She turned to find Joseph right behind her, jumped in surprise, and dropped the flashlight. It rolled across the floor, creating strange, moving shadows as it went.
“Just a minute.” Frustration made her voice rough. “I’ll light a candle.”
“No.” Joseph grabbed her hands. “I mean, you seem jumpy. Are you afraid of storms?”
She wasn’t, but she thought about saying yes to explain her behavior. Then she decided that this might make things worse. He might insist on staying with her until the storm was over.
“It’s all right,” he said. “A lot of people are afraid of storms.”
She didn’t anticipate Joseph pulling her into his arms as another flash of lightning lit up the room. She wasn’t ready for the warm solid feel of his body, or her own reaction to it. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hold him tight, breathe in the smell of wood shavings and soap that clung to him. She wanted to push him away and run for the hills. So strong were these conflicting desires, she began to shake.
In response, Joseph pulled her closer, stroked her hair and whispered soothing assurances to her that the storm would soon be over. Harmony felt a sob welling in her throat and, with difficulty, choked it down. How she’d wished to have someone to hold her like this after Blake had broken her heart. But she hadn’t told anyone about what happened between them. Not that there was anyone who’d have offered such comfort if she had.
She should stop this. All she had to do was step away. Step away, she told herself in vain. Her body was not taking direction from her brain tonight, that much was clear.
The storm was already lessening. The thunder was more distant, and the rain had almost stopped. It shouldn’t have been a surprise when the lights came back on.
The blue chambray of Joseph’s work shirt filled her vision. She stepped out of his arms. There was no point in trying to explain that she wasn’t really afraid of storms now. He’d think she was some desperately lonely spinster. From her reaction to him, she’d have to guess that this description might not be too far off the mark.
Joseph retrieved the flashlight while she was pulling herself together. He turned it off and set it on the table. On the table by her computer.
She saw the exact moment when his eyes flickered to the screen and then stopped.
He wasn’t intentionally reading her email she thought, but something in Blake’s message had caught his eye. What had he written?
“I-I’m all right now,” she stammered. “You sh-should go check on your own family.”
Joseph cleared his throat and looked away. “Yes, I should go. You’re sure you’ll be all right.”
If she said no, would he take her in his arms again?
Now where did that thought come from? What was wrong with her tonight?
“I’m perfectly fine. Thank you for bringing my dishes back.”
“You’re welcome,” Joseph replied. “Thank you for making supper for us. We really appreciated it.”
His good-byes seemed so formal, so stiff compared to the reassurances he’d murmured in her ear just two minutes ago. Should she laugh or cry, Harmony wondered as she closed the door behind him.
Now, for Blake’s message. She hadn’t had any intention of reading it before, but after Joseph had seen it, she needed to know what it said.
“Sweet Harmony,” it began. Gag. How corny could you get? And she used to think his flowery little compliments were cute. Where had her brain gone for that period of time when they’d dated?
She read on. “It was cruel of you to leave me like this. I need you. Please come back.”
That was as far as she got. The computer, which had stayed stubbornly on during the whole storm incident, had used up its battery and suddenly went black. Harmony slammed down the screen and left the room. She’d had it for tonight. She was going to take a hot bath and go to bed. Some things—like men—were beyond one’s control, and there was no sense worrying about them.
****
The kitchen was deserted when Joseph slipped back inside. Instead of turning on the light, he leaned against the counter and tried to make sense of what had happened at Harmony’s.
He’d been angry when he went over, and she hadn’t been too pleased with his criticism. Then the lights had gone out, and everything seemed to change. Why had he been so anxious to touch her, to take her into his arms? Maybe storms did bother her, but she’d hardly been so upset that it warranted a relative stranger offering her comfort like that.
And he hoped she’d felt comforted, because their embrace had raised some decidedly uncomfortable feelings for him. Feelings he hadn’t experienced since before Cheryl’s death. That was confusing enough, but he wholeheartedly wished he hadn’t happened to glance at her computer screen when he set down the flashlight.
“It was cruel of you to leave me like this.” What had that meant? Who was it from?
Joseph drew in a deep breath and pushed himself away from the counter. It was none of his business. Harmony was just a neighbor, nothing more. Not even a friend, really. It would be best if he just forgot about everything that had happened between them tonight.
Yes, that was it. He should just forget about how she’d fit so perfectly in his arms and the silky feel of her hair sliding through his fingers and the light, fruity smell of her shampoo….
Joseph shook his head, hoping to push those thoughts away. It seemed he had an awful lot to forget about.
TITLE
Orchard Hill: volume three
Chapter 3
A few days later, Harmony sat in her kitchen, sorting through cookbooks, hoping to find some ideas. Once again, she was stuck. As soon as she’d finalized the recipes she’d used for the Velasquez family, her inspiration dried up.
She made a trip to the grocery store, hoping that inspiration might strike her there, but it didn’t. While she was mulling over some cuts of meat, another cart pulled up next to hers.
“Hello Harmony. How are you today?”
It was Pansy Parker, the secretary from the church she’d joined in Orchard Hill. Harmony mechanically arranged her face to show a smile she didn’t feel. “Just fine, Pansy. How about you?”
“Oh, I can’t complain,” she replied. “Are you keeping busy?”
“Oh, sure.”
“Because if you were looking for something to do, there’s a great opportunity at the church.”
“Really?”
“Yes, the youth group is throwing a harvest celebration party for the children. They need someone to help with refreshments.”
Harmony considered. This might actually be fun. It might be what she needed to inspire her to finish her cookbook. “I think I’d like that,” she said. “How do I get involved?”
“All you have to do is contact the head of the planning committee. That should be no problem.” Pansy gave her a strange little smile. “You live next door to him.”
****
Harmony considered the idea of helping with the party while she put her groceries away. She wanted to help with the harvest celebration party, but she didn’t want to risk getting close to Joseph. The man was too unsettling. She wasn’t ready to give away her heart again, even if he was willing to take it, which she doubted.
No, she’d have to find another opportunity. Maybe she could cater a ladies aide luncheon or something. There was no way she was going to volunteer to work with Joseph. That was like the mouse volunteering to help the cat. Simply not a good idea.
She noticed the light was blinking on her answering machine and hit the play button, then went back to unpacking groceries.
“Harmony, it’s me, Blake. Why won’t you answer my emails?”
She gasped as the sound of his voice reached her. What did she have to do to get this man to leave her alone? She gripped the counter as a wave of anger swept through her, so strong it made her dizzy. Wasn’t it enough that he had lied to her, hurt her, humiliated her? Couldn’t he just leave her alone now? Blake’s voice droned on, but
she didn’t hear it.
Harmony hit the delete button, with enough force to flip the machine over. She drew in a deep breath, counted to ten and straightened out the machine. How had he gotten her number anyway?
No, Harmony told herself, she was not going to waste her time thinking about Blake. He was the past. Instead, she’d finish putting away her groceries. She would be calm. She’d turn her mind to other matters, such as her cookbook. She’d work on recipes for…for…
Two hours later her kitchen was scrubbed so clean you could eat off any of its surfaces, including the floor. She hadn’t done anything on her cookbook, but her anger had burned itself out. Feeling calmer and more reasonable, Harmony made herself a cup of tea and carried it out onto her porch, where she could relax for a bit.
The wraparound porch was one of the features of the house she really loved. She’d added wicker furniture and lots of hanging plants to create a retreat where she could look out and enjoy her garden in any kind of weather. Today she sank into her rocker, closed her eyes and inhaled the aroma from her herbal tea.
She listened for the trill of birdsong, but instead she heard…giggles? Harmony opened her eyes and saw three little girls sneaking into her yard from their own. Obviously they hadn’t noticed her sitting in the shadows of the porch. What were the triplets up to now?
One of them was carrying a small spade and set to work at the foot of the lilac bush. Harmony set her tea down and stood. Before she could reach the girls, a door slammed and a boy’s voice called, “Dori! Lucy! Belle! Where are you? I know you have it!”
The digging suddenly sped up and Harmony saw on of the girls place a small, flat object into the hole. Time to step in. “They’re over here,” she called to the boy.
The youngest Velasquez son came to the border of their yards.
“Where are they?” he asked.
She pointed and the girls scattered in a chorus of giggles. The boy looked like he was about to give chase but Harmony stopped him. “They buried something under the bush. Let’s go see.”
In their haste, they’d left the dirt loose and the object was easily retrieved. It was a CD case. The cover showed a picture of a popular rock group. The boy immediately opened it and checked the CD itself for damage.
“Is it all right?” asked Harmony.
The boy nodded. “Did they hurt your garden again?”
“No. A little loose dirt can easily be put to rights. Why did they bury your CD?”
“Because Peter’s mean,” screamed a shrill voice.
Harmony and the boy looked up. The girls were peering at them from around the corner of Harmony’s house.
“He won’t play with us,” added another of the triplets. “All he wants to do is listen to his stupid CD.”
Peter scowled and clutched the CD to his chest, as if frightened it would be snatched away from him. “I’m too old to play with you. Why don’t you go bug Abby?”
The triplets left the safety of the house and moved closer. “She’s on the phone, blabbing with her friends. That’s all she ever wants to do.”
“Can’t you find anything to do on your own?” asked Peter. Then looking at the hole they’d dug, he added, “Something that won’t get you into trouble.” Harmony watched this exchange with interest. She didn’t have any siblings or even cousins close to her age. An idea popped into her head. Something that would keep the triplets busy and help her at the same time.
“Why don’t you come and bake cookies with me?” she suggested.
Her four neighbors looked at her with surprise. “Do you mean it?” asked one of the girls.
“Of course. But first we need to take care of this hole you dug.”
Peter looked at her with wide eyes. “You sure you want to let them into your kitchen? You don’t know what they’re like.”
A wave of uncertainty rippled through her. What did she know about children? And Dori, Lucy and Belle did have a reputation for finding—no, creating—trouble.
But she was getting desperate. She looked down at the three little girls who were standing before her in a row. “Do you want to make cookies with me?”
“Yes, please,” they chorused, the picture of meek and proper little girls. But then Harmony noticed the dirt on their hands and the spade that one of them was still holding.
“Then you will have to be on your best behavior, or I’ll send you right home to your uncle, without one cookie.” She tried to look severe.
The girls exchanged glances and then nodded their heads. “We will. We promise.”
Peter eyed his cousins with suspicion. “I’d better come, too, to make sure.”
“Of course. The more the merrier.”
They fixed the damage to the garden and headed inside. They all washed their hands and prepared for baking.
“What kind of cookies do you want to make?” asked Harmony.
“Chocolate chip,” said one triplet.
“Peanut butter,” said another.
“Sugar cookies,” added the third.
Peter shook his head. “We can’t make all three!” he exclaimed.
“No,” agreed Harmony. “But we could make a chocolate dough, roll it out and use cookie cutters on it like sugar cookies, and then spread the cookies with a peanut butter frosting.”
Four pairs of eyes lit up. “Can we?”
“Yes,” Harmony answered. “Let’s see. How can we do that?” She began to consider the possibilities.
“You mean you don’t have a recipe?” asked Peter.
Harmony shook her head. “It shouldn’t be that hard to come up with something.”
Harmony checked her cupboard for ingredients, made a few notes to herself, and they got started. The girls behaved, but they were young and their efforts produced a certain amount of mess. Harmony tried not to be upset. She’d just cleaned her kitchen. But they were children, she reminded herself.
Peter was a better assistant. He took orders well and paid attention. Harmony thought he could be a good baker, with a little practice.
Once the dough was mixed and set in the refrigerator to chill, she pulled out a huge tin of cookie cutters. They had to take a few minutes to sort through all the marvelous figures.
“I don’t think we’ll want the Christmas trees and Santas,” Harmony said. “Or the bunnies and eggs. How about some leaf shaped cookie cutters.”
“No, the cookies will be brown,” protested one of the girls. She wasn’t sure which was which yet. “Brown leaves are icky.”
Harmony thought. “How about some brown squirrels? And acorns?” She pulled out the cutters to show them.
“Hey, yeah,” said a triplet. “What else do you have?”
What else indeed. “A cat and a bird?”
This seemed to please them, and Harmony began rolling out dough. While the girls were cutting out the cookies, she and Peter mixed the peanut butter frosting. The baking cookies created a wonderful aroma, and Harmony realized she was truly enjoying this.
There was a knock on the door, and Abby stood there. Harmony gave her a smile and motioned for her to come in.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “Where did everyone go?”
“Sorry,” Peter replied. “I should have gone back to tell you where we were.”
“Abby, we’re baking cookies,” exclaimed a triplet. “Come and see.”
The teen examined the girls’ work. “These are great,” she said. “Peter, I can’t believe you’re helping. I thought you didn’t like cooking.”
“This isn’t cooking,” he insisted. “It’s baking.”
Harmony stifled a chuckle. “He’s been a big help,” she told Abby. “We were just about to start frosting cookies. Do you want to help?”
Abby’s eyes lit up. “Can I?”
Soon all the kids were busy frosting cookies and decorating them with chocolate chips. Harmony filled cookie sheets and slid them into the oven, put the baked cookies on a rack to cool and transferred cookies to a plate when the
y were ready to be frosted.
Soon there was another knock at the door. The oldest Velasquez, Noah, stood at the door. “Is there a party going on that I don’t know about?” he asked. It didn’t take much convincing for him to join their little group.
The afternoon sped by, and Harmony didn’t realize how late it had gotten when there was yet another knock at her kitchen door.
“It’s Dad,” announced Abby.
Orchard Hill Volume Three Page 3
