Harmony crossed her arms over her chest in mock outrage. “Don’t I even get a hint?”

“A hint? Hmmm.” He thought for a moment, even going so far as to scratch his chin like an old-fashioned detective.

She couldn’t help but laugh. Spending time with Nolan was becoming easier by the day. In fact, she could honestly say it had become her favorite part of most days. She was so glad that she’d agreed to be friends and that he hadn’t pushed her for more that she could offer.

Nolan stopped for a traffic light, then turned toward Harmony in his seat. “Here’s your hint: it was one of my favorite places as a kid. And a teen. And now, actually.”

Harmony groaned. “But, Mr. Murphy, sir, I don’t want to go into work on my day off!”

“Ha ha,” he said pointedly, even going so far as to stick out his tongue at her. “This place is way cooler than O’Brien’s, but don’t tell anyone—and I mean anyone—I said that.”

“Okay, what makes you like it so much, then? Expand the hint, please.”

The light shifted back to green, and Nolan let out a dreamy sigh as he turned his attention back to the road. “It’s funny, I loved it as a kid because of all the excitement. Now I love it because of the calm. Strange how the same place can represent two very different things even to the same person, isn’t it?”

She nodded. That was exactly how she felt about the whole of Charleston. On the one hand, it was the site of her unhappy childhood, while on the other, she was building a life she rather liked here now.

“Add to that the fact dogs are clearly allowed if we’re going to pick up Pancake, and I still don’t have enough to go on,” she said thoughtfully. “You’re going to have to give me more.”

He considered this for a moment before agreeing. “Okay. How about I share my favorite memory of that place, then?”

“I’d love to hear it, especially if it’s going to give me clues. Have I told you how much I don’t like surprises?” Surprises for a foster kid were almost never of the welcome variety, and Harmony had continued her disdain for them with her into adulthood.

A smile crept across his face as he adjusted his hands on the steering wheel once more. “I promise you’ll like this one. In fact, I think it’s just what you need after the day you’ve had. Have I mentioned how gutsy I think you are for meeting with Megan?”

She groaned again. “Okay, on with the story, please.”

“It’s one of my earliest memories actually. For years, we hosted the Murphy-O’Brien family reunions there. My cousins would fly in from all over the country, and it was usually the only time we saw each other for the entire year. Being little boys, we each tried to prove how tough we were. Mind you, none of us were as tough as you.”