by Judi Lynn
“Kids heal fast, but he hates his cast. Itches. It’s a good thing Maeve can work on her bookkeeping from home.”
“And Bridget?” Ian glanced at Tessa’s copper hair. “My sister’s the woman who gave redheads a bad name. What a temper!”
“She’s fine. Likes her students this year. No one’s blown up the Chemistry lab yet.” Brody paused for a second. Voice low, he said, “Cecily remarried on New Year’s Day.”
Ian fumbled his fork. “The bitch talked another man into marrying her?”
Harmony felt her eyes go wide. She wasn’t good at hiding her feelings. Tessa turned to her and whispered, “Brody’s ex. Ugly divorce.”
Harmony had wondered. He looked to be about forty and didn’t wear a ring. Either he’d always been a woman-hater or he’d recently become one.
Tessa reached over to touch Brody’s hand. “I’m sorry. That had to be hard for you.”
He grunted. “Not really. They’ll probably make it to happy-ever-after. She married someone a lot older with loads of money. I heard he loves to dote on her.”
“Everything on her bucket list,” Ian said.
Harmony asked, “Is she a blonde?” The man certainly had a low opinion of them. Maybe Cecily was the reason.
Ian answered. “No, a ball-buster brunette.” He obviously didn’t like Brody’s ex.
Harmony raised her hands in defeat. “I guess females in general don’t cut it. Blondes are bubble-heads, brunettes bust balls, and redheads have fiery tempers. Brody likes Tessa, though. So maybe a girl has to have copper hair to pass inspection.”
Brody quirked an eyebrow. “Why? Are you interested in giving it a go?”
“Me? No, just asking out of curiosity.”
Brody focused on her. “Have you been married? In a serious relationship?”
Those smoky-gray eyes made her squirm. “Not my thing. I get distracted too easily.”
“No heartbreak in your past?” he persisted.
Tessa glanced her way. She looked uncomfortable. “She wouldn’t allow that.”
“None at all?” Brody sounded surprised.
Harmony shrugged. “A drummer once stole a carton of cigarettes from me when he left before breakfast, but that was good. I meant to give up smoking anyway.”
His lips curled in a half-smile. “So you’ve stayed single out of convenience, and I’m single because I got screwed over.”
Convenience? Hardly. More like self-preservation. When you let someone touch your heart, they had the power to control you. “Looks that way.” Harmony scooped up a forkful of rice, but he wasn’t finished.
“Do you want to find someone someday?”
She shook her head. It was safer to keep people at a distance. Except Tessa. Writing had drawn them together. “I’m happy doing what I do. Why complicate it?” He’d made her curious, though. She couldn’t help it. She’d always been nosy, even before she started writing. “You?” she asked.
He nodded. “I want someone who’s smart, funny, loves to cook, loves to entertain, and wants to have children.”
“That’s why you bugged me about my promise to Aiden.” The words popped out before she could stop them. When would she learn to be more discreet, to let conversations die that were getting uncomfortable?
“I wanted to have kids. Cecily didn’t. She said she did, but she kept putting it off.”
Smart Cecily. “Kids aren’t for me. They’re even more bother than a man.”
Ian laughed. “Do you have a pet? Anything?”
“I feed pigeons on my window ledge every morning after breakfast.”
Brody stared. “And that’s enough for you?”
What did he want from her? She could make up a story. She was good at that. She could tell him that she baked cookies to take to the homeless every weekend and that she rescued strays off the street. But she didn’t need to impress him, so she might as well be honest. “When I’m lonely, I meet up with friends or go to a bar and sit on a stool next to someone. It works for me.”
“One night stands?”
Ian shook his head. “Brody. . . .”
But Harmony didn’t mind. Her life wasn’t all that exciting. He’d yawn before long. “No, I only need lust when I finish writing a book. Sort of a celebration.”
He shook his head, frustrated. “I’ve never met a woman like you.”
“Consider that a blessing.” But fair was fair. She told hers. He should tell his. She asked again, “You?”
He grimaced. He was more private than she was, she could tell. “Occasionally.”
She gave a knowing nod. “Once in a while, we just need a human touch.” She took the last bite of her meal and glanced toward the bread pudding.
Tessa grinned. “You’ve always had a sweet tooth.”
Brody stood to collect dirty dishes and carry them to the sink. Did the freaking man do everything right? Ian cleared away the leftovers and brought the bread pudding to the table. Their mom must have trained her boys well. They knew their stuff.
Ian steered the conversation to small talk while they finished up. Then Tessa shooed the men from the kitchen, and she and Harmony rinsed and cleaned so that they could sit at the table, bump heads, and yak writing.
Serious, ready for shop talk, Harmony asked, “So what’s the hang-up in chapter eleven?”
“The scene I planned just won’t work.” Tessa did a quick rundown of her new book, her characters, and where she was stuck.
They brainstormed until Brody wandered out from a back room around ten. “We’d better get back for the night. Ian and I are starting work early tomorrow morning. We have a lot to get done in a month.”
Harmony stretched and yawned. “I have a lot to do, too.” She bent to hug Tessa. “See you tomorrow. Can I help with anything? Come early to set the table?”
“Nope, I’m enjoying myself. Just show up on time for supper.” She raised an eyebrow at Brody. “You’ll have to pry her fingers off her keyboard.”
“Got it.” He held out Harmony’s coat for her, then shrugged into his own. When they stepped outside, a wind hit them, blasting off the lake. It picked up snow and pelted it at them.
“Damn, it’s cold!” Harmony hustled for the SUV. She hopped inside and slammed the door before she remembered Brody’s rules. The man didn’t get to do door duty this time, but he looked mighty relieved when he slid behind the steering wheel. The warmth of the SUV thawed her on the short drive back. He pulled close to the doors of the resort and started to get out, but she was too quick. She dashed out of the car and into the lobby before he could stop her.
She could get used to having a man deliver her almost to the front door, but she’d better not get too comfortable with it. It wouldn’t happen at home. She waited inside the lobby for him. He looked surprised to see her when he stepped into the foyer. “I thought you’d zip up to your room.”
She grimaced. “I might not be traditional, but I have some manners. Thanks for the ride.”
He frowned at her. “Ian told me your favorite color is apricot.”
She blinked. Where the hell had that come from? How did this man keep throwing her off balance? “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“That’s so feminine. You’re . . .” He hesitated.
She gave his arm a playful punch. “No worries. I get it. I’m not.”
They said their goodnights and went their separate ways. Once in her room, Harmony went to the window to watch white flurries swirl outside. A storm was blowing toward them, intense enough that she couldn’t see to the other side of the lake. She closed the blinds and changed into her pajamas. Then she crawled into bed and dragged her laptop with her. She balanced it on the bedspread and finished the rewrites of the chapters she’d been working on, but her thoughts kept drifting to Brody. Had he been hopeful, madly in love when he married his Cecily? And what had she done to him? A reason, Harmony reminded herself, she avoided happily ever after. Because it was a crapshoot whether or not it would work.
&nbs
p; Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught first, second, and fourth grades for six years before having her two daughters. She loves gardening, cooking, and trying new recipes. Readers can visit her website at http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/ and her blog http://writingmusings.com/.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
LYRICAL SHINE BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2016 by Judi Lynn
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Lyrical Shine and Lyrical Shine logo trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.
First Electronic Edition: April 2016
ISBN: 978-1-6018-3783-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-784-4
ISBN-10: 1-60183-784-4
