Harmony was all about shopping.
Lydia had already told her they were going to stay at a hotel in Austin that night, since they'd be out late and it was too far to drive back to the ranch. So she packed her bag and grabbed her dress for tonight, then piled into the car with Mia and they headed to Austin.
"I needed to get away from the ranch," Mia said, as she pulled onto the highway. "I love my family, but once everyone gets there, it can be too much family togetherness. Know what I mean?"
Harmony laughed. "I know exactly what you mean. And I only have one brother. I don't know how you do it with four."
"It's easier now that Grant and Tucker are engaged. And with Katrina having siblings, I've gotten to know Anya very well. So at least when the boys come to visit, they're bringing women with them."
Harmony smiled. "I'm sure that helps. We have a regular Thursday-night dinner at my mother's house. Drake has dragged football players--sometimes the entire defensive team--into our house ever since high school."
Mia glanced over at her. "Oh, how fun for you. More testosterone in the house."
"I'm sure you can relate, but, no thanks."
Mia nodded. "Exactly how I feel."
Then again, Harmony was currently seeing a football player--and Mia's brother. Which she wasn't about to mention to Mia.
They chatted nonstop on the drive to Austin, about everything from boys to fashion. Since she had no sisters growing up, it was fun for Harmony to be in the car with Mia. They were fairly close in age, only a few years separating them, so it was a joy to have someone to talk to. She found they had similar tastes in everything from fashion to music to television.
When they got to the mall, they wandered in and out of stores. Mia was a shopper just like her. They both liked to take their time and browse. Harmony picked up a hot red lip gloss with Barrett in mind, and could already imagine driving him wild when she wore it tonight.
"I need lingerie," Mia said, as they walked along the mall.
Harmony's brows rose. "Do tell."
Mia grinned. "Oh, I don't think I'll tell."
"Oh, come on. I promise not to tell any of your brothers about the hot guy you're buying lingerie for."
"I'm not sure it's a relationship kind of thing. More like a hookup kind of thing. You know how college is." She finished with a shrug.
"Those can be fun. All the excitement with none of the messy commitment and hurt feelings."
"Exactly."
Harmony hooked her arm in Mia's. "Then let's go lingerie shopping for your mystery man."
Mia laughed. "Yes. Let's."
Once they were done shopping, they stopped at a place called the Blue Dahlia Bistro.
"You're going to love it here," Mia said. "The food is incredible."
They settled in and Harmony sipped the most amazing pomegranate tea while she perused the menu.
"So tell me about school," Harmony said. "You must really love being there."
"It's a great university. I'll finish up my MBA within the next year. I'm looking at a few universities for my PhD, so it looks like I'll probably be moving out of state for that."
"Farther away from home, huh? Are you ready for that?"
"Actually, yes." Mia took a sip from her glass of tea, then set it down on the table. "I'm all about the adventure. And chances are I'll likely end up living somewhere near one of my brothers, since they're spread out around the country. Family tends to be close by, no matter what."
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Any idea where you'd like to get your PhD?"
"I'm looking very hard at Stanford right now and keeping my fingers crossed that I can work something out there. Plus I'd love to live in California. And, Flynn is there."
She grinned. "Flynn is a great guy."
"You've met him before?"
Oops. "Yes. All of your brothers have visited Barrett in Tampa before, and since Barrett and my brother are best friends, they've all ended up at my mother's house for dinner."
"Oh, of course."
She was so glad to have had that excuse. And at least it was the truth.
"Frankly, I'm anxious to get out on my own," Mia said. "College has been great, but I'm ready to branch out. Even if I don't start the PhD program right away, I'm ready to move on and start working."
"I'm excited for you. There's nothing like using what you know and starting a career."
"Exactly. It was important to me to at least get my MBA, but now I'm ready to do something with all this education."
"I think you'll do great things."
"Thanks."
Lunch was amazing. Harmony had the chicken salad tartine with nuts and cranberries, which was delicious. She was so full--they both were--that they decided to decline dessert.
They had a few hours to kill before the event tonight, so they headed to the hotel. Not only did they have individual rooms, but Lydia had booked a massive suite at the Four Seasons. It had two bedrooms and three bathrooms, perfect for all the women to get ready together, which Lydia said would be a lot more fun--and easier, in case someone needed help with a zipper or their hair. And there was plenty of room for all of them to move around, plus a balcony with a breathtaking view of the lake.
Harmony and her mother would share a room, so she met up with her mother in the lobby when everyone else showed up. They all checked into their individual rooms first.
"I . . . might not be staying here tonight," her mother said, as they unpacked.
Harmony noted the slightly nervous tone in her mother's voice. It was like role reversal, with Harmony taking on the parental role. She turned to face her mother.
"Mama. Really? You and Elijah?"
Her mother straightened, didn't even look embarrassed. "Yes. Me and Elijah."
Harmony laughed. "Go get you some, Mama. And have a great time."
"I intend to, honey. Believe me."
She couldn't be more thrilled that her mother was having some fun. Whether it was temporary fun or something more, it was none of her business. Her mother was a grown woman and could do whatever she wanted.
Harmony and her mother packed their dress clothes for tonight and put their makeup and hair products into bags, then went upstairs to the presidential suite. They laid their bags down and headed out onto the balcony, while Lydia ordered up drinks from room service. She'd told them they had time to sit back, chat and relax before tonight's event.
Harmony wasn't sure she'd ever felt more pampered, especially when room service showed up with champagne, wine, sparkling water and iced tea.
It was definitely enticing. Though it was early, she couldn't resist a glass of champagne. She was looking forward to partying tonight.
They all sat and chatted together about everything from men to sex to careers, politics and religion. They all had different backgrounds and belief systems, were of different ages and in various stages of their lives, and yet the conversation stayed respectful. Harmony had never thoroughly enjoyed herself more than in this company of women.
She also loved that her mother and Lydia really seemed to hit it off. She supposed as mothers of football players and career women, they had a lot in common, because she'd eavesdropped on their conversations and the topic frequently focused on their children, which didn't surprise Harmony at all.
Soon it was time to start getting ready, and Lydia started directing everyone to various rooms and bathrooms, no doubt to avoid utter chaos. When it was her turn, Harmony freshened up, redid her hair and makeup and brushed her teeth, then dashed into her assigned bedroom to get dressed. She ran into Aubry in the same room, so they helped each other with zipping their dresses.
Aubry was wearing a killer slinky red dress.
"Tucker is going to go crazy when he sees you in this dress," Harmony said, as she pulled the zipper up.
Aubry gave her a grin over her shoulder. "I certainly hope so."
Harmony stepped into her dress.
"Men will be ogling you all night. This silver sequined number make
s your skin simply shine, Harmony," Aubry said.
Harmony loved the compliment. "Thank you. I bought this dress at the beginning of summer and haven't had an opportunity to wear it yet. I'm really excited about tonight."
"Me, too," Aubry said, slipping into her heels. "Let's go make men's tongues fall out of their mouths."
Harmony laughed and she and Aubry grabbed their clutch bags and left the bedroom.
Frankly, everyone looked stunning, including her mother, who wore a copper-colored dress that clung to her curves and showed off her cleavage.
"Mama. You are so freakin' hot."
"Thank you, honey. So are you."
It turned out the men were meeting them at the hotel, so when there was a knock on the door, all the guys piled in.
They all looked amazing in suits and ties, and Harmony simply could not take her eyes off of Barrett, who wore a dark suit, white shirt and a beautiful silver and black tie.
She knew she was supposed to play it cool, but at this moment, she simply couldn't. Everyone else was milling about and throwing out compliments, so she wandered over to him.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Goddamn, Harmony. You look so fucking beautiful. How am I supposed to get through the night not touching you when you look like that?"
Her heart clenched. She reached out to brush off an imaginary speck from his jacket. "Thank you. You look amazing."
Her brother came over, and as usual, the man had an impeccable sense of style. He wore a black suit, dark blue shirt and a white tie. The man was stylin'.
He kissed her cheek. "Hey, gorgeous."
She grinned and patted his chest. "Hey yourself, hot stuff. Have you seen Mama?"
"Yeah. She's angling for a rendezvous tonight. Elijah about swallowed his tongue when he saw her."
She laughed. "I'm sure that was the reaction she was looking for. And what about you?"
Drake adjusted his tie. "Playing the options, like always."
She shook her head. "Do I need to play protector for you?"
He put his arm around her shoulders. "Not a chance, baby sister. I'm freewheeling and checking out the action. You keep an eye on Mama."
"Ha. She already told me to step clear of her action."
"Then I guess you're on your own."
Just the way she wanted it. Hopefully Drake would find some beautiful woman to hit on, and who would capture his attention, and she could find some alone time with Barrett.
Though with his entire family in attendance at the club opening tonight, the chances of that were pretty slim.
"The limos are here," Lydia said. "We need to head downstairs."
They all piled into two limos. And for some reason, she ended up next to Barrett. She was tucked into the corner, with him next to her, for the ride over. Flynn was on his other side, and Tucker and Aubry sat across from them.
Drake and Mama ended up in the other limo.
Perfect.
Especially when Barrett slid his fingers under her thigh. She breathed deeply, trying to act as if his touch didn't affect her, when all she really wanted to do was inch her fingers next to his.
Thrilling, but also frustrating.
There were spotlights in front of Just the Blues, along with a red carpet and photographers and media crews.
"Wow," she said, then turned to Barrett. "Did you know it was going to be all this?"
He laughed. "No. But leave it to Easton Cassidy to cause a ruckus."
They waited until Barrett's parents got out of the limo, then they followed.
Harmony had never been involved in anything like this before. She'd seen Drake on TV surrounded by the media, but she'd never personally experienced it.
Lights flashed in her eyes, and she was more than happy to cede the spotlight to Barrett's parents, who talked about the reopening of the club. Lydia and Easton handled it gracefully and with much enthusiasm, talking about the club's past and hopeful future.
"We're proud to be a part of the reopening," Easton said. "There are so many fantastic blues bands and artists here in Austin, and elsewhere, and since Lydia and I are such fans, we were saddened when the original club closed. When our partner, DeMartin Lewis, offered us the opportunity to invest with him, we jumped at the chance to breathe new life into this club and encourage the talent who would walk through these doors.
"We hope you'll all join us in welcoming the opening of Just the Blues and supporting the artists who play here."
There was a round of applause from the audience behind the ropes. Easton and Lydia made their way inside. Grant stopped for an interview, as did Tucker. Then Barrett stopped to speak. Harmony brushed past him but someone stuck a microphone in her face.
"Are you Barrett's date for the evening?"
She smiled. "No. I'm Drake Evans's sister, Harmony."
"Oh. And what brings you here tonight, Harmony?"
She played it cool. "I'm a friend of the Cassidy family, and a big supporter of the blues."
Since she wasn't famous and didn't give them any gossip fodder, the media moved on to someone else, allowing her to step inside the cool, dark club.
It was beautiful inside. Dark and moody, like a blues club should be. There was ample seating with tables spread all around, but still plenty of dance floor space and a large stage. There were bars at either corner, and she headed toward one of them.
Aubry was there, taking a glass of champagne the bartender handed her.
"I'll have what she's having," Harmony said.
"Well, that was intense outside," Aubry said, then took a long swallow of champagne.
"I'll say. Have you ever had to deal with media?"
Aubry nodded. "My father owns the St. Louis Rivers baseball team, so I've been involved in the media spotlight a time or two. Not my favorite thing."
Harmony's eyes widened. "I don't know why I didn't make that connection, Aubry, since Tucker plays for them."
Aubry laughed. "No reason that you should."
Harmony looked around, watching everyone spill in from outside. It was going to be crowded in here tonight. She hoped the club was a rousing success.
"I guess we should find everyone--and our table," Aubry said. "Lydia told me we have a couple reserved tables up front."
"Okay."
The guys had found the bar, and she and Aubry spotted the other women at their tables. Harmony set her clutch down at a chair, then looked around for her mother.
A band had already started playing, something soft and appropriately bluesy.
And her mother was off in a dark corner, cozying up to Elijah, who also looked handsome in his suit, a perfect complement to her mother. Her mother was smiling, leaning against Elijah, and looking extremely happy.
She intended to leave her mother be, since it appeared as if she was in good hands. At least she hoped so. Drake was relaxing at the bar with Barrett, and didn't seem to be interested in what Mama was doing, and if Drake's radar wasn't up about Elijah, then Harmony shouldn't worry about him, either.
She took her seat and chatted with Mia about college, boys and what it was like growing up with overprotective brothers. That was something they definitely had in common.
"What was it like trying to date?" Harmony asked.
Mia rolled her eyes. "In high school? Impossible. Of course some of my brothers were off to college by then, but it's like they had radar, or maybe Mom reported to them, because whenever I tried to date a guy, I'd get text messages and phone calls asking probing questions about the boy. And talk about intimidation. Trying to have a relationship was nearly impossible. It was bad enough that Dad was intimidating as hell, but try bringing a boy to a family barbecue in the summer when all four of your brothers are giving him death looks."
Harmony nodded. "I'm familiar with the death look. I think my brother, Drake, has a patent on it."
Mia shook her head. "I doubt that, because my brothers had perfected the art of getting a guy to run for the hills before I could even get a f
irst kiss, let alone get laid. I was starting to fear I'd die a virgin."
Harmony laughed. "But then you escaped to college."
"Yes. Getting away from my family is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I mean, I love them, but I needed some space to figure out who I was away from the shadow of all those Cassidy males."
"Honey, I'm still trying to get away from my brother. I haven't succeeded yet."
"So he's still overprotective of you?"
"You have no idea. For some reason he still thinks he can decide what man is best for me. Though for Drake, it's like I'm forever sixteen and incapable of making rational decisions where men are concerned."
Mia wrinkled her nose. "Ugh. Brothers."
Harmony lifted her glass. "I'll drink to that."
They laughed, then the other women joined them. After a while the guys joined the table. Harmony ended up sitting with Drake on one side of her and Barrett on the other. Talk about frustrating. But she forgot all about that once the music started up, as bands and artists played.
Soon, she was lost in the strains of beautiful blues music, with occasional jazz thrown in. People got up and danced, and even her brother found himself a beautiful woman to dance with. So did Flynn.
Barrett held his hand out to her. "Dance, gorgeous?"
She smiled. "I'd love to."
They walked out to the dance floor, and Barrett pulled her against him, keeping a respectable distance as they glided around the floor together. Since the club was packed, at least they weren't dancing next to her brother.
Not that he'd notice, since Drake's entire focus was on his dance partner.
Perfect.
And when Barrett danced her to the back terrace, then out the door, she welcomed the slide of his hand down the bare skin of her back and the way he'd maneuvered her away from the prying eyes of her family and his.
He pressed her up against the cement wall of the terrace.
"I need this one minute alone with you. Just one kiss."
It was dark and intimate on the terrace. Thick vines covered the arbor and a nice breeze had kicked up, though it did nothing to cool down her need for Barrett, which raged like an out-of-control wildfire. Barrett's lips rubbed over hers, a delicious temptation that made her grasp the lapels of his suit jacket to tug him closer.
He groaned against her lips, then pulled back.
"If I don't stop now, I won't stop at all."
She fought to catch her breath and smoothed her hands down her dress. "Why stop at all? Just tell my brother we're together."