Page 36 of SEAL's Harmony
“What’s that noise?”
“Popcorn. I figured Whiskey deserved a treat after everything.”
“Fuck yeah. That dog is worth his weight in gold. What a clusterfuck. He pulled our asses out of the fire,” Josh said with a sigh.
“No shit. When I see Rick, I’m going to kick his fucking ass. That was the worst intel we’ve ever received. Motherfucker,” Ry said angrily. It had been a close call, and if not for Whiskey, they’d have lost Luca.
“You and me both. What is the point of having a CIA liaison if what he gives us is FUBAR?”
“I wish I knew. Too bad we can’t work with Chrissy more often. She usually nails it.” Ry loved it when Chrissy supplied the intel. She had an innate sense of things and could see patterns where no one else could. Of course, Ryan, her fiancé, really hated it when she went behind the wire with any of the teams.
“Did you get any info about the father yet?” Josh asked. He’d changed the subject before they both got too pissed off.
“Not yet—” Ry stopped when he heard Whiskey’s patter come into the kitchen and smiled. The call of the popcorn. It worked every time.
“Josh, I gotta go. Let me know if you hear anything.”
“Copy that. I’ll just be sitting here thinking of ways to torture my neighbor. She messed with my yard again.”
Ry laughed. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something that will piss her off.” This was an ongoing battle ever since Tempest—and for the life of him, he couldn’t remember her last name—moved into the house next to Josh’s last year. The two fought like cats and dogs over every little thing. No one on the team had met her, but from the stories Josh shared, she lived up to her name.
“You know it. She won’t know what hit her.” Josh chuckled.
“Good luck with that. Later.” Ry shoved the phone back into his pocket. When he looked up, Harmony was leaning against the other side of the island, watching him.
Harmony looked so young as she eyed him quizzically. She’d removed her makeup, and with her hair in a ponytail and wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt, she looked more like a college student than a grown woman.
“Everything okay?” Harmony asked.
“Yeah, Josh called to make sure you were okay and to whine about his neighbor. She makes him crazy, and he does everything he can to annoy her right back,” Ry answered. He hated not telling her they were looking into her father, but he refused to take chances with her safety.
“That doesn’t sound like a peaceful home environment,” Harmony said.
“No, it doesn’t. I wouldn’t want to come home and deal with it. There are some advantages to apartment living.”
“Yes, and even with the lease, it’s a finite amount of time to have an annoying person.”
“Exactly. Would you like something to drink? I have wine, beer, and water,” Ry offered.
“Water would be wonderful. Thank you.”
Ry grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, loosened the cap, and gave it to Harmony. “You’re welcome to anything that’s here. Okay?”
“Are you sure? I can give you some money for groceries.”
“I’m sure, and there’s no need. I’ve got us covered.”
The microwave dinged. Ry opened the door and pulled out the bag of popcorn. Whiskey sniffed the air and chased his tail in a circle and whined. Then he jumped up and put his two front paws on the island as he watched Ry pour the treat into a large bowl.
“Is he okay?” Harmony asked as she watched the dog’s antics.
“Yeah.” Ry chuckled. “He loves popcorn, and he gets it as a treat whenever we return from a mission. And since he was extra good today, he’ll get a little more than usual.”
“That’s so cute. He’s an amazing dog.”
“Yes, he is.” Then he grabbed the bowl of popcorn and his beer. “I’m hoping we can talk, but if you’d rather watch a movie, we can do that.” Ry walked over to the couch and sat down, putting the popcorn on the table. Whiskey sat down next to him and rested his paw on his knee. Ry chuckled.
“I know you’re waiting. But how about we let Harmony have some first since she’s our guest?” Ry said to the dog.
