by Judi Lynn
“Wonderful, but if you don’t stop talking, we’re never going to finish the movie, not even the first half of it.”
“Okay, I’ll shut up. I want you to get to the part with Harry’s familiar.”
Harmony pushed the play button and Hagrid gave Harry the beautiful, white owl. “Wouldn’t it be neat to have a familiar?” Aiden interrupted again. “If you could have anything, anything at all, for a familiar, what would it be?”
She paused the movie again. “A werewolf.”
“You can’t have a werewolf!” Aiden told her. “Werewolves are too big.”
“You said I could have anything.”
“Anything that’s smaller,” he amended.
Bailey bounced on Harmony’s knee. “I want a canary!”
Aiden let out a loud sigh. “How could a canary help you if you’re in trouble?”
“It can sing me to sleep at naptime.”
“Not that kind of trouble! If something attacks you.”
Harmony shook her head. “I’m keeping my werewolf.”
“You can’t keep a werewolf.” Aiden sat up on the bed, prepared to argue, when he looked up and saw Brody. Brody was standing in the doorway, watching them, with an odd expression on his face.
Oh, lord, what did she miss this time? Harmony glanced at her watch. “Oops, It’s five forty. I have to be at Tessa’s soon. You two need to scoot.”
“But we didn’t make it halfway through the movie!” Aiden complained.
“And whose fault is that?” Harmony asked. “Someone won’t stop talking.”
“But we can’t start reading the book until we finish the movie,” he explained.
Harmony sighed. “Okay, just this once, get your asses to my room at four, but you have to zip it, or we still won’t get done.” She’d be shaving off an hour of afternoon writing time, but she’d make it up at night.
Aiden solemnly zipped his lips, then grinned. He turned to Brody. “Do you want to watch it with us? It’s a good movie.”
“I’m helping Ian . . .” That’s as far as he got. Bailey ran to throw her arms around his leg.
“Please. Daddy used to watch movies with us.”
Brody’s expression crumpled. “I guess I could take one afternoon off.”
Bailey squealed her delight.
Aiden grabbed her hand and tugged. “I just remembered. Mom told us to be back at five thirty. We’re going to get a lecture.”
They took off and Brody shook his head. “We just got steamrolled by two little kids.”
Harmony laughed at him. “They’re experts. They stay awake nights plotting on ways to train adults.”
It was his turn to look at the clock. “We’d better get moving. We’re supposed to be there at six.”
Harmony glanced down at her jeans and sweater. She touched a hand to her hair, pulled back in the rubber band.
“You have no idea how cute you look,” Brody said.
Harmony stared.
“You’re one of those women, like Tessa, who doesn’t need makeup. Cecily always looked too perfect. Always. Now, come on. We’re going to be late.”
His compliment settled somewhere in her chest and spread warmth through her entire body. She meant to thank him, but he’d already turned and started down the hallway. It was a throwaway. Just a comment. She ran to catch up with him. They both bundled into heavy coats, scarves, and gloves at the front door before they stepped outside. The cold was so crisp, it hurt to breathe. He’d already driven his SUV close to the front door and had it running to warm it up.
She did her usual dash to the passenger door and slammed it shut, so that he could hurry to slide behind the steering wheel.
He glowered at her. “Usually, I’d insist on holding your door, but for right now, thank you. It’s freezing out there.”
“No biggie.”
“Cecily would have taken her time getting in and out of the car until my teeth would chatter. It was a matter of privilege.”
She wrinkled her nose. “It’s none of my business, but your Cecily sounds like a real pain in the ass.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “As a matter of fact, she was.”
When they got to Ian and Tessa’s, Ian greeted them at the door. He hurried them inside. “Tessa’s dragging a little today. She’s in the kitchen.”
Harmony went to check on her. “You all right?”
Tessa shrugged. “I’ve been pushing the writing pretty hard. I might have to slow down a little.”
“How far are you?” Harmony braced herself. She knew she’d be jealous.
“Over half way. You?”
“Don’t ask.”
Tessa pressed a hand to her stomach. “I forgot to eat lunch.”
Harmony nodded understanding. A common occurrence for her. “Need any help with anything?”
“No, Ian helped me set the table. Everything’s ready to go.”
The meal—meatloaf and mashed potatoes—was delicious, as usual.
“It’s one of my favorites,” Brody said. “Thanks, Tessa.”
“You’re one of my favorites,” she told him. “Thanks for coming to help with the remodeling.”
The men shooed them out of the kitchen after they ate. “Brody and I always did clean up at home,” Ian said. “Go somewhere and talk writing.”
Tessa stopped to give him a quick peck on the cheek, and then she and Harmony settled in the sunroom at the back of the house. Ian had installed a heater to take off the chill. Tessa’s flowerbeds and herb gardens were buried now, but the yard was still pretty with its white picket fence and bird feeders. The fence poked above half a foot of snow.
Harmony did her best to perk up her friend, but Tessa looked done-in. Neither of them would win any beauty pageants tonight. Tessa’s copper hair was scraped back from her face with a hair band. She hadn’t bothered with makeup either. Harmony asked, “How’s the book coming? Are you unstuck? Middles are my nemesis.”
Tessa wrinkled her nose. “My hero’s being a real jerk right now. He’s supposed to be. He’s stupid-jealous, and I’m ready to smack him.”
Harmony laughed. “How soon before you like him again?”
“Two more chapters, if he lives that long.”
“It’s never a good idea to kill off the love interest halfway through a book.” Harmony tilted her head, studying her friend. “Maybe you’re trying to do too much. You’re baking on weekends for your bakery, but you make desserts for Ian’s lodge, too. There’s only so much time and energy to go around.”
Tessa blew out a frustrated breath. “That’s the thing. The resort’s closed right now. I don’t have to worry about afternoon teas. I should have more energy, not less.”
Harmony didn’t have any answers. Finally, she said, “Let’s call it quits early tonight. You cooked for me. You don’t have to entertain me. Get some rest.”
Tessa fidgeted, unhappy. “You came all this way to see me, and I’m fizzling on you.”
“We’re friends. Through thick and thin, good and bad . . .”
Tessa laughed. “Thanks, but I’ve looked so forward to seeing you. I’m bummed.”
“You’ll see me tomorrow, and every night for a month. We can manage.” She went in search of Brody, and they drove home early.
He parked the car, and she waited for him in the lobby, like she always did. When he clomped into the foyer and left his boots on a floor mat under the coat hooks, he seemed restless, at loose ends. Finally, he asked, “This is going to sound a little strange, but there’s a large screen TV in the library. I don’t suppose you’d let me watch the beginning of your Harry Potter movie, would you? Then I’ll know what’s happening when we watch it with the kids tomorrow.”
“Only if you let me watch it with you.” She shouldn’t. She should go to her room and pound out three pages. But it was only three pages. She’d get them done. She’d never missed a deadline, and she wasn’t going to start now. “Aiden talked so much, I couldn’t keep track of things.
”
His eyes lit up. “I’ll make popcorn while you get the movie.”
She headed up the stairs, and he headed to the kitchen. They settled on the sofa in the study and watched up to where Hagrid gave Harry the snowy owl as a familiar.
Brody shook his head. “Kids’ movies aren’t like I remember them.”
“What do you mean?”
“That poor kid gets treated like crap, and his enemy wants to kill him.”
Harmony took the last bit of popcorn and emptied her wine glass. “Every Disney movie kills off the mom or parents in the first five minutes. Sometimes sooner. How else can the kid be the hero? And a stepmother’s never nice to them. Kids like to think they can overcome anything.”
He stretched his legs and leaned back to get more comfortable. His thigh muscles bulged beneath his worn jeans, and his long-sleeved tee clung to his torso. A very nice torso, Harmony decided. She should have put ice in her wine to cool herself down. He tilted his head, considering. “I guess I never thought about parents getting in the way.”
She was about to answer when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller I.D. and grimaced. “I have to take this. My sister Bridget.”
Harmony nodded and stood. She stacked their popcorn bowls and glasses and headed to the kitchen. When she returned, he was still on the phone, his expression serious. She gave him a quick wave, grabbed the movie, and went upstairs. Time to pay the Piper. She opened her laptop and got busy.
Chapter 6
Harmony stretched to wake up. She opened her eyes to soft apricot walls and white, country curtains. How spoiled could a girl get? She lay there a few minutes longer as thoughts swirled in her head. A whole scene sprang to life, and she tossed off the blankets to get to her keyboard. While the laptop loaded, she yanked on her old robe and slid her feet into her slippers. Time to crank the heat a little higher. She turned it down at night, preferring to sleep in a cool room.
She opened the blinds on the window to find a swirl of patterned ice painted on the glass. Jack Frost must have been busy last night. The weatherman had predicted below zero temperatures. She hoped Ian’s duck was huddled someplace safe.
The coffee pot spit a final shot of steam to let her know it was finished, and she went to pour herself a cup and slice another piece of Tessa’s cake before hitting the keys. Luxar and Serifina were clamoring for attention.
Serifina waited for nightfall, then snuck from her bed. She cracked the door to her room, determined to escape. Luxar was leaning against the wall, waiting for her. They bantered. Sexual tension crackled. It was a paranormal romance, after all. Luxar slammed her against the wall, and she let him. Their kiss was passionate. They decided to work together to defeat Torrid and his friends.
Harmony glanced at the clock. She’d been writing for almost two hours. First rewrites, then fresh pages. Her muscles felt cramped. She slipped into the hallway, pacing up and down it to get rid of some of her nervous energy. Rip saws buzzed through wood in the west wing. She could picture Brody cutting and handing off boards to Ian. Hammers pounded. A nail gun made quick work of something. She wondered how much progress they’d made.
Progress. Something that wasn’t happening in the hallway. She sighed and returned to her laptop. Serifina and Luxar were feeling a little frisky.
The bed was only a few steps away from the door. After all, they were a team now. Harmony could smell sexual tension. Luxar lifted Serifina up and carried her into her room, but stopped suddenly. Stared at her. “Torrid’s on the move. He’s stalking someone.” Serifina didn’t have to ask him how he knew. Vampires had telepathy, could scan mortal minds. And he’d focused on Torrid enough to know when his emotions ran high. They left the mansion together to find him.
Harmony’s stomach growled. Her last scene was a tease. It stretched Serifina and Luxar’s lust to new levels. Her stomach grumbled again. She went for another slice of coffee cake. An hour later, she drained the coffee pot. Her fingers couldn’t keep up with her ideas. Then “Oh, baby, baby . . .” startled her out of her fantasy world. Her cell phone!
“Yes?”
Brody’s deep voice announced, “It’s eleven thirty. If you want a shower today, this might be the time.”
“Eleven thirty? Really?” How did that happen? But when she looked at her page numbers, she’d finished five more pages. That took a while.
“See you at lunch.”
Before he could hang up, she said, “Thank you. I mean it, but I hope Ian’s paying you extra to keep tabs on me.” She genuinely appreciated his call. Without a reminder, she’d be in the same grubby jeans and baggy sweater she’d worn since she got here.
His voice dry, Brody said, “Ian pays me in brotherly love.”
She had to laugh. “Does that go for your carpentry work, too?”
“It covers everything. See you soon.” And he disconnected.
When she walked into the dining room at twelve thirty, Brody looked at her, surprised. She smirked. Her hair waved past her shoulders, shiny and clean. She wore black jeans and a black, fitted, long-sleeved tee with the words I put a spell on you across her breasts. She’d put on mascara, blush, lipstick—the works.
“Well, who knew?” Brody smiled up at her.
She grinned. “You didn’t think I’d get my shit together, did you?”
Paula had made chicken salad sandwiches for lunch today, and Brody dug into them.
Ian shook his head. “Those are one of his favorites.”
The man had good taste. She followed suit. Half a sandwich down, she wiped sauce off her mouth. “They’re really good.” She turned to Ian. “How’s Tessa? Better today?”
“Still moving slow. We made a simple meal for tonight. I helped her slap rub on baby back ribs and put them in the oven on low. I’ll add sauce when I get home and throw in some potatoes, then crank up the heat.”
Brody looked concerned. “She doesn’t have to cook for us every night. We can manage on our own.”
“No, she wants to,” Ian said. “She’s looked forward to seeing you guys since you agreed to come. She’s going to cut back a little on her writing so she can enjoy you.”
“But she only writes in the winter. She runs the farm stand in the summer.” Harmony nodded to Brody for support. “If you don’t mind eating a little later, Brody and I could drive over at six and help with the cooking.”
Brody stared at her, surprised. “Do you cook? I mean, something people can eat?”
Offended, Harmony raised her chin. “I’m not an expert like Tessa, but when I have friends over, I have a dozen tested recipes I can count on. They’ve never complained. No one’s gone to the hospital.”
Brody winced, and she studied him. Had she hit a nerve? Good, he deserved it. “I can’t cook,” he said, “but I’d be happy to help out.”
Ian waved away their offers. “I can help Tessa, too, but she’ll fuss about it. For right now, she’s just tired, so I can fill in.”
Paula chimed in. “I could make dinners for Brody to take over.”
Ian sighed. “Thanks, guys. Really. But it’s your two-week vacation, Paula. You’re not cooking. If worse comes to worst, we’ll drive into town and eat at the diner.”
“That works for me.” Harmony finished her sandwich. “I came here to visit with Tessa, not to make her entertain me.”
Brody nodded, but Ian shook his head. “Tessa’s not ready for any of that yet. You’ll lose this battle.”
“She is a redhead,” Brody said. “We’ll try again later.”
On the way back to her room, Harmony fretted. She didn’t want to wear Tessa out. She knew her friend. She’d try to be the perfect hostess, and she didn’t have to. But try telling her that.
Chapter 7
Brody, Aiden, and Bailey knocked on her door at four o’clock. Brody tried to corral the kids so that they didn’t rush her, but with no luck. After hugs and rushed greetings, they settled in for the movie—Aiden on his stomach on her bed—she’d made it since Brod
y was coming—and Bailey on Brody’s lap.
Harmony glanced at gauze wrapped and taped around Brody’s thumb. “Cut yourself?”
Brody scowled. “Ian hired Luther for afternoon help. The kid’s a fast learner, but his first swing with a hammer didn’t hit its mark.”
Ouch! That had to hurt.
Bailey touched her finger to her lips and then touched Brody’s wound. Harmony went gooey inside. What a sweet kid! Brody’s expression melted. The man was Bailey’s to do with as she pleased.
Aiden was in a hurry to start. Actually, he was in a hurry to finish. They had to watch the movie before Harmony could start reading the book to them. “You have the movie ready to go where we left off, right?”
Harmony gave Aiden a stern look. “If you talk through every scene, we won’t get finished today.”
Eyes gleaming with mischief, he zipped his lips. Damn, he was a cool kid! Every once in a while, he’d get so excited about a scene, he’d turn to blurt something to her, but Harmony would pretend to zip her lips, and he’d grin and zip his, too. Near the end of the movie, when Harry and his friends made it past the three-headed dog, Brody’s eyebrows shot up when Professor Quirrell removed his turban, and Voldemort’s face was implanted on the back of his head. He turned to ask, “Snape’s working with Voldemort, too, right?” But Aiden raised his finger to his lips and hissed, “Shhh!”
Brody scowled, but obeyed.
When the movie ended, Aiden jumped to his feet on the bed, shot his arm into the sky, and yelled, “Yes! Tomorrow we can start the book.”
“You don’t stand on beds,” Brody growled.
Aiden immediately plopped onto his fanny.
“Tomorrow, yes.” Harmony pointed to the clock. “But for now, get moving. You’re late again.”
Aiden groaned. “Mom can’t get mad at us for ten minutes.”
“Don’t push it. Get out of here,” Harmony told him.
Bailey grabbed Brody’s hand and tugged on it. “Will you walk with us when we go downstairs?”
“Yeah, and tell Mom the movie just ended,” Aiden pleaded.
