Page 30 of A Home for Harmony (Blossoms #16)

Lizzie was the only one who knew about it. She hadn’t even wanted to share with her old coworker, but wanted to know if Lizzie ever had that happen to her.

Her friend had. It was just one of those risks when you put yourself out there and it blew over for Lizzie and she was still hoping it would for her too. It’d been pretty quiet lately.

“I’ve gotten a couple, but nothing in a few weeks,” she said. “Nothing horrible but icky at the same time.”

“Nothing threatening?” Lizzie asked.

“No. I think it’s a fan more than anything, but that doesn’t mean I want to encourage the person. I keep blocking them, but they come back. I know they do. They’ve got their own signature.”

“Signature?” Lizzie asked. “They are leaving their name?”

“No. Three emojis. A smile, a hug, and a heart. I didn’t tell you about that?”

“No, you didn’t. Sounds like a kid to me,” Lizzie said. “Immature for sure.”

“You know,” she said, “I thought that too. Like some teenage boy, and it’s harmless. I’m hoping they get the hint and stop, but I never engage.”

“What about that guy you went on a date with months ago? Skyler? Could it be him?”

“No,” she said. “These started before that date.”

“That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been following you all along,” Lizzie said.

“I go back and forth. I don’t see him doing the whole signature thing. He’s been pretty upfront with me and though he still asks me to meet up, I always say no. Why do this behind my back when he has no problem sending me DMs? I’m seeing someone now anyway.”

“You are?” Lizzie said excitedly. “I need to know more. I’ve got five minutes before a meeting. Tell me what you can.”

“His name is Micah. He’s older than me. Not a big fan of my online presence, but he’s gotten better with it.”

She could see more of his acceptance over the weekend when her family talked about her job and what she did.

He’d never asked once what they thought, but absorbed the conversation around him.

She had to admit the meeting went well and her siblings and father really liked Micah.

Her father talked to her the next day and said that Micah was good for her. He was completely the opposite of her but grounded her at the same time. She was still her bubbly self spreading sunshine, but more aware of those around her too.

In her eyes, it might have been one of the best compliments ever.

Her father saw her as an adult, even acting the same as she had most of her life, just a bit more refined.

“Don’t let any man tell you what to do with your career,” Lizzie said. “I’ve been there before and it’s only a recipe for trouble.”

“No,” she said. “He’s never once said anything like that, just that he’s older than me and isn’t a fan of putting himself out there. But he understands it’s about work and not my personal life.”

Lizzie laughed. “I’ve never known anyone who could separate as you do.

It’s amazing to me how little people know about your life personally and yet it’s not as if it’s all that hidden.

You put just enough about yourself out there.

Your likes and dislikes, pictures and activities.

People feel they know you when they don’t. ”

“I know,” she said, grinning. “I’m glad people aren’t digging into me, but I understand if I caused too many waves they could or would. That’s why I balance what I do and take breaks when I feel the need to.”

“The price of being popular,” Lizzie said. “Some people can’t handle it well, but you always have. I think it’s because you don’t have a mean bone in your body.”

She snorted. “I’ve got a mean bone in my body, but it’s reserved for only a few.”

“I don’t believe it,” Lizzie said. “But I’m glad you’ve got a boyfriend. I know you won’t post it anywhere either and I won’t ask too many questions right now. Good for you too.”

“I don’t want the online world to touch what I’ve got with Micah. I know I can trust you.”

“You can,” Lizzie said, “because I’ve had one too many relationships ruined that way. Maybe that is part of why I took another position. I don’t mind being online, but I’m very careful of how much of my personal life I put out there now. You don’t realize what can bite you in the ass.”

She laughed. “Nope. And I like being able to sit down comfortably.”

Lizzie burst out laughing. “You’re a good egg, Harmony. Some people are jealous of that, but you’ve never let it get to you.”

“It’s on them to feel that way, not me,” she said. “And you’ve got a meeting so I’ll catch up with you another time.”

She hung up and went back to work.

At the end of the day, she wanted to reach out to Micah but told herself not to.

He said he’d be working late and she didn’t want to bug him. He didn’t bother her during the day when she was working.

But since she was thinking of him and he’d said he liked peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses in them, and she had a bag in the house, she was going to surprise him. It’d give her some content to post since she hadn’t done much since a few things on Valentine’s Day.

What she missed most was the connection. The simple exchange that happened when she put something joyful into the world and someone else felt it too. It wasn’t about approval; it was about that quiet, beautiful moment of shared emotion.

Warm cookies on a chilly day would hit the spot, so she grabbed her phone and went downstairs to get started. That would be her theme too.

Twenty minutes after she’d posted a quick video of the ingredients on the counter, she got a text from Scarlet asking if they’d get some too.

She did a little shoulder shimmy and replied they were for her father. What this also told her was that Scarlet was following her a lot closer than she thought to have noticed that post so quickly.

She’d have to be even more careful knowing her boyfriend’s daughter had eyes on her too.