“I didn’t hire you. Jolene did.” He pointed toward the industrial-sized coffeemaker. “Want to get that started?”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure.” Coffee she could do. Working so close to someone she found so handsome, well…that had yet to be determined. The last thing she wanted after the whole ordeal with Alan was another relationship, especially with someone she already knew to be from bad stock. If Megan Murphy had tormented her all through school without ever feeling guilty about it, then her brother’s moral compass couldn’t be much better. It didn’t matter that he was trying so hard to charm her now. His tune would swiftly change once her rejection sunk in.

“I’m glad she did, by the way,” he called after her with an amused lilt in his voice.

At this point, her inner thought train had pulled so far out from the station, Harmony couldn’t even remember what the two of them had been talking about. When she turned, he was still watching her from the same place by the door where he’d been standing before.

A small smile crept across his face and turned ridiculously large, like that of a little boy who hadn’t quite grown into his features yet. “How’s Muffin doing?” Nolan wanted to know.

Harmony shook her head. “What?”

“Your new dog?” There was that smirk again, the same smirk that seemed to imply he found her both tiresome and adorable. She did not like it one bit.

“Oh, right. Well, I’m only borrowing him for a spell, but he’s doing just fine.” She reached up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear.

Nolan’s eyes lingered on her as she attempted to work.

“Am I doing something wrong?” she demanded, spinning around and placing a hand on each hip as she glowered at him. “Because you’re kind of staring.”

Oh, no, not yet! Rein in that temper. You can’t afford to lose this job over something so silly as a man looking at you.

He laughed and shook his head. “Sorry about that. I’m just surprised you’re here is all.”

“Didn’t Jolene tell you she’d hired me? I gave her all my information. Look, if this isn’t going to work, I can go right now.” She prayed he wouldn’t call her on her bluff.

“Whoa there!” Nolan put both hands up in front of him as if he were dealing with a spooked horse. “Jolene had your information but accidentally misplaced it. She couldn’t remember your name exactly, only what you looked like.” He blew out an exaggerated puff of air. “But that’s Jolene for you—great with people, terrible with names. When she described you, I had a sneaking suspicion, but I didn’t know for sure until you turned up.”

“Well, here I am, turned up and ready to work.” She snapped the coffee basket back into place and pressed the brew button. “What do you need next? Should I check the condiment caddies? Refill the ketchup bottles?”

He stayed rooted to the spot and his eyes glued right on her face despite Harmony’s constant moving about. “You sure know your way around a dining room, don’t you?”