Page 114 of A Home for Harmony

“I did. I went to see her one day to ask what you had and might like. I didn’t want to give you something you already had. She told me what she was making and said she could do earrings to match.”

She lifted the dangle earrings out. There were three different flowers that matched the ones on her bracelet hanging at different lengths. Not a set, but they went well together.

“Now that is how you do a gift, Dad,” Scarlet said. “For a second there I was going to be disappointed in you when you always give me the best things. Now, let’s eat.”

They sat at the table like a family and talked about Scarlet’s day, Micah’s, and hers. It was smooth and comforting after the day she’d had.

After cake and ice cream were served, Scarlet said she was going to her mother’s for the night.

When they were left alone, she asked, “Did you know she was leaving?”

“No,” he said. “If I did, I would have had you bring your clothes to stay the night.”

“I can still stay the night if you want me to,” she said. “You might not. I know you’re not happy with me.”

“It’s not that I’m not happy,” he said. “More like disappointed.”

Her heart was thumping in her chest. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s on me, not you,” he said. “I’m disappointed that you felt you couldn’t come to me before about this.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Micah. We’ve been dating about three months. This has been going on for almost two years and my family doesn’t know. Erica knows everything about me and I didn’t tell her.”

She moved over to sit on his lap in his chair in the family room.

“That’s why I said it’s on me and not you.”

“I’m sure I’m making a bigger deal about this. I felt that way too. Maybe it grew in my head more than it should have. If I said something earlier, I might have realized how silly I was being.”

“Don’t diminish it,” he said. “I mean that. It’s not over by a long shot.”

“Are you trying to scare me more?” she asked.

“No. I’m saying I want you to go on with life as you were and in the meantime we are going to go over everything else and I’ll look into things or what I can.”

She pursed her lips. “Since it’s my birthday, I want to change the subject. Can you go put your uniform back on for me?”

He lifted his eyebrows. “What?”

“I asked you before about role playing and you said I only needed to be here when you got home from work. I was, but you weren’t alone and had already changed. Maybe I want to see you in it when we are alone.”

“You have in the morning when you’ve stayed the night,” he said, closing one eye at her.

“You’re taking all the fun out of this. What did Scarlet say? You’re boring.”

He stood up with her in his arms. “Hardly boring,” he said. “But I suppose if it turns you on.”

“Oh,” she said, running her hand down his chest. “It really turns me on and I’d like to end the day this way.”

He moved through the house and up the stairs. “You’re not making me put the whole thing on, right? Not my holster and gun.”

“You’ve got another gun I’m interested in,” she said. “Just your pants and shirt, buttoned up. Nothing more. I promise.”

He set her on his bed and went into his closet to pull out his uniform, then undressed and she shook her head at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Can’t you go in the bathroom and do that and come out all ready?”