Playing in Shadow (8 page)

Juliet laughed at her silliness. She lowered the sheet and pulled Trent to her side. “Finish the tale for both of us, please. I want the baby to know what happens to Midna. She was my favorite character in that game.”

Trent nodded. “Mine too.” She snuggled down and laid a hand protectively on Juliet’s bump. “Okay, where was I? Oh yes, Wolf Link headed toward the castle intent on rescuing Zelda and then undoing Midna’s curse so she could be free.”

Who needs fairy tales?
Juliet held Trent in her arms and felt the baby shift lazily inside her, obviously soothed by the voice of its other mother as she spun tales of elven heroes rescuing princesses.
I’m living one
.

*

Still mortified at being caught literally napping by Scarlet, Bryce endeavored to stay out of her way as best she could all the following week. She was determined not to be found in the same situation again. She’d fallen asleep briefly on the sofa again the night before. Snatches of dreams had plagued her; always, she found herself back in the crash. But this time she’d had a flame haired angel holding out a hand to rescue her, and that had only added to Bryce’s anxiety. The fractious dreams had left her with a bone weary fatigue that had propelled her into going to work early because she had no desire to stay at home.

The houses the Tweedy construction crew was working on were silent at that hour, but Bryce recognized the familiar Honda that belonged to Juliet. Curious as to why she was already on site, Bryce wandered around the back of the house she knew they were working on. Juliet was easy to spot. She was dressed in a bright flowing dress that complemented her blond hair and did little to hide her pregnancy. Juliet was sitting on a little wall, jotting something down in a notepad. She looked up as Bryce drew near.

“I see you’re an early bird too,” Juliet said with a self-deprecating smile.

“Good morning to you. You’re here well before the rest of your crew.”

“I’m making up time because later today Trent and I have an appointment at the hospital for a few tests and a tour around the maternity wing.” Bryce flinched at the word hospital, and Juliet’s look softened. “My being there will no doubt be easier than what you had to put up with while in there I’m sure.”

Bryce shrugged, mindful that such a simple gesture could still hurt her so much. “I’ll admit, I was glad to be released.”

“Well, I have a few hours of being prodded and poked while displaying my big belly to all and sundry. Then I will trail around behind Trent who will be all but taking notes on everything the doctors say.” She rolled her eyes skyward.

Bryce chuckled. “She’s taking her role seriously, as she should.” She sat beside Juliet on the wall.

“I am dreading when they show us the film they have to prepare us with. Natural birth or cesarean. I just know that while all the other parents-to-be will be in shock, Trent will have a million questions. You’ve no doubt seen her here. Someone that tall, demanding answers, isn’t someone you can ignore.”

Bryce laughed. “I’d guess not. Scarlet was telling me she’d gotten some nursery ideas for you?” Bryce had never engaged in small talk concerning babies with anyone before, but Juliet’s presence was very soothing to Bryce’s tired soul. She sensed Juliet was tired too for different reasons, and Bryce felt curiously obliged to keep her company until someone else arrived to keep an eye on her. Not that Bryce would dare to let Juliet realize that was what she was doing for fear of setting raging pregnancy hormones alight.

“Yes, Scarlet came over with her designs for us. We’ve picked out what we want, and I believe Scarlet may be chasing after you for some help rendering the walls for us.”

Bryce nodded. “She’s told me what she needs. That would be no problem at all.”

“You should come over anyway. Now that you’re back in the Tweedy fold, and by default Monica’s crew, we should all go out for a meal. After all, we’re one big family under the Tweedy umbrella. Though,” she said, resting her pad aside, “I’ve felt we’re the long lost cousins seeing as we usually come in on a job after you guys have long left. It’s been nice this time to mingle with you all.”

“Scarlet says she lives with Monica.”

“Yes, I’d moved out to go live with Trent, and Monica was alone for quite some time. Then when Scarlet came back and met Monica through her father, they hit it off immediately. She’s a really nice girl.” She rubbed a hand over her stomach. “With a figure I envy at the moment.”

Bryce didn’t quite know what to say. “You’ll soon be back in shape once you have a toddler to run around after.”

Juliet laughed. “Oh, I’m leaving all the running to Trent. She’s got longer legs than me. She will keep up with our child.” She cocked her head at the sound of another vehicle crunching the pebbles on the driveway. “That’s Monica.” Juliet gave Bryce a considering look. “You can go start your work now and stop babysitting me.”

Bryce’s mouth opened to swiftly refute doing such a thing, but the sharp eyes of Juliet dried up any denials she might have uttered. She grinned sheepishly then spoke with a surprising honestly. “Didn’t you think that, just maybe, you were perhaps babysitting
me
?”

Before Juliet could answer, Monica stormed into the garden.

“God damn it, Juliet! I told you not to come in to work early when you could just have had today off for your appointments.”

Juliet ignored Monica’s exasperated raised voice and kept her focus on Bryce. “If you need me, just follow the voices of the ones telling me off for not being wrapped in cotton wool.”

Monica huffed around her. “What if something happened to you while we’re not around? Who’s going to explain that to Trent because I sure as hell won’t.” With her hands balled into fists at her side, Monica made for a formidable sight.

Juliet nodded slowly at the sight of her friend’s obvious anxiety. “Okay, I’ll be more careful. But I wasn’t alone today. I had Bryce keeping me company until you arrived to take over the watch.”

Monica gave Bryce a relieved smile. “Thank you for keeping an eye on her for us.”

“I was merely passing the time of day before I was due to clock in.” Bryce got to her feet and reached for her messenger bag. “Good luck with your appointment today. I hope Trent doesn’t faint at the first sight of blood.”

Juliet snorted softly. “My girl’s made of strong stuff. She’s been around babies too much, thanks to Elton’s family, for her to be fazed by blood or anything else connected to pregnancy. She’s more concerned if the hospital has Wi-Fi so she knows which of her handheld gaming consoles to pack while I’m in the early stages of labor. I’m telling you, she’s got this all planned out.”

Monica snorted. “Yeah, I can just imagine that conversation with the medical staff. Elton asked me the same thing though for when we’re sitting in the waiting room.”

“Two of a kind,” Juliet said. “Bryce, I think it’s pizza day today for the landscaping crew. Be sure to grab Scarlet and come down and join them.”

Bryce wondered why she’d be issued such an invitation. Her face must have given her away because Juliet instantly explained.

“You’re going to plaster my baby’s nursery. I think that’s deserving of a pizza slice or two. What’s your preferred topping?”

“Ham and pineapple,” Bryce dutifully answered, knowing when she was beaten. She spared a thought for Trent who probably had long since lost the ability to argue with this woman.

Monica shouted a welcome to Scarlet, and Bryce was embarrassed by how fast her head whipped around.
So much for trying not to see her
. Her breath caught in her chest at the mere sight of her.

“She is very striking, isn’t she?” Juliet said softly.

“She’s the boss’s daughter,” Bryce muttered. “I’d be hung from the scaffold by Gregor if I dared go near her.”

Juliet just smiled. “Look at her though. Wouldn’t she be worth it?”

Self-consciously, and with a nervousness fast becoming a habit, Bryce touched at the scar that marred her face. The edge of the scar was just reachable under the hat she never seemed to take off now. Her time for attracting beautiful women was gone. Her ex had been very explicit in that. Bryce remembered all too well being in the hospital recovering when Gerri had walked in with Amber in tow. Bryce hadn’t wanted to deal with Gerri’s histrionics so had feigned sleep.

“Oh my God, it’s worse than I thought. Look at her face. If I stayed with her now it would only be out of pity and I don’t do pity parties very well.”

Bryce gripped the bedclothes as the cruel words ripped through her.

“Let’s get out of here,” Gerri spat out in a whisper. “I need to go get my things from her place and move on. She was a handsome addition on my arm for a while, but I can’t be seen with her now. My reputation would suffer. It’d be too much like Beauty and the Beast.”

Furious, Bryce had opened her eyes to tell Gerri to get the hell out of her room, but the door was already closing on her swiftly retreating back.

Trapped in her morose thoughts, Bryce jumped when a hand touched her arm. Juliet was looking at her curiously.

“Sorry, I was miles away.” Bryce tried to shake herself free from the memories.

“It didn’t look like a happy place to be.”

For the first time since she’d been released from the hospital, Bryce just wanted to let everything inside her pour out like a tidal wave. The gentle kindness in Juliet’s eyes reminded her of the look she’d seen mirrored in Scarlet’s eyes when she’d woken her up from the nightmare.
Suck it up, Bryce. You don’t need to be seen as anyone’s pity case
.

“I’m okay. Just planning ahead for my day.” She smiled to couch the blatant lie.

Juliet’s eyes never wavered from her, and Bryce easily read in them the moment when Juliet decided to let her get away with it. “Pizza at one o’clock then.”

Bryce’s reaction was to make an excuse.

“I’d like you there.” Juliet stared her down gently.

Unable to do anything but capitulate under that gaze, Bryce nodded and her sympathies for Trent doubled.

“Did someone say pizza?” Scarlet had gravitated to Bryce’s side, and Bryce felt her whole body twitch at her proximity. Scarlet favored her with a bright smile. “Hello, stranger.”

“One o’clock, come join the gang down here. Bryce has your invitation.” Juliet smiled at them both, but the look she gave Bryce made her face scorch.

“Cool,” Scarlet said.

“It’s a date then.” Juliet winked for Bryce alone.

Bryce shot her a steely glare. For a seriously pretty blond, heavily pregnant or not, Juliet Sullivan was dangerous.

“A date?” Scarlet looked down at her work clothes. “Damn, and I’m so overdressed.”

Bryce thought she looked great in her black sleeveless T-shirt and well-worn jeans. She tore her eyes away, mumbled her good-byes, and hastened to the sanctuary of her job before either woman could say anything more to mortify her.

*

The rocking beat of Within Temptation filled the room Scarlet was painting in. She unconsciously swayed to the music while she spread the white paint across the wall with a practiced hand. Enjoying the simple pleasure of doing something she loved, Scarlet began singing out loud. She knew her voice could carry a tune so she wasn’t shy about raising it to accompany Sharon Den Adel as she sang about an ice queen wreaking havoc. Over the music, Scarlet could hear the faint noises coming from around the building. Hammering came from downstairs, and there was the faint whine of a drill from the house next door. But from the room next to hers, she couldn’t hear a sound. Bryce was working in there, and Scarlet wondered if she’d find her asleep again. She knew Bryce had the darkest shadows under her eyes she’d ever seen and was growing gaunt. Scarlet was determined to make sure Bryce ate her fair share of pizza when they joined Monica’s crew for the impromptu picnic. There was something about Bryce that made Scarlet oddly attentive even though she knew Bryce would hate to be fussed over. It was strange. She’d never felt so drawn to someone who posted so many “do not disturb” signs all over themselves.

But Scarlet had never been one for playing it safe.

She finished off her section with a flourish and climbed down from her stepladder. She cleansed her brushes ready for the afternoon’s work and tidied up a little. Her stomach rumbled loudly and her mouth watered at the thought of the pizza awaiting her. She gathered up a cold can of soda from her cooler and went to find Bryce.

From the doorway, Scarlet spied Bryce upon her scaffold smoothing plaster across the ceiling. With every sweep of her trowel, Bryce’s outstretched arm pulled her T-shirt up to reveal a taut stomach etched with tight muscles. Scarlet couldn’t take her eyes away from the well-defined abs that were taunting her with every stroke of Bryce’s arm. Her fingers itched to smooth their way across each line to see if Bryce would tense beneath her touch or melt to let her tease further.

“Scarlet?”

By the way Bryce raised her voice, it was obviously not the first time she’d spoken to her.

Scarlet shook herself and knew she was probably blushing a shade of red to rival her hair. She belatedly tore her eyes away from the tantalizing strip of skin still visible because of Bryce’s pose. Scarlet dragged her eyes upward and found Bryce staring at her.

“You okay?”

Scarlet nodded. “Are you supposed to be reaching up that high with your shoulder?”

Bryce finished off a corner deftly. “It was my left shoulder I damaged, not my right. I just can’t load my board as much as I used to yet.” She climbed down her scaffold with ease and set down her tools. “Did you need me for something?”

Scarlet felt her face flame again at the innocent query. She twisted her hands behind her back to quell the need to lift Bryce’s shirt up and explore the skin she’d seen revealed.

“Just wondered if you’re ready to eat.” She cursed herself for feeling so conscious of everything connected to Bryce. Scarlet was all too aware of her growing attraction with every moment spent in her presence. She watched as Bryce wiped her hands clean and found herself fascinated by the blunt fingertips and short cut nails. Small scars were visible up Bryce’s arms, paler now, but etching patterns across her muscles. Scarlet had the urge to touch them, trace them, to acknowledge the damage they told of while celebrating the fact Bryce was still there. Still very much alive. The imperative to run her fingers over the scar etching its cruelty through Bryce’s brow set Scarlet in motion, and she stepped forward unconsciously. Startled by her feelings, Scarlet all but jumped back as if scalded when Bryce looked up.