Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls #1) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,95
office in Harmony Falls, right?”
“How did you know that?” she asked.
“Didn’t Connor tell you? He called and asked me to recommend you to Stark.”
“He did?” Kira said.
Lucas nodded. “He didn’t say anything?”
“No, I … he didn’t.” Warmth infused her entire body. Connor had helped her get her first sale.
A flash of purple caught her eye. Gina and Lisa were standing together near the dance floor, talking to a few other wedding guests. She swallowed hard. Lisa was gorgeous and sweet, and she ran her own business. It didn’t matter how many houses she sold, Kira would never be as successful or beautiful as her.
“Hey.” Lucas touched her hand. He was staring at Gina and Lisa as well and he shook his head. “Don’t let Gina’s obsession with Lisa get in your head.”
“He didn’t tell me they were engaged,” Kira said. “He won’t even tell me why they broke up.”
Lucas sighed. “Well, it’s Connor’s story and not mine to tell so I can’t say anything. But trust me when I say he has no interest in Lisa anymore.”
“Why not?” Kira said. “She’s smart and sweet and beautiful, and his mother loves her.”
“Lisa is not sweet,” Lucas said harshly. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s a snake in the grass and Connor dodged a fucking bullet with that one.”
“If she’s so terrible, why does Gina want them to get together so much? You’d think she’d want what’s best for her son,” Kira said.
Lucas drank the rest of his drink in two big swallows. “Gina is a wonderful person, Kira. She really is, and she loves Connor. He’s her only kid and she wants him to be happy. She believes Lisa is the one who will make him happy.”
“Maybe she’s right.”
“She’s not,” Lucas said. “She’s blinded by the fact that Lisa and Connor were together for so long, blinded by her belief that she knows what’s best for Connor. She had Connor’s life all laid out in her head and when it went sideways, when nothing turned out the way any of them believed it would, she never really got over it.”
He studied the top of the table, running his fingers over the soft white cloth that covered it. “She wants Connor to be with Lisa so much that she isn’t seeing what everyone else in this damn room saw almost immediately.”
“What’s that?”
“The way Connor looks at you.”
Warmth burned in her belly and she took another sip of her drink. “Thanks, but you didn’t even know we were dating for real. Connor isn’t looking at me in -”
“I might have thought it was still fake, but it doesn’t mean I couldn’t see Connor looking at you like a love-struck puppy,” Lucas said. “Truthfully, I am fucking relieved that you’re actually dating. Connor’s got it fucking bad for you, and he’s been hurt enough in the past by a woman who was supposed to love him. I don’t want to see it happen again.”
“What did she do to him?” Kira said.
“I can’t say,” Lucas said with genuine regret.
“He won’t talk to me about it.”
“He will. Just give him a bit more time. You know how he is. It’s hard for him to open up and be vulnerable,” Lucas said.
“I know.”
There were a few moments of silence before Lucas smiled at her. “Me, on the other hand? I wear my goddamn heart on my sleeve. Hell, the ladies can’t get me to shut up about my feelings.”
She laughed and took another sip of whiskey. Lucas grabbed his glass as a woman with tightly permed, violet coloured hair and wearing a billowing leopard print caftan clumped her way toward them. “Shit, here comes Ethel. I gotta run, beautiful. She’s grabbed my ass so many times since the ceremony, I’ve got bruises from cheek to cheek.”
He left just as Ethel approached the table and eased into the chair next to Kira. She studied her silently before saying, “You seem all right for a Falls girl.”
“Thanks?” Kira said.
The old woman grunted in reply as she stared at the dance floor. Connor had escaped his aunt and was now dancing with his mother and Ethel watched them for a few minutes. “I’ve been watching the two of you tonight. He seems real happy with you. That’s good. After what he went through, he deserves to be happy.”
Kira wasn’t sure what to say. Ethel glanced at her before looking back at Connor. “Real shame about that boy’s career.”
Kira frowned. “There’s nothing wrong with being a dentist.”