Opposites Distract Page 8

  She grumbled, “Don’t ask.”

  Ian grinned. “Next time, I get to go with you. Tessa never lets me buy everything I want.”

  “Harmony’s no better. She kept telling me no.”

  Ian gaped at the bags. “Then I don’t even want to know what you thought you needed to buy.”

  It took a while to put everything away. When they finished, Harmony found a huge, deep pot to start making the soup. She whipped into work mode, and Brody faithfully chopped onions, carrots, and celery to sauté. While he cut chunks of potatoes, she added the chicken broth and seasonings. They barely finished in time.

  “Should we put the soup in the refrigerator?” Brody asked.

  Harmony shook her head. “No, we’re taking it to Tessa’s in an hour. It’ll be fine.”

  The kids saw them walk out of the kitchen and came to traipse up the stairs with them. On the way, Brody studied Aiden. “Are you feeling better now?”

  Aiden nodded, but looked nervous.

  “Are you doing all right with your classes at school?” Harmony asked. “Are you worried about your grades?”

  Aiden gave her a look. “School’s easy.”

  Brody tried next. “Do you like your teacher?”

  He got a dreamy look on his face. “Miss Fredericks is great.”

  Harmony smiled. He had a crush on her. When they reached her room and settled into their chairs, and Aiden flopped on the bed, she said, “Then what’s the deal? Why did you skip today?”

  “A mean kid’s picking on him,” Bailey blurted.

  Aiden gave her a dirty look. “Shut up!”

  Brody’s shoulders squared. He glowered. “Like calling you names or hitting you?”

  Aiden pulled up the sleeve of his shirt and showed them a big bruise. “Mom told me to tell my teacher about it. I don’t want to, but Mom says Dirk won’t stop if I don’t.”

  Brody nodded. “Your mom’s right. Bullies enjoy hurting people, and they keep doing it until someone makes them quit.”

  Aiden frowned at him. “Did anyone ever pick on you?”

  Harmony couldn’t imagine anyone picking on Brody. First, he was big. Secondly, he had an attitude. He’d fight back, even if he lost.

  Brody shook his head. “No one bothered me or Ian. Ian was too antsy, too mouthy. No one wanted to find out what would happen if he got riled.”

  “Even you?” Bailey asked.

  Brody looked surprised. “He was too smart for that, but he found ways to bug me. Bridget had a terrible temper, and that scared people away, but some mean girls picked on Maeve.”

  “What happened?” Aiden glanced at Bailey, worried.

  “I was in high school, and she was in middle school, but Ian took care of it.”

  Harmony was almost afraid to ask, but couldn’t stop herself. She was too nosey. “What did he do?”

  “He left presents for each of them in their lockers.”

  Bailey bit her bottom lip. “What kinds of presents?”

  “Garter snakes, black racers, a few corn snakes. Girls scream a lot around those.”

  Harmony burst out laughing.

  Brody grinned. “He let it be known he could find other things. He hinted he knew where a skunk had a den.”

  Aiden said, “I’d get in trouble if I took a snake to school.”

  “Ian did, too, but he didn’t seem to mind. The girls left Maeve alone after that.”

  Harmony patted Aiden’s head. “Your teacher will know what to do. Your mom gave you good advice. Talk to Miss Fredericks. She’ll help you.”

  Aiden was more subdued when they read the new chapter, and he was quiet when he and Bailey followed Brody downstairs to their apartment.

  Brody glanced back at her. “I’ll load the soup in the SUV and meet you at the door.”

  A cue for her to hustle. The man was getting a little too damned demanding, but she glanced at the clock and sped up. Ten minutes later, she climbed into his warm vehicle. He gave her a sheepish look. Harmony’s heart did a funny twist. How could she stay irritated with him when he looked repentant? Repentant for what, though?

  He cleared his throat. “I need to apologize. I bulldozed you today, and you lost all of your writing time. That’s what you came here to do. I’m sorry.”

  She stared. How could one man disrupt her routine so much and then manage to make her feel fine about it? She shook her head. A contrite Brody was hard to resist. “You’re on a time schedule, too,” she said. “You gave up your work time to help Tessa. So can I.”

  His smile came too readily, and a tiny part of her wondered if she was being played. No, this was Brody. He was too intense, too moody to be that sneaky. Wasn’t he? On the drive to Tessa’s, she decided that she’d better be more cautious around this man. He might be cleverer than he looked.

  Chapter 12

  When Brody carried the pot of soup into Tessa’s kitchen, all of Harmony’s reservations fled. Her friend looked so relieved, Harmony knew Brody had made the right choice. Tessa could use a little TLC right now. Brody sat the pot on the stove, and they carried their bowls over to dish up. Ian put crackers on the table and an apple pie, baked fresh that morning from Tessa’s bakery.

  Brody shifted spots at the table, sitting next to Harmony, so that she could look across at Tessa. When he tasted the soup, he sighed. “You’re right, Harm, your recipe is killer.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Harm?”

  He shrugged. “What in the hell is a nickname for Harmony? Harmy? Mony? What did kids at school call you?”

  “No one would call me that anymore and live.”

  He laughed. “What’s your last name? Does anyone call you that?”

  She glared. “What’s the deal with a nickname? Is your tongue too tired to say three syllables?”

  “No, but we’re friends now. Ian calls Tessa Tess. I should have something to call you.”

  “I haven’t started calling you Bro, have I?” She reached for more crackers.

  He grimaced. “That doesn’t sound very endearing. Not like true friends.” He brightened. “Our last name’s McGregor. You could call me Mac.”

  “Or she could call you Knucklehead,” Ian offered.

  Brody turned to Tessa for help. “What do you call Ian?”

  She smiled. “Just plain Ian. Some names don’t translate well into nicknames.”

  He sighed. “Okay, I get it. Harmony, it is.”

  Harmony bumped his shoulder with her own. “My last name’s Meyer. Will that work?”

  He considered it and shook his head. “Nope, I don’t like that.”

  “Why not?” She stood to get a refill on her soup, took his empty bowl with her, to get him more, too.

  “Someday, when you marry, it won’t apply.”

  “Like that’s gonna happen.” She ladled soup into their bowls.

  “You never know, and then I’d lose my nickname for you.” He took his bowl from her, crunched a handful of crackers, and dropped them in.

  Harmony shook her head. “I guess you’re destined to be frustrated then.”

  “Looks like it.” But she could tell his mind was still turning the problem over, and she dreaded what he’d come up with. Harm was bad enough.

  She turned to Tessa. “How was baking this morning?”

  “Fine, I love working with Grandma, but by the time we finished, I was ready for a nap.”

  “Are you okay with being a mom now?” she asked.

  Tessa’s face lit up. “More than okay, I can’t wait. I’m going to have to beat Grandma away, though. She and Miguel are already volunteering to babysit on weekends.”

  Harmony laughed. Tessa had told her about her grandma hinting for a new baby in the family.

  When they finished their soup, Brody carried the bowls to the sink, rinsed them, and put them in the dishwasher while Ian cut slices of pie. The three of them drank coffee with their dessert, but Tessa declined. “No use pushing my luck,” she said.

  They ate on paper plates
and threw them away. The rest of the cleanup went quickly, and Brody and Harmony were walking out the door at eight thirty.

  Once they were on the road, Brody frowned at her. “I suppose this is going to prove your theory that once a woman’s pregnant, she’s no fun anymore.”

  Harmony blinked at him. “Tessa will always be fun, no matter what.”

  “But you wouldn’t be?”

  “I’m not fun now. If I’m grouchy during good times, why would a baby change that?”

  He hesitated with his answer, slowing down gradually to give himself plenty of time to make the turn into the lodge’s drive. The temperatures had dropped, and the roads were a little slippery again. He pulled to the front door and glanced at her. “I think you’re fun.”

  She snorted. “You’re as grouchy as I am. What would you know?”

  In the dim light, she watched him blink in surprise before he burst out laughing. “You might be right. Frivolous people get on my nerves.”

  “You wouldn’t like a little Miss Sunshine, who hummed in the kitchen and fetched your slippers?”

  “God, no.”

  She grinned at him. “See? I’ve been good for you. You know what to rule out now in your wife search.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  She hurried into the foyer, then waited for him, like usual, but he looked as tired as she felt when he trudged across the resort’s parking lot to join her. He stifled a yawn.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do a movie tonight,” he said.

  She sighed with relief. “Good, because I’d fall asleep on you.”

  “Really?” He gave her a look that could curl toes. “Do you snore in your sleep?”

  She laughed. “Probably, but be warned. If you fall asleep first, I get to prank you.”

  That caught his attention. “What would you do, draw a Sharpie mustache on my upper lip?”

  “Nothing that nice. I’d make smiley faces around both of your nipples.”

  “You’d have to unbutton my shirt to do that. Are you brave enough?”

  “I’ve seen men’s bare chests before.”

  “The voice of experience.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Harm. Sorry I messed up your day.”

  “You’re back to Harm? Really?”

  “A woman who draws on men’s nipples gets what she deserves.”

  She smiled. She’d brought that on herself. On the way up the stairs, she gently touched a finger to where his lips smooched her skin. Nice. She wouldn’t wash her face there tonight. As she drifted off to sleep, her thoughts turned to Luxar and Serifina.

  Ooh, they were getting naughty. Luxar had made it past first base, but Serifina pulled away, not ready to make a full commitment yet. And that’s when Harmony realized that once again, Luxar looked exactly like Brody.

  Chapter 13

  Harmony slept in the next morning. She always let herself have slow starts on weekends. Aiden had told her they couldn’t read with her. Their mom liked spending time with them when they were out of school. That worked for her. She liked to goof off on Saturday mornings and eat lunch before she hit the keys.

  She got showered and dressed, then settled in front of the TV. She no longer watched cartoons, like she did as a kid, but sipped coffee and enjoyed her favorite programs on the Food Network. The celebrity cooks were making comfort food on The Kitchen. They made a macaroni and cheese that looked delicious. She and Brody hadn’t put that on their list.

  She went downstairs at twelve thirty and was happy to see that Luther was eating lunch with them. Paula had made sandwiches and then taken the kids into town to eat. Fast food was a rare treat in their family. Aiden had wrinkled his nose and said, “My mom cooks all the time.”

  “Someday, you’ll appreciate that,” Harmony told him.

  Ian motioned toward his helper. “You’ve met our handyman, Luther. Kayla doesn’t work on Saturdays during the winter,” he explained. “No gardens or yard work to worry about, so she watches the baby, and Luther and I get things done. When she helps Tessa bake for teas when the lodge is open, Luther watches the baby. We keep our hours flexible.”

  Harmony nodded. “You guys must be pretty easy to work for. You’re nice people.”

  Luther agreed. Eyes slanted away from her, he said, “They treat us like family.” He was too shy to look at her directly. She found that endearing.

  “I’m flexible, too,” Brody said. “When are you starting supper for Tessa? I can stop what I’m doing and help out whenever you need me.”

  “I’m throwing the pork loin in the slow cooker as soon as we finish lunch.” Then she could forget about it and concentrate on her writing.

  “Good, what do I get to do?” He sounded excited.

  Ian laughed at him. “Probably the same thing Tessa gives me—peel and chop vegetables.”

  Harmony shrugged. “What can I say? Sous chefs get prep work.” When Brody looked disappointed, she added, “I’m using two slow cookers today, though. One for the pork loin, the other for the chuck roast to put in the beef and noodle soup on Sunday.”

  “Can I work on the chuck roast?” At the moment, Brody reminded her of Aiden.

  She gave him a quizzical look. “Didn’t your mom let you help in the kitchen?”

  He shook his head. “That was her domain. She ruled it with a wooden spoon and was happy to use it as a weapon if we pestered her too much.”

  Harmony frowned at Ian. “But your mom let you lick the spoon when she made cakes and cookies, right? Tessa said you like helping her bake.”

  “That was a sacred and special experience,” Ian explained. “A rare privilege.”

  “But you know how to cook.”

  Ian grinned. “I can grill. And I was single for a long time. I learned a few basics, whereas Brody here married the woman of his nightmares and took her out to dine every night.”

  Brody scowled and glanced at poor Luther, who was gazing at him in horror. “I did marry the wrong woman, and Ian’s right. I never learned to cook.”

  Harmony sighed. “You’re making something simple into something difficult. I don’t do gourmet. My stuff’s everyday food. There’s not much to it. You’ll see.”

  They finished their sandwiches, and Ian and Luther took off to work on the suites. Harmony went to the wall of kitchen cupboards and scrounged until she found the stored, electrical appliances. Turning to Brody, she said, “Do as I do.” When she set up her slow cooker, he set up his. When she sprayed the bottom and added her roast, he added his. They liberally seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, then chopped onions, carrots, and celery and tossed them in the pot. Finally, she added some chicken broth to hers, and he added beef broth to his. She grinned at him. “I’m going to add a few more seasonings to mine, but all you have to do is put a lid on yours.”

  “That’s all there is to it?” He looked proud of himself.

  “For now. By dinnertime, the meat will fall apart. We’ll stick it in the refrigerator and shred it for the beef and noodles tomorrow.”

  Brody cleaned up while she sprinkled a packet of dried French onion soup mix over the pork and vegetables and added a few dashes of soy sauce. “Nothing fancy,” she told him. “This is as simple as it gets.”

  He headed back to work with Ian and Luther, and she zipped upstairs to write. Luxar and Serifina had a bad afternoon. Demons didn’t have to wait until the sun set to walk outside. Neither did wizards. Torrid sent both to break down Luxar’s door and kill them. Antique wall hangings went up in smoke. So did Oriental rugs and window treatments. Even a few pieces of heavy wooden furniture, but luckily massive stones wouldn’t burn, so Luxar’s mansion survived. The demon and wizard didn’t. Serifina decided there and then that she was going to cast wards to keep enemies from entering Luxar’s home. But spell casting took time, and they were barely finished before Harmony had to get ready to go to Tessa’s.

  She tugged on dark jeans and a crimson, long-sleeved T-shirt with VAMPIRES SUCK
in black letters across her breasts. She added mascara and blush, then hurried downstairs. She tossed together a salad and was carrying it from the kitchen when Brody tramped into the foyer and stomped snow off his boots.

  “I didn’t see you come down.” He stopped to read her T-shirt and shook his head. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  She smiled. “Depends on the vampire.”

  “I have the food loaded in the SUV. You ready?”

  She shrugged into her wool coat, pulled on gloves and a hat, then stepped into her boots. “How cold is it?”

  “You could freeze your ass off.”

  She put a hand behind her. “Mine’s not that great as it is. I need to protect it.”

  “I’ll stand guard.” He took her elbow and hurried her outside. This time, he held the door and let her get settled before he crossed to his side of the vehicle.

  “Thanks for the special treatment, but it’s too cold for that,” she complained. “You can hold my door once spring comes.”

  “You’re holding the salad.” He drove carefully to Tessa’s.

  When they put the roast and vegetables in the center of the table, and everyone took their usual seats, Harmony was happy to see that Tessa looked more rested than before.

  Tessa smiled. “I took a nap when I got home from the bakery. I just got up half an hour ago.”

  “That’s good,” Ian told her. “Get all the rest you can. Which reminds me. We’re sleeping in tomorrow. And even brothers get Sundays off. No working on the suites, and no reason for you guys to bring supper.” He looked at Brody and Harmony. “We can all have a break. We have plenty of stuff to reheat.”

  Brody glanced at Harmony. “Will my roast be okay?”

  His roast. Harmony got a kick out of that. “We’ll use it on Monday. No problem.”

  He looked out the kitchen windows at the layers of snow that led to the frozen lake. “How are the main roads? Have you heard?”

  Ian grimaced. “We’re not total hicks, you know. The country roads might be messy, but the state does plow the main roads. I heard they’re in good shape.”