Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls #1) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,18
surprised by how relaxed Connor looked and sounded. Connor was tall, she guessed he was around six feet and muscular, but at 6’4”, her brother was one of the biggest men in Harmony Falls. It wasn’t just his height either. He had a physically intimidating build, his broad shoulders, wide chest and thick thighs made even the most belligerent of drunks think twice about crossing him. That Connor didn’t seem even a little intimidated by her brother was an unexpected surprise.
The muscle ticking at Gideon’s temple was the only sign that he heard Connor.
“Kira,” he said, “can I speak to you in private, please?”
“I have to go to work,” she said. “I’ll text you later. Why are you here anyway?”
Gideon lifted the travel coffee mug he held in one large hand. “I’m dropping Tank at Guardians for the day and I’m out of coffee. The house is on the way.”
“You know where the coffee pods are,” she said.
Gideon’s nostrils flared and she gave him a don’t-push-me-look that he completely ignored. “I would prefer to speak with you now,” he said.
“Well, I’m busy with Connor and -”
“It’s fine,” Connor said. “I need to get to work as well.”
He pulled her close and pressed a kiss against her mouth. It was a brief kiss, but she still felt like her lips had been seared by flames.
He stepped away from her and gave Tank a final pat. “Nice to meet you, Sheriff. Kira, I’ll call you later.”
“Right, okay. Bye.” Kira gave him a stupid little wave before her eyes widened. Shit, she’d forgotten about Daniel.
She sidestepped around her brother and Tank. “Daniel, I’m sorry, I…”
The kitchen was empty. Daniel was gone. Feeling a little sick to her stomach, she barely noticed when Connor walked out of the kitchen. Was Daniel mad at her? Had he left because she’d basically ignored him from the moment he walked in, or had he left because of her brother?
She didn’t know and worry gnawed at her stomach. She should text him. She was reaching for her phone when her brother cleared his throat. He was putting a coffee pod into the machine and giving her a pointed look.
“What?” she said.
“Since when did you start dating a dentist from Willington?”
“He’s been in Harmony Falls for two years, Gideon.”
“When did you start dating?” he repeated.
“A few weeks ago. Why?” The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Tank, who had stretched out on his side, thumped his tail against the floor when she stepped over him.
“He doesn’t seem like your type,” Gideon said. “How did you meet him?”
“He’s my dentist,” Kira replied. “Isn’t he yours?”
“I see Grant.”
“Oh. Well, you should try seeing Connor instead. He’s a great dentist. Listen, I have to go, or I’ll be late for -”
“What about Daniel?”
She opened the fridge and grabbed her lunch. “What about him?”
“Don’t play dumb, Kira. You’ve been,” Gideon gestured vaguely in the air, “smitten with him since you were a kid.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I finally grew up. Make sure you lock the door when you leave.” She picked up her purse from the table and walked out of the kitchen before Gideon could grill her further.
* * *
“Connor? There’s a man here to see you.” Keisha popped her head into the break room.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“He wouldn’t tell me his name.” The receptionist shrugged before studying her nails.
He sighed and stuffed his lunch bag back into the fridge before following Keisha down the hall toward reception. His eyes widened and a smile broke out across his face.
“Lucas!”
He pushed past the reception desk and grabbed his best friend in a hard hug. Lucas hugged him in return, pounding him on the back before stepping backward and looking him over. “You’re looking good for an old man.”
Connor laughed. “What are you doing here?’
“I came down for the weekend. Ma is throwing a yard sale and threatened to sell all of my childhood stuff if I didn’t come down and sort through it. Figured I’d stop in and see you before I went home. You got time for lunch?”
“I do. Give me five minutes.”
* * *
Lucas took a bite of his burger, chewing and swallowing before saying, “This burger’s not half bad for a Falls burger. It’s not as good as Ted’s, but it’ll do.”
Connor laughed. “Don’t let Nan hear you say that. She’ll kick you out so fast your head will spin.”
“Shit, do you mean the infamous Nan that Ted’s been fighting with for the last thirty years?”