Page 18 of SEAL's Harmony
“Oh, I hope so. That would be great. It feels like forever since I’ve seen them. Everyone has been so busy.” Harmony sounded melancholy, and Ry wondered if she’d made many friends since moving to Virginia. From the hints Chrissy had dropped, he knew there was more to her move than she let on. But he would wait for her to tell him.
They’d reached his old truck, and he opened the door for her. He’d half expected her to comment on the old vehicle, but she just climbed in and buckled up. Whiskey beat him around to the driver’s side, jumped in, and got comfy next to Harmony as soon as Ry opened the door.
“Have you been to the Ready Room yet?” Ry asked, as he climbed in and started the old truck.
“No, not yet. I’ve heard the girls talk about it. They said the food is awesome.”
“It’s mostly standard bar food, but Tony, the chef, talked Pam into letting him make a weekly special. It’s always amazing. No one knew he was a chef at a fancy restaurant in DC.”
“Really? Sky told me her mom owned the bar, but I didn’t know about the rest.”
“About a year ago, trouble followed Sky here from where she was living in New York. It’s her story to tell, but let’s just say that shit hit the fan and the Black Eagle team handled it. After that, Pam closed the bar and had it completely renovated. When it reopened last fall, the transformation was amazing. If the outside of the building hadn’t stayed the same, we would’ve thought we were in the wrong place.”
One of his favorite memories from the grand reopening party was when Murph served beer in a pink tutu. Had that taught him to stop making bets? Not a fuckin’ chance in hell. He was as bad as ever, but now they didn’t involve beautiful women.
Harmony’s soft voice pulled him out of his reverie.
“I’m sure they needed to replace the terrible memories,” Harmony said thoughtfully.
Ry nodded. It had been the reason for the reno, but it surprised him that Harmony picked up on it. Again, he wondered what had driven her away from her home.
“We’re here.” Ry pulled into the parking lot of the strip mall home of the Ready Room. It still looked like a dive bar from the outside, and it kept the tourists away, which was fine with him and the rest of the SEAL teams that made it their hangout.
“That’s it?” Harmony seemed surprised.
Ry grinned. “Yup. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t take you to a dive.”
Whiskey woofed and nuzzled her arm.
“Don’t worry, big guy. I’m not gonna chicken out,” she said, and rubbed the dog behind his ears.
Ry shook his head as he got out of the truck. Sheer craziness. He was jealous of his dog. Fucking pitiful. Knowing Whiskey’s intuition, he knew it, too.What the fuck?
It’s like she put a spell on him. Not that he believed in magic, but how else could he explain it? He’d sworn off relationships after his cheating ex broke his heart. But somehow Harmony had stitched it back together, and he’d be damned if he knew how it happened. Oh yeah, he was in big trouble. And as soon as he walked Harmony into the bar, his teammates would know it, too. Although Josh probably realized it before Ry. They’d been closer than brothers since BUD/S and knew each other better than they knew themselves.
After Harmony climbed out of Ry’s truck, Whiskey jumped down and stood next to her in the crowded parking lot of the strip mall. Not what she’d expected at all when he told her they were going to the Ready Room. She’d figured it was in one of those buildings with the flashing neon lights outside advertising the many beers on tap. She may never have been inside a bar, but she’d driven past more than her fair share.
“Is Whiskey allowed inside?”
“Yes, Pam allows all of us to bring them. She even has a special menu for them,” Ry replied as attached the dog’s leash.
“That’s very cool. This is definitely a first for me.”
“Being in a bar that allows dogs?” Ry asked as they made their way across the parking lot and toward the front door.
“Yes, but um, I’ve never actually been inside a bar.” Harmony’s stomach flip-flopped at her admission. It was times like this she felt like such a hick. She was, but still, sometimes it sucked to have led such a sheltered life. But her father would have killed her if he ever heard she’d stepped inside a bar.
“Really? I like that I’m going to take you to your first one.”
She’d expected him to be surprised, but not thrilled about it. “Yup, my first bar.”
“You’re going to love the Ready Room. Sure it’s a bar, but with all that Pam and Tony did to the place, it’s a really great place to hang out.”
“I trust you.” Harmony nodded.
Ry winked at her, then pulled open the wooden door. She took a deep breath to settle the butterflies running rampant in her tummy. She did trust Ry, even though it was much too soon in their whatever this was between them. So the sudden attack of nerves didn’t make sense. Just plain old silly. It was just a building with music, alcohol, and food. Absolutely no reason for her to not go inside. Even if she could hear her father’s angry voice resounding in her head. So real. She shuddered, and goosebumps rose on her arms.
Ry must have felt the change in her. He gave her a questioning look and squeezed her hand in encouragement. Whiskey rubbed against her free hand and nudged her with his nose. And just like that, her butterflies settled. Surrounded by her fierce protectors, she was safe. Her heart knew it even if her head couldn’t quite catch up as she accompanied them inside.
