Page 8 of SEAL's Harmony
Whiskey whimpered and put his front paw on Ry’s arm where it rested on the console between the faded cloth-covered seats. Then he leaned over and licked Ry’s face.
“Thanks, bud.” Ry rubbed Whiskey behind his ears. As he glimpsed himself in the rearview mirror, he shuddered.Bigfoot anyone? Would she even recognize him? He didn’t remotely resemble the clean-shaven man she met in dress whites. It wouldn’t surprise him if the bank security guard took one look at him and tossed him out on his ass.
From the moment Ry had kept Harmony from knocking over Rafe and Meghan’s wedding cake, she’d lived in his thoughts. There was something so sweet and innocent about the woman. Maybe it was her self-deprecating humor, or that she could barely make it across a room without falling on her ass or causing some kind of calamity. He grinned just thinking about the near-disasters at the wedding.
“Maybe I should go home and get cleaned up first and come back tomorrow. Or better yet, send her a text and beg forgiveness.” Ry reached for his seatbelt and had it pulled across his chest, ready to click it into place, when Whiskey growled and nudged his hand.
“You think I should go inside?”
“Woof.”
Ry shook his head. Was he really going to listen to his dog? What’s the worst that could happen? She could tell him to screw off. Not that he’d blame her if she did, and it might be for the best. He had a ‘no relationship’ policy for a reason—after the train wreck his marriage turned into, single was his best option. Or he could stop being a pussy, get out of his truck and walk into the bank and say hello. The attraction had sizzled between them at Rafe and Meghan’s wedding and hadn’t abated in the weeks since he’d seen her.
“Okay, you win.” Ry rubbed the dog behind his ears. “Stay. No jumping out like last time.” Ry chuckled at the offended look on Whiskey’s face. “You know the dog rules. No dogs in the bank. I’m sorry, but if it goes well, maybe Harmony will come out and say hi.”
The large German Shepherd accompanied Ry everywhere. He was practically Ry’s shadow. But there were still some places with a no-dog policy. He didn’t like leaving him in the truck, but the windows were wide open, and Ry put the odds at ten to one on Whiskey in any skirmish.
The pickup’s door squealed as Ry pushed it open and stretched his six-foot-two-inch frame as he stood and inhaled. He caught the perpetual scent of the Atlantic Ocean in the air.Nothing like being home. Yeah, he was stalling. He didn’t have a clue why he had cold feet when all his non-mission time he’d fixated on her. And that was the real problem. They had one afternoon at the wedding, and he thought about her more than anyone since Cat, his ex-wife. No wonder it freaked him out.
“Stupid fucker,” he mumbled as he made his way across the lot and to the bank entrance. Still, the worst that could happen was that she’d tell him to screw off. With that thought, he took another deep breath as he pulled open the glass door.
A blast of cool, stale air hit Ry as he stepped through the door and into the bank. Nodding at the guard, he looked around. In the center of the wide-open lobby area, several bank employees helped customers at desks. A few others sat in a waiting area, and three people were waiting in line for a teller, who were the only employees behind glass.
“Can I help you?” the security guard asked. His hand rested on the gun at his hip.
Ry didn’t blame the man. He should have stopped at home and shaved first. It would’ve made a better impression on everyone. “I’m here to see Harmony Taylor.”
The security guard didn’t relax his stance as he passed silent judgment on Ry’s appearance. The guy was obviously a rent-a-cop. They both knew that if Ry were there to cause trouble, the guard wouldn’t have been able to stop him.
“Do you have an appointment? She’s with a customer right now,” the guard answered.
Ry followed the guard’s gaze and caught his first glimpse of Harmony through the glass wall of her office.
“I’ll wait for her. It’s okay,” Ry answered without taking his gaze off the woman he’d been fantasizing about for the past few weeks.
“You can sit over there,” the guard said.
Ry glanced at him and smiled, hoping to diffuse some of the security guard’s tension. “Thank you.”
The guard nodded but didn’t respond.
After finding a seat closest to Harmony’s office, he grabbed one of the banking pamphlets from the table and thumbed through it to kill time and keep him from falling asleep. It had been a while since he had a full night’s sleep, and as the adrenaline of the mission wore off, he couldn’t hold back his yawns.
The longer he waited, the more he second-guessed himself. He should have sent a text or even called instead of barging into where she worked. His sister, Charli, would call him a ‘bonehead’ and she’d be right.
“No, that’s not acceptable,” a man shouted.
Ry looked up in time to see the man meeting with Harmony stand up and then lean over her desk. Instinct had Ry racing for her office without thinking. As he ran through the open doorway, he watched the man reach for Harmony. Ry grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him away from the desk.
Harmony’s violet eyes widened with surprise as she met his gaze. The man struggled to pull out of Ry’s grasp, but he wasn’t going anywhere. The Navy SEAL had no trouble holding on to him.
“Ry? Please let Mr. Ericson go. He won’t hurt me. Will you, Harry?” She’d pushed back from her desk, but as she tried to stand, she fell and both men reached for her.
“Let me go, asshole. Or I’ll press charges,” Ericson growled at Ry.
“Let him go, it’s okay,” Harmony added as she stood successfully this time. Her cheeks flushed, making her eyes look even darker. Damn, she was even more beautiful than he’d remembered.
“If you go for her again, I’ll take you out, understood?” Ry asked. Once Ericson nodded, he released him and moved closer to Harmony to stop the guy if he tried anything.
