Chapter 2
I
an carried Harmony's bags to the third floor and opened the door to her room. “Tessa insisted you have this one because she said it was your favorite color.”
Harmony raised a hand to her lips. The room took her breath away. “It's beautiful.” The walls were painted a soft apricot and the gleaming wood floors were dotted with braided rugs. A mini-fridge nestled under a small counter with a coffee pot. White curtains framed a wide window that looked out over the lake at the back of the property. Right now, a layer of ice covered it. In the distance, she could see small specks of people ice fishing. A desk sat before the window, and two overstuffed chairs in the corner invited settling in with a book. A fluffy, white bedspread was made even cozier with a peach-colored throw angled over the footboard.
Ian grinned. “I'm glad you like it. Tessa thought you'd want to get settled. Brody will drive you to our house for dinner at six.”
“He's staying in the inn? Tessa said he was staying at your house.”
“We invited him to. He didn't think that was right when Tessa invited you and you were staying here.”
“Does he always do what he thinks is right? He never bends the rules, even to spend more time with you guys?”
Ian laughed. “Brody's the oldest kid of our brood. I have two older sisters, Bridget and Maeve. I was the baby. Brody felt it was his duty to keep us in line.”
“The authoritarian. I get it.”
“We made his life hell.” Ian turned to leave. “Tessa said to tell you that she made gumbo. Said that was guaranteed to get you there on time.”
Harmony licked her lips. “One of my favorites. Tessa and I were on panels together at a romance conference in New Orleans. I came away craving Creole, Cajun, and all things spicy.”
When Ian left, she reached for the case that held her laptop. She could put her clothes away later, but while she had an hour or two and her mind was fresh, she could slip in a little writing time. She kicked off her shoes and wiggled her stockinged feet. Time to get comfortable and settle in.
She'd written the book's hook and the first six chapters, but hadn't taken the time to edit them. She'd introduced Serifina, the witch protagonist, and her future romantic interest, Luxarâa vampire. They'd each been fighting an unknown enemy in their city. The reader knew that they both battled Torrid, a powerful vampire with ruthless ambition, and soon, they'd collide to work together to save Portside.
She was wading through rewrites when a knock on her door interrupted her. She glanced at the clock.
Holy shit.
Five thirty. She pushed the save button on her computer and went to see who was there. Aiden wouldn't show up for story time the first day she got here, would he?
Brody glowered down at her. “Looks like Tessa was right and you got lost in your writing world. She phoned and asked me to check on you.”
He made it sound like an accusation. She shrugged. “It's what I do. I don't usually stop until my stomach growls. I'm not used to a schedule.”
“But you do try to be considerate of friends and hostesses?”
This guy could be a real dick. She crossed her arms. “I had my phone alarm set for five forty.”
She barely got the words out when the alarm went off. “Oh, baby, baby, my baby, baby” sang through the room.
Brody raised his eyebrows. “Whatever gets your attention.”
She ground her teeth, then frowned at him. “You cleaned up.” He still wore his worn, comfortable jeans, but he'd changed into a button-down shirt and sweater. He'd be yummy if he weren't such a sourpuss.
He looked her up and down. “I guess I didn't need to bother.” She hadn't changed out of her driving clothesâfaded jeans with a few rips in the right thigh area and a baggy sweater. Her hair was still pulled back in a low ponytail.
“I didn't know gumbo meant a formal dinner.” She yanked at the scrunchie that held her hair, letting loose waves cascade past her shoulders.
Brody stared, then shook his head. “No matter. Shall we? It's time to go.” In the lobby, he waited for her to shrug into her winter coat and then walked with her to his SUV. She wasn't short, but the step-up to get into the passenger seat was more exertion than she was used to. He gave a grim smile, enjoying her effort. He'd be surprised to know how much she walked back home. She was in good shape, whether he thought so or not, damn the man!
When she fastened her seat belt, he shut the door and circled the vehicle to slide behind the steering wheel. On the drive to Tessa's, she mentally calculated how much time they'd have to spend together. Not all that much. Her stay here looked better.
Harmony grinned from ear to ear when they pulled into the driveway. The wide bungalow was as charming as she'd pictured it. White, with green shutters and flower boxes, it looked warm and welcoming. She reached for the door handle, but Brody shook his head. What now? He walked around the SUV to open her door for her. She stared at him. “Are you for real?”
“I am, but I think you've lived with vampires and werewolves too long to remember some of the social norms.”
“No one opens doors for women anymore.”
Brody shrugged. “They should.”
A thick layer of snow blanketed the yard and the house's roof. It looked like something on a Christmas cardâinviting and cozy, especially since the sidewalks were cleared. Harmony hurried up the path.
Tessa threw open the front door before they reached it and pulled Harmony inside. “I can't believe you came. I'm stuck on a scene in chapter eleven. Where are you in your book?”
Ian rolled his eyes and waited for his brother to join them. “Tessa promised not to talk writing while we eat.”
Brody smiled. “I'm sure she keeps her promises, just like Harmony claims she does.”
“I heard that!” On her way to the kitchen, Harmony threw him a dirty glance.
Ian grinned. “You got in trouble.”
“Yeah, I'm worried now.” Brody hung his pea coat on the coat tree by the front door, carefully wiped his feet on the welcome mat, then trailed behind them. He sniffed as he went. “Mmm, something smells good.”
Harmony twirled in a happy circle in the kitchen. “I can't believe you remembered. We ate this together in New Orleans when we skipped out for a few hours between panels.”
Tessa pointed to the oven. “Do you remember what we had for dessert?”
“You didn't!”
Tessa opened the oven door a crack. “Bread pudding with whiskey sauce.”
Harmony hugged herself.
Brody shook his head. “For being thin, both of these women
really
love food.”
“And you don't?” Ian opened the refrigerator to grab a bottle of wine and two bottles of beer.
Brody accepted one. “That's Mom's fault. She cooked a meal every night, and every meal came with dessert.”
“Then this will feel just like home.” Ian motioned for him to help carry heavy pots to the round, cherry wood table. Trivets waited for them. Tessa sat across from Ian, Brody across from Harmony. Oh, good, Brody could watch her eat. When they were all seated, they dug in.
Tessa's bungalow lived up to everything Harmony expected. White cupboards lined three walls. Granite countertops provided plenty of workspace, and the oak floors looked worn and homey.
Ian pointed his spoon at Brody. “Fill me in on what everyone's up to at home.”
Brody told him about their parents and sisters. “Maeve's youngest boyâ”
Ian interrupted. “How old is Connor?”
“Four now, he broke his arm after Christmas. Got a sled from Santa and went down the wrong hill.”
Tessa winced. “Is he all right?” She glanced at Harmony. Harmony had broken her arm as a kid when her brother pushed her off their backyard swing set.
“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've 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 bubbleheads, 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 nosey, 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 shoptalk, Harmony asked, “So what's the hang-up in chapter eleven?”
“The scene I planned just won't work.” Tessa did a quick run-down 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?”