Page 134 of A Home for Harmony

“You didn’t fail.”

“I did. To hear you say what you did yesterday brought it all back. You have a right to your life and your career without me interfering with it.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Micah. A relationship is about trust and believing in each other. It’s not about separate lives. Is that how you see it?”

How could she have been so wrong about him? About them? Even with Danielle. Was she so blind to people around her because she didn’t open up enough?

“I didn’t,” he said. “But maybe you do.”

She had to process what he was saying and put her hand up for a minute. “You’re saying that if I think a relationship should be that way, that you’d be okay with it?”

“I don’t want to lose you.” He looked both sad and remorseful. “You’re the best thing that has happened to me. You said I haven’t been open-minded, but I have. I was frightened that you put yourself at risk. I should have realized that you knew what you were doing.”

“You put yourself at risk in your job daily. I’m scared too, but I trust you’ll do the right thing. You’ll be as cautious as you can be.”

He nodded his head. “I’ve seen that you do the same and when I found out what was going on?—”

“You thought I brought it on myself, didn’t you?”

“No,” he said, adamantly shaking his head. “Never that. Maybe before I met you, I would have thought about it, but after knowing you, it never crossed my mind. When I found out what was going on, I hoped I could protect you. That I could fix it. You’re right. I looked at you as my child and not my partner. That was wrong.”

“It was. I’m glad you can see it. I don’t want to lose what we have, but we have to understand each other. I don’t want to feel as if what I do isn’t good enough for you. Or it’s always going to be wrong.”’

He pulled her into his arms when her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want you to feel that way. You bring too much good intothis world. No one should dim your light. If you want to continue to do it and it’s working for you, I will not tell you it’s wrong. I’ll help you protect yourself, but you know the right things to do and have been doing well without me so far.”

“I don’t want to continue without you though,” she said. “I want us to talk things out.”

“That’s all I ever wanted,” he said. “You didn’t do that yesterday.”

She inhaled and let it out. “And that is where I say I’m sorry. I was wrong. I came to you, you helped me, and then I disregarded the fact I brought you into my problem.”

“You did. I don’t have a problem with what you did with that video. I would have held the camera for you rather than Erica. But I would have wanted to make sure you knew and had the facts beforehand, not that I’d have to find out from my daughter, who was terrified you had some stalker.”

Which she hadn’t thought about in that moment.

She should have because she knew everything she did was watched by Scarlet and even admitted it made her think twice now.

She’d only thought of herself yesterday morning and wouldn’t do that again.

“You had to calm her and then find out what I was doing. My actions put a lot on your shoulders by not giving you a warning.”

“It did. It goes back to communicating. Harmony, I love you. I never thought I’d fall in love again and I sure the hell didn’t think it’d be with someone younger. You talked about self-doubt before. I feel it a lot with you. It’s not a pleasant feeling.”

She forced out a laugh. “No, it’s not. I hate that we both are feeling it. I want what we’ve got to work. I want you to know you can trust me to come to you and I want to know you believe in me and trust that I’ll do that.”

“I will,” he said. “I do. I want you to feel the same. Trust that I’ll come to you. I’ve got my pride and it’s hard to admit when I’m not right or need help.”

“Don’t kid yourself,” she said, poking him in the side. “You’re soft and squishy and melt when your daughter tells you to.”

He snorted. “She reached out to you last night, didn’t she?”

“She did, but I didn’t tell her anything. I want you to know that too. I won’t get in the middle of your relationship with her and I don’t want her to get in the middle of us. I know there will be times it happens.”

“We’ll work it out,” he said. “Like mature adults.”

She leaned up and gave him a kiss. “Are we both forgiven?”

“I hope so.”