Forbidden Harmony (Harmony Falls #3) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,94
her cheek. “Anyway, it’s just been a really bad day.”
“Did you eat dinner yet?” he said.
“No, I’m not very hungry. Would you be upset if I begged off on our, um, lesson tonight?”
“No,” he said. “I can order us something to eat and we can watch some TV.”
“It’s probably better if you don’t come in,” she said. “I’m getting a cold and I’d feel terrible if I gave it to you.”
He tried to ignore the immediate hurt that washed over him. “Yeah, okay.”
She fished her keys out of her purse before sneezing into the crook of her arm. “Bye, Preacher. I’ll text you when I’m feeling better.”
She stepped into her building, waving again before heading toward the elevator. Disgruntled and worried about Addison, Preacher walked away.
* * *
“Hold the fuck still,” Preacher said.
Brad glanced at him. “Sorry.”
He shifted in the tattoo chair and Preacher glared at him.
“You keep squirming and your tattoo will be fucked up.”
“Right.” The firefighter gave him a shit-eating grin and Preacher was tempted to stop tattooing and tell the idiot to get the fuck out of his shop. Instead, gritting his teeth, he went back to tattooing Brad’s arm, concentrating on the shading as Brad watched Nix clean his station.
“Where’s the guy with the green hair?” Brad said.
“Off today,” Preacher said. If Brad didn’t stop being so fucking chatty, he really would tell him to get the fuck out.
“Shop’s busy today,” Brad said. “Is that why you hired the new guy?”
“You want a fucking tattoo or you want a goddamn cup of tea and a chat?” Preacher said.
“Sorry, man,” Brad said sheepishly.
Preacher started up the gun again. He wasn’t being an asshole to Brad because he’d been sitting at the table that night with Addison at the Thirsty Beaver and let her go outside without any fucking thought to her safety. He was being an asshole because Brad was a jacked-up dickhead without a single fucking coherent thought in his head.
The bell over the shop door chimed and Preacher looked up when Brad said, “About fucking time you got here. Where the hell you been?”
Daniel, his blond hair too long and his usual clean-shaven jaw covered with two days of stubble, grabbed a stool near the drawing station and brought it over. He sat down next to Brad. “Sorry, my car is still at the Beaver, so I took an Uber over here.”
“Jesus, you fucking reek. You still hung over from last night?” Brad said.
The scent of stale beer clung to Daniel like a musty overcoat.
“Nah, I’m good,” Daniel said.
Preacher glanced at Addison’s brother. He didn’t think it was his imagination that the beer smell intensified when Daniel talked or that he’d staggered a little when he walked. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just after eleven on a Friday morning and the guy was already fucking drunk.
“Christ, my thighs still hurt from ball Wednesday night,” Brad said. “Swear to fucking God, I was doing all the work. I don’t even know why we put Martin in center field. Fucker can’t catch or run worth shit.”
Daniel shrugged as a few tourists walked into the shop and studied the artwork on the walls. Nix joined them, their conversation drowned out by the sound of Preacher’s tattoo gun. “Martin was just having an off night.”
“Every fucking night is an off night for him,” Brad said. “Jesse ask if you could take his shifts tomorrow and Sunday?”
“Yeah. I said I would.”
“Sucker,” Brad said. “Hey, can I borrow your phone for a minute? Forgot to fucking charge mine.”
Daniel handed Brad his phone and Preacher made a grunt of annoyance when Brad shifted in the chair again.
“I gotta look up when that -” Daniel’s phone chimed, and Brad squinted at the screen. “Gross, your sister’s asking you to get tampons for her.”
Brad moved his arm again and Preacher stifled his urge to slap the idiot across the head.
“Hold still,” he growled.
“Right, sorry,” Brad said.
Daniel took his phone back and texted rapidly. “She’s been a real pain in my ass lately.”
“Send her my way, I’ll be a real pain in her ass,” Brad said with a laugh.
“Talk about my sister like that again and I’ll shove my foot up your ass,” Daniel said.
“Whatever, man. Your sister’s got that hot good girl thing going on. Swear to God, ever since her loser fiancé dumped her, half the guys in town have been dying to get between her -”
Brad bellowed a curse and glared at Preacher. “Fuck, that hurt! Are