Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls #1) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,28

still in love with her, why would I be bringing a fake girlfriend to my cousin’s wedding?” He scowled at her. “I am not talking to you about her. Understood?”

“Understood,” she said.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. He was walking fast, his anger and frustration quickening his pace and she was almost jogging to keep up with him. Guilt washing over him, he slowed down and squeezed her hand. “Sorry. I’m being a dick.”

“I shouldn’t have pried,” she replied.

“You didn’t. I just – it’s the past and I don’t want to focus on that.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “So, what’s your favourite meal, vacation spot, and movie.”

He was more grateful than he could say that she was changing the subject. “Popcorn, Hawaii, and Terminator.”

“Popcorn isn’t a meal,” she said.

“It is when you’re a bachelor who works long hours.”

Her look of disapproval was weirdly adorable. “You don’t work weekends. Take a Sunday and make a bunch of casseroles and stuff to freeze for the week.”

“Is that what you do?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m not that great of a cook, to be honest, but I’ve got some casserole recipes that I don’t mess up too much, and my mom taught me how to make her grandmother’s lasagne. It’s delicious and freezes well. She was going to teach me other recipes but then she…”

He squeezed her hand again. “You must miss her a lot.”

“I do,” she said. “But I have Gideon – sorry again for his behaviour this morning – and I have Grace and Addison and Harper. Grace stayed with me for weeks after my parents died, just moved into the house and upended her entire routine and life to help me through the grieving process. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

She studied her feet for a moment as they walked slowly down the trail. “Even with Grace, I was still pretty depressed. Which is why Gideon eventually moved home.”

She lapsed into silence and he waited patiently. He had the feeling that there was more to the story and he was intensely curious, but he had just chastised her for asking questions about his past.

When it became apparent that she wasn’t going to say anything else, he said, “Who are Addison and Harper?”

“Addison is Addison Moore. She’s Daniel’s younger sister and works at Harmony Falls Elementary over on Oak Street. She teaches grade one and she’s engaged to Harrison Frank. He’s a corporate lawyer.”

“The names are familiar,” he said.

She nodded. “Addison goes to your clinic, although I think she sees Dr. Henderson. I’m not sure where Harrison goes but he plays ball in the same league as you and Daniel, so you’ve probably seen him at a game.”

“Probably,” he said.

“Harper is Harper Brandt. Her dad is Wilson Brandt.”

“Of Brandt Veterinarian?” Connor asked.

“Yes. Do you have a pet?”

“No, but Grant has a dog he takes to Wilson and Wilson comes into the clinic.”

“Harper actually moved to New York City last year. She’s an artist and she got a job at a fancy art gallery. She’s hoping to get her work shown at the gallery.”

“Is she good?” he asked.

“So good. She works with pencil and charcoal and… man, her work is incredible. Anyway, the four of us have been thick as thieves, as my dad used to say, since we were in grade school and we miss Harper something awful, but she has to live her dream, right?”

“Yeah, it’s important to do what you love.”

She glanced up at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said. It made him a little uneasy that Kira could read him so well after only a couple of days. He was well known for keeping his feelings hidden, and the fact that she already knew when he was upset by nothing more than the tone of his voice, was… weird and unexpected.

“You sure?”

He nodded. “So, are you closest to Grace?”

“Yes. Grace is an only kid and her parents, they aren’t bad parents, but they aren’t really there for her. Like, they just kind of did their own thing, you know? Even when she was a kid, it was like she was always an afterthought. Anyway, she spent a lot of time at our house when we were young, and my parents loved her like she was their kid.”

She brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “I mean, we’re all close, but Gracie and I are probably closer, and Addie and Harper have their own kind of special thing going on. I know Addie really misses