“Oh my, look what the weather blew in.” Mr. Harris stands in his front door. He quickly rushes us inside before taking our horses to his barn. I help Harmony unwrap from the layers of clothing she’s in.
“Are you trying to freeze your guest, Beau?” Mrs. Harris asks. “She’s as cold as ice. Come here, sugar. You sit down while I make some hot tea.” She gives me a shake of her head before turning to the stove. Reacher, who’s kept up with us the entire trip, makes himself comfortable in front of the fireplace next to their dog.
“Hi, I’m Harmony.”
“I know who you are, honey. We watched every episode of that country star show you were on. Nate and I were so proud when you won.”
“Who were we proud of?” Nate asks, stepping into the kitchen.
“You remember the youngest Ellis girl,” she chastises. “I was telling her about watching that show she was on. I’m Reba,” she adds. “Like the star, but without the singing voice.”
“We thought we would come see how you’re holding up in the snow,” I try.
“We’re just fine,” Reba answers as the kettle begins to whistle. “But the bigger question is, what are you doing at Beau’s?” She sets a cup of tea in front of Harmony and sits in a chair across from her. I’m pretty sure I’ll be hearing about this for a while to come. I should have thought this venture out better.
“I was heading home for the holidays and got trapped in the storm.”
“Oh, bless your heart. It’s a good thing you got stranded near his place then,” Reba answers. Sure, that’s what we’ll go with. Not the story about how my brother abandoned her in my guest bedroom.
“Speaking of, we wanted to ask if you had any extra Christmas lights for our tree?” Harmony asks.
“Beau put up a tree?” Reba asks as if the very concept is an aberration. She and Nate exchange looks before looking at me. I ignore them. “Of course we have extra lights. We’ll dig them out after you warm up a little.”
“We might be experiencing a Christmas miracle, Mother,” Nate teases.
“All right.” There’s no need to point out what an asshole I’ve been in the past so blatantly.
“We’re just giving you a hard time. Come on, let’s go find the extra lights,” Reba said, patting Harmony on the leg. We watch them leave the kitchen for another part of the house.
“Pretty girl,” Nate says.
“She is,” I agree.
“Might be worth keeping.”
“She’s one of Travis’s friends,” I argue. “I don’t even know her. She just got trapped here because of the snow.”
“Still,” he says. “No time like the present. To get to know someone that is.” There’s a smirk on his face that makes me uncomfortable. I’m saved by Harmony bouncing back into the room clutching a sack of stuff to her chest.
“Look, Beau!” she blurts. “We have lights, tinsel, some craft stuff for making more ornaments, and stockings.” How? They weren’t even gone that long.
“Who is Duke?” I ask as she holds up one of the stockings.
“It’s one of our dogs long since gone,” Reba answers. “I’m sure you can do something with the names.”
“Or you can be Duke, and I can be…Sissy,” Harmony says, holding up the other stocking.
“Do all of your dogs get stockings?” I ask.
“What can I say? Mother likes to sew,” Nate says.
“Don’t worry, I included one for Reacher.”
“Or…Bitsy.” Harmony laughs.
“Jesus,” I swear under my breath.
“You watch that mouth, Mirabeau Rayburn,” Reba warns.
