Chapter 12
THE FOLLOWING weekend, right before Thanksgiving, Joe and Larry messaged that they had reached the hotel and were checked in. Harm texted them Derek’s address because Derek not only wanted to meet them, but insisted on making them a proper dinner. He’d spent the entire week poring over recipes.
“Make something simple,” Harm told him, but Derek was in a flap that the food should be really good when he met his family.
Derek had also cleaned his house to within an inch of its life, and if he fluffed the sofa pillow one more time while they waited for them to arrive, the poor thing was going to give up the ghost and explode in a fountain of stuffing.
Harm finally pulled Derek down next to him and held him tightly. He wanted to say that it was going to be fine and that Joe and Larry weren’t going to judge him for a few dust bunnies, but he held him and lightly stroked his hair, which had the effect of helping him calm down.
Harm reached for a cracker and some cheese off the coffee table.
Derek lightly slapped his hand. “That’s for your family.” Then he smiled to show he was teasing and relaxed against him while Harm ate.
That is until the doorbell rang, and Derek was up like a shot, hurrying to the front door.
“You must be Derek,” Joe said with his usual energy.
“And I’m guessing you’re Joe and this must be Larry.” As Harm came up behind him, Derek was shaking hands with Larry. “Harm has told me a lot about both of you.” He stepped back and let them in.
“Dang, it’s cold here today,” Larry said as he began peeling off layers. “I’d forgotten what it’s like this time of the year.” Derek hung up their things and led them into the living room.
“I have some wine, beer… or something stronger. I can also make tea or coffee.”
“Tea would be appreciated,” Larry said, and Joe said the same, so Derek hurried to the kitchen. “He seems nice.”
Harm nodded and sighed before picking up his phone. “He really is.”
“We’re glad about that.” Joe bit his lower lip. “What about college?”
Harm had been ready for that question. “Derek is going to help me apply for admission and the various financial opportunities that are available. I’m not sure what I want to study yet, but I can figure that out.
” He sent the message and got smiles in return as Joe shared his message with Larry.
“I also have my signing classes, and they keep growing each week. We have twenty people now, and it’s turning into a little community of our own.
Belle is working with Derek to lead it, and I’m learning a lot. ”
“That’s great too. We’re happy to see that you’re figuring out a way forward. We were worried about you for a long time. You didn’t seem to be going anywhere, and….” They shared one of those concerned looks that Harmon had seen more times than he could count.
“I’m sorry I worried you,” he texted.
“Don’t be silly. Parents worry. It’s part of the job. Now tell us about yours.” Larry sat back as Harm told him about what he was doing. It was a decent job, and he seemed to be doing well. But it was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
“I keep thinking that I want to do something with young people. I’ve thought about coaching or going into sports rehabilitation, but I’m not really sure. I don’t want to work at the warehouse forever, but right now it’s paying the bills and it’s helping me get settled in the real world.”
“I have the tea,” Derek said as he came in with a tray and set it to one side on the table. He handed a cup to Joe and one to Larry. He also handed Harm a beer and then sat with a tea for himself. “I hope it’s okay.”
Joe nodded. “We’re so used to the heat that when it’s cold, it feels extra cold.” He sipped and set the cup aside. “So what is it you do?”
“I’m a librarian at the public library. I’m hoping to be made the library director, but the board seems to be taking their time making a decision.” He sipped. “I’ve added new programs and cut costs without reducing staff. It’s been frustrating playing the waiting game.”
Harm put an arm around him. “Sometimes committees like that have to make sure that they are making the right decision. When I was hiring, I knew the person I wanted as soon as I met them. But with a group, it takes longer.” Joe sipped again.
“Try doing something that they can’t deny. Something that hits them in the face.”
Derek sat back and seemed to be thinking.
“Like a book fair? I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind for a while.
Start a book fair. Bring in as many local authors as possible.
People can come in, get books, and have them signed.
We could charge a small amount for the tables, which would cover any costs and might even bring in some money for acquisitions. ”
Harm smiled and hugged Derek a little closer.
“Connie is a master organizer. I bet she’d love doing that sort of thing. And she loves authors. The woman goes to a ton of signings and brings back all these books that she donates to the Bookery or that we can put on the shelves.” Harm could already see how excited Derek was.
“That’s a great idea. I’d come to something like that, especially if you can get a big-name author to come in,” Larry offered.
Derek grinned. “And I know just the person, if she’ll do it.
There’s an author who lives in Harrisburg, and she’s really hot right now.
I have a friend who knows how to get in touch with her, so maybe she’d do it.
” He had met some other authors at a conference last year, and maybe they’d also be willing to come.
“See. You can do this. I know you can,” Harm sent Derek, who read the text and grinned.
“All it would take is finding a date and making sure that we could get authors and publicity.” He was already getting excited about it, Harm could tell, and he was glad.
The last few days had been nerve wracking, with the break-in and William still hanging around every now and then.
At least the door and lock had been fixed.
“I understand you had a break-in,” Joe said gently. “That must have been frightening.”
“It was. We were here at the time, and I kind of freaked out, but Harm knew what to do and he protected me. He always seems to know what to do to try to keep me safe.”
“What did he do?” Larry asked.
“Harm moved and made no sound as he put on his clothes on, he was really stealthy. Then he motioned me into the bathroom and then went downstairs. When I came down, he had a guy on the floor, and I called the police.” Derek took Harm’s hand and squeezed it lightly. “I always feel safe with him.”
Harm smiled.
“That’s our Harmon. He always looked out for everyone.” Joe leaned closer. “Do you remember when you were in high school and one of the other kids was being bullied? You found out he was a foster, and the next time they picked on him, you stood up to them and they backed down.”
“Stevie,” Harm spelled.
“What did he say?” Joe asked.
“That his name was Stevie.” Derek looked into his eyes, and suddenly the thing Harm was going to say slipped out of his head. It was like getting lost in those eyes of his for a few seconds.
Joe cleared his throat. “Jesus. If the eye fucking is like that, you two must tear up the sheets.” He fanned himself, and Harm groaned. Joe had always been very forward.
Derek chuckled and didn’t look away. “You don’t know the half of it.” So Derek could give as well as he got; that was good to know.
Joe sputtered and Larry laughed. “Come on, you baited them, and he called your bluff,” Larry told Joe, and soon the two of them were chuckling together. “And you’re a smart one. I think Harm will need that… someone to keep up with him.”
Harm gaped and rolled his eyes. He knew they were teasing.
“I know. One of the things I first noticed about him was all his reading. He never stopped coming in and getting books. Even when almost the entire staff was scared of him.” Derek leaned against him. “I think Harm was smart enough to know that we’d all come around.”
Harm nudged him. Then he grabbed his phone, and soon a text came through. “I just figured that if everyone was scared of me, then they’d leave me alone.” Derek read it out loud and rolled his eyes.
“Don’t try to cover it up.” He turned to Joe and Larry. “Harm used to come into the library in fatigues and even camo. And at the time he had resting ‘I kill stuff’ face.”
“What gave him away?” Joe asked.
“He smiled.” Derek snuggled next to Harm. “That was all it took. In an instant, I knew the grump we all saw was just surface.” He sighed and decided that he had probably done enough talking, but then everyone sort of sat there, looking at each other.
“Okay, now what?” Derek whispered.
Harm shrugged before taking out his phone. He messaged Derek that he wasn’t sure.
“I need to check on dinner.” Derek patted his knee and then left the room, probably to give them privacy.
“What’s going on?” Harm texted to Joe.
“Larry and I wanted to talk to you about college and what you wanted to do with your future.” He leaned forward.
“I guess we were worried that you’d settle into some sort of life and never get out of it.
It’s easy to do when you have a job and a place to live.
Things get a little comfortable and it’s easy to just…
settle in.” Joe paused. “You like to make everyone around you happy and you were always quiet, even before the injury….”
“We just want to make sure that you’re happy and that you’re doing what you want.”
Harm rolled his eyes. “I am. I know how to take care of myself,” he texted, probably stabbing at the phone more than he needed to.
“I have a job so I can stand on my own two feet. Derek knows all about college applications because the library offers programs on it. He’s a really good person, and I like him.
” To be honest, he really hadn’t been expecting to get such a hard line from them.