Page 15 of An Engagement for Erica

“Aww, that is the sweetest thing ever.”

She snorted. “I’m not going for sweet,” she said. “I need clients and referrals. This will help and go a long way.”

“You’ve made a name for yourself,” Harmony said. “You’ve got clients on retainer and others lined up. You know it.”

“I’d feel more comfortable if there was more,” she said.

“Don’t overwork yourself again,” Harmony said. Erica heard a phone ringing and noticed it was Harmony’s on the counter. “Urgh. It’s Mom.”

Her sister threw the phone at her. She batted it away as if it were a spider and it landed on the floor. She’d love to step on it too. “You get it. It’s your phone.”

“I don’t want to talk to her. We saw her at the wedding last month. That’s enough,” Harmony said. “I don’t want to feel like a failure today.”

“You’re not a failure,” she said. “Just let it go to voicemail. Don’t let Mom get to you. We’ve told you plenty of times to ignore her.”

“It’s hard to do,” Harmony said. “But I’m trying. I mean I do it to her face, but deep down it still bothers me.”

“That’s all you can do,” she said. The phone stopped ringing and her sister picked it up and put it on the counter.

But then Erica’s phone started to ring. She looked at her watch.

“Is it Mom? I can tell by the look on your face it is.”

“Yep,” she said. “But unlike you, I’m ignoring it and finishing my tea.”

She took a sip and made another face. “Just give up trying to drink it,” Harmony said. “Or put some creamer or something in it if you have to.”

“I’ve been trying all these herbal flavors. Nothing tastes good after one sip. Once it cools down some, it’s gross.”

“Try it cold,” Harmony said. “Over ice.”

“I suppose,” she said. “See, my phone stopped ringing too.”

But it did buzz a few times with texts and she picked it up.

“What does Mom want?”

“Nothing more than the usual,” she said, sliding her phone to her sister after she’d unlocked it. “Wants to make sure I’m not working too hard.”

“Ohh, not this text,” Harmony said. “This one is juicy.”

“What?” she asked.

“It’s from Tucker and you’ve been lying to me,” Harmony said, moving around the kitchen as she jumped up to chase her.

“Give it to me right now,” she said.

“Nope,” Harmony said. “I’m going to reply for you.”

“Don’t you dare,” she said, cornering Harmony and grabbing the phone out of her sister’s hand. She looked at it and didn’t see a text. “What the heck?”

“You’ve got it bad,” Harmony said. “That just proves it. So yep, lying to me and yourself.”

6

TAKING STEPS

“Are you ready to own a home?” Tucker’s grandfather asked him five days later. As crazy as he was at work, he’d been looking forward to spending Saturday afternoon with his grandfather.

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