Page 96 of A Home for Harmony

“Meaning that she looked into Daisy’s background and then threw it back into Theo’s face he could do better. Theo told her he was cutting ties with her until she apologized and accepted Daisy and meant it.”

“Damn.” He wasn’t sure he could forgive his parents for going behind his back and doing something like that. “Are they on good terms now?”

Her head went back and forth. “I’m not sure good terms is the right word. They get along and Theo and Daisy just swallow their tongues for the time they have to be around my mother. With the baby coming, they are trying more, but having the distance helps.”

“How was she with Tucker?”

“She likes Tucker, but of course had to dig into his life and family. Tucker’s father had a bit of a reputation.”

“I know,” he said. “In a small area like this, TC Nelay was well known for a lot of things.”

Like drugs and whoring. The guy was a piece of shit and treated his staff like trash on the side of the road. No one seemed to mourn his passing. If it wasn’t for the fact TCN Industries employed so many people in the area and paid well, the place might have gone under with Tucker’s father’s leadership.

“It’s getting better with Tucker running things. He hired Erica to help with the transformation, but you know that.”

Harmony had filled him in on how Tucker and Erica had met in New York City and both ended up back in this area.

“What Tucker’s father did had nothing to do with him.”

“But my mother didn’t see that at first and gave Erica a hard time. I should say Erica and I really ignore our mother. Or I make jokes about it. I feel, being the baby, I’ve never been good enough for her and I have more fun working her up by joking than letting her know how much it pisses me off.”

“I don’t think you get pissed,” he said. “I’m not sure you’ve got it in you. You’re hurt and you should tell her.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Telling my mother she is hurting my feelings won’t change a thing. Then she’ll tell me to grow up. Trust me, I’ve learned. I do stand my ground when I have to. It always feels as if Erica and Theo have to stand up for me and, though I appreciate it, it’s getting old too. But we all stick together.”

“I’m sure you’ve stuck up for them,” he said.

“I have. All the time. But back to you. She knows we are dating, but nothing more. I’m sorry. I should have told her your age and that you’ve got a daughter, but I couldn’t. I wanted her to meet you first and not form an opinion prior based on information she was going to gather.”

“I’ve got mixed feelings about that.” He didn’t give a shit if Harmony’s mother approved of him, but he sure the hell didn’t like knowing someone was going to dig into his past life.

“I know and I’m sorry. I’m being honest. My mother can be rude but not over the top. Jerry will put her in her place and so will everyone else.”

“Your stepfather,” he said. “How do you feel about him?”

“I like him a lot. He’s completely different from my mother and my father. My mom needs to control everything. Jerry is a pediatrician. He loves kids. He’s got one daughter in med school and she doesn’t live around here, but they have a good relationship. Better than my father had with us, but then I realize it’s just different.”

“Different isn’t bad.”

“No,” she said, reaching over and running her hand on his thigh. “It’s not. What we have differs from my siblings and my mother will see it and ask questions. She might insult you, but it’s going to end up insulting me.”

“Will it bother you if I speak up?” he asked. “I’m not sure I can sit back and let that happen.”

Her bottom lip came out. “That’s so sweet. It’s not going to bother me. You’ll be diplomatic. You know, being the negotiator and all.”

Micah didn’t expect to see this side of Harmony. With her father she was confident and secure about herself, him, and her career.

With her mother, she was showing self-doubt on not just her career and him, but also her self-worth. It was night and day to him, making him realize there were more layers to the woman he loved than he could have imagined.

His eyebrows rose. “I wouldn’t go that far. Why don’t you fill me in on what she knows?”

The past few weeks they hadn’t had a lot of time together and he felt bad about that, but there was a lot going on at work and she had obligations. Scarlet was at the house half the time like always and he wasn’t up to having his girlfriend spend the night with his daughter in the house just yet.

That also meant he couldn’t go to Harmony’s if Scarlet was home because he wouldn’t leave her alone.

They were squeezing time in the best they could or talking at night. He worried it might not be enough.

Scarlet was working today and then would go to her mother’s house.