I brushed a hand through her hair and forced myself to pull away. “I need to make a few calls. And I have to check on the bakery then the brewery. Dominic and Cooper texted me twice already to check in. I promised Phoenix I would,” I explained, since Phoenix and Elyna were in Europe on their honeymoon with Braden.
She sat up slowly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pull you away from your duties.”
“You didn’t pull me from anything,” I said firmly. “This house is yours as long as you need it.”
Her gaze softened, but the worry lingered. “I should let Sandy know I’m not coming into Petals and Pines.”
“Text her. She’ll understand.”
“She’s my boss,” she whispered.
“She’s also family,” I reminded her. “Tell her you’re not feeling well. She’ll probably bring half her flower shop to the house if you let her.”
A small, shaky smile appeared. “That sounds like her.”
I stood and stretched. “I’ll make breakfast. Then I have to head out for a few hours.”
Her expression dimmed. “Should I come with you?”
Every instinct screamed yes. Keep her close. Keep her where I can see her.
But she needed normalcy too. “You can stay here,” I said gently. “Or… if you feel up to it, go to the community center for a shift. Sometimes being around the kids helps.”
Harmony looked down at her hands. “I don’t want them to see me like this.”
“You’re holding up well. They may help take your mind off things,” I suggested.
She hesitated, shoulders rising and falling in a slow breath. “Maybe… maybe being there will help. They’ve been through so much. I don’t want to hide from them.”
A warm ache pressed in my chest. “Then go. I’ll pick you up after.”
A soft knock sounded from the hallway. Not the front door. The hallway. My muscles tightened on instinct.
“It’s okay,” I murmured. “That’ll be Becket.”
I crossed the room and cracked the door open. Harmony stayed on the edge of the bed behind me. Even without looking, I could feel her tension like a shift in the air. Becket stood in the hall holding two coffees, hair still damp from an early shower, his police jacket half-zipped.
“Everything quiet overnight?” he asked, his voice low.
“Quiet,” I said. “Too quiet.”
He handed me one of the coffees. “We need to talk.”
I stepped into the hall and pulled the door mostly shut behind me, leaving Harmony privacy but not isolation. If she needed to hear my voice, she would.
Becket lowered his tone further. “I ran that ghost account she mentioned by the provincial police and RCMP. There’s a provincial organized-crime analyst I stay in touch with. She said something pinged late last night, just enough to matter. We need to go over it.”
A cold coil tightened in my stomach. Harmony must have sensed the shift because the latch clicked softly, and she stepped out to join us. She looked pale but steady.
“She’s going to the center today,” I said before Becket could question it.
Becket studied her a moment. “Is that safe?”
“It’s public,” I said. “Cameras everywhere. Staff all day.”
He considered this, then nodded. “Fine. I’ll put a cruiser on rotation. Every thirty minutes.”
Harmony swallowed. “Thank you.”
