She smiled gently. “I know, but she was trying to help. And it’s done now. The stuff I won’t wear, I’m shipping to Japan for Reika. They’ll fit her—she’s my size.”
Lana rolled her eyes. “If not smaller—she barely weighs a hundred pounds.” She took another drink. “Why did she have you helping out with payroll?”
Harmony shrugged. “I have no clue. It’s not something I like doing, that’s for sure. I don’t have a head for figures. Luckily for all involved, she didn’t give me too much to do on that.” She touched her friend’s arm. “It’s okay, Lana. Everything is paid back.”
Her friend scowled and sighed. “I know, it’s just bull. All they would have had to do was call me and I could have brought over the things you keep at my place.”
“They live a bit differently than we do.” That was the only explanation she could come up with. She didn’t mind her protectiveness—Lana was her one true friend, the one who saw past the child prodigy, the scarred woman, to who she was at her core.
“I know. I’ve seen his place. How are you doing with that, by the way?”
“I’ll miss him, I know this, but I’m glad to be back on my own.”
“I know you are. Have you heard from your parents?”
She shook her head. “No. But then I also didn’t tell them what happened.”
Bless Lana, she didn’t comment, just squeezed her hand in silent support. Then her eyes widened and she jumped up, hastening to her bag.
“I forgot—I got you a housewarming gift.”
She sat back on the couch and handed her a rectangular item wrapped in homemade wrapping paper. She recognised it—she’d helped make ones like it before, where they used cut potatoes to create the print design. Placing it on her lap, she rubbed her hands together and carefully opened the wrapping, ignoring Lana’s comments on how she should just tear into it.
A new wave of tears sprang to her eyes as she stared at the gift. Inside a gold frame rested a picture of her and her grandmother. She remembered the day as if it was yesterday. Lana had actually been in the shot as well but had cropped herself out and blown up the image.
“Oh, Lana.”
She found herself in comforting arms as Lana held her while she cried. There was no need for words—the picture right there was worth more to her than anything necessary for the apartment.
They crashed on the floor and woke bright and early to walk down to a restaurant to grab some breakfast. She told Lana about playing at Bella’s while they ate. They ordered coffee to go then walked out of the door and headed back up the street, enjoying the cooler morning.
Turning a corner, they both halted when a horn sounded behind them. She glanced over her shoulder to see a dirty green Jeep pulling up. The moment she saw who sat behind the wheel, she knew who it was—Delicia Wright, Jonathon’s youngest sister. She’d met her more than a few times before.
“Harmony!” she called out, waving.
They stopped and waited. The vehicle stopped beside them and the woman leaned towards them over the seats.
“Hello, Lis,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m okay.” She flashed a smile at Lana as well. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Lis.”
“Lana.”
“Pleasure.” She gave a short nod. “Sorry to bother you both, but I thought I’d offer up my assistance if you needed it. Well, mine and Archer’s.”
“And you knew I had moved out?”
She chuckled. “In our family, you learn things are never really secret.” A shrug. “Most things. Anyway, Archer and I are more than willing to help you move some things, if you’re getting anything and you don’t want to wait for delivery.” She reached into the bag on the passenger seat and dug for a card, which she then held out. “Here’s my card with all my numbers. I’m free all day, so let me know.”
Harmony took the card and said, “Thank you.”
“Not a problem. Great to meet you, Lana.” A wave and she was driving off.
“That is one crazy family,” Lana commented.
“It’s definitely a lot different than what I’m used to.” They continued walking back to her new place. Out of habit, she walked up the stairs and at her door Lana laughed as Harmony opened it. “What’s so funny?”
“You do know this place has a working elevator, right?”
She huffed with false indignation. “I was working off breakfast.”
“And I thought the Wrights were crazy.” She nudged her with a shoulder.
They spent the day getting some things and she called Delicia over. With the four of them, it went smoothly. She and Lana went out to dinner with Archer and Delicia afterwards, as a thank you for all the help. Lana took her grocery shopping on her way back and helped her carry all of that up as well, before she went back to her home.
After putting her food away, Harmony crashed on her new bed that Archer had brought up for her. She fell asleep with the photo of her and her grandmother tucked in beside her. The next day she began to put her things in even more order. She’d just made herself some lunch when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Goreijou.”
Daughter. Her breath hitched and she automatically stood straighter. It was her mother. “Hahaoya,” Harmony replied.
A moment of silence and she cringed from the disappointment she knew would be on her mother’s face.
“Your brother told us you moved.” She continued to speak in Japanese. In fact, she’d not heard her mother speak English unless absolutely necessary. “Why did you not mention it to us?”
“It was kind of not an intentional move, mother,” she replied, also speaking Japanese. “My apartment burnt down and I had to find a new place. I stayed with…a friend until I got the money owed to me by the company and actually just moved in this weekend. I was going to call once I got settled.”
The sound of disbelief made her shift uncomfortably. All this time and she still felt like a little child being disciplined with nothing more than a single sound.
“You are all right?”
“Yes. I wasn’t in when it happened.”
“Are you sure?” She couldn’t miss the concern this time and it brought tears to her eyes.
She nodded until she realised her mother couldn’t see that and responded. “Just sad that I lost everything.” She wiped her tears and took a deep breath. “How is Father?”
“He misses you.”
“I miss him too.”
“We are coming to the States next month and would like to see you.”
“I’d like that. Where are you going?”
“Your father has business in California.”
“I could meet you out there. I just have to give a bit of notice at work so I can take the time off.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as it is finalised.”
“It’ll be wonderful to see you both again.”
“Yes. We don’t see enough of our only daughter.”
She hung her head at the reprimand but didn’t argue. She’d cut most ties after the accident.
“I will let you go and will talk to you soon.”
“Goodbye, Mother.”
“Goodbye, Harmony.” A short pause. “We love you.” Then she was gone with a click.
“Love you too, Mother.” She spoke to the air as she hung up her receiver. Her belly was filled with uncertainty at seeing them again. Nerves had her rubbing her scar.
The doorbell rang and she walked to the door, still lost in thought about her parents. Pulling it open, her breath left her in a rush at the view waiting for her. Jonathon Wright stood there in one of his all too expensive silk suits.
“Hello,” she murmured, stepping back to allow him entrance.
“I’ve missed you.” He strode towards her, purpose all over his expression. He grabbed her upper arms and drew her flush to him.
“It’s not even been a full day,” she replied with a smile, brushing their lips together.
; “It feels longer.”
“Are you hungry?” she asked. His words had made her feel warm and gooey inside and helped banish the stress of the call from her mother. “I could fix us something.”
His eyes burned as he stared at her. “I’m hungry all right.”
“I mean for food.”
He sighed and nodded. “I could eat. Looks like you got some things delivered. I’m glad.”
“Yes. Lis and Archer helped Lana and I yesterday.”
“Did they? They didn’t say anything to me.”
She moved away from him to the small but functional kitchen. “Were they supposed to?”
“Well, no. I suppose not.”
She didn’t respond, just let him think about it as he walked around. She made them sandwiches and while she placed them on plates, he came back in and carried them to the table.
“Are you sure you don’t want a bigger place?”
Harmony blew out a breath and lowered the sandwich she’d been about to bite into. “Why is it so important to you for me to have a huge place?”
He blinked and took a drink. “It’s not.”
“Bull. Every time I’ve turned around you’ve been telling me I should get a larger place. Even before the other one burnt down, you continually looked at it like it was less because it wasn’t as big or as fancy as yours.”
Her emotions were a bit frazzled and this had kind of pushed her over the edge. She shoved to her feet and glared down at him.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Don’t lie to me,” she snapped. “You may claim to be all about one thing but you can’t tell me appearances and status stuff don’t mean a lot to you. I have to have a car—heaven forbid I utilise public transportation. Just like what must I be thinking to not want a three-storey huge-ass home with a fancy manicured lawn! You live in the desert, for Christ’s sake. Why do you need to waste so much damn water to keep your lawn like that? Live on a golf course if that’s what you want. Pretentious—that’s what it is. I like my apartment. I like feeling cosy where I live.”
She wiped angrily at the tears that had formed at the sides of her eyes. “I’ve lived like you. I had the prestige and all that, and you know what? I wouldn’t trade what I have any day for what you do. It’s a prison. One I’ll never live in again.” She took a shuddering breath. “Get out.”
“Harmony.”
“Get. Out!”
He stood up, food forgotten on his plate. “I don’t understand. Talk to me.”
“Why? It all boils down to the same thing. I need a bigger place. I need to spend more money to make you happy about my living conditions.”
“That’s not what—”
“Get. Out!”
He seemed indecisive for a few moments before he gave her a sullen nod and walked to the door. As he slipped out, he paused and stared back at her. She turned her back on him, unmoving until she heard the door click. Then the tears fell unimpeded down her cheeks.
Chapter Eight
Jonathon stared sightlessly out of his office window. His mind played a continual loop of Harmony and her kicking him out. Was that truly how she felt? He’d thought she’d liked his place.
Okay, yes, so he had thought she should have something bigger, as well as a car. And he’d told her so repeatedly. She did have some good points, though. Especially about the yard. What disturbed him the most was how she’d said she’d never give up what she had for what he did. Did that mean she wouldn’t live in his place when he asked her to marry him?
Whoa! Where the hell had that thought come from? Marriage? To Harmony? Well, it sure as hell wouldn’t be to anyone but her. Still he shook his head and ran a hand down his face. It didn’t matter—he wanted her to wear his ring, carry his last name as well as his child.
Good luck having that happen. She wouldn’t even take his calls lately. It had been two weeks since she’d kicked him out of her place. She hadn’t even been home when he’d gone to see her. Nor had she been teaching when he’d gone there.
So much for my theory on ‘she can’t hide from me in McKingley’. She’d damn near vanished.
Rising to his feet, he pressed the button to reach his assistant. “Elisa?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Cancel and reschedule the rest of my day.”
“Right away, sir.”
He knew he’d surprised her. He wasn’t a man who skipped and ran. Hell, he was one who usually took on extra work. However, his productivity, which had increased after Harmony had moved in, had decreased over the past two weeks. Moreover, he’d got much surlier.
He grabbed his suit coat, draping it over his arm, as well as his briefcase and headed for the door. With a brief nod to Elisa, he hastened down to his coupé. Tossing his things on the seat beside him, he smiled as he recalled his sister using it and what had happened after. Then he pushed her to the back of his mind and got on his way.
At his destination, he pulled up and parked. Looking up at the apartment complex, he loosened his tie before getting out and heading to the door, locking his car with a push of a button.
He’d been here once before and knew where he was going. Still, his belly clenched a bit as he progressed. This was his last shot, really. If she wasn’t here, he didn’t know where else to go.
He took the elevator to the third floor and stepped out into the quiet hall. Tan carpet lined the floor and he moved with soundless steps to the apartment he wanted. After another deep breath, he reached out to press the doorbell.
A few moments passed before it swung open and he found himself staring into a pair of black eyes. Lana Kanseah stood there, watching him with a blank expression.
“Yes?”
“Where is she?” As he blurted out his question he was well aware of how gruff he sounded. He didn’t care—he didn’t have either time or patience to eventually work his way up to asking.
“If she’d wanted to tell you where she was, she would have.”
Damn, and he’d thought he was cold in the courtroom. Her voice would have given a polar bear frostbite.
“Lana, come on.” He leaned against her wall and stared at her. “I don’t know where else to go.”
She was obviously unmoved by his plea for she barely blinked. Inspecting her nails, she shifted her weight. “You’re a lawyer so you know what it is when someone tells a person something and that person can’t share it.”
“Like attorney-client privilege.”
The smile she gave him told him that was exactly what she meant. She wasn’t going to tell him anything.
“Is she okay?” Yes, he may have sounded like he was begging, but at this point he didn’t care.
Her phone rang and she walked off, door remaining open, to answer it. He didn’t move. Her conversation wasn’t anything he could understand and soon she hung up. Peering over her shoulder at him, she placed another call.
“Hey, hon. He’s here and wants to know where you are. Do you want to talk to him or should I slam the door in his face?”
His heart rate escalated at the thought of hearing her voice again. It had never been so hard for him to stay still before. Normally he was the cool cat but this time, he just wanted to run into her apartment and jerk that phone away. She mumbled, still watching him.
“Okay. I’ll let him know.” She pulled the phone from her ear and his heart sank. Then she held it out to him. “She wants to talk to you.”
He began walking towards her only to stop and ask, “May I come in?”
“Sure. Shut the door behind you.”
He did and made his way to her side where he relieved her of the phone.
“Harmony?” he said, almost not believing it was true.
“Hi, Jonathon.”
Relief swamped him. “I was so worried about you. Where are you?”
“No need to be worried. I’m fine. I’m in California—my parents are in the country.”
He frowned at the stress in her voice. “What can I do to help?”
“You’ve done enough.”
“Bullshit!” he ground out only to take a deep breath when Lana arched a black brow at him. “Stop hiding from us, Harmony. This isn’t fair.”
“Isn’t fair?” she echoed. “Fine. You want to know where I am? Get a pen and I’ll give you the address.”
He did and soon he jotted down in California where she was staying. There was so much to say to her and yet it wasn’t anything to be done via the telephone, so he kept it inside.
“I’ll be there soon,” he promised.
“Let me talk to Lana.”
He ran his tongue over his lips and nodded. Lana had her hand out expectantly and he reluctantly gave the phone to her. “Thanks.” He spun on his heel and left her place—he had things to do and a plane to catch.
* * * *
His plane had departed at seven that night and he reclined in his first class seat, a drink in hand, as they streaked towards California. He’d called his assistant and told her he would be gone, then he’d handed off some of his most important cases that couldn’t wait until his return. Normally he would have put the law first, but not this time. Deep down, he knew if he didn’t go after her he would lose her forever. And that wasn’t something he was willing to do.
After landing, he retrieved his rental and drove to the hotel where he had a room on the same floor as Harmony. It had been on the tip of his tongue to ask for the penthouse suite, but he’d remembered her final words to him.
Right before she had kicked his ass out of her place.
He blew out a pent-up breath. After signing in, he went to his room and unpacked. Once that was done, he freshened up a bit and went to the room she’d told him she was in and knocked on the door.
It opened and he found himself staring directly at the woman he’d come to see. And yet, she was totally different. She wore a black, long-sleeved, knee-length wraparound dress. It moulded to her in ways he wanted to. The V-neck showed off hints of her cleavage. It was not casual but not over the top formal either, although it leaned more towards formal.
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