For whatever reason, she believed that, too. Not only that, but she told him she loved him as well. And for a few glorious months she’d thought all the pieces of her life were finally popping into place. She and Alan spent every free moment with each other, and because she was happy, she kept her tongue in line and managed to keep her job for a record period.

Then he went and ruined it by asking her to move in with him.

The request surprised her as the notion didn’t seem at all romantic. They’d both grown up tripping over several other kids in cramped rooms that should have only bunked two tops. Harmony liked having a space all to herself, and she wasn’t ready to give that up yet.

Besides, moving in together would invariably lead to pressure to have sex, and she had long since promised God she would wait until marriage. It was a deal they had made when she was growing up. She’d asked God to keep her body safe from hands that would hurt her or take liberties not due to them, and in exchange, she would remain celibate until the day she decided to become somebody’s wife—provided that day ever came at all.

Of course, Alan made the situation even worse by asking her to marry him later that week. She wasn’t ready for that, either. Didn’t he know she was still trying to learn to take care of herself properly? There was no way she was ready to double that burden by joining her life with someone else’s on a permanent basis.

She’d politely declined, but in so doing had drawn a jagged red mark through the timeline of their relationship. The good times were all behind them, and what was to follow would only get worse by the day. This is what confirmed it for Harmony. People didn’t change. Alan hadn’t tossed aside his anger; he’d only buried it deep down.

And she’d foolishly come along with a shovel.

Chapter 14

Harmony

The next morning, Harmony turned up at O’Brien’s twenty minutes early for her shift. She always found it best to be extra punctual in the beginning so that her employers would forgive occasional necessary tardies later on.

Jolene was nowhere in sight, but the kitchen light appeared to be on. Harmony rapped gently at the glass.

A shockingly tall man emerged from the back and approached the door with squinted eyes. “Harmony?”

“Good morning, Nolan.” She recognized him by his height more than his face. “Do you work here, too?”

“Own it, actually.” He unlatched the door and let her slip inside. Thank goodness she’d discouraged his interest in her at the dog park a couple days back. Otherwise she’d have had to quit right there on the spot.

“Thank you for hiring me,” she said, glancing around for something she could do both to prove herself useful and to escape Nolan’s watchful gaze.