“You didn’t have to come to bed, Angel.”
“I know.” I snuggle closer to him, resting my cheek to his chest and my thigh over his. Looking at the TV, I notice he’s watching one of his detective shows that I have never been able to get into.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, my eyes already getting heavy. “Tomorrow night, we’re shopping, going out to dinner then going to a movie—a really girly one,” I tell him, and he laughs.
“Glad I’m spared from that.” He kisses the top of my head, and I give his waist a squeeze right before I lose the battle with my eyelids and fall asleep.
***
Waking to the sound of laughter, I force my eyes open then roll to look at the clock. It’s already after nine. I slept in. Not only did I sleep in, I slept longer than I have in a while. Forcing myself to get out of bed, I get dressed, brush my teeth, and then tie my hair up into a ponytail. I leave the bedroom and stop dead, staring at not only Harlen, but also Willow, my mom, and my dad all standing around in the kitchen, plates and coffee cups littering the surface of the butcher-block island.
“Hey, honey.” Dad smiles at me, and I come unstuck, moving further into the room. “Harlen called and said he was making breakfast,” he tells me, and my eyes go from my dad to Harlen, who’s leaning against the counter near the stove with a cup of coffee in his hands, a small smile playing on his lips, his bare feet crossed at his ankles. I still haven’t gotten used to my dad and Harlen getting along, and I’m not sure I ever will.
Seeing Harlen’s eyes soften on me, I give him a small smile then go to my dad and give him a hug. I then do the same with my mom, getting a kiss to my cheek from her before she lets me go.
“You ready for a waffle, baby?” Harlen asks, as I tuck myself against his side, and he slides his arm around me, kissing the top of my head.
I look up at him. “You should have woken me up.”
“You needed to sleep. You haven’t had a chance to sleep in, in a while.” That’s not a lie; with class, work, studying, and spending every second I can with Harlen, sleep has been a rare commodity.
“Mom didn’t lie. Harlen is the master of waffles,” Willow inserts, and my eyes go to where she’s sitting at the island, an empty plate in front of her that still has remnants of syrup on it.
“They’re good,” Dad agrees.
“The best,” Mom counters, and I grin at her.
“Kiss me then let me go so I can make you one, baby,” Harlen orders on a squeeze.
I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss him then let him go before I head for the coffeepot to make myself a cup. Taking a sip, I lean against the counter and watch him as he puts the batter into the waffle machine. I feel warmth hit my side, and I look at my dad as he wraps his arm around me, leaning into him as his lips touch the top of my head.
“So what are you and Willow doing today?” Mom asks, and I look at my sister then my mom.
“We’re going shopping, out to dinner, eating sushi, and then going to a movie.”
“That’s fun.”
“You wanna come, Mom?” Willow asks.
Mom’s eyes go to her and soften. “No, honey, you and your sister have fun. Your dad’s taking me to Nashville tonight to see a show.”
“Really? What are you guys seeing?” Willow perks up.
“The King and I,” Mom replies, and I look up at my dad and smile when I see he doesn’t exactly look as happy as Mom does. He’s going, because Mom wants to go, because he loves her. My eyes go to Harlen, and I feel my chest get warm and my belly dip. He’d do the same thing for me. He’d take me to a show, take me shopping, take me to the moon if I asked him to, and do it without complaint, because he loves me. If I had made a list of traits I’d want in a husband and checked each item off one at a time, Harlen would check every single box. Every single one of them.
Chapter 12
Harmony
“I’LL BE RIGHT BACK. I’M just going to the bathroom real quick,” I whisper to Willow, and she takes her eyes off the screen to look at me.
“I told you not to get the extra-large soda,” she mutters, and I grin at her.
“Whatever.” I stand and duck out of the theater, hearing everyone laugh behind when something funny happens. Wanting to get back so I don’t miss anything, I hurry toward the bathrooms then stop when I run into a huge body. “Sorry.”