Opposites Distract (16 page)

W
hen Harmony finished the sloppy joes, she went to find Brody and Ian. She was trying to think of a way to beg out of visiting Tessa tonight. Things were too tense between her and Brody. She'd rather make a sandwich and stay at the lodge.

When she stepped into the first suite, where they were working, Ian was leaning toward his brother, his face serious, arguing with him. When Brody tried to disagree, Ian pointed a finger and pushed it into Brody's chest to make his point. She started to turn to leave, so that she didn't interrupt them, when Brody looked up and saw her. A grin lit his face. Ian gave him a thumbs-up.

The look set her off balance. The man had barely talked to her, had gone out of his way to avoid her, and now he was warm and friendly? She glanced at Ian, suspicious, but Ian looked smug and innocent. Damn the McGregor boys. They were too hard to read.

She cleared her throat. “It's six. I wanted to let you know the food's ready to take to Tessa.”

Ian elbowed Brody's ribs, and Brody asked, “What's on the menu tonight?”

“Sloppy joes, no spices, and a big salad.” She hesitated, then hurried to say, “I was thinking of eating at my laptop tonight. I'd like to get a few more pages done.”

Brody came closer. “Can't that wait? We're giving Tessa the changing table tonight. Don't you want to see how it looks with the cradle?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Did you finish it already?”

“It wasn't that hard. I had to stain some boards for sides to hold the pad in place. We've already loaded it in Ian's truck.” He motioned to the room. “What do you think? Ian and Luke finished the first kitchen today.”

They'd painted the long, open room a soft taupe. The wooden floors gleamed. A small efficiency kitchen sat at one end of the room, a seating area at the other. Two bedrooms opened off a hallway. She nodded. “You've made this really nice.”

Brody looked like she'd handed him a gold star. “You like it?”

“A lot.”

“Come see the countertops. Formica, but it looks like granite. Almost indestructible.” He looked at her. “What would your dream kitchen look like?”

She shrugged. “I've never thought about it.”

He stared, stunned.

“My rent's so low, I plan on staying there forever, so no renovations for me. The place is nothing to brag about, but it's cheap.”

Brody wasn't ready to concede. “If you
could
remodel it, what would it look like?”

Harmony blew out a breath, nonplussed. “I'm not into white walls. They're fine for other peoples' houses, but not mine. I like cozy more than sleek or modern.”

“That leaves a lot of leeway.” He snapped his fingers. “I know, we'll watch HGTV tonight when we get back. I have some favorite remodeling shows.”

“I thought I might . . .”

Ian patted her arm. “Too late, you've got him started now. When Brody talks about home projects, it's like you and Tessie talking about writing.”

Oh, boy. He did look revved up. Harmony watched Brody run his hand over a white cupboard with an admiring gleam in his eyes. She sighed. “I'm going to need wine.”

Brody snorted. “Just wait. You'll get hooked on the befores and afters.”

She wasn't so sure about that. “For you, I'll give them a try.”

His expression crumpled. He looked like he was about to say something, but decided against it. Ian slapped him on the shoulder and said, “We're going to be late, and I'm hungry.”

Ian left to help Tessa set the table, and Brody went to carry the sloppy joe pan to his SUV, which he'd already pulled to the door. Harmony pulled on her coat and scarf and grabbed the salad. When they stepped outside, a wind blew across the lake, strong enough to make Harmony lean forward to keep her balance.

“The weather's going to get bad again,” Brody said as they settled inside the vehicle. “More wind and snow.”

“I'm blaming this on Bailey. I think she secretly channels that princess from the movie
Frozen
.”

“It's sure been a crappy January,” Brody agreed.

Harmony racked her mind for small talk on the drive to Tessa's. “So, I told you about my apartment. Where do you live?”

“In an apartment, but I'll buy a house again someday. We had to sell the place we'd built when Cecily and I divorced. She got half the money—enough to buy a small villa of her own. I didn't want to bother with another house right then, so I moved into a penthouse I liked.”

Harmony rolled her eyes. “Does it have granite countertops?”

He grinned. “That was one of the essentials on my list.”

They were almost at a crossroads when Brody stomped on the brakes and skidded. They had the right of way, but a box truck showed no signs of stopping. Either he didn't see the stop sign, or he didn't care.

“What the fuck?” Brody bit his lip. “Sorry, I try not to cuss except on job sites.”

Harmony eased her grip on the door handle. “That dumb ass didn't even notice us.”

Brody backed up to straighten the SUV from its skid and glanced both ways at the crossing. Then he finished the drive to Ian and Tessa's. Harmony was rattled, but once they got out of the vehicle and started for the house, she could feel her nerves settle a little. The wind bit any exposed skin, so head down, she hurried for the door.

Once inside, Brody told them about their near miss on the road.

Tessa glowered. “That's the new guy who uses Mill Pond as a short cut to highway 69. He's a menace, always in a hurry.”

“If I see him again, I'm getting his license plate number.” Brody stalked to the stove to unload his food. “He's going to cause an accident. You watch for him, don't you?”

Both Ian and Tessa nodded. Brody relaxed a little.

They were halfway through the meal when Tessa bolted for the bathroom. She came back looking pale.

Brody sighed. “Here comes the next phase.”

“Which is?” Ian looked at his wife with sympathy.

“Bland food.”

“How bland is bland?” Harmony hadn't added any hot sauce or red peppers to her recipe.

Brody held up fingers to keep track. “No tomatoes, no vinegars, no grease, no fat, no spices, nothing fried. Onions are iffy . . .”

Harmony rubbed a hand across her forehead. What the hell did that leave? But Tessa looked so miserable, she put on a brave face. “I'll think of something. She can do broths, right? She can have some flavor.”

“Every woman's different. It'll be trial and error for a while.”

Poor Tessa. Harmony knew how much her friend loved food.

They called it an early night, and Ian sent them back to the lodge with a blueberry buckle for breakfast. It was frozen, but they'd leave it out to thaw. The wind had picked up even more, and when Harmony stepped out of the SUV to hurry to the lodge's front doors, it pushed her sideways. She had to push against it to make her way forward.

She hung her coat on a peg by the door and stepped out of her boots. When Brody stomped into the foyer, he looked frozen. He rubbed his hands together for warmth.

“Wine or tea?” he asked her. “And I need popcorn. I could have eaten another sloppy joe, but I couldn't make myself do it in front of Tessa. She looked too miserable.”

“I'll help you make tea.” Harmony followed him to the kitchen. She was too cold for pajamas right now.

“I set Ian's TV in the library to record some of my favorite shows. I have a couple of
Fixer Uppers
, a new
Rehab Addict
, and a new
Property Brothers
to watch.”

Harmony had no idea what those were. She watched her favorite Food Network shows on Saturday mornings, but no home shows. “Okay, just remember that I'm a beginner. You're experienced.”

“You don't have to know anything to enjoy the shows.” He carried the tray with their filled mugs and the popcorn bowls, and she held the doors for him.

She knew she was in trouble when his eyes lit up as Chip, on
Fixer Upper
, started smashing down walls and kitchen cupboards, and his wife—Jo—wanted to install new hardwood floors through the entire house. When they mentioned granite countertops, Brody was hooked.

“They install white cupboards a lot to open things up and make them bigger,” he explained. “Do you like the white? Sometimes, they install different colored cupboards as the base units.”

Harmony couldn't picture two different colored cabinets, but she got a kick out of seeing Brody so excited. He explained hardwood floors versus laminate versus porcelain. They discussed kitchen sinks. He favored the deep, farmhouse styles. He preferred industrial, stainless steel refrigerator/freezers. He could. They were freaking expensive. She listened to him, never bored, because
he
was enjoying himself so much, and it was fun watching how passionate he was about every part of construction.

When they finished the last recorded show, she couldn't hide a yawn.

Brody ducked his head, looking sheepish. “Sorry, I kept you up too late.”

“I enjoyed it. You take it all so seriously.”

“I do, but that would be like you talking on and on about writing to me.”

“I'd bore you to tears.”

He shook his head. “No, I'd like it, because
you
like it.”

She gave a wicked grin. “I'll remember you said that.”

He gathered up their dirty dishes to carry to the kitchen. “I'll get these. Go to bed. Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning.”

On her way up the stairs, she started humming. She glanced over her shoulder to find him watching her. “What?” She stopped to see if something was wrong.

He gave a little shake of his head. “I like it when you sing.”

She snorted. “Only when the volume's low. See you tomorrow.” But his comment made her puff up with pride.

She felt like she was floating as she drifted to her room. What was wrong with her? She wasn't the romantic type. But she hummed as she changed into her pajamas and slid under her blankets. She glanced at her laptop. She was glad she was going to write a battle scene tomorrow—no fuzzy, mushy thoughts allowed.

H
armony tugged her ratty robe closer and looked out the window, her fingers poised over her laptop. Wind still whipped across the lake, swirling the snow off the ice so that the surface was mostly bare. Gray skies brooded over Mill Pond, but so far, there were no blizzards. She pulled up her manuscript on the screen.

Time to write the big, final battle—the allies marching out to face Torrid and his army. Instead, Luxar pounded on Serifina's door, pushed it open, and stalked into her room.

Harmony moaned. Not again. Her characters were pushing their luck. She'd left them at odds yesterday, and they obviously didn't like it. Luxar wanted to resolve things before he risked life and limb. Not totally unreasonable. Would she let him? Hell, why not? She was fond of the damn vampire.

Luxar stopped at the edge of Serifina's bed. Eyes blazing, he locked gazes with his witch. “I don't know what happened yesterday, but it's time we talk.”

Serifina raised to face him. “If we survive Torrid, I'll return to my world, and you'll return to yours. I need distance from you, or going our separate ways will hurt too much.”

“Then let's change the outcome. Stay here with me.”

Serifina wrapped her arms over her chest, hugging herself tightly, protecting her heart. “You've lived for centuries and never taken a mate, only lovers. How long before you tire of me? By then, my world will change. My friends will give up on me. When we're finished, I won't have anything to return to.”

“What makes you think I'll
ever
tire of you?”

She heaved an exasperated sigh. “We're different people, from different worlds. Eventually, our passion will dull, and then what?”

Luxar shook his head and pulled her into his arms. “It's more than passion. I want
you
, not just your body. I love you, everything about you.”

Serifina stared at him, surprised. “But . . .”

Someone knocked on the door . . .

Harmony bit her bottom lip. What would Serifina say? Could Luxar resolve her worries? Another knock. She saved what she'd written and went to see who was there.

Brody balanced a tray with coffee mugs and blueberry buckle.

Harmony licked her lips. She loved blueberry anything—craved the stupid berries. But this scene . . . She pushed it away. She could finish it after breakfast.

Brody watched the expressions play across her face. “I came at a bad time, didn't I?”

“No, the scene will be there when we're finished.”

“Timing's everything. You can't stop in the middle of mudding. I have a feeling that's where you were.”

She shrugged, trying to relax her tense shoulders. “No big deal. I'm hungry, and I love buckles.”

The quirk of his lips said that he knew he'd interfered, but he carried the tray to her coffee table and smiled, trying to move past the awkwardness. “Should I dish up?”

“Don't be skimpy. I want a big slice.”

Brody grinned. “I had the weather station on while I made coffee this morning. We should be okay today, but one hell of a blizzard's on its way for tomorrow.”

“Make it go away. I don't want more bad weather.”

He chuckled. “I wish I had those powers, but I don't. Tessa wants you to call her this morning. Grams could use some help setting up for a church supper tonight. There's some kind of a flu that's downed some of the true and faithful that usually show up for grunt work. Tessa wants you to go with her to help out.”

Harmony frowned. “Why me? Why not you and Ian?”

Brody looked amused. “I got the feeling that Grams wants to check you out. She's met us, and we passed inspection. You haven't yet.”

Harmony forced herself to put down her blueberry buckle. She stared at him. “So this is a test? Should I be offended?”

“Won't do you any good. Wait till you meet Grams. That woman's invincible.”

Harmony groaned. “I'm thinking that I won't have a lot in common with Grams.”

“She likes good people, whatever brand. Just be yourself. She'll like you.”

Harmony stabbed another fork of buckle. “I'm going to be setting up tables and chairs, aren't I?”

“You won't get off that easy. You'll add silverware, fill ketchup bottles and salt and pepper shakers. Whatever Grams wants.”

“Shit.”

He handed her a second slice of buckle. “There's joy in connecting with others.”

“You're full of crap.”

He laughed. Patting her knee, he finished his breakfast and loaded things up to take to the kitchen. “Have a great day. I'm going to be installing hardwood floors in the second suite.”

She shook her head at him. “You must love your brother.”

“I do. That's a given. The little twerp knows how to work me. We're making good progress.”

She laughed at him. “So we're both suckers?”

“When it comes to relatives and friends.” He lifted the tray and left her.

She picked up her cell and called Tessa. Yes, she could be ready in two hours. Yes, she'd love to help. White lies didn't hurt anybody. No, no problem. She'd already gotten a few pages finished. When they'd made plans, Harmony looked at the clock and cussed. She'd decided to make chicken and rice soup for dinner tonight. Light and bland enough to be safe, but it took a little time. She went down to the kitchen and put two whole chickens in a stockpot, added water, celery, onions, and carrots, then put them on the stove to simmer.

“Will you turn these off before lunch?” she asked Brody.

“You got it.” He held a rubber mallet and was ready for business. She'd watched a Property Brother install hardwood flooring on TV last night. Brody had his work cut out for him.

She went back to her room and got ready. By the time Tessa pulled to the door at the lodge, Harmony rushed out to climb in the passenger seat.

The roads were still good. They drove to the big, white church in the center of town. Grams's car was already parked at the back door.

“Good, it's unlocked. We won't freeze waiting for someone to open it.” Tessa led Harmony straight to the basement where the kitchen and meeting room were.

Grams looked up when they came in. Medium height with steel-gray hair and steel-blue eyes, she gave off an aura of energy. She looked Harmony up and down, grinned, and waved her over. “Sorry Tessa had to draft you for heavy labor, but I'm short of help.”

Harmony liked her right away. “No problem, what do you want us to do?”

“Help with set-up. We'll need two rows of tables, eight tables in each row. We expect over a hundred people.” Grams opened a deep closet and rolled out a pallet loaded with long, rectangular tables. Two other pallets held folding chairs.

Harmony and Tessa got straight to work. The tables weren't heavy, but it took a decent amount of time to get sixteen of them opened and situated, then they started on the chairs. As soon as they had the tables up, Grams and a friend started putting silverware and glasses at each place setting.

“By the way, this is Iris Clinger.” Grams nodded toward the plump woman, who'd recently arrived. “She's Mill Pond's real estate agent.”

The woman looked up to smile at Harmony. With sandy-colored hair, probably faded from red, and warm, brown eyes, Iris looked easy-going and pleasant. The deep grooves etched at the sides of her mouth rippled in laugh lines. “What a lucky girl you are.” She gave a soft sigh. “You've met both McGregor brothers. I wasn't sure which one of them Tessa would choose when they first came here.”

Grams snorted. “No question there. That Ian was just too damned cute.”

“But that Brody”—Iris shook her finger—“the boy's steady as a rock.”

Harmony pushed the last chair in place at her table. “You can't go wrong with either of them, if you ask me. Their mom must have done something right.”

Grams studied her a moment. “Tessa told me you're single.”

Harmony laughed, shooing away matchmaking with a flick of her wrists. “I sure am, and I intend to stay that way.”

Grams gave a knowing smile. “That's what Tessa told me, too.”

“Tessa wanted the happy-ever-after until Gary cheated on her. It's never been a goal of mine.” Harmony dragged two more chairs to a table and put them in place.

Grams cocked her head, studying her. Harmony had a feeling the woman could see inside her skull, maybe root out all of her hidden insecurities. “Hmm, you had early issues, but those can be fixed, too.”

Tessa came to stand beside her friend. “Leave the poor girl alone. She came here to help you, not to be interrogated.”

Grams gave an unrepentant grin. “I don't suppose you two would like to help cook a hundred or so cubed steaks.”

Iris tsk-tsked. “The girls have already done enough.”

When Harmony's jaw dropped, Tessa laughed. “The special tonight is Swiss steak with baked potatoes. When you do the steaks in an assembly line, it doesn't take that long before you can simmer them in the sauce.”

Assembly line steaks. That was a new one for Harmony. But she pointed a finger at Tessa. “Not you. I'll help, but you get sick every time you're around grease and cooking fumes. Find something else to do for a while.”

Grams pressed some money in Tessa's palm. “Go buy my new grandbaby a present from me. I was thinking crib sheets and blankets, maybe a mobile.”

Tessa's eyes lit up, and she glanced at Harmony again. “Are you sure? If Grams gives you a hard time, you can call me, and I'll come to rescue you.”

“Go,” Harmony said. “I'll survive.”

When the last chair was in place, Tessa bundled up and left. Harmony smiled as she watched her pull away. “She looks like a kid who got her allowance. The money's burning a hole in her hand.”

“It's nice to see her so happy.”

Iris frowned. “But she was always happy, wasn't she?”

“Not happy like now. She was only making the best of things.” Grams led Harmony to the kitchen. “Ian told Tessa that he's never seen Brody as happy as he is now, said he's never heard him laugh so much.”

“Who doesn't enjoy time off?” Harmony looked at the deep, plastic tub filled with flour for dredging. Had Grams dumped the entire five-pound bag in there?

Iris slid a sideways glance at Harmony. “The poor dear went through a terrible divorce, didn't he?”

Harmony nodded. “His ex sounds like a bitch on steroids.”

Grams's eyes went wide, then she threw back her head and laughed.

“Being around Ian and Tessa has been good for him,” Harmony said. “Their happiness sort of rubs off.”

The two older women exchanged glances, but when Grams opened her lips to say more, Iris shook her head. “No fair, Tessa won't be happy with you.”

Grams pressed her lips in a tight line. Finally, she said, “Okay, here's how the assembly works.”

Harmony seasoned each piece of cube steak, then dredged it in flour and passed it to Grams. Grams browned it in a skillet. While she cooked the meat, Iris started the sauce: diced onions, celery, and green peppers, then diced tomatoes, ketchup, and seasonings. The browned steaks went into the sauce.

By the time they finished, Harmony's fingers looked like she'd played in paste. “Does your church do this very often?” It was a lot of work.

“Four times a year. Something different each time,” Iris said. “But we usually have four or five helpers. It goes faster then.”

Grams took down a huge box of aluminum foil. “All we have to do is wrap the potatoes, and we're in good shape.”

“No salad or dessert? Green beans?” Harmony asked.

“People carry those in. We just provide the main dish.” Iris showed her how to wrap the potatoes, and those went pretty fast. They were just finishing when Tessa—her cheeks and nose red—returned, carrying large shopping bags.

Saved by baby blankets and comforters! Harmony hadn't realized how long getting ready for church suppers took. Tessa had chosen a jungle theme with monkeys, tigers, and giraffes decorating each sheet, comforter, or crib pad. Grams oohed over the mobile with stuffed animals dangling from strings.

When they'd gossiped enough, and it was time to leave, Grams patted Harmony on the back. “You're a good girl. You'll do.”

“Excuse me?”

Grams laughed and waved them away. Going from the hot, steamy kitchen to the bitter wind made her teeth chatter, but on the drive home, Harmony stretched her legs and let out a long breath. Tessa smiled. “Now you know what it's like working in the bakery.”

“I don't know how you do it. I don't know how
Grams
does it. How old is she?”

Tessa shook her head. “She doesn't age, and you're seeing her when she's slowed down a little.”

“She makes me tired.”

“She makes
everyone
tired.” When they reached the lodge, Tessa dropped off Harmony and headed for home.

Brody came to meet her. “Have you had anything to eat?”

She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Nothing was ready. It had to simmer a few hours. I forgot about lunch.”

“I saved you a sandwich.” He led her to the kitchen and handed her a roast beef and lettuce wrap. “The kids aren't coming up for Harry Potter today. Aiden's grown out of most of his clothes, and Paula's taking them shopping.”

“Good, I can finish writing my scene.”

“Do you want me to cook tonight so you don't have to stop writing?”