Page 9 of A Home for Harmony (Blossoms #16)

BE YOURSELF

C hristmas morning!

Harmony stretched her arms over her head, grunted out a few noises she didn’t realize she was going to do, then let out a giggle or two.

She reached for her phone on the bedside table and did a quick impromptu video. It was one thing she was known for, that she didn’t spend hours glamming herself up, rather letting the world see the real her.

When she turned the video on, she saw her eyes were a little sleepy, her hair messed up like a tornado blew through it, and a little crusty blob in her eye.

She wiped that out, as it was gross.

“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I opened my eyes this morning excited like a little child ready to race down the stairs. Not to open presents, but to spend time with those I love. Take a minute or two out of your day and think of anyone that you miss in your life and might not see them. Maybe they are working, live too far away, or are no longer with us. If you can, reach out and give them a shout you’re thinking of them.

Holidays should be about loved ones. If you know of someone that might be alone, how about sending them a quick message?

You have no idea how much it could cheer a person up, even if they tell you they are fine.

And last of all, be yourself. It’s the best gift you can give to someone. ”

She replayed the video back and uploaded it. When she was doing cuts for her sponsors, she would edit and redo if she needed to. But when it was something like this, she liked the raw videos instead.

Why not be a leader for those to do what she said? Be themselves.

And if that meant doing it before she even took a pee or brushed her teeth, so be it.

She threw the covers back, then ran to the hall bath to do her business.

She turned the water on in the shower, then went back to her room to get her clothes. The T-shirt that barely covered her butt cheeks wasn’t very warm.

Once she was showered and dried, she spread lotion all over her body as part of her morning routine. If her mind was thinking of Micah’s hands on her, she’d keep that little secret to herself for now.

She thought for sure she wouldn’t fall asleep last night after their kiss. That kiss definitely excited her.

Maybe she pulled out her battery-operated friend for some relief and imagined Micah’s large hands gliding it between her lips.

She didn’t know the last time she thought of a man as much as she had him.

He was unlike anyone she’d ever been attracted to before.

No, that was wrong.

She would have called him a strip of bacon if she passed him on the street. It was hard not to notice him.

Over six foot, a nice toned body on him. Not too big, but just right.

His brown hair was neatly trimmed. No trendy style, but nothing outdated either. Just clean, classic, and exactly what suited him.

He was a simple to-the-point type of man.

He was still clean-shaven, but she couldn’t help wondering how he’d look with a bit of scruff. She’d noticed the faint shadow coming in last night, and she’d bet good money he had a perfectly rugged beard by morning. Maybe, if she was lucky, she’d get to see it for herself.

“Okay, Harmony. Enough with thoughts of the hottie today.”

She got dressed, dried her hair and put a thin layer of makeup on. She never wore much unless she was trying products for a sponsor. She’d always been more of a natural girl on a day-to-day basis.

Coffee was the first order of business after she turned the Christmas tree lights on. Everything in the house looked so festive.

When she noticed the freshly dropped snow on the ground out of her kitchen window, she snapped a few pictures of it, cropped them to make sure not much could be recognized of where she was living, then posted them with the caption: A lovely fresh morning .

“Merry Christmas! Get out of bed, Harmony!”

She walked out of the kitchen to see Erica taking her boots off in the mudroom a few feet away.

“I’m up,” she said. “Having yummy coffee.” She put the cup to her lips and sipped it, then let out a moan. Her sister limited herself to one cup a day and she probably had it with Tucker already.

“Where’s mine?” Erica asked.

“Have you had it already?”

“No,” Erica said. “I haven’t. I had a nasty cup of tea but put a smile on my face for it. I was going to sneak out on Tucker, but he got up with me.”

“It is early,” she said. “Why are you here?”

“Because I’m not letting you be alone and didn’t want you doing all the work with the food either.”

She moved over and gave her sister a one-armed hug. “Awww, Merry Christmas to you too.”

“I thought I would get here before you got up. I’m sorry about that,” Erica said, moving to make her coffee.

“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “I told you I was fine.”

“It looks it,” Erica said.

“Did you and Tucker exchange gifts already?” she asked.

“We did,” Erica said. “It was nice. It’s the first holiday I’ve spent with a significant other.”

“You should have stayed,” she said.

“Harmony. Tucker is a few houses down. He’s going to spend it with his mother and Norman. He hasn’t had Christmas with them in years. The three of them will be here in a few hours.”

“You look so happy,” she told her sister. “I can’t tell you how happy I am for you.”

“Thank you, Harmony. You’re a great sister. I’m not sure I would have gotten through the last year without you. I mean it.”

“Awwww,” she said. “The same. Can I confess something to you?”

There was no way she was going to keep her date hidden.

“Always,” Erica said. Her sister sipped her coffee and let out a little moan too. “I can’t tell you the little pleasures in life. Is this bad or what?”

“No,” she said. “It’s not bad to appreciate something small. That is part of life. Find the joy in things when you can.”

“I feel as if I’m learning that from you. Everyone should do those things.”

“I hope they do,” she said. It’s what she tried to have her message be. Look for the good even in the bad. Some people didn’t like that and thought it was fake, but it wasn’t.

She couldn’t help being who she was.

“What is it you want to confess to me?” Erica asked. “Do we have time to sit for this or should we get the food going?”

“I prepped a lot last night,” she said. “I was too excited to sit still so we don’t have as much to do.”

“Well then,” Erica said. “Now I’ve got to know.”

“I kissed some aged bacon last night,” she squealed and then did a tap dance on her toes around the kitchen. “Ouch, that hurt. I should have done that with slippers on. Let me get them.”

“Noooooo,” Erica said. “Come back here and explain that.”

Her sister’s voice was trailing as Harmony dashed up the stairs and slipped her feet into her UGG slippers and then ran back down.

“Sorry,” she said, grinning. “I got Chinese takeout last night.”

“What does that have to do with bacon? I’m assuming you’re talking about the officer that helped you two weeks ago.”

“Micah Barnes,” she said. “And he’s a captain. Remember that.”

“I’m sorry,” Erica said. “I’m confused and am never that confused. What am I missing?”

“He was there alone getting a takeout dinner too. We both had to wait and were talking, then he asked if I wanted to have dinner with him at his house.”

“You went to his house alone?” Erica asked, frowning. “Without telling anyone? Someone you just met?”

“Okay, Mom,” she said, crossing her eyes. “He’s an officer of the law. He is Luke’s superior and I know that because I brought it up to him. I was completely safe.” She hugged her arms to her body. “Oh man, did I feel safe.”

Erica laughed. “Fine, he passes muster on who he is. Tell me more.”

“We get in his house and I see a picture of his teenage daughter on the fireplace.”

Erica’s jaw dropped. “How old is he, exactly? You would have asked by that point.”

“I did,” she said. “He knew my age. He said he couldn’t get me out of his mind and had been looking into me, but isn’t on social media, so he only could see things on my YouTube channel. Guess he has an account there.”

“Most people do,” Erica said. “How do you feel knowing he was looking into you?”

“Ecstatic,” she said. “Because I did the same to him. He’s twelve years older than me. I think it bothers him more than me. He said the age gap between him and me is more than between me and Scarlet. That’s his daughter.”

Erica’s head went back and forth. “You think Tucker is old at thirty-five. So what are you thinking with Micah being thirty-eight?”

“I’ll admit if someone asked me a year ago if I was interested in dating a thirty-eight-year-old, I’d say no.

But having been here a year and not having much luck with the opposite sex, I’ve realized I’ve got to be more open-minded.

Maybe I need someone like him in my life who isn’t who I’d normally be drawn to. ”

“What’s different about him other than his age?” Erica asked. “I need to hear this because I can tell by the smile on your face you’re pretty smitten.”

“Is that a word?” she asked. “Do people become smitten? I think you’ve got an old soul.”

“It’s a word,” Erica said. “Don’t be cute. Even though we know how cute you really are.”

Harmony took a bow. “Thank you. Micah thinks I am too, though I can tell he’s not very keen on what I do for a living.”

“Then that is a flag,” Erica said.

“Hear me out,” she said, putting her hand up. “We talked about it. His problem stems from having a sixteen-year-old daughter easily swayed by what she sees.”

“And you explained to him that what you put out there isn’t all about show, but being real?” Erica asked.

“Yes,” she said. “I told him I’m not out to exploit anyone. I fell into this career and am trying to turn it into something more sustainable. I used big words too. You’d be proud of how mature I sounded.”

Erica was laughing. “You’re very mature and responsible and always have been. It’s too bad that many people look at you and don’t give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“That’s right,” she said, nodding her head. “But Micah did. He listened. Then I told him he was bacon.”

“Nooooooo,” Erica said. “You told him about that?”

“I even used the word aged in front of it,” she said, giggling. “He thought it was funny. He said I was smoking, then we kissed and I told him I smelled something burning.”

“That’s hilarious,” Erica said. “You’re dancing again.”

“I can’t help it,” she said. “I know it was one spontaneous date, but I was so happy when I got home. I’ve never felt this way about one date.”

Erica hugged her again. “I’m so happy for you. Is he divorced? You have said little about any of that.”

Harmony filled her sister in. “He is and I don’t have a problem with it,” she said. “He sounds like a grouch but a good Dad. He doesn’t smile or laugh much, but he did when I was there. I kind of think of him as you the past few years. I mean, I’ve lived with Oscar long enough, so I can handle it.”

Erica gave her a little shove after she kissed her sister on the cheek.

“I’m Oscar no more,” Erica said.

“That’s right, because you found Tucker.”

“Maybe you found your own Tucker too.”

“I hope so,” she said. “But I won’t get ahead of myself either.”

“Take it slow,” Erica said. “Let it happen organically.”

“I will,” she said. “We exchanged numbers, but I know he works a lot and he co-parents his daughter, who only lives a few houses down and shows up unexpected all the time.”

“Which could put a wrinkle in a lot of things,” Erica said.

“It could, but he could come here. It’s not like you’re around much.”

“I can get out of your way any time you want me to,” Erica said.

“Thanks for that,” she said. “Now we can start with the food prep before everyone gets here.”

Her sister moved to the fridge to pull out all the ingredients for their brunch and Harmony picked her phone up to check on any messages.

She really wanted to text Micah Merry Christmas, but figured that would push it too soon. Maybe later.

She opened her TikTok account where she’d posted the video and glanced at the comments.

One caught her eye. She recognized the username and calmed her racing heart when she read: Merry Christmas to you. Reaching out and hoping it makes your day as much as your message made mine.

It seemed benign enough, but she knew it was the same person sending her the creepy emails too. Those three ending emojis.

“What’s wrong?” Erica asked.

“What?”

“You’re frowning,” Erica said. “Everything okay?”

Harmony forced a smile onto her face. “Perfect,” she said. “Just reading some messages.”

Erica pulled her phone out of her hand. “No phones until later.”

“But what if some bacon reaches out?” she asked.

“He can wait if he does,” Erica said. “Never be too eager.”

“The last thing I’m doing is taking dating advice from you!”

“Not long ago you said you were jealous of my relationship. You can’t have it both ways.”

“I can have it any way I want,” she said, nodding. “Extra crispy and greasy enough to slip and slide all over the place.”

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine it and wondered what Micah was doing now.