Everyone laughed.
Lydia grabbed a clipboard off the kitchen counter.
"Tucker, you and Aubry will be in the cottage. Grant, you, Katrina and the kids will stay in the eastern guesthouse because it has three bedrooms. Barrett and Flynn will be in the downstairs guest room. Diane, you and Harmony in the upstairs room to the left because it has its own bathroom."
Harmony's mother smiled. "Thank you, Lydia. You know that's my favorite room."
Barrett's mother gave her a smile. "I remembered that. Drake, you'll be right next door to them."
She saw the look Barrett gave her. The one that said they were going to have to fight for alone time.
"Shall we go settle our luggage upstairs?" her mother asked.
She dragged her gaze away from Barrett and smiled at Mama. "Yes. Let's do that."
Great. Barrett couldn't imagine how he'd be able to sneak any time with Harmony with Drake in the room right next to hers, and her sharing a room with her mother. Plus, Barrett would have to share a room with Flynn, who gave him a knowing smirk.
Asshole.
He'd figure it out somehow. Because he wasn't going to spend a weekend on the ranch and not be with her.
He wandered into the kitchen, grabbed a beer and stepped out onto the front porch. Tucker was out there with a beer in his hand.
Sometimes it was like radar with him and his twin. They always gravitated toward each other. They'd fought like wild animals when they were kids, but they'd always had each other's backs.
"Saw the game the other night," Barrett said, as he pulled up a chair next to Tucker. "You didn't suck when they finally felt sorry for you and let you pitch."
Tucker's lips curved. "Thanks."
"Where's Aubry?"
"She and Mom and Mia went over to the cottage to unpack the luggage, which I think translates to girl talk about the weddings."
"So in other words, you weren't invited."
"Yup." Tucker took a long swallow of beer.
"I can't believe you're getting married, man. You and Grant."
"Yeah, sometimes I can't believe it, either. It's happened pretty fast, at least for Aubry and me. But we just decided we wanted to make it happen, and neither of our lives is going to slow down or get simpler, so why wait?"
"Grant and Katrina's is coming up next March and then you and Aubry's next November."
"Yeah. Mom's loving it, though. Marrying off two of her sons in the same year. She's in heaven right now. Aubry said she sends her links all the time."
"Well, you know, it'll probably be a while before Mia's in the wedding zone. At least as far as I know. So Mom has had to wait for one of us to decide to settle down."
"Aubry's having fun with both of the moms helping her with wedding stuff. She's busy as hell with her residency. She can use all the help she can get."
"I'm sure she can."
Tucker turned to him. "What about you? Any weddings on the horizon?"
Barrett laughed. "No."
"Come on, man. Time to jump in, find a woman and commit."
Was it? He hadn't yet found a woman he was interested in committing to.
But just then Harmony walked outside.
"Hey. Have you seen Drake?"
Barrett shook his head.
"He's out at the barn with Grant and my dad," Tucker said. "Dad bought some classic car that he's showing off to them."
"Okay. Thanks, Tucker."
"Is there something you need, Harmony?" Barrett asked.
She gave him a sweet smile. "No. I'm good. But thanks, Barrett."
"Okay."
Harmony disappeared inside.
"Oh . . . I see," Tucker said, his lips lifting.
Barrett frowned. "You see nothing. Especially with those glasses you wear."
"I see just fine. And speaking of just fine . . . Harmony definitely is."
Barrett looked around, but no one was in sight. He cradled his beer in both hands and stared straight ahead. "Nothing to see, Tucker."
"I'm not blind, man. I'm also good with keeping secrets. Is it a secret?"
Damn his twin brother for ferreting out what was going on between him and Harmony with one look. "I don't want Drake to know. Not right now. It's complicated. He and I are best friends and Drake's protective of Harmony. Like . . . way overprotective. I don't know how to explain it well. I just feel it could put a wedge in our friendship."
"I get it. You need to figure out if what you and Harmony have is real before you get into it with her brother."
Tucker was the first one who truly understood. "Yeah."
"I won't say anything. Didn't see anything. Don't know anything."
He grinned. "Thanks."
Tucker stood. "Come on, let's go ogle Dad's new hot rod and pretend it isn't some midlife crisis he's having."
Barrett laughed. "Sure."
Twenty-Eight
Harmony quickly discovered that dinner at the Cassidys' was a lot like dinner at Mama's house. Noisy, crowded, everyone talking over each other, and absolutely awesome.
She'd made fast friends with Mia, Aubry and Katrina, so the three of them sat together and talked about everything from business to medicine to fashion and design while they ate. She almost forgot about Barrett, who sat at the other end of the table with his brothers and Drake.
Almost. But not quite, since she couldn't help but occasionally drag her attention away from the girl talk and catch a glimpse of the hot man at the other end of the table. Every now and then he'd look up at the same time, their gazes would collide and there'd be a quick smile between them. Careful not to call attention to each other, she'd look away.
But those butterflies in her stomach? Still there.
Her mother, on the other hand, was sitting next to Easton's brother, Elijah. Not that she could blame Mama. Elijah was a fine-looking man, a few years older than her mother, ruggedly built and, according to her mother, divorced for many years now. He lived on the ranch and from the way he looked at her mother, who was also a very attractive woman, the two of them shared some serious chemistry. Elijah sure was being solicitous to Mama right now.
It made her wonder what went down between the two of them the last time Mama visited the ranch.
She made a mental note to ask Drake about that.
"Lydia, tell me about the blues club," her mother asked.
"It's actually one that closed about a year ago. Easton and I loved driving up there and listening to all the bands. We hated that it closed, so we found a few other investors, and we're reopening it."
Easton laid his fork down and took a sip of tea. "Yeah, we liked that old place. It had been in business a lot of years. Many famous folks played there along with some young acts getting their start. Hated seeing it shut down."
Lydia nodded. "So, we're hoping to breathe some new life into it."
"I'm so excited," Harmony's mother said. "Blues is my favorite music."
"Mine, too," Elijah said, giving Harmony's mother a smile.
Harmony looked down the table at Drake, who just shook his head and smiled.
Well. This weekend should be interesting.
After dinner, which had consisted of barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, green beans, potato salad, fresh bread and sweet carrots, everyone piled into the kitchen. Leftovers were put away and dishes were done in record time. That was always the advantage of having a big crowd, especially when all hands were there to pitch in and help.
After, everyone dispersed. The women congregated in the living room, so Harmony followed along.
The discussion was on weddings, and she was eager to sit and listen to Katrina and Aubry talk wedding plans.
"The church in Austin is booked, and the reception venue is as well," Katrina said. "I have the guest list in order. It doesn't appear to be shaping up to be small."
Lydia laughed. "That doesn't surprise me. Between family and our friends and yours and Grant's friends, plus all the media attention the wedding will have, it's b
ound to be quite the event."
Katrina wrinkled her nose. "I'm hoping to keep media to a minimum, or not at all. This is a family-and-friends-only event, not something I want on the cover of the tabloids."
Lydia nodded and jotted something down in her notebook. "We'll talk about security, make sure it's beefed up for both the church and the reception."
"Thank you, Lydia."
"How about you, Aubry?" Lydia asked.
"We have the church and the reception. That's about it. Oh, and I've picked out my dress."
Katrina's eyes widened. "You have? We haven't gone dress shopping yet."
"Well, I haven't tried it on, but I have something in mind. I saw it online and fell in love with it."
"Now you know we all want to see it," Lydia said.
She shook her head. "I'll wait until we hit the store. It's going to be a surprise."
"Tease," Mia said.
"I know. I can't help it. But I think you're all going to love it. I hope you all love it."
Lydia smiled. "I'm sure we will. Have you booked an appointment for the dress yet?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. But I'll be sure to let you all know so you're available."
What fun it must be to plan a wedding. It wasn't something Harmony had thought much about, mainly because she'd never been deeply enough in love to think about marriage. At least specifically.
Sure, she'd always thought she might get married someday. And she occasionally pondered the thought someday she'd fall in love and live happily ever after, but she didn't read bridal magazines or keep a pin board with wedding venues or favorite cakes or anything like that.
Whenever it happened, then she'd design the hell out of her wedding. Until then, she was mostly a live day by day kind of woman.
But listening to Katrina and Aubry talk flowers and cakes and invitations and the like sure was fun.
After a while, she got up and wandered the house, taking in all the beautiful old furniture, the antiques and the old photos of generations of Cassidys.
She refilled her tea and walked outside. It wasn't quite dark yet, but the sun was setting, a bright orange glow mixing with the straight blues and oranges streaking along the horizon.
So gorgeous.
She was alone out here--except for the dogs, who excitedly greeted her.
"Hey, kids." She bent to scratch all their ears, then stepped down off the porch to wander the path that led from the house to the barn.
She lived in the city, in a town house, where one wall butted up against her neighbors. She was used to constant traffic and loud noises. Out here it was peaceful and so quiet she could hear everything from birds to crickets to the wind rustling through the trees.
It was something she'd never experienced before. A quiet calm settled over her, a peacefulness that fell over her like a warm, serene blanket. She let it flow through her as she continued to stroll along the property, content to just breathe in the scents of hay and animals and fresh, unpolluted air.
She'd made her way past the first barn to another when she heard footsteps behind her. She wasn't concerned, figuring it was either one of the ranch hands or one of the Cassidys.
"Lost?"
Her lips curved as Barrett came up beside her. "Intentionally lost."
He led her off the path, where they walked a distance toward the second barn. It was dark in there, but he didn't turn on the light.
No sounds came from within but she inhaled the smell of hay.
"Agricultural lesson?" she asked.
He took her glass and set it down, then backed her against the wall of one of the stalls where horses were obviously housed. "No. Biology."
His mouth came down on hers, hard. She wound her arms around his neck and when he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around him, feeling the hard thrust of his cock against her.
She was damp, her breasts tingly and tender and her entire body pulsing with need.
Barrett kissed her neck, his tongue sliding along her throat as he lowered her to the ground. "I hate not being able to touch you. Damn if it isn't the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
He lifted up her shirt and leaned down to kiss her stomach, rising to pull the cups of her bra over her breasts. His lips closed over one of her nipples and sucked. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out.
"Barrett." His name fell from her lips in a whisper. She was trying to be careful because she didn't know who was out wandering. But when he continued to lick and suck her breasts, and then slipped his hand into the waistband of her pants to cup her sex, she no longer cared.
Being so close to him but not close enough had been torture, and also a turn-on. It had been like a touchless foreplay, and she was more than ready for him.
"Yes. Touch me. Make me come."
He met her gaze and rubbed her, sliding a finger inside of her as he rubbed his thumb over her clit.
She kept eye contact with him as she gasped. "I'm going to come. I'm going to come."
"Oh, fuck yeah," he said, fucking her pussy with his finger.
When she came, she shuddered hard, waves of pure ecstasy washing over her until she fell limp against him. She bit into his shoulder while he continued to use his fingers to pump into her.
Then he pulled his fingers from her and reached down to draw her pants and underwear off. He laid them over the gate.
He pulled a condom out of his pocket, unzipped his pants and put it on, then kicked her legs apart and slid his cock inside of her.
"Ohhh, yes," she said, as he cupped her butt to draw her closer to him.
"I love being buried inside of you, Harmony. Goddamn if it's not the only fucking thing I can think about. The way your pussy squeezes my cock when I'm in you, those sounds you make when I bury myself deep. You drive me crazy."
His words drove her over the edge, the way he pulled back then thrust deeper, grinding his pelvis against her clit. She could feel the tension building, the quivering, spiraling need inside of her ready to explode again.
She dug her nails into his back. "Just like that, Barrett. Harder."
He groaned against her neck, then plunged into her, giving her what she needed to come. And when she did, she couldn't hold back the wild cry. Barrett absorbed it with his mouth, kissing her with a depth of passion that sent her careening ever deeper into the throes of her orgasm. He went with her, groaning against her lips as he shuddered against her.
They both finally stilled and he broke the kiss, looking down at her. Sweat dripped down the side of his face, his expression dead-on serious.
"What am I going to do with you, Harmony?"
The words hovered on the tip of her lips: Love me.
Where did that come from? She'd never say that to him.
The trouble was, in this moment, she felt it. And God, she wanted him to feel the same.
Dangerous waters.
Instead, she grinned and swiped the sweat from his brow. "I could think of several things you could do with me."
He finally let out a short laugh and disengaged. They got dressed and he led her into the tiny bathroom in the barn to clean up a little.
He splashed cold water on his face.
"Good thing it's still hot outside, which will explain all this sweat," he said.
She smoothed her hair and righted her clothing. "Good thing you didn't lay me down in all that hay. It might have taken hours to get it all out of my hair."
He turned and pulled her into his arms. "That sounds like a challenge. I'm up for it if you are."
She laughed and shoved at him. "I think we've been gone long enough."
"Okay. You go on and head back. I'll be around after you."
She didn't want to rock the boat, but felt it should be mentioned. "You know, we wouldn't have to do all this skulking around if you'd just tell Drake we're seeing each other."
He shook his head. "Not right now, Harmony. Not long after we get back, training camp starts. I don't need to be at odds with my teammate, l
et alone my best friend."
She wasn't sure she accepted that, but a part of her understood it. "I guess."
He rubbed his hands up and down her arm. "Listen, if it were anyone else, then yeah. But you know how Drake gets about you seeing someone."
Now that part she did understand. "Yes, I do know how he gets. He's a little unreasonable about me and dating."
Barrett arched a brow. "A little?"
She laughed. "Okay, a lot. We'll keep it on the down low for now. But not forever."
He tipped her chin with his fingers, then brushed his lips across hers. "No, not forever."
Harmony walked out of the barn and Barrett stood there, his body still burning for her.
Yeah, he wanted things out in the open.
But he also knew Drake. Drake was as overprotective as a brother could be. He'd been around Drake when Harmony started to date someone. He was like a private investigator, needing to know the guy's background. And no matter who the guy was, he wasn't good enough. And God forbid the dude did something to hurt Harmony.
Yeah, he'd seen Drake's reaction when Harmony and a boyfriend broke up. He wanted no part of that.
No. The season was gearing up and it was important he and Drake both be on their game. Putting Barrett and Harmony's relationship in the middle of all that would spell disaster. He'd just let things play out the way they were for now. See how things went for a while. And then, down the road, if he and Harmony were still going strong, he'd break it to Drake.
Because Barrett had been in and out of relationships before. He knew how those things went. Some lasted. Some didn't.
Right now it was good. He hoped it stayed good. But he just didn't trust that it always would. And he wasn't about to put his years-long friendship on the line unless it stayed good between Harmony and him.
Maybe it was shitty of him to think that way.
In fact, as he started the walk back to the house, the thought of not seeing Harmony again caused an ache in his gut.
That should tell him something. So maybe he was in denial.
But denial was a good place for him right now.
And if that put him firmly in asshole territory, he supposed he'd have to live there for a while.
Twenty-Nine
On Saturday, Mia surprised Harmony by asking her to go into Austin early in the day.
"I thought we'd go shopping, have some lunch, then meet everyone at the hotel later," Mia said.
"I'd love to."