Page 6 of A Home for Harmony (Blossoms #16)

TRUSTWORTHY

M icah hated the feeling of being watched.

Rather than whip his head around looking for danger in a stupid situation like getting Chinese takeout for his dinner, he casually turned his head to scan the room.

There she was. The woman he’d spent way too much time looking up online.

Not that he’d ever admit it to anyone, but something about her just sat in his brain and no amount of shoving her out was happening.

“Hi,” she said, lifting her hand and sending him a little wave.

He’d been told dinner would be twenty minutes, which was twenty-five ago and there were still a few people ahead of him so he moved away from where he was standing by the wall and got closer to the door where Harmony walked in.

“Did you break down and walk in to wait here for a ride?” he asked.

Her eyes sparkled some. When the hell had he ever noticed that about a person before?

He hadn’t, but he did now.

The bright blue of them was lit up with the big smile she was sending his way.

“I didn’t,” she said. “But if I had, I was prepared this time.”

He looked at the navy jacket she was wearing with her jeans and the same boots that his daughter had.

“You are. Did you get your car fixed?”

“Yes,” she said. “They said it was some weird electrical issue and should be fine now.” She leaned in closer to him, and the scent of whatever was on her body was floating up in a cloud around his head.

Floral and citrus and made him want to inhale deeply.

He didn’t. “I was nervous driving here. I hate to think I’ve got PTSD, but it’s dark out and the last thing I need to do is break down again. ”

“You can’t let it take over your life. As you said, a freak thing. And you are prepared.”

“I learned my lesson,” she said, nodding. “My sister, Erica, lectured me as hard as I think you wanted to do.”

He snorted. Guess she saw right through him. “I’ve got restraint.”

“We all should have some of that. Looks like tonight is the night for takeout.”

“Seems it. They told me twenty minutes.” He looked at his watch. “They are eight minutes over and there are still a few ahead of me.”

“I bet we called at the same time,” she said. “Or that is their go-to time regardless even if it takes forty minutes.”

“Most likely,” he said drily.

“I guess I’ll move up and give my name,” she said. “Maybe you’ve got a complicated dish and it’s taking longer.”

“There isn’t much complicated about sweet and sour chicken.”

“Oh,” she said, doing a little shoulder wiggle. “That was almost my dinner, but it ended up being sesame chicken and an egg roll.”

“Ended up?” he asked. That was an odd way to say she chose that.

She held her finger up. “I’ll explain in a minute.” She sidestepped the people waiting around the counter, gave her name and was told it wasn’t ready.

He’d been here enough to know you did that rather than wait in line. There were bags prepared on the counter waiting for people and it didn’t appear they belonged to anyone standing here.

“Not ready, I see,” he said when she returned.

“Nope. You asked how I ended up with my meal. It’s because I couldn’t decide and picked it at random. That’s how I ended up here too.”

He lifted one eyebrow at her. “Do you do that often?”

She shrugged. “I’m not a fussy person with most things. I’m alone tonight and had to push my sister out the door to spend it with her boyfriend and his family and assure her I’d be fine. When I went to get some dinner, I decided takeout was the way to go. Are you alone tonight too?”

“Yeah.”

He had seen nothing online about her dating anyone. Not that he could go back and look at pictures since he had no accounts himself and wasn’t about to sign up just to look at her.

That crossed the line of stalking in his book.

“Bummer,” she said. “I’ve got a full day tomorrow with lots of family.

” She leaned in again. “This is my first Christmas Eve alone. My sister was worried and wanted to come back home, but I told her not to be silly. Sorry, I shouldn’t be this close in your personal space, but I didn’t want to announce to the whole place I’m home alone tonight. And like an idiot, I just told you.”

She rolled her eyes when she said it, the smile still on her face.

“I’m trustworthy.” At least she was smart enough to all but whisper it to him.

He was probably judging her wrong, but he had his opinions on people who made a living on social media. Most of the time it was for show in his eyes or to get attention.

Oftentimes, it was irresponsible to the younger generation who were so easily influenced.

Though he had to admit, the videos of Harmony on YouTube weren’t horrible or outrageous.

They were actually nice, simple, and added a little peace to this crazy world. Appreciation for the things or people who might be struggling.

If he hadn’t met her in person, he might think it was a front, but she appeared that laid back, carefree, and genuine.

“You are,” she said. “Since you sat with me and didn’t need to.

” She reached out and put her hand on his and the heat behind her touch lit something cold in his body.

“I appreciated it.” She dropped her hand away quickly, as if she realized she shouldn’t have touched his.

“I didn’t answer you on how I ended up with my dinner tonight. ”

“No,” he said. “You didn’t.”

“Not a man of many words, are you?”

“You seem to say enough of them for both of us.”

She laughed. “You’re funny.”

“Says no one ever,” he said, snorting.

She waved her hand like she was swatting a bug.

“People don’t have to say it to think it.

But back to my dinner. I had fun with it and put all the menus on the counter upside down, then spun around once with my eyes closed and slapped my hand down.

The one I came up with is where I was ordering from. ”

He didn’t think he did anything that frivolous in his life, even for something as simple as dinner.

“How did you pick what food you wanted off the menu?”

There had to be a funny story to this too.

“I have several things I like and put the numbers into an app on my phone and let it pick it at random. So there you go. Sweet and sour chicken could have been chosen too.”

“Got it."

“Barnes,” he heard.

“Guess yours is done,” she said.

“James,” was shouted next.

“And yours,” he said.

They moved to the front together, got their food and paid, then were walking out at the same time.

“I wonder how many Christmas movies are on TV tonight that I can avoid watching,” she said before she made her way to her car.

He could tell she was dragging this out, and it made him wonder if she didn’t want to be alone tonight.

Surprisingly, he didn’t either and found himself asking, “Do you want to eat dinner together and count the number of them?”

He refused to take the shock on her face personally. Honestly, he wasn’t sure what he’d been thinking. She was twelve years younger, and that gap suddenly felt impossible.

He knew because he’d pulled up her driver’s license.

“I’d love to,” she said, doing a little bounce on her toes.

“We can go to my place,” he said. “It’s around the corner.”

He figured she’d feel more comfortable being able to leave than worrying about someone she had to kick out, but how the hell would he know what went through her mind? Shit, she picked her dinner by random draw.

“We can do that,” she said. “I can follow you if you want.”

“Sure.” He climbed into his SUV that was two down from hers, backed out and waited to make sure she was behind him. Then he drove the mile to his house, pulled into the driveway and hit the garage door.

Harmony’s car stopped behind his outside the garage and she got out, then walked in with him.

“There is a part of me that thinks I’m being an idiot coming here with you, but the other part is that I feel as if I know you. I spent enough time looking you up last week.”

“What?” he asked, turning to look at her.

“I shouldn’t have admitted that either,” she said. “But I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind.”

“Seems we have the same problem.”