Worthy of the Harmony (Mountains & Men Book 2) (19 page)

“I asked you how work was going for you?”

“It’s fine, mother.”

“It’s fine? That’s all you give me?”

“Yes. It is—it’s fine. There’s not much else to tell. In fact, I should probably go. I’m going out soon and—”

“Oh, for the love of god,” she grumbles. “You’re seeing someone, aren’tcha?”

For a moment, I don’t know what to say. The answer is certainly yes, but it’s not the truth that makes me pause. No, what catches me off guard is my desire to admit that she’s right; my desire to tell her even the most minute detail about Sage.

“
Tatiana!
”

“Yes. Yes, mother, I’m seeing someone.”

“Are you just fucking or what?”

I flinch at her crude question. I’d forgotten what it was like to talk to my mother about the men in my life. “No. He’s important to me. It’s about more than sex or I wouldn’t have told you.”

“You’re making a mistake. You realize this, don’t you? Have you learned
nothing
from me? Have you learned nothing from your own past? How many times have I had to say
I told you so,
huh?”

“This is different,” I tell her, shaking my head even though she can’t see me do it. “S—” I start to speak his name and then stop, my heart warning me that even his name is too intimate a detail to share with my mother. “He’s just different, okay?”

“That’s bullshit and you know it, Tatiana. How many times must history repeat itself before you learn? Huh? He will leave you. They always leave you. There is no
different
.”

Her words hit me like a slap across the face. My mother has tried and failed to teach me her version of reality in many areas of life. I know what her darkness looks like. From the time that I was six years old, I have done everything I could to escape it—to make my own way, to discover my own reality. But men…she’s always been right about men. She’s warned me over and over that they always leave and—and she’s always right.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” I say stubbornly. I stand, pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table. The sting of her words has made me anxious and I resent her a little bit more for making me feel this way.

“Just don’t let me hear you cry when he discards you. You don’t listen to me. You never listen to me. I feel no sympathy for your heart with all that hopeless romantic nonsense,” she bites.

When my eyes begin to well up with tears, I try and convince myself that she’s not hurting my feelings. I try and remind myself that she’s a bitter woman who doesn’t have an ounce of love left in her. I try to hold onto the fact that she’s my mother by name only—that she hasn’t been my
mom
for a long time; she hasn’t been someone who I confide in and, therefore, her unsolicited advice means nothing.

Nevertheless, her warning makes my chest sting. Then, when a knock sounds at the door, my excitement from before suddenly feels different—guarded.

I hate her. I hate her for making me feel this way.

“I have to go. I’ll talk to you in a couple weeks.”

“Tati—”

“I have to go, mother. Goodbye.”

I told her I wouldn’t hang up on her, but that was obviously a lie. I can’t listen to another word she has to say. When Sage knocks again, I blink away my tears and paste on a smile as I open the door for him. The sight of him leaning casually against the doorjamb takes my breath away, and my heart rate spikes when he smirks at me.

He is different
, I assure myself.
My mother is wrong. She’s wrong. She
has
to be wrong.

“Hey,” he scowls at me, stepping closer as he reaches up to brush his fingers along the side of my cheek. I lean into his touch, surprisingly desperate for it. “What’s wrong, baby doll?”

“Nothing.”

“You don’t think I’m falling for that, right?” he asks, circling his arms around my waist. “Something’s wrong. I can see it in your eyes, Millicent. What is it?”

I grip hold of his dark, plaid button up shirt, allowing the sound of my name to wash over me.
Millicent. Millicent
, not
Tatiana.
I bask in the truth that I am his, a declaration we made to each other just a day ago, and I shove aside my fear. He’s not leaving. He’s right here. I’m wrapped in his arms and he’s not leaving.

“Baby? You’re kind of freaking me out, here.”

I reach up and press a kiss against his lips, our contact making my whole body tingle with delight. “I’m fine. Really. Just got off the phone with my mother. It’s not my favorite thing, that’s all. I’m good.” I kiss him again, relaxing against his chest as he holds me closer.

When I open my eyes to look at him, I find him studying me—his icy blue eyes dancing around my face. “Doll face, you look like you need to fucking cuddle. I would say let’s stay in and order take out, but you look way too fine for all that. We’re going out. I know the perfect place. You ready?”

I nod, smiling up at him. “Just need to grab my purse.”

“Alright,” he says, smacking my ass. I squeak in surprise and he winks at me. “Hurry, baby. I need to cheer my girl up.”

OUR DRIVE INTO
Old Town is a quiet one. Millie spends most of it looking out the window. I’m curious to know what she’s thinking, what’s got her upset and distracted, but I don’t pry. Knowing it has something to do with her mom, a topic I know she’s reluctant to discuss, I decide to let it lie for a bit. She’ll tell me what she wants to when she’s ready. For now, I just need to focus on putting a smile back on those sweetheart lips.

As per usual, finding parking downtown on a Saturday night is a chore. I end up sliding into a spot about a block and a half away from our destination. Once we’re out of the car, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into my side, planting a kiss on her temple. She slips her arms around me, her contact putting me at ease a bit.

“You ever play darts?” I ask.

“No,” she answers quietly.

I chuckle, amused by the fact that I’m not the least bit surprised. “Baby doll, what did you do for fun when you were an undergrad? Tell me you’ve at least been to Cooper’s Pub.”

“I’ve been,” she mutters defensively. She pinches my side and I look down to see her playful glare. “And I went dancing. The Brew, The Wash—I even went to that Cowboy bar once. Line dancing isn’t my thing, though.”

I laugh, admiring her as we continue our trek to the Pub. It’s in this moment that I realize just how freaking adorable she is. She might have me by five years, but I guarantee she spent more time with her books than she did going out growing up. Me—not so much. School was easy for me; and while music took up a lot of my focus, I never neglected to seek out a good time. The guys can attest to that.

“Stick with me, baby. You’ve got a lot to learn.”

“Is that so?” she asks. I can hear the smile in her voice before I see it on her face. I nod at her in response before pressing a kiss against her lips. We stop walking for just a second as I kiss her again, and then I smirk at her before I continue to lead her to our destination.

Inside, Cooper’s is just as busy as I guessed it would be. The bar area is full of a bunch of twenty-somethings all out to indulge in a bit of booze and a bit of fun. Most of the pool tables and foosball tables are occupied, but I spot an empty table near one of the dart boards that isn’t in use. I lead her straight there and we sit just as our waitress walks by.

“Oh, hey,” she says, back tracking. Her ponytail swishes from side to side when she comes to a stop, and she flashes me a sly smile. “I’m just on my way to the bar. Can I get you something, handsome?”

I offer her a closed lip smile, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I get it that she may be working an angle for a good tip, but her flirting isn’t necessary. “I’ll have a Blue Moon. Doll face?”

I watch as her eyes drift from the waitress to me, as if she’s noticed the extra attention I'm being given and she wants to see how I’ll respond. A smirk tugs at my lips. I’m amused that she hasn’t figured it out yet—that as long as she’s in the room, and even when she’s not, she’s the only woman I'm thinking about.

“I’ll have a gin and tonic,” she says a second later.

We’re carded and then the waitress hurries off to get our order, promising to return with menus. I’d bet anything that she only asked for our IDs because she was annoyed that I wasn’t giving her the time of day, but I don’t care.

“How are things going with Alex?” Millie asks sheepishly.

“Good. Great, actually. She fits in like a champ. I mean, she's not afraid to dig in and work. I think Maddox is finally starting to warm up to her, now that he’s seen her level of commitment, and we’re all clicking.”

“I’m glad it’s working out.”

Our drinks arrive along with our menus, but it only takes me a second to decide what I want. They serve a wicked Italian Club sandwich and I get it almost every time, unless I’m here splitting a pizza with the guys. Millie takes a little longer to decide. She ends up ordering the house salad. I can’t help but cock my eyebrow in surprise, but she only shrugs before sipping at her drink.

“So, are you going to show me your skills or what?” she asks, nodding to the dart board that’s still unmanned.

“I didn’t say I was any good. Honestly, I never keep score or anything,” I tell her with a laugh, standing to collect three darts. “It is a good way to blow off some steam, though.” I stand a few feet back and launch each dart one right after the other. Two of them land within the confines of the triple circle, and one hits the triple circle itself. I’m quick to pluck them off the board before I turn to her and ask, “Do you want to try?”

“Um—”

“Come on, gorgeous. I’ll help you.”

I hold out my hand and she takes it, allowing me to help her off of her stool. I line her up in front of the board, showing her how to angle her body, and hand her a dart. Her first attempt doesn’t even make it across the short distance, and falls to the floor. The pathetic expression on her face when she looks at me in defeat makes me laugh. She sighs and rolls her eyes; but before she can head back to her seat, I circle my arm around her waist and hold her against me.

“Hey, no quitting. You just have to put a little force behind your throw. We’re blowing off some steam, remember?” I hand her another dart. “Now, throw it like you mean it.”

I kiss her bare shoulder as I pull away from her and she shivers, making my cock pulse. I ignore it, watching as she takes a deep breath and chucks her second dart. It sticks at the bottom of the board, in the double ring, and she gasps as it makes contact. When she smiles at me, her face alight with her surprise, it makes me want to kiss her.

“That’s my girl,” I say proudly, smacking a quick kiss against her lips before handing her the last dart. “Let’s see you do it again.”

She hits her mark once more, only this time a little higher than before. When I ask her if she wants to play another round, she nods without hesitation and I collect the darts. We play until our food arrives—her tossing, me fetching and rewarding her with kisses—and I can see it as whatever was bothering her before starts to melt away. She only picks at her salad, claiming she’s not all that hungry; but when I finish my sandwich and push my plate across the table, offering her my untouched fries, she can’t resist.

After another round of drinks and a couple more games of darts, I decide I’m ready to get out of the busy Pub. The night is a cool one, but it’s not cold, and I get another idea—something else I like to do when I want to get my mind off of things. I reach for my wallet, pulling out enough cash to cover our bill and a tip, and then I stand, reaching for her hand.

“Let’s go for a drive, doll face.”