Perfect Rhythm

by Jae

  “Maybe it’s a generational thing. My mother doesn’t like the music I listen to or the movies I watch either.”

  “I think it’s a little more than that with my father. He never approved of a single thing I did. Short of being accepted at Juilliard, like he was, nothing I accomplish will ever be good enough for him. After I won my first Grammy and called home to share the good news with him, he told me that my namesake—Leontyne Price—had won nineteen of them, so one was nothing to be proud of.”

  Acid burned in the pit of her stomach. After all these years and two more Grammys that she hadn’t shared with her father, she’d thought she was over it, but that old wound still hurt.

  Holly stared at her, the last piece of scone seemingly forgotten in her hand. Was she just imagining it, or had Holly’s eyes become damp?

  “You know,” Holly said, then had to stop to clear her throat, “at the risk of sounding unprofessional again… Your father might be a highly gifted musician and a great teacher, but when it comes to you, he’s an idiot.”

  Her bluntness stunned Leo. No one had ever talked about her father like that. She burst out laughing, and the old pain eased. “I agree.” She made a playful grab for the last piece of scone.

  Holly pulled her hand away and hid it behind her back but then held it out to Leo.

  “Are you sure?” Leo asked.

  “Yeah. You could write me a song in exchange.”

  “A song in exchange for an itty-bitty crumb of scone?”

  “The last itty-bitty crumb of scone,” Holly said.

  “Deal. How about…Scone Woman.” She sang it to the melody of “Moon River.”

  Holly threw the crumpled-up paper bag at her. “Wider than a mile?” she quoted a line of the song. “Is that a dig at my…um, curvy figure?”

  “No.” Leo waggled her eyebrows, which probably looked silly rather than seductive. “I happen to like your curvy figure.”

  Holly put the last of the scone into her mouth and crunched it happily.

  “Hey! I thought we had a deal?”

  “I didn’t like the payment.” Holly licked her thumb. “Plus I need all the calories I can get to maintain the curvy figure you like so much.”

  Was she flirting?

  But Holly looked entirely oblivious, so it was probably all just in her head.

  Leo flicked a few crumbs off her thighs. “So, you mentioned movies. Which ones do you enjoy?”

  Later that day, Leo was in the backyard, taking measurements for the new ramp she wanted to have installed, when her mother opened the screen door.

  “Holly’s Jeep isn’t starting. Can you give her a ride home? I would do it, but the pie still has another fifteen minutes to go before it’s done.”

  Leo put down the tape measure and jogged up the three steps to the kitchen. “Sure.”

  Holly stood on the other side of the breakfast bar. “That’s really not necessary. I can walk home and call Travis to take care of the Jeep.”

  “It’s no problem. I’m done out there anyway.” Leo grabbed her keys from the counter. “Come on.”

  “Um, can I drive?” Holly asked. “Otherwise, I’ll fall asleep.”

  Leo shook her head. “Sorry, but the rental car insurance doesn’t cover another driver.” She couldn’t imagine that anyone could fall asleep on such a short drive anyway.

  “I don’t know why you keep driving the rental and don’t just take your father’s car,” her mother said. “It’s not like he can drive it anymore.”

  “Dad’s old Buick is really not my style, Mom.” It wasn’t the real reason she kept her rental car, though. Having the rental car ensured she could leave town any time she wanted.

  Her mother stood on the porch and watched as they got into the car.

  “It’s the small house across the street from the elementary school,” Holly said as she clicked the seat belt into place.

  Leo nodded, started the engine, and drove in the direction of the school. A song on the radio caught her attention for a moment. When it ended, she asked, “So, what’s wrong with the Jeep?”

  No answer came from the passenger seat.

  Leo glanced to her right.

  Holly’s head leaned back against the headrest. Her eyes were closed and her lips slightly parted.

  Leo chuckled quietly. So Holly hadn’t been joking. She turned down the radio volume and kept glancing at Sleeping Beauty while she navigated the nearly empty streets.

  When she reached the house across from the elementary school, she parked at the curb and shut off the engine.

  Holly was still fast asleep.

  Boy, she’s cute. Leo almost didn’t want to wake her, but what was she supposed to do? Sit next to her in the car all night?

  Before she could make a decision, Holly sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked around blearily. “Oh. We’re home already. I warned you I would fall asleep.”

  “You did. I just didn’t think you were serious.”

  “Oh yeah. My father used to tease me about it, even though he’s probably to blame for my carcolepsy. When I was a baby, I had colic, and the only thing that would calm me was when he was driving me around.” Her smile was wistful and didn’t bring out her dimples.

  Leo grinned. “I bet he’s trying the same technique on Ethan’s and Zack’s kids nowadays.”

  Holly pressed her lips together. “I wish. He died five years ago.” She unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car.

  Damn. Leo quickly followed her.

  With her back to Leo, Holly fumbled for her key in the messenger bag slung across her chest.

  Leo stepped next to her and put her hand on Holly’s arm for a moment. “I’m sorry, Holly. I had no idea.”

  Holly sighed. “It was a car accident, just a few months after your grandmother died.” She unlocked the front door and entered the house as if wanting to leave the memories behind. “Want to come in?”

  “Um, sure.” With a lump in her throat, Leo followed. Now she understood a little better why Holly had been so angry with her about not coming home and not talking to her parents—at least Leo still had both of her parents.

  “How about I give you the nickel tour?” Holly asked.

  “Sorry, I don’t have a nickel.” Leo turned the pockets of her shorts inside out.

  “Well, it’s not worth a nickel anyway. The place is really small.”

  The living room, with a tiny eating area at one end, opened up into the kitchen, making the house seem larger than it was. The light of the evening sun gleamed off the hardwood floor. Warm colors and comfortable-looking furniture filled the living room: a tan couch, a worn easy chair, a dark red area rug, and a bookshelf crammed full of books and family pictures. A tattered paperback sat next to a half-full bottle of water and a scented candle in a glass jar on the coffee table. An Xbox was hooked up to the flat-screen TV in one corner of the room, while the opposite corner held a stereo.

  Leo walked over to take a look at Holly’s CD rack. Among Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, and Tina Turner, she discovered three of her own albums.

  “Does it meet your approval?”

  Leo glanced back and caught the flicker of a smile on Holly’s face. “Oh yeah. Clearly, you’re a woman of great musical taste.”

  Holly led her upstairs. A queen-sized bed took up most of the space in her bedroom, and a walk-in closet claimed the other wall. The bed was neatly made, a quilt pulled tight over it.

  The tour ended in the second bedroom, which Holly had set up as an office with a small desk.

  The entire house was lived in, but neat—a warm, comfortable home rather than the luxury show places Leo usually got invited into.

  “Nice house. Really cute,” Leo said as they went back to the first floor. “Very you.” Damn. She’d basically just called Holly
cute. “Uh, I mean, is it yours?”

  If Holly noticed her little slip, she didn’t react to it. “No, I rent.”

  They paused at the front door.

  “Do you need a ride tomorrow morning?” Leo asked. “I’d be happy to pick you up.”

  “No. Thanks for the offer, though. My Jeep probably just needs a new battery, but if it’s something Travis can’t fix, I’ll walk. I could use the exercise.”

  Leo eyed her skeptically. Holly looked just fine to her. “I don’t think you need to lose any weight. But if you want, we could go for a run together sometime.”

  “A run?”

  Leo playfully arched her brows. “Yeah. Unless you don’t think you can keep up with me.”

  Holly snorted and gave her a swat on the arm. “You wish. Day after tomorrow, right after work—you’re on.”

  They exchanged challenging grins; then Leo said goodbye and left with a wave. When she got into the car, her gaze fell onto the passenger seat, where Holly had taken her little after-work nap. Smiling, she started the car.

  Chapter 9

  Gravel crunched beneath their running shoes as they jogged along the creek that ran through the entire length of Fair Oaks’s only park.

  Leo sped up so she gained the lead on Holly. “Come on, slow poke!”

  “We’re not…in…New York,” Holly puffed out behind her. “Slow down…and…enjoy the…scenery.”

  Oh, I’m enjoying the scenery a bit too much whenever we’re running side by side.

  As the sun slowly made its descent toward the horizon, the summer heat receded a little, but it was still hot enough to work up a sweat. The way Holly’s damp tank top clung to her had caused Leo to stumble over a root earlier, so running ahead of her was much less dangerous for her health—and their still-new friendship.

  As far as she could tell, Holly didn’t have the same problem. She might be attracted to women, but either she was much better at ogling her without getting caught or Leo wasn’t her type.

  On the one hand, it was refreshing to be around a woman who couldn’t care less about the way she looked, but on the other hand, it was tough on her ego.

  Forget your ego and just enjoy her company. Leo lengthened her stride, taking advantage of her longer legs. “The last one to the bridge buys the scones!”

  They raced toward the bridge with Holly hot on her heels, gravel spraying left and right.

  By the time they reached the bridge, they were both gasping for breath. Leo didn’t even have enough air left in her lungs to brag about winning the race. They leaned on the wooden railing next to each other.

  Holly’s face was flushed from the exertion, and her short hair stuck to her head in damp strands, but she was grinning as if she was the one who’d won the race.

  Footsteps on the other end of the bridge made Leo straighten and look up.

  Ashley walked toward them, leading a Golden Retriever by a leash.

  Leo stifled a groan. Of all the people in Fair Oaks, they had to come across the person she least wanted to run into. Next to her, she felt Holly stiffen too, and Leo instinctively reached out to place her hand on the small of her back. As soon as her fingers touched the damp shirt, she became aware of what she was doing, but withdrawing her hand now would only call attention to it, so she left it where it was.

  When Ashley saw them, her steps faltered, but then she plastered a smile to her face. “Out for a run?”

  No, we’re going to the opera. That’s why we’re wearing running clothes. Leo bit back the words and just nodded.

  The dog was wiggling its tail, whining and straining against its leash to get to Holly.

  When Holly bent to greet the dog, the contact between her back and Leo’s hand was interrupted. Finally, she straightened and returned to Leo’s side.

  Ash’s gaze flicked back and forth between them. “So you two…?”

  “Are out for a run, like you just said,” Holly finished the sentence with a too-broad smile.

  “Well, then, I don’t want to keep you. You could pull a muscle or something if you cool down.” Ashley tugged on the leash to get the dog away from Holly, and they continued on their way.

  Leo watched her walk away before turning back toward Holly. “You know she thinks you and I are burning calories together in ways other than running, right?”

  “Nah. I doubt she thinks that.”

  Leo gave her an incredulous look. “Of course she does.”

  “Would that be a problem?” Holly asked.

  “Not for me. But what about you? The tabloids have been suspiciously quiet since I got here, but what if they start writing bullshit about me returning home for a little fling with a local woman?”

  Holly shrugged, and Leo had to ignore the way the movement made the damp shirt stretch across her breasts. “Rumors about a hot affair with you could only help my reputation. I’ve been called a cold fish by some people.”

  Leo nearly choked on her own spit. “Excuse me?” Holly was friendly and compassionate. Why the hell would anyone call her that? “Who said that?”

  Holly kicked at a piece of gravel, which landed in the creek with a plop. “You know what? Let’s not spoil a perfectly nice evening by talking about them. I think I owe you a scone, so let’s go get it.” She jogged across the bridge without waiting for a reply.

  Leo caught up with her. “Didn’t Slice of Heaven close hours ago?”

  “Yeah, but being friends with the owner has its advantages. I’m sure she’s got a few left over for me.”

  They ran side by side for a while, neither of them saying anything else. When they reached the edge of the park, Leo held her back with a hand on her arm. “Just for the record… I think they’re idiots.”

  Holly put her hand on top of Leo’s for a moment and squeezed. “Thanks.”

  When they reached Slice of Heaven, the front door was locked, and a closed sign dangled at eye level.

  “Looks like we won’t be getting any scones.” Leo’s stomach grumbled in disappointment.

  Holly peered through the glass, and after a second, Leo leaned forward and followed her example so that their heads were nearly touching.

  Even after their run, Holly smelled amazing.

  Leo tried to ignore it and turned her attention to the bakery. It was empty, and so was the display case.

  Holly knocked on the glass.

  It took a moment, but then footsteps approached, and someone unlocked the door. When it swung open, Sasha Peterson filled the doorway.

  Leo rarely had to look up at other women, but she remembered that Sasha, who had been two years behind her in school, had already been her height back then.

  The bandanna Sasha wore instead of a baker’s cap held back her braided hair and emphasized her strong features. When she saw Holly, a warm smile lit up her face and immediately made her look less intimidating. “Hey. Let me guess. You were in the neighborhood and wondered if there were any scones left.”

  “Um, something like that.” Holly hugged her without seeming to care about the chocolate streaks on her apron, and Leo marveled at the affectionate way she interacted with her friend.

  She sure as hell didn’t have any friends like that. Air kisses and pats on the shoulder were much more common in her circles.

  Holly gestured toward Leo. “Sasha, you remember Leo?”

  “Of course. Come on in.” Sasha invited them into the bakery with a sweep of her arm. She seemed entirely unaffected by being in the presence of a celebrity, and Leo was grateful for that. “I saw you when you came in a couple of days ago. Sorry I didn’t have time to chat.”

  “Yeah, it looked busy.”

  “Sasha has done really well for herself since she took over the bakery.” Pride colored Holly’s voice.

  “Now if only I could get my aunt to stay out of the bakery and enjoy her
well-deserved retirement.”

  Holly and Sasha laughed as if it were a running joke.

  Sasha led them into the back of the bakery, where a bread machine was whirring and several of the ovens were still running, heating up the room.

  “You’re still working?” Holly raised her voice a little to be heard over the noise.

  “Just trying out a new recipe. Give me a second, then I’ll get your scones.” Sasha put on oven mitts, pulled a sheet of what looked like chocolate cookies from the oven, and scooped them onto a cooling rack.

  The heat from the ovens tinged Holly’s cheeks with an attractive flush as she leaned closer and stole a cookie. She blew on it and then took a bite.

  “Uh, Holly, those are—”

  Holly froze mid-chew. With a gulp, she swallowed the bite of cookie. “I don’t know how to tell you, but you might want to rethink that recipe. I liked your usual espresso chocolate chip cookies much better.”

  Sasha laughed, a sound that filled the kitchen. “That’s because they’re not espresso chocolate chip cookies.”

  “No?” Holly stared down at the other half of the cookie in her hand. “What are they?”

  “Um, I call them Beagle Bites.” Looking at Leo, Sasha added, “I want to branch out and offer treats for our four-legged friends too.”

  “You gave me dog treats?”

  The wide-eyed look on Holly’s face made Leo join in Sasha’s laughter.

  “Gave you? You snatched it up before I could stop you.” Still laughing, Sasha handed her a bottle of water. “Don’t worry. It’s full of ingredients that are good for you.”

  Holly drank half of the water in one big gulp. “Will it make my hair all shiny?”

  “If it does, let me know, and I’ll sell them as the latest health food to my human customers. All right, let me get you the scones.”

  When Sasha left the room, the kitchen seemed much larger.

  Holly made a face and emptied her water bottle.

  Leo leaned against the counter and watched her with a smile.