“H-harmony,” she replied softly, stuttering a bit as she tripped over her name and looked at him through her lowered lashes. “Harmony McKinnon.”
“A pretty name for a pretty woman. It fits you, darlin’,” he returned quietly as her blush deepened. Surprisingly, he meant his words. He’d been alive a long time and could honestly say that he’d never seen a woman half as beautiful as she was. It wasn’t that she was movie star gorgeous. No, her beauty was more understated than that. It was like she had some bright inner light burning at her core, drawing him toward her and making him wish for things he had no business wanting.
Like a home. A family. A future.
He’d wondered what the fuck was happening to him.
It was like she was a witch that had cast a spell over him… one that he had no desire to try and break.
Jesus, he was turning into a dickless sap.
It was clear that his compliment had stunned her and he wondered just what kind of men she’d been hanging around if she could be so easily tongue tied by a little light flirting. He couldn’t possibly be telling her anything a hundred men before him hadn’t shared.
Maybe she was a prude, he had reasoned to himself. The problem was that she didn’t seem like one. He’d met prudes. Usually, they were uptight, holier-than-thou types that seemed like they had a stick firmly implanted up their asses. He could already tell that wasn’t Harmony’s gig. She’d been open and friendly when she’d greeted him. Nope, this seemed like more of an ingrained and deeply seated shyness.
Shyness, he could work with…
“Thank you. I’ve always thought it was corny the way my parents named me and my sisters. There are four of us. You know Patience and Faith by now. Then, there are me and Honor. I always wondered what Momma was thinking when she christened us. Unfortunately, I never got around to askin’ her before she passed away.” She shook her head sadly, looking almost forlorn, before blinking quickly several times and lifting her gaze back to his. “Listen to me babblin’ on like a fool,” she sputtered as more color flooded her cheeks, embarrassed.
“Darlin’, I could listen to you babble all day long,” Jacob replied, shocked to recognize that he was telling her the truth. Before he consciously realized he’d moved, he had settled one of his large hands over hers where it rested on the scarred table and squeezed gently, trying to convey his silent support. He tried not to let it sting when she withdrew her hand quickly and took a step back. She wasn’t the first woman that he’d made uncomfortable with his size and demeanor. The fact that he looked like a thug with his tattooed arm and overgrown hair hadn’t escaped his notice; he’d just hoped she’d see past it. Strangely, he found himself wanting to comfort her though. She looked lost. And sad. And he didn’t like seeing the unhappiness shining in her eyes. Not one bit.
“So, you’ve brought me a reward for my good deed, huh?” he asked, trying to put her at ease again by distracting her from her thoughts.
“What?” Harmony questioned blankly, wincing when Jacob merely nodded down at the saucer she’d placed in front of him a few minutes ago. “Oh! Yes!” She agreed with a quick smile. “It’s the least we could do. Honor made that fresh this morning especially for you. It’s one of her signature desserts. Lucky Lemon Lush. She only makes it on special occasions and for special people. You really endeared yourself to us last night and that there,” she said with a nod at the airy looking dessert, “is Honor’s way of saying how much she appreciates what you did. We all do. You, sir, just got the McKinnon family seal of approval whether you wanted it or not.”
Oh, he had wanted it. Desperately. Their approval, or more specifically Harmony’s approval, was vital to his endgame.
“I’d say that seal is a valuable thing to have in this town. You ladies are pretty well known around these parts,” he noted easily.
“Well, our place is the only joint you can get a decent meal that doesn’t come out of a paper bag or down a cold one after a long hard day at work. I think our popularity has more to do with the food and drink than with us personally.”
“I think you’re underestimating yourself, but be that as it may, a man can never have too many friends… especially the pretty kind.”
There went the blush again. He grinned as he watched the color spread. “So, will you join me for a bite, Miss McKinnon?” he asked, gesturing to the bench across from him. “I’d love your company.”
“I wish I could,” Harmony denied with true regret shining in her expressive eyes, “but, I need to pick up my daughter from daycare.”