going to be." She turned to Alyssa. "Oh, and one more thing I forgot to mention. Barrett has asked Mama and Drake and me to come down to his family's ranch in Texas this weekend. His parents have invested in a blues club that's opening in Austin, which is near their ranch, and all Barrett's brothers will be there as well."
"So . . . meet the parents time already?"
"I don't think it's like that."
They headed toward the door and Alyssa gave her a knowing
look. "But maybe it is."
Maybe it was. But she didn't think so. It was just an invite to the ranch for some fun. She knew Barrett and two of his other brothers were getting ready to start the football season, and they all wouldn't have much time to get together with family, so this was an opportunity.
That he'd invited her family was just about him being nice, and didn't mean anything more than that.
As soon as they walked in the house, the familiar chaotic noises of family and friends greeted her. She went to find her mother, who was seated at the dining room table with Harmony's two aunts.
She kissed her mother's cheek. "Hi, Mama. Hi, Aunties."
"Hello, Harmony. I haven't seen much of you lately."
She set her purse on the table and sat in the chair her Aunt Michelle had just vacated. "I know. Work has been really busy."
Her mother squeezed her hand. "Not too busy, I hope."
"It's hectic for sure, but nothing I can't manage. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, honey. Making ribs for dinner tonight."
Harmony laughed. "If I'd known that, I'd have gone home to change out of this white dress."
Mama patted her hand. "That's okay. We'll get you a bib."
"And won't she look so cute in that?" Drake asked, leaning over to kiss Mama on the cheek.
"Shut up, Drake. I'm not wearing a bib."
"It's your dress," Drake said, winking at her before wandering off to join his friends.
Harmony took a quick peek, saw Barrett in the group, then turned away before anyone could notice her looking at him.
"So tell me about work and what's got you so busy?" Mama asked.
Harmony filled her mother in on work, then excused herself to go grab a glass of iced tea. Alyssa joined her.
"Your man is looking fine tonight," Alyssa said.
She chanced a look. Alyssa was right. Barrett wore a tight-fitting dark T-shirt and relaxed faded jeans, and all she wanted to do was go over to him and kiss him, then put her hands all over him.
So. Frustrating.
Their gazes met, and he slanted a brief smile in her direction before turning his attention back to Drake and the other guys.
"I saw that look," Alyssa said.
Harmony turned to her. "So did I."
"I swear, it's like the temperature in the house just rose ten degrees. I might go up in flames just being in the same room with the two of you."
Harmony laughed. "Shut up, Alyssa."
She made her way around to say hello to friends and relatives. Somehow, she and Barrett ended up in the kitchen together.
"Hey," she said, wishing she could touch him.