Page 75 of Wildflower and Whiskey
“The last time I messaged you. . .”
“Was to tell me about Riley cheating,” I finished her sentence.
“I felt terrible,” she admitted.
“You were being a good friend,” I assured her.
“How is your baby? You have a boy now, right?” she inquired.
“Yes, Braden, he just turned one. Time flies.” I sighed.
“It sure does,” she replied. I wondered why she called, but I didn’t want to be rude and ask outright.
“I had to dig through old messages to find your number and came across that old message,” she explained. I heard the empathy in her voice. “Sorry for the surprise call, it’s just… weird times.”
I sank deeper into the futon, which I had folded in half like a couch. “Yeah,” I said carefully. “Weird seems to be the theme lately.”
She hesitated then. “I heard you’re back in Val-Du-Lys.”
“Word travels fast,” I said with a small smile. “Yeah. Me and my son. I’m trying to build something steady.”
“I’m glad.” Her tone softened. “You always said that place was home, even when you swore you’d never move back.”
“I was a teenager with a chip on her shoulder. Now I’m a mom with a baby to care for. Have to make responsible decisions,” I said. “How are you? You still in Montreal?”
“I am,” she said, but the lightness in her voice was gone now. “And that’s kind of why I called.”
Something cold settled in my stomach. “What’s going on?”
Harmony sighed. “There’ve been guys hanging around my apartment building the last few nights. Two of them, maybe three. Big. They’re not subtle either. They asked my landlord about tenants. Then they mentioned my dad.”
“Marcel?”
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Apparently, they know who he is. I caught one of them outside the flower shop across the street yesterday, pretending to look at bouquets. I’m not stupid, Elyna. They weren’t there for flowers. I just don’t know what they could want with me. I haven’t been in touch with my dad since I left Val-Du-Lys after high school.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “What did they say?”
“They claimed they’re looking for ‘opportunities.’ That’s code for something. I don’t know what yet.” She took a shaky breath. “Then my dad called out of nowhere. First time since I left home. He suggested I come home for a while. Said it was time.”
My pulse spiked. “Did you tell him about the men?”
“Not yet, but he sounded… nervous. Which is new. My dad doesn’t do nervous. He does control.”
Her voice trembled just slightly, and I could almost picture her sitting on her apartment floor, barefoot, chewing her thumbnail the way she used to before exams.
“Phoenix’s brother, Becket, said there are some people from Montreal poking around here,” I said carefully. “Maybe it’s connected.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Harmony murmured. “Montreal’s been tense lately. A few guys went missing. Debt collectors, loan sharks, gamblers. People who thought they were untouchable.”
“You mean Riley,” I said. That’s why she was reaching out.
“Word on the street is no one has seen him in weeks,” she said.
“Yeah, he’s been causing me grief as usual,” I sighed. I swallowed hard. “Do you think your dad is involved?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question.
“I don’t know but Nico messaged,” she said.
“As in Nico Mercier?” I had a lump grow in my throat when I said that name. He was Harmony’s ex, who went to work for her father. We all hung out together in high school, even though Harmony was a sophomore when I was a senior.
