“Family?”
Harmony shook her head.“I don’t remember my mom.I was only two when she died.My dad died when I was in undergrad.”
“Oh, shit.I’m so sorry.Can I ask…?”
“She was in an accident.My dad always talked about how amazing she was.He loved her every day of his life.He got sick when I was in school, but he didn’t want to take money from my education or risk me quitting school to take care of him, so he waited until it was too late to do anything.From the time he went to the doctor until he died was about four months.”
“Wow.I can’t even imagine.”
“It was a while ago, but yeah.I miss him every day.And the memory of her.He talked about her so much I felt like I knew her even though I don’t remember her.”
“That’s the kind of love that changes the world,” Damien said.
Harmony breathed a laugh.“It definitely changed mine.”
Damien held her gaze, desire swirling in the depths of his brown eyes.
Harmony wanted to let herself get lost in his eyes.Get lost in him.She’d never been that person, the type to lose focus on what mattered, so she cleared her throat and tore her gaze from his.She took a sip of her water.“What about you?Where are you from?”
“New Jersey,” he answered without hesitation.“My parents and older sister are still there.She’s six years older than me and a single mom to the best nephews on the planet.”
“You’re close to your family?”
“As close as I can be when I’m so far away.I talk to them regularly and visit a few times a year.”
“What brought you up here?”
Damien chuckled and leaned back in his seat.“A girl.”
“Oh, really?”
He grinned.“Not a friend, definitely a girlfriend.”
“The truth comes out,” Harmony teased him.
Damien laughed, his skin crinkling next to his eyes.His smile stretched wide, showing off white teeth with one slightly crooked one on the right side.He reached for his water and took a sip.“After college, I joined the Marines.I was in for eight years, then opted for reserve duty for five years.I was trying to decide what to do next when I met Morgan.”
“And the rest is history?”Harmony asked, trying not to feel jealous.She was failing.
“Well, since I’m sitting here with you, clearly not.”Damien reached for her hand and wove his fingers through hers.
Harmony grinned.She’d never had a man pay so much attention to her.It was fun and refreshing.And a little unnerving.
The server brought their food, and they dove into dinner.They talked about their work and what they liked to do in their downtime, and before Harmony knew it, her plate was empty and so was her glass of wine.
“Excuse me for a minute,” she said, needing to gather herself.It didn’t feel like a first date.It felt like she’d known Damien for a long time.Like they were old friends who realized there was more between them.
Harmony pushed into the bathroom and went to a stall.She heard someone come in and finished using the bathroom.When she walked out, the woman in the stall two down opened her door.She moved to the sink next to Harmony.
Harmony flashed the woman a smile and checked her reflection.Her cheeks were red, her eyes bright and happy.She was enjoying herself.
“You should be careful about who you spend time with,” the woman next to her said.
“Excuse me?”
The woman turned and faced Harmony.“The man you’re flirting with isn’t who he says he is.”
“How… What…”
