Wrestling Harmony (The Kingsley Series)

by Brandi Kennedy

  Tucking her phone between her ear and her shoulder, Harmony lifted her hand to shield her face from the afternoon sun, raising her eyes to the second floor of the building. Each floor had one main hallway, and each hallway ended on both sides with floor-to-ceiling windows. There, in the window, she could just barely –

  “See me?” Whitney giggled, waving down at Harmony.

  “Yep, I see you. Just hang right there, I’ll be up in a second.”

  “Okay,” Whitney laughed, holding her cell phone to the window as she ended the call. Harmony watched until Whitney had backed away from the window, laughing to herself as she walked through the glass doors that opened into the lobby of the building.

  Riding up in the elevator, she ignored the image of Xander that flickered through her mind, his eyes cold but so beautifully blue, his body terrifyingly strong but so sexily masculine. Shaking her head, she stepped through the doors of the elevator when they opened on the second floor, surprised to see Whitney standing on the other side.

  “I thought you’d be down the hall, silly,” Harmony laughed, looping her arm through her friend’s bent elbow. “Come on, I’ll get the door opened and you can finally check out the apartment.”

  Giggling, Whitney stood back to wait as Harmony unlocked the door to her apartment. She gasped, stepping into the living room and taking in the look of Harmony’s first home. “Oh Harmony! Wow!” she exclaimed, stepping through the door and into the living room. “I love this!”

  “Uh, welcome to my place,” Harmony laughed. “I know it’s probably more than you were expecting but, um, you know my mom.”

  “She bought all this? Wow, she did great!”

  “Not exactly. Apparently, she and my dad have been saving for me. For when I move out. Mom says it’s like a modern day hope chest or something.”

  “They’ve been saving? What, since they were kids?” Whitney breathed, running her fingers over the soft black suede of Harmony’s couch. “God, Harmony, this is suede!”

  “I know, I know,” Harmony laughed. “They said it would last for a while though, and it’s got some kind of stuff on it that makes it stain-proof or something. And the cost wasn’t too bad … in relation to the rest of this stuff.”

  “Oh, it’s so soft! I could never afford to do my house like this,” Whitney said, lowering herself onto the couch and stroking the blanket Harmony had gotten as a gift from Mac and Cameron.

  “Actually, I didn’t have to buy the blanket; it was a gift from my sister and Mac. He said she saw it when they were on their honeymoon, so they brought it back for me.” Reaching out, she took Whitney’s hands and tugged her up from the couch. “Wait till you see the pretty stuff I got for my bed!”

  Whitney followed Harmony down into the bedroom, stopping next to the door. “Wow, you redecorated, huh? This looks like the same furniture though. This is from your room in your parents’ house?”

  “Yeah, it’s the same furniture, but I wanted something a little different. This stuff is more … grown up, I guess.” Walking over to the wide dresser along one wall, Harmony lifted a candle, bringing it to her face and breathing it in. “It’s kind of romantic, too, don’t you think?”

  Looking around, Whitney smiled. Turning back to look at Harmony, she kicked the edge of the bed softly. “All this big white furniture. But it sure doesn’t look like a princess room anymore, does it?”

  Harmony laughed, looking around and taking in the changes. The apartment was a more literal manifestation of what had been happening in her life; setting up her own place to live was her way of accepting the loss of her Olympic dream and embracing the chance to find a new future. Leaving all of the old pink and purple princess décor behind had been much the same – it was about letting go of her childhood and adjusting to life on her own, as an adult. “No, it’s definitely not a princess room,” she said quietly, returning the candle to its place.

  “I just can’t get over this,” Whitney said. “It’s so different!”

  “Well I couldn’t do much about the white furniture,” Harmony answered. “But I think all the black makes it really stark and sophisticated. The blankets and sheets, everything, all black. But then it was kind of –“

  “Goth?” Whitney broke in, making a face and shaking her head. “So you added the color.”

  “Yeah, that was a suggestion from Cass, actually. She said pillows and rugs in different colors would help, soften the black-and-white contrast, and she actually brought me all these candles. I bet they cost her a fortune; there’s like forty purple candles in here.”

  “Uugh, please tell me they aren’t lavender scented.” Whitney wrinkled her face again, grabbing a grey pillow from the bed and pressing it to her nose. Several other pillows in various shades of purple fell over too, displaced by the movement.

  “Nope, they’re all black raspberry and cream. Some are plain vanilla, and I think there’s a few that are sugared vanilla or sugar cookie or something like that.”

  “Yeah, but I bet when they’re all lit, it smells like dessert in here,” Whitney giggled.

  “It does for sure,” Harmony answered. “Cass made me try it. She says she can eat whatever she wants now that she’s been running so much, but she doesn’t indulge that often. But scents? She says it’s zero calories to sniff, sniff, sniff. That girl is hilarious.”

  “She’s the one Drew married, right?” Whitney asked, watching as Harmony nodded. “There’s so much love blooming in the Kingsley crowd lately, I can’t keep all the new additions straight.”

  “I know, it’s crazy, isn’t it? And I think Michael’s next, if you want to hear a secret.”

  “A secret?” Whitney giggled, turning to adjust the pillows on Harmony’s bed, adding the grey one back to the middle. “I’m always up for secrets. Spill.”

  “Well,” Harmony said, waving for Whitney to follow her out of the bedroom. “He’s just been a lot happier again lately. And the only thing I can think of that’s changed is that he met Renee. She’s one of Cass’s sisters; remember the twins?”

  “I remember not being able to tell them apart,” Whitney answered wryly.

  “Oh, well, it’s not so hard once you know them,” Harmony answered. “Chelsea is a lot more loud and playful and fun. Renee is a little more serious; anyway, she met Michael at Cass and Drew’s wedding, and they seemed to hit it off.”

  “Have you asked him about it?”

  “Only once. He’s a little touchy about it, but he says they’re just friends.” Leading her friend around the bar and into the kitchen, Harmony opened the refrigerator and pulled out two carbonated water bottles, turning to offer one to Whitney.

  “Hmm,” Whitney murmured, twisting open the top from her drink and settling onto a stool at the bar. “Do you think maybe he’s asked her out and she’s not into him?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t want to push too hard,” Harmony said.

  “Well, I don’t think he’s next.”

  “Well, Drew’s married; Cameron’s married, and Evan’s a little young to be married,” Harmony retorted with a smirk. “And he’s a little too cocky to be able to get any girl with brains to marry him.”

  “Evan’s not that bad; I think he’s hiding confidence issues. And besides, I’m pretty sure it’s you – you’re next,” Whitney answered, holding her drink aloft in a mock toast.

  “Uh, no. No prospects, remember? You have to be seeing someone in order to get married. And besides,” Harmony mocked, holding her hands in the air to make finger quotations. She laughed as Whitney rolled her eyes, but then said, “For real though, I’m not ready for that. Marriage is serious!”

  Whitney laughed, her green eyes shimmering. “I’m telling you, you’re next.”

  “And who exactly do you think is going to take a knee and propose? My doorman? Oh wait, I don’t have one,” Harmony retorted, her hands on her hips. She turned to the door then, a knock drawing her attention.

  “Maybe there’s your groom right now,” Whitn
ey giggled, winking as she jerked her chin toward the door.

  “Um, no. That would be the pizza man. And this isn’t a porn movie, and he’s not getting anything more than a two dollar tip,” Harmony laughed, pulling some money from the pocket of her jeans as she moved toward the door. “So again, just to be sure you heard … Um, no. I am not next.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Hey, Harmony! Nice to see you back again!”

  “Thanks, Rick!” Harmony called, turning to wave at him. Cass’s brother had been working the front desk at the gym for several years, but had recently begun taking clients as a personal trainer. Generally an unbelievably arrogant man, he had been making a noticeable effort in recent months to appear more friendly and open. He was still not someone Harmony trusted – knowing how he had treated Cass over the years – but he was definitely making strides, and Harmony couldn’t deny that she was impressed.

  “See you later,” he said, returning her wave before turning back to his work. Grinning, Harmony moved further into the gym, waving as she passed the studio where Whitney was holding her step class.

  “Good to have time off,” Harmony whispered smiling contentedly to herself as she moved down the hall. “But it sure is good to be back to my classes and my routine.” Opening the door to the mirrored studio room that was her haven, she breathed in the air, scented with the spiced orange air freshener that she loved. She’d spent hours in this room, not only during her works hours, but after hours too, keeping her body limber and her muscles flexible. Two walls were completely covered in mirrors, while another had been equipped with a ballet barre for stretching. To one side of the room, a series of balance beams stood rigid, each one slightly higher than the one before.

  Moving through the room, Harmony checked the equipment, made sure that her first aid supplies were in place, and then moved to the lowest balance beam. Climbing up, she walked slowly across the narrow beam, stretching her toes, keeping her head high as she’d been taught, watching her balance and paying attention to her body. She’d moved to the highest beam, bending down to grasp the beam with her hands and slowly extending her toes toward the ceiling by the time she realized that she wasn’t alone.

  Turning slightly to glance over toward the door, she found Xander smiling in the doorway, one fingertip pressed to Laney’s lips. Laney sat silently in his arms, her dark eyes wide and sparkling. “I can’t even do any of that. I always fall off on the floor,” she said, the words muffled around Xander’s finger.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you guys had come in,” Harmony said quickly, lowering herself to the beam and sliding her feet to the floor. When she was standing upright again, she went on. “I guess I was more focused than I thought.”

  “We didn’t mind,” Xander said quietly, stepping into the room and allowing the door to close behind him. Squatting down, he settled Laney on her feet and sent her to go take off her shoes, and then stood again to walk closer to Harmony. “You know, Harmony, when we ran into you the other day, I –“

  “Save it,” Harmony interrupted, waving a hand dismissively at him. He arched an eyebrow, and electricity built between them, making Harmony’s body hum even as his presence raised her temper. “I wasn’t at my best, either. But in the future, I recommend you be more careful drawing conclusions about people. You know what they say about people who make assumptions.”

  “Back at you,” Xander answered softly, his blue eyes hardening. He crossed muscular arms over a broad, strong chest, the smoothness of his tanned skin rippling with tattooed flames. “Laney asked me to stay and watch her practice her moves in class today.”

  “And?” Harmony asked, embarrassed to be so rude, but unable to release the tension that was slowly filling her body, increasing with every minute that went by. He was close enough that she could feel the heated energy radiating from him, heat that she wanted to sink into. Energy that she wanted to explore …

  “And, I told her that I’d ask you if it would be okay,” he said, bending his knees slightly to bring his eyes level with hers. “Are you okay?”

  Ignoring the fullness of his lips and the clear heat in his pale blue eyes, Harmony cleared her throat and took a step back. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine. And, um, it’s fine, if you want to stay. The class is an hour, though … if you’d rather not wait that long, I can get you a pass to –“

  “I’ll wait,” he said. Meeting her eyes one last time, he turned and walked back to Laney, smiling down at her as several other students filtered through the door.

  “My mom said she was going to the locker room so she can fit her workout in, but she told me to tell you that she’ll be in to pick us up in a little while,” Kylie said, her dark brown hair swinging slightly beyond her shoulders as she held tight to her younger sister’s hand. Harmony nodded, smiling as the girl turned away, leading her sister over to the wall. They settled quietly together, Kylie’s dark hair mingling with Maddison’s red as they talked to each other, taking their shoes off and tucking them into a shoe cubby along the wall.

  When all the children had arrived and prepared for class, Harmony led them into the center of the room, self-consciously guiding them through their warm-up routine, more aware of her body and her movements as she lead the girls through their exercises.

  Ignoring her reaction to Xander’s presence, she braced young backs as the girls learned to improve their backbends; she held little hands as her students learned to work their bodies on various levels of the balance beams. She bent to encourage the fallen, and she cheered for the successful, all while Xander Harrison’s heated gaze followed her motions.

  “Look at me, Uncle Xander,” Laney called excitedly, her fingers tucked into Harmony’s palm as she gingerly crossed the lowest of the balance beams. “Look, look!” Harmony turned toward Xander, following Laney’s gaze to the athletic man settled lazily on the bench top above the shoe cubbies.

  He met Laney’s gaze, and then Harmony’s, saying, “I’m looking, I promise.”

  Rolling her eyes, Harmony turned back to the child, guiding her to the end of the balance beam. “Okay, we’re going to try again, no hands, okay?” she asked.

  “But I always fall down,” Laney whispered, her dark eyes clouding, her lips pouting.

  “You won’t fall this time,” Harmony whispered back. “You’re going to be a star, remember? Show me, you can do it. Even little girls can be fearless, right? Just like we talked about before?” Placing the girl on the floor, she gave her a gentle push toward the other end of the beam. As she walked, Harmony scanned the class, calling instructions and reminders to the other children in the room, proud of the way the older children stepped in to help the younger ones.

  Meeting Laney back at the beginning of the beam, she watched the child flatten her stomach over the top of the beam, lifting one leg and pushing with her hands to climb onto the worn surface. Finally, she stood, looking uncertainly at Harmony before scooting one foot tentatively forward along the surface of the smooth, leather-covered beam. “I c-can’t,” Laney whispered, her eyes wide.

  “You can,” Harmony whispered back, stepping close and preparing to catch the girl if she fell. “Look, my arms are here. Don’t use me for help, but trust me. I won’t let you fall, Laney. Just try.”

  “Okay,” she answered, her lip trembling slightly. Laney closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out with a whoosh. Lifting one foot slightly above the balance beam, she moved slowly forward and settled her foot again on the beam. Her eyes popped open, an excited smile forming on her lips. “I’m doing it,” she whispered proudly. When she’d reached the end of the beam, she stood still, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I did it,” she said.

  Throwing her arms around Harmony’s neck, she leapt from the beam, forcing Harmony to catch her. “You sure did,” she whispered to the child, tightening the embrace before setting her back on her feet. “Go see if he saw,” Harmony said, nudging the girl toward her uncle and turning back to the rest of her class.


  By the end of the class, Harmony was already exhausted, but she was incredibly proud of her students. Two of the younger children had finally completed their first cartwheels, and one other child had completed her first back handspring. When the class had cleared from the room and the last of the moms had gone out the door, Harmony turned with a sigh, surprised to see Xander patiently coaching Laney across the mid-level balance beam, the muscles bulging in his arms as he caged his body around the girl to protect her from falling.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” he said, catching Harmony watching him. “She wanted to try it again.”

  “I don’t mind,” Harmony said, grinning. “At least you managed to stick around long enough to be noticed this time.”

  “I’m pretty sure you were getting noticed, too,” Xander answered.

  Chapter Eight

  Xander’s slightly flirtatious comments stayed with Harmony long after he and Laney had left the gym. As she stood in the locker room at the end of her day, she stripped her work clothes away and gathered the clothes she’d brought for her dinner date with Cameron. But as she moved toward the showers, she couldn’t help wondering – was she silly to have been so attached to her Olympic dreams?