Until Harmony
Page 41
Bile crawls up the back of my throat from his words. Hofstadter did that to at least one woman, and who knows if there are more? There could be countless more women who felt that their choice was taken from them, felt backed into a corner because of what he did, what he told them he would do.
“I won’t apologize,” he repeats.
I open my eyes and meet his gaze. “He deserved that,” I whisper, and his eyes slide closed while his forehead comes to rest against mine. “You’re right. He deserved to know how it felt.” I slide my hand up his side to rest against his neck, and his eyes open. “I… I just wish you would have told me.”
“I should have told you,” he agrees, touching his mouth to mine. “I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“Okay,” I say, hearing the honesty in his voice, and he pulls back to look at me.
“That easy?” His eyes search mine. “We’re not going to fight about this?”
“I understand why you did it. I’m not happy you did it, but I get it, since if I could have done it myself, I would have. I just…” I pull in a breath, letting it out while moving my hand to his cheek. “Next time, just talk to me so I’m prepared.”
“There better not be a next time,” he growls, and I hear the warning in his voice, that warning sending a shiver down my spine. I hope for Hofstadter’s sake there really isn’t a next time.
“You’re kinda scary,” I tell him softly running my hand up his chest to rest on his shoulder.
His hand comes up to cup my cheek, and his fingers glide softly across my skin. “I’d never hurt you.”
“I know.” And I do know that. I know it with every fiber of my being.
“I’d never let anything hurt you,” he adds, and I raise my head up off the bed and place my mouth against his.
“I know that too.” The moment our lips meet, I touch my tongue to his bottom lip and he takes over the kiss. Then he proves what I already knew to be true. His hands have the power to make me feel a million different things, all of them good.
***
“I’m not drunk. You are.” Willow laughs, pointing at me, and I shake my head, grinning at her.
“No, you are!” I giggle, lifting one of the pillows off the couch, shoving my face into it, and laughing so hard my sides hurt. It’s safe to say we are both drunk, but after drinking two bottles of wine, anyone would be. I needed this. I needed to eat junk food, drink too much and relax and laugh with my sister. I needed to forget about what happened last week when I thought I was being followed home. And I needed to forget about what’s going on at the hospital.
I’ve talked to Amy a few times since the first time we met and over coffee one day, I finally told her what I overheard her saying. She was visibly shaken as she informed me that she went to HR and filed a complaint along with three other nurses, who had similar things happen with Hofstadter, and none of them have heard anything back.
When I told Harlen this news, he was pissed… or more pissed than he already had been. He called Evan, my dad, and Cobi, and told them they needed to get in contact with Amy and find out who the other nurses were. I learned after his phone call with my dad that Dr. Hofstadter’s family is on the board at the hospital and that his uncle is CEO. That was news to me—big scary news. That information means that not only does Dr. Hofstadter have power because he’s a doctor, but he also has it because his family will no doubt look out for him.
“I miss this,” Willow says, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I pull the pillow away from my face to look at her, feeling my eyes get soft at her admission. “Me too.”
“We need to do this more often.”
“We do, and we will, especially now that I have a bed in the guest room.” A bed Harlen told me to pick out no matter the cost and have it delivered. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about using his money to pay for it, until he told me, “It’s not a private jet, Angel. It’s a bed for our home, a bed your sister will sleep in, and my aunt when she comes for Christmas. Pick something, or I will.” When he said that, I forgot about feeling weird about it and just ordered the perfect bed for the room, a double daybed that fits perfectly in the small space. While I was shopping online I also picked out rugs for the bedrooms and the living room since I had the money I saved up to use for the dog door.
“Even after you’re married?” she asks, and I focus on her.
“Yes, even after I’m married.” I smile then watch as she picks up my newest snow globe off the coffee table. When Harlen and I were coming home from the cabin two weeks ago he stopped at a small pompom-and-pop store to get gas. When he came out he handed me the clear glass ball with a cabin in the middle of the woods inside of it not knowing that it meant just as much as the ring he put on my finger.
“You’re so lucky,” she murmurs.
“You’ll find someone,” I tell her instantly and she looks up at me doubtfully. “You will when the time is right. It will happen. I didn’t expect to find Harlen. It just happened, and it will for you too.”
“Maybe.” She shrugs, putting the globe back down and picking up her almost empty wine glass before downing the rest of it.
Hearing the front door open, I look that way then smile when I see Harlen walk in. Taking him in, I fight back a girly sigh. He’s always handsome, but with the colder weather, he’s wearing his normal jeans and boots but adding flannel shirts and his leather jacket, he looks like he just walked off the pages of a magazine for bikers. In other words, he looks beyond hot. And he’s mine.
“Hey, Angel.” He smiles at me, and then his eyes go to my sister. “Hey, Willow.” He lifts his chin to her, and she grins as her eyes come to me, her expression silently telling me she really is happy for me.
“I’m gonna head to bed,” he says. His eyes go from me, to the empty bottles of wine on the coffee table, to the half-eaten pizza, and then finally the bags of opened Hershey’s chocolate. Moving his gaze back to me, he smiles, and I tip my chin back when he gets close, then feel his fingers curve around my jaw right before he softly touches his mouth to mine. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I grin, and his eyes search mine.
“Drunk?”
“A little.” I shrug.
His lips twitch. “All right, enjoy your time with your sister,” he says quietly.
“Thanks, honey,” I murmur, and his lips tip up right before he touches his smiling mouth to mine once more before he lets me go and starts to move away.
“See you in the morning, Willow. I’m making waffles,” he tells her over his shoulder.
“I can’t wait,” she replies, and I look at her and see her eyes on his retreating back, and she doesn’t stop watching until he’s down the hall and closing the bedroom door behind himself and Dizzy, who decided to go with him. “I’m so jealous that you have that,” she tells me, and I feel my stomach melt.
“I’m lucky,” I agree.
She smiles then looks at the mess on the coffee table. “We should clean this up and get to bed.”
“Are you tired?” I ask, looking at the clock. It’s not even midnight yet.
“No, but if I had that man waiting in bed for me, I would leave your ass quicker than you could say ‘Bye, Felicia,’” she tells me, and I laugh. “Plus, I want to enjoy his waffles, and I don’t think that will happen if I have a hangover. And I will have a hangover if we drink any more.”
“Good point.” I get up off the couch, picking up the empty bottles while she grabs the pizza box. Once we have everything cleaned up, I shut off the lights and head down the hall, watching her disappear into the guestroom with a quiet, “Goodnight,” before she shuts the door.
Going into my bedroom, I find Harlen in bed with his back to the headboard, his eyes leaving the TV and coming to me when I walk in. I strip out of my clothes then dig through the dresser. I find a simple nightgown at the bottom of the pile, black cotton with thin straps and small details just under my breasts. I slip it on over my head and climb into bed next to him, tucking myself into his side.
“I won’t apologize,” he repeats.
I open my eyes and meet his gaze. “He deserved that,” I whisper, and his eyes slide closed while his forehead comes to rest against mine. “You’re right. He deserved to know how it felt.” I slide my hand up his side to rest against his neck, and his eyes open. “I… I just wish you would have told me.”
“I should have told you,” he agrees, touching his mouth to mine. “I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“Okay,” I say, hearing the honesty in his voice, and he pulls back to look at me.
“That easy?” His eyes search mine. “We’re not going to fight about this?”
“I understand why you did it. I’m not happy you did it, but I get it, since if I could have done it myself, I would have. I just…” I pull in a breath, letting it out while moving my hand to his cheek. “Next time, just talk to me so I’m prepared.”
“There better not be a next time,” he growls, and I hear the warning in his voice, that warning sending a shiver down my spine. I hope for Hofstadter’s sake there really isn’t a next time.
“You’re kinda scary,” I tell him softly running my hand up his chest to rest on his shoulder.
His hand comes up to cup my cheek, and his fingers glide softly across my skin. “I’d never hurt you.”
“I know.” And I do know that. I know it with every fiber of my being.
“I’d never let anything hurt you,” he adds, and I raise my head up off the bed and place my mouth against his.
“I know that too.” The moment our lips meet, I touch my tongue to his bottom lip and he takes over the kiss. Then he proves what I already knew to be true. His hands have the power to make me feel a million different things, all of them good.
***
“I’m not drunk. You are.” Willow laughs, pointing at me, and I shake my head, grinning at her.
“No, you are!” I giggle, lifting one of the pillows off the couch, shoving my face into it, and laughing so hard my sides hurt. It’s safe to say we are both drunk, but after drinking two bottles of wine, anyone would be. I needed this. I needed to eat junk food, drink too much and relax and laugh with my sister. I needed to forget about what happened last week when I thought I was being followed home. And I needed to forget about what’s going on at the hospital.
I’ve talked to Amy a few times since the first time we met and over coffee one day, I finally told her what I overheard her saying. She was visibly shaken as she informed me that she went to HR and filed a complaint along with three other nurses, who had similar things happen with Hofstadter, and none of them have heard anything back.
When I told Harlen this news, he was pissed… or more pissed than he already had been. He called Evan, my dad, and Cobi, and told them they needed to get in contact with Amy and find out who the other nurses were. I learned after his phone call with my dad that Dr. Hofstadter’s family is on the board at the hospital and that his uncle is CEO. That was news to me—big scary news. That information means that not only does Dr. Hofstadter have power because he’s a doctor, but he also has it because his family will no doubt look out for him.
“I miss this,” Willow says, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I pull the pillow away from my face to look at her, feeling my eyes get soft at her admission. “Me too.”
“We need to do this more often.”
“We do, and we will, especially now that I have a bed in the guest room.” A bed Harlen told me to pick out no matter the cost and have it delivered. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about using his money to pay for it, until he told me, “It’s not a private jet, Angel. It’s a bed for our home, a bed your sister will sleep in, and my aunt when she comes for Christmas. Pick something, or I will.” When he said that, I forgot about feeling weird about it and just ordered the perfect bed for the room, a double daybed that fits perfectly in the small space. While I was shopping online I also picked out rugs for the bedrooms and the living room since I had the money I saved up to use for the dog door.
“Even after you’re married?” she asks, and I focus on her.
“Yes, even after I’m married.” I smile then watch as she picks up my newest snow globe off the coffee table. When Harlen and I were coming home from the cabin two weeks ago he stopped at a small pompom-and-pop store to get gas. When he came out he handed me the clear glass ball with a cabin in the middle of the woods inside of it not knowing that it meant just as much as the ring he put on my finger.
“You’re so lucky,” she murmurs.
“You’ll find someone,” I tell her instantly and she looks up at me doubtfully. “You will when the time is right. It will happen. I didn’t expect to find Harlen. It just happened, and it will for you too.”
“Maybe.” She shrugs, putting the globe back down and picking up her almost empty wine glass before downing the rest of it.
Hearing the front door open, I look that way then smile when I see Harlen walk in. Taking him in, I fight back a girly sigh. He’s always handsome, but with the colder weather, he’s wearing his normal jeans and boots but adding flannel shirts and his leather jacket, he looks like he just walked off the pages of a magazine for bikers. In other words, he looks beyond hot. And he’s mine.
“Hey, Angel.” He smiles at me, and then his eyes go to my sister. “Hey, Willow.” He lifts his chin to her, and she grins as her eyes come to me, her expression silently telling me she really is happy for me.
“I’m gonna head to bed,” he says. His eyes go from me, to the empty bottles of wine on the coffee table, to the half-eaten pizza, and then finally the bags of opened Hershey’s chocolate. Moving his gaze back to me, he smiles, and I tip my chin back when he gets close, then feel his fingers curve around my jaw right before he softly touches his mouth to mine. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I grin, and his eyes search mine.
“Drunk?”
“A little.” I shrug.
His lips twitch. “All right, enjoy your time with your sister,” he says quietly.
“Thanks, honey,” I murmur, and his lips tip up right before he touches his smiling mouth to mine once more before he lets me go and starts to move away.
“See you in the morning, Willow. I’m making waffles,” he tells her over his shoulder.
“I can’t wait,” she replies, and I look at her and see her eyes on his retreating back, and she doesn’t stop watching until he’s down the hall and closing the bedroom door behind himself and Dizzy, who decided to go with him. “I’m so jealous that you have that,” she tells me, and I feel my stomach melt.
“I’m lucky,” I agree.
She smiles then looks at the mess on the coffee table. “We should clean this up and get to bed.”
“Are you tired?” I ask, looking at the clock. It’s not even midnight yet.
“No, but if I had that man waiting in bed for me, I would leave your ass quicker than you could say ‘Bye, Felicia,’” she tells me, and I laugh. “Plus, I want to enjoy his waffles, and I don’t think that will happen if I have a hangover. And I will have a hangover if we drink any more.”
“Good point.” I get up off the couch, picking up the empty bottles while she grabs the pizza box. Once we have everything cleaned up, I shut off the lights and head down the hall, watching her disappear into the guestroom with a quiet, “Goodnight,” before she shuts the door.
Going into my bedroom, I find Harlen in bed with his back to the headboard, his eyes leaving the TV and coming to me when I walk in. I strip out of my clothes then dig through the dresser. I find a simple nightgown at the bottom of the pile, black cotton with thin straps and small details just under my breasts. I slip it on over my head and climb into bed next to him, tucking myself into his side.
