Page 10 of SEAL's Harmony
“Yes, I really did. I was going to text or call, but I figured I probably pissed you off and that you’d blow me off and wouldn’t answer. If I showed up, then you’d have to talk to me. Or I hoped you would. But in hindsight, I should have gone home and shaved first.”
“Maybe, but it would be hard not to believe you were away when you look like this. If you showed up all bright and shiny, I might not have believed you.”
“Does that mean you’re not mad at me?”
“No, I’m not mad. I knew you were a Navy SEAL when we first met. I’ve heard from Chrissy and Meghan how often you get sent out on missions at a moment’s notice. So how could I not understand?”
“There are a lot of women who wouldn’t be as understanding.” If he’d shown up at her office and Harmony told him to take a hike or worse, she wouldn’t have been the first.
“I guess you’ve been dating the wrong women.” Harmony grinned. The first one he’d seen since he’d gotten there.
“Probably. How about we go grab a coffee or some lunch?” When it looked like she was going to say no, Ry played his trump card. “There’s someone outside who is eager to see you.”
“Really? Why didn’t you bring them in with you?” Harmony asked.
Ry knew the exact moment when she figured it out. Her eyes lit up, and she jumped out of her chair.
“You brought Whiskey? Oh my gosh, he must be melting in the car. Poor dog. Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“Umm, you were a little occupied when I first arrived. He’s waiting in my truck. But I have the windows rolled down, and he’s fine. Although definitely miffed that he couldn’t come inside with me.” Ry made a mental note to remember to give Whiskey an extra treat when they got home. He couldn’t ask for a better wingman than the huge German shepherd.
“Let me just let my boss know I’m heading out for a bit.”
After Harmony grabbed her purse from inside her desk drawer, Ry followed her out to the lobby and waited while she ducked her head into her boss’s office. He watched their interaction. All the offices looked like giant fishbowls with three of the four sides made of glass. It was probably for security reasons, by Ry would’ve hated being on display. He spent too much time as a ghost to work like that.
The conversation lasted longer than he’d expected, but she probably had to explain what occurred with her customer. Ry still couldn’t believe how the man went off on Harmony. It made his blood boil. Ericson had a right to be upset, but not to take it out on Harmony.
That Ry was the first one to come to her rescue really worried him. What if the guy had grabbed her? Or pulled a gun? He could’ve shot her and then taken out half the bank customers and employees before the security guard pulled his own firearm.
Irritation colored Harmony’s cheeks as she left her boss’s office. As she made her way across the lobby, tension radiated through her curvy figure. Not a good sign at all. But as she approached him, she smiled, and it was like standing in the sunshine.
“Okay, we can go now.”
Ry caught himself before he grasped her hand and laced their fingers together. The reaction took him by surprise. Absolutely no PDAs allowed on base, and he doubted the bank would appreciate them either. What was it about this woman? Just being close to her scrambled his brains.
Wiping his sweaty palm on the leg of his jeans before pulling open the door for her, he wondered if he’d somehow reverted to puberty. If he woke up with pimples tomorrow, he’d be pissed.
4
As Harmony stepped into the bright sunshine, some of the tension in her neck and shoulders eased. It wasn’t fair what had happened to Harry and Barb. They shouldn’t have lost everything because of his wife’s cancer diagnosis. Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked them away. Crying wouldn’t help anything, but she’d be damned if she would just let it happen. There had to be some way she could help.
“Are you okay? You looked pretty upset when you were talking to your boss.”
“Let’s just say she and I don’t see eye to eye about everything. She tells me I’m too soft and that the bank is in business to make money.” Harmony squinted up at Ry, trying to read his expression in the sun.
“And you don’t agree with her?” Ry asked.
“Well, yes, I understand that. But it’s still not fair that they took everything from that poor couple. They’ve been through so much. Too much. The Ericsons have been customers for over twenty years, and this is how we treat them? Ugh. Sorry. You don’t want to hear this. Compared to what you do every day, this is trivial.”
“Not at all. I think it’s horrible too, but what other options are there? I’m sure you’ve investigated every avenue available. Right?”
Harmony nodded. Of course, and she had found no way to stop the upcoming foreclosure. Unless she could raise a hundred thousand dollars by next week. And the odds of that happening were about a million to one. She’d spent her savings hightailing it out of Iowa and it would take her a while to build that up again. Not that she’d ever had anywhere near that kind of money.
“Yes, you’re right. But it doesn’t make me feel any better,” Harmony murmured.
“No, but maybe this will.”
They’d arrived at Ry’s old truck and he’d opened the door, letting Whiskey loose. For a moment, she thought that he’d knock her over in his excitement, but he stopped right in front of her, his long tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted. It was the closest thing to a smile that she could imagine.
