by Judi Lynn
“And Brody said yes?”
“I think he was ready for some action, too. A woman called him while we were watching our movie last night.” A pang shot through her. Boy, she thought she was past that kind of nonsense. “He’s interested in someone, you know. He’s a little sexually frustrated, too.”
“He is?” Tessa bit her bottom lip. “How do you know?”
“He told me. The woman’s not interested in him, but he hasn’t given up hope.”
Tessa grimaced. “Ian didn’t say anything about that.”
“He might not know. Brody doesn’t exactly announce his feelings to the world.”
“Nuts.” Tessa leaned back in her chair, her joy deflated. “I was hoping . . .”
“It’s not like that,” Harmony said.
Tessa’s shoulders sagged. “Bummer.”
Harmony grinned. “Not for me. I don’t want till death do us part. Getting down and dirty with Brody is the best I’ve ever had. It’s a win/win.”
Tessa glared in frustration. “Damn it, Harmony, Brody’s a keeper. You should latch onto him and never let him go.”
“Like you did Ian when he was with Lily?”
“That’s different. They were engaged.”
“Don’t give me your get-a-man lecture. You sucked at it. You just got lucky.”
“Maybe you will, too.”
Harmony stood and smiled down at her friend. “Marriage scares the shit out of me. You know that. It’s not going to happen.”
With a sigh, Tessa rose to walk with her to the door. “Not all men are losers, Harmy. I know the saying that men marry their mothers, women marry their dads, but you’re smarter than that. You’re smarter than your mom was.”
“Quit worrying about me. I’m happy, and I’m happy for you. That’s enough.” Harmony wrapped her in a quick hug. “And as your friend, I’m telling you that you look like hell. Get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When they joined the men in the living room, Brody shook his head at Tessa. “You need sleep. Don’t overdo. Take it easy. Ian, put your wife to bed.”
Ian and Tessa waved their goodbyes as they left, then clicked off the porch light to head upstairs. On the drive back, Brody said, “Ready to finish Goblet of Fire? Sorry we had to stop it in the middle.”
“I want to see the end, but then I need a Harry Potter break. Can we do something different tomorrow?”
Brody looked smug. “I bought Meg Ryan’s movie French Kiss. I lost mine at home, and it’s one of my favorites.”
“I own that movie, too! I love it.” Harmony stared at him. “You’d watch a chick flick with me? Even my best guy pals won’t do that.”
“Really? What do you watch with them?”
“Action movies. Sci-fi. A lot of movies with fast cars and fast women.”
He chuckled. She loved that sound, deep and happy. “No History Channel? No war movies?”
“I have my boundaries.”
He pulled in front of the lodge and said, “Get comfortable. PJs again tonight?”
If she said no, he’d guess that sitting next to him in flannels had been a turn-on, so she said, “Sure, but if we make a habit of it, I’ll have to buy a second pair.”
“Not for me. You look cute in whatever you put on.”
She could feel heat creep up her neck and stain her cheeks. Damn, when was the last time a guy made her blush? Only Brody. She wagged a finger at him. “That’s easy to say before I spill too many things on them.”
He reached across her to open the car door. His bicep brushed her breast, and flames shot through her. Down, girl. She’d have to sit at the far end of the sofa tonight. No accidental bumping.
He grinned, as if he could read her thoughts. Oh, boy, that wouldn’t be good. She gave him her best smile and said, “I’ll see you in the kitchen. Popcorn and wine.”
His salute was all show. Then she hopped out of the SUV and ran for the door. She’d have to keep some distance between her and Mr. Hunk. He was dangerous for her libido.
Chapter 18
Wind woke her in the early hours of the morning. It screamed past the lodge like a banshee, making the tree branches toss in a mad frenzy. Hail followed, bouncing off the roof and pelting the windows. She got out of bed to stare over the lake. A cracking noise announced a big branch breaking. It fell across the roof of one of the cabins close to the shoreline.
Harmony sank onto the desk chair to watch the storm’s fury. When the hail stopped, the snow started. The wind died down, and giant, beautiful snowflakes drifted past the window. She watched until her eyelids grew heavy, and she returned to bed. When she woke at eight-thirty the next morning, the snow was still falling. Mounds of white covered every roof and surface. As she watched, she saw Ian, Luther, and Brody wade through the heavy, wet blanket to reach the cabin. Brody pulled himself onto the porch railing and used the height to hitch himself onto the roof.
Harmony wondered how many push-ups the man did each day. He made lifting himself onto the shingles look easy. Ian stretched to hand him a saw, then followed him up. Okay, Ian had serious muscles, too. Luther tossed a rope to Ian. Brody started sawing on the thick branch, and Ian tossed the rope around it. When the saw blades ripped through the wood, Luther and Ian pulled on the rope to lower the branch to the ground.
The men started on the rest of the tree limb, and Harmony went for another cup of coffee, turned on her laptop, and got to it. There’d be no breakfast delivery today.
By the time noon came, she’d finished a scene, and her stomach was rumbling. How could she possibly want to eat again after the heavy meal she’d had last night? But noodles and potatoes must not stay in your system forever, so she hustled down for lunch a little sooner than usual.
Brody and Ian were already sitting at the small table in the dining room, and Paula was carrying out the tray of sandwiches for them. Grinders. Harmony’s mouth watered. The heavens were smiling on her. Then she noticed Brody’s expression. Sour. Holy shit, she hadn’t seen him that moody since they first met. She turned to Ian.
“Our mom called. Cecily had a miscarriage.”
A flurry of questions flew through Harmony’s mind. Wasn’t the kid lucky he got to go back Home instead of spending years with Cecily and Mr. Money? But Brody was clearly upset. Was he worried about Cecily? Did he still have feelings for her? That thought bothered her. More than it should. More than she expected. Why wasn’t he gloating that the woman who wouldn’t have his baby lost the baby of a man she married for money? But then, Brody was a good, honorable person. He wouldn’t think like that. Did that make her a horrible person because she did? She wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but Cecily didn’t want this baby, not really.
She shook her head. Her time here was getting more and more complicated, making her think about things she usually didn’t even consider. She was reading to kids every afternoon, for heaven’s sake. But how could she say no to Aiden and Bailey? And she was cooking for her friend. But how could she not help Tessa?
Her heart hurt for Brody. She had no idea what demons he was wrestling, but he was struggling, she could tell. “You okay?”
He gave a curt nod. “Another reminder that life throws us curve balls. Just because you decide you want kids doesn’t mean it will happen.”
Harmony reached to put her hand on his. “It doesn’t mean it won’t, either.”
Ian fidgeted with his napkin. “You can’t worry about the negative and let it get to you. You have to hope for the best.”
Was he worried about Tessa’s morning sickness? About Tessa having a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby? How could a person not worry a little? Harmony patted his hand, too.
Even Paula caught the gloom bug. “There are no guarantees in life, are there? When I met Alex, I never thought I’d marry someone in the military, never thought I’d have his babies and then lose him. It’s been tough.”
Harmony patted her hand next.
Brody scowled at her. “What about you? Life’s
offered you your share of bumps. How do you deal with them?”
She swallowed. “Hate to say it, but once I got out of the house I grew up in, I’ve done everything I can to avoid them.”
“I get it now.” His gaze narrowed, assessing her. “That’s why you stay unattached. If you stay invisible, you’ll be safe.”
He made it sound like a bad thing. She shrugged. “It works for me.”
He ended the conversation by reaching for his sandwich. They ate in silence, and Harmony was relieved when the meal was over. She pushed away from the table and said, “I’m in the middle of writing a scene.” A lie, but her laptop was more appealing than their company. “Supper’s going to be an easy fix tonight. I thought we’d skip making the chowder and do the enchiladas instead. We need to use the rotisserie chickens. If I cut off reading a little early, they’ll be ready in time. Does that work for you?”
Brody and Ian gave distracted nods. She got the hell out of there. As she climbed the stairs to her room, though, she couldn’t stop thinking about Brody. He always tried so hard to do the right thing. She hoped life rewarded him for it.
She sat at the desk by the window and read her plot point for the next scene. She’d envisioned the entire thing in her mind. The battles had kept escalating, and Luxar and Serifina realized they needed more help. Serifina’s witches and Luxar’s allies had been enough so far, but Torrid kept gathering more followers. They needed bigger numbers to defeat him, so when a female vampire who commanded a large brood knocked on Luxar’s door and offered to join them, Serifina didn’t understand why he hesitated.
Wait. Harmony stared at the words she’d just typed. Luxar didn’t hesitate in her notes for the scene. She frowned. What was Luxar thinking? He needs help, and it just arrived. In her notes, he was happy about it. But in her notes, a male vampire headed the brood that offered to help them.
Ahh. The ideas clicked in place. Perfect to add more tension to the story. The beautiful vampire had once been Luxar’s lover. She left him to start her own brood, but she still had feelings for him. She’d be happy to still be “friends.” The chemistry crackled between them, and Serifina sensed it. For the first time, ever, Serifina was jealous, but they needed the help. They couldn’t afford to turn his ex-lover away, so they were forced to work together.
As Harmony wrote the scene, she pictured Luxar—with his dark, brooding looks—acting cool and aloof to the female vampire—who somehow looked like Harmony pictured Brody’s ex-wife. The scene came out moody and darker in tone. She loved it, but it left her feeling unsettled. When Brody and the kids knocked on her door and burst in, she sent him a sharp glance. Did he still have feelings for Cecily? If she begged him to take her back, promised to have his children, would he? Her glance turned to a glare. Brody blinked in surprise, but settled in his usual chair and lifted Bailey onto his lap.
Reading Harry Potter and interacting with the kids helped her release her pent-up emotions. Damn. How could one scene get to her so much? But then she shot Brody another look. It was his fault. He locked gazes with her, challenging her. Okay, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she was just being irrational. What did she care if he still had feelings for his ex? If he did have feelings for his ex, which she was beginning to doubt. Hell, she was beginning to care about him. She wanted him to have a happy-ever-after. That’s all. She shrugged her shoulders. Time to get over it and move on.
She finished the chapter and put the bookmark in its place. “I need to get to the kitchen, so we have to cut reading a little short today, okay?”
Aiden gave a happy smile and rolled off the bed. He’d interrupted less than usual today, so Harmony knew the story had grabbed him. “Mom’s making tacos tonight,” he told her. “My favorite!”
Harmony grinned. Who could compete with tacos? He grabbed Bailey’s hand and zipped away, Brody trailing behind them. At the door, Brody turned to give her a quizzical look. “You all right?”
“I’m fine.” Her silly jealousy had left her. What the hell was her problem anyway? “I’ll be down in a minute.”
When he shut the door behind him, she went to the bathroom and squinted at her image in the mirror. Both Serifina and the luscious, female vampire would leave her in their dust. She fussed with her hair and makeup a little more than usual, then sighed in disgust and headed to the kitchen.
Brody was leaning against the sink counter, waiting for her. “I didn’t know where to start. What do you want me to do?”
Take off all of your clothes and have sex with me on the worktable. No, no, no! She took a deep breath. “What if you shred the chickens and I’ll start on the lettuce and tomatoes for toppings?”
“Is that all you want?” His voice was husky.
Damn. Could the man read her mind? Her breath caught for a moment, then she forced a smile. “That’s a good place to start.”
She showed him how to skin a whole chicken to remove all of the meat. They stood, shoulder to shoulder, as she demonstrated and he worked. He turned to ask her a question just as she turned to watch him, and they stopped, nose to nose, their lips only inches apart. Kiss me! she silently screamed. Brody moved closer, but jerked apart when Bailey cried, “Ooh, are you two in love?”
Harmony’s cheeks flared bright red, she could tell. They felt like they were on fire. Brody glared at the little girl in the doorway.
“What do you want?”
“Mom forgot the salsa sauce. She sent me to get it.” Bailey skipped to the refrigerator and grabbed the jar. She gave them a sassy smile. “Were you going to kiss?”
“Not now. You ruined it.” Brody didn’t hide his aggravation.
With a giggle, Bailey skipped off.
Harmony started slicing and dicing the fixings to put in plastic containers. Damn, she might as well be under a microscope. There was no privacy here. Brody started shredding chicken with a fury.
In a few minutes, Harmony calmed down. What if Bailey saw them, almost locking lips? It was no biggie. Surely her mom and dad had gotten a little randy once in a while. Harmony added a can of sliced jalapenos to take with them, so others could add them to taste, and the meal wouldn’t be too spicy for Tessa. She dug for the sour cream she’d bought and the shredded cheese. After that, she sprayed a roasting pan. She seasoned Brody’s chicken and began filling tortillas to place in the pan.
Brody watched, fascinated. Then he joined in. When the bottom of the pan was covered, Harmony opened a large can of mild, green enchilada sauce and covered each rolled tortilla with it. Then she sprinkled them with cheese and turned to slide them in the oven. Brody bent to open its door for her.
She heard footsteps stop at the kitchen door, and Ian’s voice. “I’m heading home for the night. You left your watch in suite three, Brody. Here. Catch!”
She caught the movement of Ian’s arm as he tossed the watch, underhanded. She shut the oven door and straightened in time to see Brody raise his hand to catch it. His fist stopped inches from her face. He nodded to Ian as he left, then turned to her and stopped abruptly.
“Harmony?” His voice was gentle, tentative. “Are you all right?”
Fear clogged her throat. She couldn’t answer. Her heart pounded. Old instincts.
He reached for her, and she planted her feet in a fighter’s stance. She pulled her arms up, her hands balled into fists to protect her face. New instincts. No one would ever slap her again.
Brody pushed his arms out at his sides, palms forward, in a defenseless pose. “I won’t hurt you. I’d never hurt you.”
Harmony took quick breaths, fighting for calm. Brody wasn’t her brother. He’d never hit a woman. She buried her face in her hands, and her shoulders shook.
Strong arms wrapped around her. She leaned against Brody’s broad chest. He didn’t say a word, just hugged her to him. After a while, she moved away from him. She felt stupid. Ridiculous.
“Are you okay?”
Embarrassed, she said, “My brother had a quick backhand. He used it a lot. When he was mad,
he used his fists.”
Brody nodded. “I get it.” He glanced at the clock, purposely trying to break the tension. “Are enchiladas enough? Do we have more food to make?”
Bless him, he was helping her refocus, feel less the fool. She followed his lead. “I like refried beans and a Mexican salad on the side.”
“I’ll help.”
It took a while for her hands to stop shaking. Brody took the knife from her to dice avocados, and she tore the lettuce. With them both working together, they finished just as the buzzer rang for the oven.
Thank God, it was time to pack up and go. Harmony could sit back and listen to Tessa, Ian, and Brody. She needed a distraction, time to unwind.
On the ride over, Brody drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. A little nerve wracking since the roads were terrible. Snowplows had piled white mountains on each side, leaving a narrow corridor in between. They’d added salt and sand, but the winds blew drifts at each intersection.
“I’m sorry I was such an idiot earlier,” she said. “I thought the old memories were buried, behind me.”
“Life leaves scars.” Brody shook his head, back in brooding mode. “We can move past them, but they’re there.”
“So what’s bothering you?” she asked.
He answered without hesitation. “I’m forty. I want kids. I’m not interested in some twenty-something, but if I marry a woman my age, we’re taking a risk. If she has a miscarriage, we might have to rule out babies. I thought I had my life mapped out. I’d start a career and make it a success, get married, and have children after we were secure. I never penciled in a divorce. I’m starting to hear the clock ticking, telling me I screwed up.”
“So marry someone in their thirties and get frisky on your honeymoon. Make babies.”
“I’ve only met one person who interests me, but it hasn’t gone well.”
She wondered what type of woman he’d find attractive, but decided not to ask. Today had been shaky enough. She’d finally gotten over the female vampire, and there was no reason to get all steamed up again. Then she laughed at herself for mixing real life with fantasy. Maybe part of being a writer. She did feel for Brody, though. One of her close friends had suffered through the same pangs. Gretchen. Of course!
