He knew he was going to end up having this conversation with Flynn. “Drake and I are teammates. He’s protective of Harmony. How do you think he’d react if he found out Harmony and I were seeing each other?”
Flynn shrugged. “No way to know unless you tell him.”
Barrett shook his head. “No way. We’re getting ready to head into training camp, then preseason. The last thing Drake and I need is tension between us. We need a solid defense.”
Flynn rolled his eyes. “I think you’re underestimating him.”
“And I think you’re underestimating his potential reaction. I’ve seen him around Harmony. He’s never approved of the guys she dates.”
Harmony laughed. “This is true.”
“Yeah, but none of those guys have been you.”
“Not gonna happen.”
Harmony got up and took her plate to the sink, then started doing dishes.
“Hey, leave those,” Flynn said.
“Nope. You two cooked. I’ll clean up.”
Barrett finished his plate, then took it over to the sink, helping Harmony dry the pots and pans.
When she finished with the dishes, she turned to him. “I’m going to go take a shower.”
“Okay.”
After she left, Barrett joined Flynn in the living room.
“I think you’re off the mark with Drake,” Flynn said.
“And I think you should butt out on this. This thing with Harmony and me is brand-new. We aren’t sure where we stand with each other. It might not even work out. And what if that happens? How do you think Drake would feel then if we break up? He and I have been friends a lot of years. I was reluctant to even start anything up with Harmony for this very reason.”
“Oh, so she forced you into it?” Flynn asked with a smirk.
“No. Dammit, Flynn, this is complicated. Which is another reason I’d just as soon leave Drake out of it.”
Flynn raised his hands. “Hey, I get it. I’m just giving you shit. What you do in your personal life is your business. But just be careful, okay. I like Harmony. I kind of think you’re okay, too. I’d really hate for either of you to get hurt.”
“I don’t want to hurt her. But let the two of us navigate this in our own way. And that means leaving Drake out of it.”
“Your choice. But I think it’s going to blow up in your face.”
“Maybe. I just intend to take this thing day by day and we’ll see how it goes.”
Flynn gave him a dubious smile. “You do that, Brother.”
“I’ve gotta shower. I promised Harmony a full day of sightseeing.”
“Okay. Tonight we’ll head into the city for dinner, since I know you two have an early flight tomorrow morning.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“Sure wish you could stay longer. I kind of didn’t hate having you around this weekend.”
“I didn’t hate it, either.” It was times like this that he missed his brothers, though he’d never admit that to any of them. “But I’ll see you again next weekend. And hey, the restaurant is coming along.”
“It is. Next time you come out it’ll be more than just an empty shell. And I’ll have an actual staff.”
Barrett smiled. “You have Ken.”
“I do. Fortunately, he’ll drive the wheel for me while football season gears up. And when I’m in town, I’ll get to watch the inside of the restaurant take form.”
“Yeah, kind of like my house. I’m anxious to get back home to see how things are going there.”
“We didn’t get to talk about that. I’m sure you’re anxious about it.”
“Not really. I have a great contractor, and Harmony’s actually handling it all. She’s an interior designer.”
Flynn’s brows rose. “Is that right? Very cool, man.”
“Yeah. So hopefully I can just pop in, check progress and not have to stress the minor details.”
“Perfect for both of us, since it’s about time to get our heads in the game again.”
“I can’t wait.”
Flynn grinned. “Me, neither.”
“All right. I’m off to take a shower.”
“Yeah, me too.”
He headed out to find Harmony. She was in the bathroom, fixing her hair.
“I’m going to shower, then we’ll head out for more fun today.”
She smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”
He pulled off his shirt, then leaned against the bathroom counter. “Flynn said dinner in the city tonight.”
“Sounds perfect. I wish we had a longer weekend to spend here.”
“Me, too. You should take more time off work.”
She laughed. “I should. I’d love to come back when I have longer to explore. It’s a beautiful city and I feel like we just scratched the surface.”
“We’ll come back.”
She turned to face him. “Will we?”
She was wearing a towel. He wanted to pull that towel off of her, bend her over the counter and sink into her. But she was clean, and he was sweaty and needed a shower. So instead, he traced the swell of her breasts with the tip of his finger.
“Maybe we will. In the meantime, what do you think about you and your family coming out to the ranch next weekend?”
She looked at him, and he read the uncertainty in her eyes. “I don’t know. Kind of iffy with Drake being there. I really don’t know his schedule. Mama would love to go. She hasn’t been to the ranch in years and she told me how much she enjoyed spending time with your mother.”