Page 52 of A Home for Harmony

“I think you’re right,” Lily said. “At least I believe that now, but man, did it take a lot of hard work to get here.”

“And still does,” she said, nodding. “I know.”

Though enough people didn’t think what she did was work.

Just because it was fun didn’t mean it took little effort on her part.

“Lily,” Ivy said, running into the room. “Oops, sorry. I’ll come back.”

“It’s fine,” Harmony said. “I need to sign these papers. Go ahead.”

She sat down to read through it quickly while Ivy was talking to Lily.

“Brooks just texted me. There was a standoff with hostages that finally ended. He was there with the state police. Can I run out quickly and go see him?”

“Of course,” Lily said. “I know it’s hard when you hear these things.”

Harmony lifted her head. “Did he say how it ended?”

“Yeah, I guess the guy shot two people before he ran into some house and took hostages, but Brooks’s captain talked him out and they arrested him.”

She was pretty sure her face just paled because she knew damn well who that person was and was on the scene when she thought he sat at a desk all the time now.

Why the hell didn’t she think of these things before?!

17

MIXED REACTIONS

“Harmony James is here to see you.”

“What?” Micah asked, lifting his head. Candy was the assistant who sat at the front behind the glass and dealt with the public that came into the building. She just popped her head into his office.

“She asked if you were around and if she could talk to you. She doesn’t have an appointment, but I thought I’d check before I took a message.”

“I’ll come get her,” he said.

He couldn’t imagine what this was about, but wouldn’t leave her standing there either.

He stood up and followed Candy to the front, buzzed the door open and popped his head out.

“I’m sorry,” Harmony said.

“Come on back,” he said, not letting her say much more.

She looked upset. Not scared like the first time he’d seen her waiting in her car on the side of the road, but her happy peppy personality was gone, even though she was forcing a smile.

They got to his office and he shut his door.

“I shouldn’t have come here,” she rushed out to say. Her eyes traveled the length of him in uniform, his gun in the holster on his shoulder. “Whoa. Damn. Talk about mixed reactions.”

The smile wasn’t so fake this time. “I had my gun and uniform on the day I helped you.”

He’d been in uniform, but she obviously hadn’t realized it with his winter jacket on. His own jacket. He left his police-issued one at work since he didn’t always go out in the field.

“I was too nervous to pay attention to that,” she said. She looked around as if she was worried someone would hear her and then dropped her voice while her hand moved up and down in front of him. “This is hot.”

His lips twitched but didn’t smile. “That’s why you stopped over?”