Page 36 of A Home for Harmony
“Good,” she said happily. “Now that that’s out of the way, you didn’t tell me what you did yesterday other than your daughter showing up the night before so she could open gifts with you in the morning. Was it just the two of you?”
And this was where things got tricky.
“We have a tradition in our family on Christmas morning as long as I can swing it with work. We have breakfast together. Scarlet, me and her mother, Trinda.”
“Oh,” she said her lips pursing like a kiss. Only he knew it wasn’t a kiss she was trying to give but a shock on her face. “You did say you co-parented and you live on the same street. I guess I didn’t think that extended to spending holidays together.”
“Only Christmas and Scarlet’s birthday. It’s nothing more than breakfast. We take turns going to the other’s house with who cooks. Whatever Scarlet wants. Is that a problem?”
“Nope,” she said. It was as if her brain had caught up with the information. “I find it very sweet. My mother has been remarried for years and she still trashes my father. My father has dated and been in relationships, but we don’t always know of them completely. He’s not one who shares, but one thing he has never done is trash my mother or her relationships.”
“I don’t do that,” he said. “Trinda and I didn’t work. It doesn’t mean she won’t always be part of my life. We share a child together and, mostly, get along well.” Because he refused to put his daughter through any more fighting between her parents. “She has more relationships than I do.”
“Is she in one now?”
“Scarlet says she’s going back and forth with someone. I’ve been hearing the name Randy, but I haven’t met him.”
“Is that something you both do?” she asked. “I should know that. I mean, it’s only two dates, but do you introduce people to your ex?”
“I haven’t,” he said. “Not once. I’ve met some of hers. As I’ve said, she’s had more relationships, or long-term ones than I have. I normally met them picking up Scarlet, but since I moved close enough for her to walk and now she can drive, I’m not at Trinda’s much.”
“What about meeting Scarlet?” she asked. “Is that off limits?”
“It’s not off limits, but hasn’t happened either,” he admitted.
“Does your daughter know you date or does she think you’re some monk?”
If she wasn’t smiling, he might have choked on the sip of beer that he’d taken. “She knows I date because she’s always on my case about being alone and I assure her I’m not, but it’s not something I share with her.”
“That’s fair too,” she said. “It’s not like I want to meet her or anything. We aren’t there yet. I will admit—not only are you the first guy I’ve dated that is so much older than me, but the first with a child.”
“Is it a problem?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t be here if it was,” she said, holding her glass of wine up to him.
12
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
The minute the door from the garage to the mudroom shut, Micah had Harmony against the wall, his mouth on hers.
Her hands slid under his jacket and yanked the button-down shirt out of his jeans, her icy hands on his back, cooling him down.
Not that she wanted to cool him down, more like heat him up.
He seemed pretty hot already though.
His tongue was thrusting into her mouth, hers darting and dancing with it while he managed to get her jacket off of her. He turned to hang it up and she burst out laughing.
“You’re going to slow down to hang up my coat properly?” she asked.
He looked at her and said, “Fuck it,” and threw it in the air.
She laughed and reached for him again, her hands on his face, bringing his mouth back to hers.
“Don’t think poorly of me for doing this,” she said.
“I won’t if you don’t do the same,” he said.
