Chapter 36
Eric
The house was too quiet for how many people were inside it.
Becket was somewhere in the dining room muttering about code forks.
Asher had already left for the community center.
Dad had taken the early patrol shift at the festival grounds before sunrise.
But even with all of the movement, the house felt…
muted. Like we were all holding our breaths.
I sat at the kitchen table nursing a half-warm mug of coffee, staring out the back window toward the orchard.
The morning light was soft, hazy, catching the edges of the trees like a watercolor. It should’ve been calming.
It wasn’t.
My knee bounced under the table, the restlessness crawling under my skin.
Harmony had barely spoken since we got home from the loft last night.
She’d gone straight upstairs, climbed into bed.
I stayed awake beside her until she finally fell asleep and curled toward me, her breath uneven.
I didn’t know what she saw on that laptop.
She hadn’t told me. She’d lied like she wished she hadn’t had to.
And I didn’t press because there was no point.
She looked like one wrong question would break her.
The front door opened and closed, drawing my attention. Dad stepped into the kitchen, jacket half unzipped, shoulders tense, wearing his uniform.
“You’re back early,” I noted.
He didn’t answer right away. He hung his jacket on the chair, reached for a glass, and filled it with water before leaning against the counter.
“The crowds are already forming,” he said.
“Final festival weekend. People are coming in from Saint-Adèle, Val-David, even a few from over the border for the parade tonight.”
“Good for the town,” I murmured, “bad for us.”
Dad’s mouth tightened. “I hope Harmony won’t go anywhere near that crowd.”
I nodded. “I figured.”
He took a sip of water, then set the glass down with a quiet click. “There was a camera down in the north corner of the festival grounds.”
My spine straightened. “Down, or vandalized?”
“That’s the question.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The Trust installed those cameras. Tremblay was in charge. And who knows what wiring he used. Could be a simple glitch.”
“And could be something else.”
Dad didn’t deny it. “One of the vendors thought he saw someone who looked like Tremblay this morning.”
That pulled me up short. “I thought he left town.”
“He did.” Dad’s voice was low, steady. “But people like that don’t always stay gone.”
I swallowed hard. “Should we tell Harmony?”
“No,” he said immediately. “Not unless we have to. She’s barely holding on as is.”
I tightened my grip on the mug. “She’s trying to pretend everything’s fine.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “And you’re trying to pretend you don’t see through it.”
I didn’t even bother denying it.
Dad lowered his voice. “You need to keep her close today. Closer than usual.”
“I know,” I said. “I was planning on keeping her here.”
Dad exhaled, a long, slow breath like he was bracing for a fight.
“That may not be an option,” he said, his brows drawing together.
That had me even more worried. “What do you mean?”
As if summoned, Harmony appeared in the hallway. Her hair was pulled back in a loose braid, cheeks still a little pale, but she was dressed in jeans, boots, and a sweater, like she was ready to go somewhere.
My heart clenched as my gut instinct was that she was ready for the festival. She was being Harmony and facing her fears head-on.
“Good morning,” she said softly.
Dad straightened. “Morning.”
She offered him a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I think I need some fresh air.”
Dad frowned. “You’re safest indoors.”
“I know,” she said, “but I’ve been inside too long. I’m going stir-crazy. And… the festival is packed. No one will even notice me. It’s the final weekend, there’ll be too many people for anyone to get close.”
I watched her closely. Her voice was steady.
Too steady. Her hands didn’t shake, but her shoulders were rigid, held unnaturally straight.
She was trying like all hell to be strong.
Trying to seem okay. Dad shook his head.
I could tell he hated playing the card of the bad guy, but I was grateful too.
“Harmony—”
She cut him off gently. “I went during setup. Nothing happened. I can’t stay locked inside forever. Please.”
There was a desperation under the calm that said she needed out of the house. She was feeling claustrophobic. Dad hesitated, and in that moment, Harmony looked at me instead.
“Eric,” she murmured. “I just need to breathe for a while.”
I swallowed. “You’ll be with me the whole time.”
“Of course.” She nodded quickly. “I won’t wander. I won’t go anywhere alone.”
Dad looked between us, I felt like a little kid the way his jaw tightened. I understood there was danger near, and Dad’s instinct was always to protect his family, but we were adults. Keeping Harmony locked up was hurting her more than helping.
“Just be careful, you two,” he finally conceded because it was obvious her mind was made up.
“I won’t let her out of my sight,” I assured.
Dad grabbed his jacket again. “I’m heading back. Patrol shifts change at noon. Call me if anything feels off.”
He left without another word. Harmony watched the door close, her shoulders dropping a fraction.
I stood. “You sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.” She wrapped her fingers around the back of the chair. “I need to. Otherwise, I’m going to lose my mind.”
I stepped toward her, brushing a thumb along her cheekbone. “Stay close to me.”
“I always do,” she whispered, and the warmth in her green eyes hit me in the center of my chest. But there was also a flicker of something behind her eyes.
A thought she wasn’t saying. Maybe a plan she wasn’t sharing. I pushed it aside for now. She needed air. She needed to move. I could at least give her that.
I went upstairs to get dressed while Harmony made herself some coffee and toast. Then we drove over to the festival in my truck.
The grounds were loud and full. People crowded around the booths, kids tugging parents toward the pumpkin patch, musicians tuning guitars near the stage.
The crisp breeze carried the smells of apple cider, fried dough, and maple candies.
It all felt… normal. But normal felt like a threat on a day like today.
I kept Harmony’s hand in mine, thumb brushing along her knuckles.
She stayed glued to my side, her gaze flicking around the crowd.
She didn’t seem scared exactly, just super alert.
Dominic spotted us from the brewery tent and waved.
“Hey! Thought we wouldn’t see you today.” He grinned. “Phoenix is back by the kegs. Want me to grab him?”
“I didn’t realize the honeymoon was over,” I said to Dominic.
“Yeah, well, you got a lot on your plate right now.” Dominic frowned.
Dad had updated all our employees, who worked in Maple Valley, to be alert if anything seemed off.
With all the drama going on, I didn’t realize my brother was back from his honeymoon already. I’d have to text him later to check in.
Harmony shook her head quickly. “Oh, don’t bother him. The tent is slammed.”
Dom looked between us like he sensed the tension but didn’t want to pry. “Well, you two know where to find us.”
We moved deeper into the crowd. Harmony squeezed my hand subtly.
The noise seemed to rattle her a bit. Maybe because anyone could be here.
Anyone could be watching. A woman from the bakery waved politely.
Harmony waved back, but her smile was thin.
People still gave her looks because of her last name, it was less openly hostile than when she first returned, but not warm by any means.
Kind of like the sight of her caused them to become cautious, or maybe suspicious and uncertain.
And that was despite the fact her work in the floral shop was phenomenal, and her help at the community center didn’t go unnoticed—since it was a busy place—and a lot of the townspeople used the exercise facilities and swimming pool.
Near the craft tents, a pair of teenagers were whispering. One nudged the other and nodded toward Harmony. I tensed.
Harmony squeezed my hand again. “It’s fine,” she said under her breath.
It wasn’t fine. It was annoying the hell out of me, But I didn’t push.
We passed the north camera pole, one of the ones Noah Tremblay had installed.
A small blinking light should’ve been on, but it wasn’t.
Harmony didn’t notice. But I did, since Becket had complained about digital blind spots earlier.
Maybe this was one of them, which made me pulled Harmony closer to me out of instinct.
“Cold?” I asked.
She shook her head, but leaned into me anyway. That’s when someone tapped my shoulder. I spun instinctively. It was a teenager I recognized as one of Asher’s students from the center. “Coach Thorne said to tell you. . .uh. . .he saw Mercier down by the river booths.”
Harmony stiffened. I had to hand it to Asher, he had natural instincts when it came to protecting people. Maybe all of my brothers had that ingrained in them from Dad since we were little. Nonetheless, I appreciated that he cared.
Nico.
I forced my expression neutral. “Did he say anything else?”
The kid shrugged. “Nah. Just said you’d want to know.”
I nodded and sent him back toward the center tent. Harmony’s grip tightened.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said, but the word wobbled.
I guided her toward the quieter side of the festival, away from the crowds. Near the maple candy stand the noise dimmed somewhat. She took a deep breath, then another, as if trying to steady herself.
Before I could say anything, my cell rang. It was Becket.
I answered immediately. “What’s up?”
“I found something,” he said. “My contact just notified me of more activity on Harmony’s old relay. Still nothing direct, but someone’s pinging the fail-safe structure. Testing it. Harder this time.”
Harmony’s head snapped up.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Means someone knew she logged in,” Becket said bluntly.
Ice crawled through me. “When?” I asked.
“Late last night.” He hesitated. “Eric… did she go anywhere?”
My mouth went dry. “Yes.”
Harmony’s eyes widened, not with guilt. It was in fear.
Becket sighed. “And she didn’t tell you.”
Harmony swallowed. “Becket—”
“No judgment,” he cut in sharply. “Just facts. Someone poked the relay after that. This isn’t random. This is deliberate.”
My stomach tightened.
“And, Eric,” he added quietly, “Noah’s name came up.”
I froze. “How?”
“A number tied to one of the Trust cameras pinged a data path around the same time. Could be nothing. Could be the malfunction Dad found. Could be something else entirely.”
My jaw clenched. “Great. Did Dad tell you about one of the failed cameras at the festival?”
“Yes,” Becket answered. “It may be connected but we don’t have solid proof yet.”
Harmony looked pale again, her arm brushing mine.
“I’ll keep digging,” Becket said. “Keep her close.”
He hung up. Harmony stared at the ground, breathing shallowly.
“Harmony,” I murmured, tilting her chin up, “talk to me.”
“I’m okay,” she whispered. “I just… need a minute.”
But her eyes told the truth. She wasn’t okay. She was unraveling and hiding something. The look on her face reminded me of the other night when it looked like she planned on taking matters into her own hands. A cold wind swept through the festival, rustling banners overhead.
Harmony looked toward the ridge, toward Maple Valley property, as if it were calling her. In that moment, I knew. She was planning something she didn’t want me to stop. I stepped closer, hand cupping the back of her neck.
“Sunshine… whatever you’re thinking—”
“I’m not thinking anything,” she said too quickly.
A lie.
A soft one.
A scared one.
A determined one.
I didn’t push. Not here. Not in a crowd this dense. Not with the whole damn Laurentian region milling around us. But a weight settled deep in my chest. This wasn’t over. Not even close. And Harmony, my brave, stubborn, brilliant Harmony was about to walk straight into the storm again.