Harmony and High Heels (Fort Worth Wranglers 2)

“To be with the love of your life,” Heath said from the doorway. “What did I miss?”

“Not much. Momma called to yell at Harm, but Tre took care of it. Dalton sent her a really ugly dress that we hope is just stage one in the dressmaking process, and Harm is force-feeding me baked goods.” In three sentences, Lyric had just summed up Harm’s entire day.

It felt like it should have taken at least a couple of paragraphs.

“Here’s the big question, what’s Harm making us for dinner?” Heath slid in behind his wife on the bed and massaged the muscles at her neck.

Seeing up close and personal how much Lyric and Heath truly cared for each other was nice. They were affectionate and considerate and laughed at themselves and each other. Momma and Daddy never laughed at all, or at least Daddy never laughed when Momma was around. It was good to see different versions of love.

She liked to think that she and Dalton might end up like Health and Lyric—with a loving relationship, and not the suck-the-fun-out-of-life marriage that Momma and Daddy seemed to have. She pulled the card out again and looked at the three little words at the bottom. I love you.

He loved her.

She was going to hold on to that for a very long time.

“Ever wonder why Daddy wanted to marry Momma in the first place?” She’d never really questioned her parents’ marriage until she’d seen how different marriage was in the Montgomery house. True, they were newlyweds, but knowing Heath and Lyric, she didn’t see them ever evolving into Momma and Daddy.

Lyric shook her head. “No.”

She was too busy trying to figure out the origins of the universe to worry about personal relationships.

“I have. Who puts up with that? Was she always so horrible?” Heath continued to massage his wife’s shoulders. He seemed to like touching Lyric, and he always found a way to have her close to him.

“I know they met in high school, but other than that, they don’t really talk about how they met or what it was like dating.” Harmony had always found it strange that other people’s parents talked about how they met and had inside jokes about when they were dating, but her parents never joked around about anything.

Heath’s hands stilled. “Wait a minute. When’s their wedding anniversary?”

“April twentieth. This year they celebrated their thirty-third wedding anniversary.” Harmony knew that because she’d made the cake.

“Interesting. Don’t y’all turn thirty-three this year?” Heath beamed.

“Yes.” Lyric nodded absently. No doubt her brain was already working on some mystery of the universe.

“Don’t you see? They had to get married.” Heath looked from Lyric to Harm and back again. “That explains so much.”

“Wow, I never did the math.” Harmony sat on the end of the bed. “Okay, I get why he married her, and I can see why he stayed, but what about after we left? Surely he isn’t still putting up with Momma for us?”

If that was the case, her father was just plain crazy.

“I feel like I should feel sorry for him, but he’s free to leave. Why doesn’t he?” Harmony had always wondered.

“Growing up, that was one of my biggest fears. I was so scared that he’d leave me and you alone with Momma.” Lyric was paying attention, even though she didn’t look like it.

“Me too.” It had been Harm’s job to step between Momma and Lyric and keep her sister safe. Looking back on it now, she’d lost part of herself in taking the path of least resistance when it came to their mother. Well, no more. She’d love to have both of her parents in her life, but only on her terms.

Heath resumed the massage. “You know I adore you, Lyric, but if you suddenly morphed into Livinia, I’d have to think long and hard about running for the hills.”

“If I suddenly morph into Livinia, I’m running for the hills. Or the nearest shotgun.” Lyric shivered at the thought, or maybe at the movement of Heath’s creative hands.

“That makes two of us,” Harmony said. She’d spent more than enough of her life pretending to be a mini-Livinia. It was past time she started worrying about pleasing herself. She wanted a life with no regrets.

* * *

Chapter 21

* * *

Harmony stared at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of her bathroom door. The Roberto Modesto dress was still huge and shapeless and terrible. No one had called about it or shown up to alter it in any way. The color was gorgeous, but everything else was a mess.