handbag and matching gloves. She has
money.”
“Fine, do what you want. But our mother has nice things
because Lawrence and I take care of her.”
“And Dad. He does too.”
That wasn’t a lie. Even divorced, he’d give my mother the
moon if she asked, but she never would. He’d even had to trick her into keeping
the house she lived in when they split. She asked for nothing and was as
stubborn as my sister, so I should’ve known then that I’d lost.
“Bring Oliver in to me when you leave.”
My sister was moving to Harmony, and it was about time I
went to see what the little town was about. I left the kitchen and made a call.
Caleb answered on the first ring. “Hey, it’s early.”
“I’m picking you up Friday night at six. Make sure we
have something of interest to do in that hometown of yours.”
“Hell yeah! I’ll set it up.” The call ended, and I headed
to my studio.
Chapter 5
Angelic
W here the hell was I going? The interstate exit
had led to a long country road with nothing except bare trees and a ratty fence
that became more dilapidated the farther I drove. This was where Julia wanted
to live? Perhaps a drug test was in order.
Just the thought of my sister set my nerves on edge. Now
that she had our mother’s support and a meaningless job lined up, she thought
she was set. But she’d be calling for my help after a month in this new place.
“The town’s still a few miles ahead,” Caleb explained
from the passenger seat, glancing up from his phone. He’d been texting on it
for most of the drive.
I turned down the radio, the chatter of the DJ poking at
my aggravation. Or maybe it was the nagging sense that I was going to be sorely
disappointed with my night.
Caleb finally tucked his phone in his coat pocket.
“Any luck?” I asked.
“Yeah, we’re gonna meet at my buddy Josh’s diner. He
promised to provide a night to remember.”
“Right,” I grumbled. I couldn’t help the annoyance eating
at me. Aside from Julia and the traffic from the city, there was also the
little fact Caleb had failed to mention until we were halfway there: Harmony
was without a local bar.
How was that possible? It was truly an oddity to me. I’d
planned on drinking my weight in liquor and burying myself in some local darling.
I didn’t want memorable—I wanted pleasurable—and if that didn’t happen after
driving all the way to the fucking boondocks, I was going to kick this Josh
guy’s ass.
“Ah, come on. Forget about your sister and everything
else. It’s not so bad out here.” He rolled down his window, allowing the cold
air to blow in. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.
I shook my head, focusing back on the empty road.
“Fresh country air—you have to appreciate that. There’s only
one thing better, and Josh has promised not to disappoint. Said he’s put word
out to all the guys to make sure their girls bring plenty of friends.”
That relieved some of my sulking, as did the ‘Welcome to
Harmony’ sign that finally greeted us.
“Take a right on Main Street, and the diner’s…well,
you’ll see it.” He snickered.
“Right.”
It was seven o’clock on a Friday night, and the town was practically
dead. There were only a couple pedestrians on the sidewalk, and had to be fewer
than a dozen cars on the road. The two people on the sidewalk actually waved as
I drove past, even though there was no way they could see us through the dark window
tint. Harmony seemed unlike any town I’d visited, which was saying something
considering how much I’d traveled on business. It wasn’t a place for
tourists—more of a place you came from, not went to.
I found it eerily peculiar, yet strangely comforting.
“The high school’s on the other side of town,” Caleb said,
interrupting my bewilderment. “Everyone’s probably at the game.”
“Game?”
“Football!” he shouted, pumping his fists in the air in
an exaggerated show of mock excitement.
I glanced over to
money.”
“Fine, do what you want. But our mother has nice things
because Lawrence and I take care of her.”
“And Dad. He does too.”
That wasn’t a lie. Even divorced, he’d give my mother the
moon if she asked, but she never would. He’d even had to trick her into keeping
the house she lived in when they split. She asked for nothing and was as
stubborn as my sister, so I should’ve known then that I’d lost.
“Bring Oliver in to me when you leave.”
My sister was moving to Harmony, and it was about time I
went to see what the little town was about. I left the kitchen and made a call.
Caleb answered on the first ring. “Hey, it’s early.”
“I’m picking you up Friday night at six. Make sure we
have something of interest to do in that hometown of yours.”
“Hell yeah! I’ll set it up.” The call ended, and I headed
to my studio.
Chapter 5
Angelic
W here the hell was I going? The interstate exit
had led to a long country road with nothing except bare trees and a ratty fence
that became more dilapidated the farther I drove. This was where Julia wanted
to live? Perhaps a drug test was in order.
Just the thought of my sister set my nerves on edge. Now
that she had our mother’s support and a meaningless job lined up, she thought
she was set. But she’d be calling for my help after a month in this new place.
“The town’s still a few miles ahead,” Caleb explained
from the passenger seat, glancing up from his phone. He’d been texting on it
for most of the drive.
I turned down the radio, the chatter of the DJ poking at
my aggravation. Or maybe it was the nagging sense that I was going to be sorely
disappointed with my night.
Caleb finally tucked his phone in his coat pocket.
“Any luck?” I asked.
“Yeah, we’re gonna meet at my buddy Josh’s diner. He
promised to provide a night to remember.”
“Right,” I grumbled. I couldn’t help the annoyance eating
at me. Aside from Julia and the traffic from the city, there was also the
little fact Caleb had failed to mention until we were halfway there: Harmony
was without a local bar.
How was that possible? It was truly an oddity to me. I’d
planned on drinking my weight in liquor and burying myself in some local darling.
I didn’t want memorable—I wanted pleasurable—and if that didn’t happen after
driving all the way to the fucking boondocks, I was going to kick this Josh
guy’s ass.
“Ah, come on. Forget about your sister and everything
else. It’s not so bad out here.” He rolled down his window, allowing the cold
air to blow in. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.
I shook my head, focusing back on the empty road.
“Fresh country air—you have to appreciate that. There’s only
one thing better, and Josh has promised not to disappoint. Said he’s put word
out to all the guys to make sure their girls bring plenty of friends.”
That relieved some of my sulking, as did the ‘Welcome to
Harmony’ sign that finally greeted us.
“Take a right on Main Street, and the diner’s…well,
you’ll see it.” He snickered.
“Right.”
It was seven o’clock on a Friday night, and the town was practically
dead. There were only a couple pedestrians on the sidewalk, and had to be fewer
than a dozen cars on the road. The two people on the sidewalk actually waved as
I drove past, even though there was no way they could see us through the dark window
tint. Harmony seemed unlike any town I’d visited, which was saying something
considering how much I’d traveled on business. It wasn’t a place for
tourists—more of a place you came from, not went to.
I found it eerily peculiar, yet strangely comforting.
“The high school’s on the other side of town,” Caleb said,
interrupting my bewilderment. “Everyone’s probably at the game.”
“Game?”
“Football!” he shouted, pumping his fists in the air in
an exaggerated show of mock excitement.
I glanced over to
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