The Stars at Night

by Gerri Hill

  The evening didn’t end then, though. Mark was the one to suggest a card game. Dale bowed out, choosing to relax by the TV instead. The four of them settled on a game of Spades with she and Mark being partners. They beat Susan and Lexie three games straight and between the laughter and accusations of cheating, they played a fourth game. Susan and Lexie were finally victorious.

  “See. You finally had to play without cheating and we beat your ass!” Lexie teased.

  “We let you win,” Mark countered. “All that bitching and moaning you two were doing. Geez.”

  Kyler wasn’t sure whose side to take in that fight, so she kept quiet. Susan smiled at her across the table.

  “It’s so nice to have everyone together. We used to play cards all the time when they were still living at home.”

  “And he cheated then too!”

  Mark laughed. “You just hate to admit that I’m better than you. Tell her, Ky.”

  Kyler held her hands up. “Nope. Keep me out of it.” She pushed away from the table. “I should get going anyway. Susan, can I help in the kitchen?”

  “I think that’s what I’m here for.” Lexie put the cards up. “Fun night.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “Are we doing football tomorrow?” Mark asked.

  “Yeah, but inside by the fireplace, not on the deck.” She stood up. “I’ll need to run by Potters. Anyone have a preference for snacks?”

  “I’m actually bringing something.” Lexie wiggled her eyebrows. “Cauliflower buffalo wings.”

  Mark groaned.

  “Sounds…awful,” Kyler admitted.

  Lexie didn’t seem offended. “They’re delicious. And I’m making a spicy tofu ranch sauce for dipping. You’ll love it.”

  “Where in the world did you find tofu?” she asked.

  “Amazon is my friend. Two-day delivery. When I went down to Potters, the girl there didn’t even know what tofu was. I mean, who doesn’t know what tofu is?”

  Mark put his arm around Kyler’s shoulders and squeezed. “Kyler here has never eaten tofu before. This ought to be interesting.”

  Lexie shook her head. “A ranch dipping sauce is not really eating tofu. I promise, you won’t be able to tell that it’s not dairy.” She walked closer to them, smiling in what Kyler swore was a flirty manner. “Now, if you want to lend me your kitchen, I’ll be happy to make a dish with tofu for you. Expand your palate some. I’m not a great cook, but I do a pretty mean tofu stir-fry with lots of veggies and spice.”

  “Of course. You can use my kitchen whenever you want.”

  Mark laughed and squeezed her shoulder one more time. “I give it two weeks.”

  Kyler frowned. “Two weeks for what?”

  “Before you’re sleeping together.”

  Lexie gasped and Kyler felt her face turn beet red. Susan laughed from the kitchen and she even heard Dale chuckle behind them.

  “You’re out of your mind,” Lexie said. “First of all, we hardly know each other. Secondly, she’s your best friend. That would be…be weird.” Lexie took a step away from them. “Besides, after Crazy Cathy, I’m taking a break. A long break.” She looked at Kyler. “No offense.”

  “I don’t want to sleep with you either.” Was that a lie? She punched Mark in the arm. “Troublemaker.” She turned her attention to Susan. “Thank you again for dinner, Susan. It was delicious.”

  “You’re always welcome, Kyler.” Susan winked at her and Kyler found herself smiling.

  “Goodnight, everyone.” She glanced at Mark. “See you about noon.” Then to Lexie. “Can’t wait to taste your cauliflower and tofu stuff.”

  Lexie smiled at her too. “You’re going to love it.”

  “That remains to be seen, but I’ll try anything once.” She looked again at Mark. “I’ll get something fattening and unhealthy at Potters for us.”

  “Get some of their frozen pizzas. And some chips.”

  She held her hand up as she went out the door. “See you tomorrow.”

  She went down the stairs, still smiling. Cauliflower buffalo wings? What in the hell was that going to taste like? Didn’t matter. She was looking forward to the day. She always enjoyed their Sunday outings, but since Lexie had started joining them, it was a little more fun than usual.

  Thoughts of Sunday football were blown away as soon as she stepped outside. The wind was brutal, and she was glad she had on the thick sweatshirt instead of the sweater. She pulled on her jacket before getting inside the Jeep. It was as cold on the inside as out and she turned the heat on full blast, then closed the vents as near arctic air blew on her. She shivered all the way home, not even the image of Lexie’s flirty smile being able to warm her.

  Well, it did a little, she conceded as she pulled into her driveway.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Oh, that was so pass interference!”

  Kyler shook her head. “My guy barely touched him.”

  “He practically mauled him!”

  Kyler’s mouth twitched as she tried to contain her smile. She apparently gave up. “You’re right. He mauled him. Shame the ref didn’t see it. Would have been a first down too. Instead, you have to punt.”

  “Don’t count your money just yet, honey. We have the whole second half to go.”

  “I had no idea you liked football this much,” Mark said as he handed her another beer. “I guess Dad’s love of the game wore off on you.”

  “I guess. I will admit, I’m a bit of a rabid Cowboys fan. And this one,” she said, pointing at Kyler, “has the audacity to root for the Packers.”

  Mark and Kyler exchanged glances, then they both laughed. Lexie narrowed her eyes. “What?”

  “You’re so bad,” Mark told Kyler. “How are you pulling that off?”

  “What are you talking about?” Lexie demanded.

  “Lift up your sweatshirt.”

  “I will not,” Kyler said, but the smile was still on her face. “So, how are those cauliflower things coming along. I’m starving.”

  “They’re in the oven.” She looked at her watch. “Four more minutes. What about your pizza?”

  “Yeah, it needs to go in pretty soon.”

  When Kyler got up to add a log to the fire, Lexie grabbed the bottom of her sweatshirt and yanked it up. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw a dark blue T-shirt with the star on the front.

  “You are so busted!”

  Kyler laughed. “Hey, you bet me ten bucks. The Packers are picked to win by seven. It was a no-brainer.”

  “You have a freakin’ Cowboys shirt on!”

  “Yeah. Diehard fan.”

  Lexie threw up her hands. “You’re insane. A true Cowboys fan would never do that.”

  “Hey, ten bucks is ten bucks.”

  Lexie shook her head. “You’re amazing.”

  “Oh, thank you. I think you’re pretty amazing too.”

  Mark laughed as Lexie stuck her tongue out at Kyler. “I’m going to go check on my cauliflower.”

  “Put the pizza in the oven,” Kyler called after her.

  “Rooting for the Packers,” she muttered under her breath. But she was smiling as she pulled the cauliflower wings from the oven. What fun the first half had been. Kyler was like a breath of fresh air, wasn’t she?

  She paused, thinking back to the handful of football parties she’d attended. Most of her friends weren’t fans of the game or if they were it was only casual. Some of her workout buddies from the gym enjoyed football and that’s where she’d normally go if there was a big game on. She’d usually find herself in front of the TV with the husbands as the girls hung out in the kitchen drinking wine. More often than not, she spent Sundays alone during the season.

  Then there was Cathy. She hated football. Cathy hated sports, period. She flicked her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head. What in the world had she ever seen in Cathy? Yes, she was attractive. And charming, at least at the beginning. But what drew her? They had nothing in common. She’d known that after the first fe
w weeks of dating. Why had she let it go on?

  Loneliness? Boredom? Or was it that she’d been approaching Twenty-eight years of age—which was damn close to thirty—and she’d heard the whisperings of her friends? Lexie must be difficult, why else would she still be single. Lexie must be horrible in bed—they never stick around. Lexie apparently is hard to get along with, she can’t seem to keep a girlfriend for longer than a few months. Or her favorite—Lexie is just too picky.

  Why was it considered “picky” when she knew it wasn’t what she wanted? Was it so bad wanting to wait for that perfect someone who would sweep her off her feet? Someone she would fall madly in love with? She knew now—like she’d most likely known then—that Twenty-eight was way too young to settle for less than what she wanted, settle for something that wasn’t great, but good enough. Because, as it turned out, it wasn’t good enough. Not by a long shot.

  “Hey.”

  She turned her head, finding Kyler leaning against the breakfast bar. Warm brown eyes looked back at her, one eyebrow cocked questioningly. She answered the unspoken question honestly.

  “Lost in thought. Thinking back to other football Sundays.”

  “Ah. More fun than this, huh?”

  Lexie smiled at her. “Quite the opposite, actually.” She motioned to the container of buffalo sauce. “Come help.”

  Kyler did as she asked, opening the lid and taking a sniff. “Oh, yeah. That’ll open up the sinuses.”

  “It’s a secret concoction so don’t ask for the recipe.”

  Kyler peered over her shoulder. “So those are cauliflower wings. Looks interesting.”

  She elbowed her playfully. “You’re going to love them. Drizzle some of that sauce on them. Then ten more minutes in the oven.”

  “What kind of batter is that?”

  “It’s a buttermilk batter. I normally use soy milk, but Potters was not accommodating.”

  “Had to use the real thing then?” Kyler teased as she spooned buffalo sauce. “How liberally?”

  “A little more than that.”

  As Kyler finished the wings, Lexie took one of the frozen pizzas from the freezer. “Or do you want both of them?”

  “We’ll start with one. Because these things do look kinda good.”

  As Lexie absently opened the box and took out the pizza, she watched Kyler meticulously coat each wing with sauce.

  “Diehard fan? Really?”

  “Yep.” Kyler paused. “Well, I wasn’t really into football growing up. My dad was only a casual fan of the game. When I went to college, I started watching college games. Loved it. A couple of the guys I hung out with were from Dallas and got me hooked. Sundays during football season were the highlight of each week.” She grinned. “I never used to drink beer until I met those guys.”

  “Hey…second half is about to start,” Mark called from the living room.

  Kyler glanced at her and winked. “I hope I lose the ten bucks.”

  Lexie laughed. “Me too.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “I had so much fun.” Lexie hugged Mark and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for including me.”

  “It was fun. And your cauliflower things were good. Not as good as chicken wings, mind you, but pretty good.”

  “Yeah, they were just okay,” Kyler added as she put on her coat.

  Lexie laughed. “Right. You ate like twelve of them.” She pointed at Mark. “So did you!”

  “Come on, I’ll give you a lift down the hill,” Kyler offered. She picked up the bag that Lexie had put by the door. “Not that it’ll be warm, but it’ll save you from fighting the wind.”

  “When will it warm up again?”

  “Tuesday. In the fifties.”

  “Bike ride?”

  Kyler nodded without hesitation. “Sure. I’ll swing down after I get off work.” She glanced back at Mark, trying to ignore his exaggerated smile. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight, girls.”

  The wind blew against them as they walked off the deck. With heads down, they hurried to the Jeep. The seats felt like ice and Kyler turned the heat to high.

  “Sorry, but by the time I get you home, it’ll still be freezing in here.”

  “Still beats walking.” Lexie pulled gloves on, then flipped the collar up around her ears. “I need one of those caps.”

  Kyler adjusted her knit hat lower on her ears. “Yes. They come in handy.” She pointed at the console as she drove off. “Already eighteen. Gonna be frigid in the morning.”

  “You don’t have to work, do you?”

  “No. I’m off.”

  “Do you have a fireplace?”

  “I do. It’s very small. I have a propane heater, though, that keeps the cabin pretty warm.” A few turns down the bumpy road had them at the lodge and she pulled in beside Lexie’s car. “Here you go.”

  Lexie lifted her hand to open the door, then paused. A long second, two. Maybe longer as the wind beat against the Jeep. Kyler thought that perhaps she was studying her. What for, she didn’t know.

  “Thank you, Kyler. As I said earlier, it was a fun day.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  Lexie again seemed to hesitate, then she surprised her by leaning across the console and giving her a quick hug. “Bike ride on Tuesday?”

  “You got it.”

  Kyler waited until Lexie went inside her apartment before pulling away. She was smiling and she felt like humming. All from a tiny, brief, one-armed hug. What in the world was wrong with her?

  By the time she wound her way through the park and onto the little road that would take her home, the Jeep finally showed signs of warming. She parked beside her cabin and hurried to her door, her head ducked against the onslaught of wind. She closed the door and leaned against it, the quiet pronounced in the dark, the wind relegated to the background.

  She plugged the Christmas tree lights in, watching the colors twinkle for a moment before going to the corner where the propane heater was. She turned the flame up, then held her hands out to it, warming them.

  Yeah, it had been a good day. Not to say that she didn’t always enjoy Sundays with Mark. But it was different with Lexie there. A little more fun, a little more laughter. It was certainly more fun watching football with Lexie. She knew the game and she had a team. It just so happened to be her team too. Mark was too laid back to care much about who was winning or losing. It was simply an excuse to get together and drink a few beers and splurge on wings and pizza and the like.

  “And cauliflower wings,” she said with a shake of her head. They were damn good. And spicy enough to make her eyes water. And yeah, she’d eaten twelve or more, dunking them in the tofu ranch sauce that—as Lexie had predicted—she couldn’t tell wasn’t real ranch dressing.

  She turned her back to the heater, now facing the tree. There was something about staring at the lights of a Christmas tree that made her feel peaceful. It was quiet inside. Still. The room dark. And warm. Her gaze slid to the empty sofa. She could see Lexie sitting there, smiling or laughing at something she’d said. Lexie would—

  “God, what is wrong with you?” she muttered.

  She moved away from the heater and turned on some lights, chasing Lexie away. Did she have a crush on her or something? No. She was Thirty-one years old. That’s too old to have a crush. So she ate cauliflower wings dipped into tofu sauce? She would have tried that for any other friend, not just Lexie. Yeah, they were friends and she could see them getting to be good friends.

  But a crush?

  The last time she’d had a so-called crush—Britney—she’d jumped in headfirst. And she crashed hard when Britney broke up with her. There’d been no signs that Britney wasn’t happy. It had come right out of left field and Kyler remembered being speechless as Britney was telling her she didn’t love her. And she remembered crying over her first—and only—broken heart.

  That was years ago, though. In hindsight, Britney had been right, of course. They weren’t destined to live happil
y ever after. They hadn’t had enough in common. Even then. Now? No. She’d changed so much, Britney probably wouldn’t even recognize her.

  Lexie was like Britney, wasn’t she? Cute and a little flirty, fun to be around. Lexie could be someone she could have a fling with, nothing more. If she wasn’t Mark’s sister, she might even pursue it. She was going to be here a couple of months, at least. A little Christmas fling might be fun. But Lexie wasn’t interested in that with her, so it was really a moot point.

  Crush or no crush, Lexie wasn’t interested in her and probably wouldn’t be interested in a fling either. With a sigh, she pushed that thought away. They were friends. That was enough.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Lexie sorted through the brochures that had come in the mail, restocking the rack and putting out the new ones her mother had ordered. She looked at one of them, wondering what the Marfa Lights were. As she stacked them neatly on the rack, another caught her eye. Davis Mountains Scenic Loop. It was where Kyler had taken her on her tour of the area after the sunrise. She realized she was smiling as she put the brochure in its proper place.

  It had been a rather slow morning, though. Only one guest had checked out. A nice couple. Eric and Darla, from San Antonio. They’d told her it had become an annual trip for them, although next year, they planned to come during the Thanksgiving week. They’d made reservations while they were here, and she booked them into their favorite room—Twenty-three.

  There were two guests scheduled to arrive that afternoon. They only had four vacant rooms, but even so, everything seemed quiet. There were no people milling about, none passing through, asking for directions or inquiring about nearby attractions. Not that she could help with either of those things. Well, she could hand them a brochure.

  With a sigh, she went back to the desk and sat down. Her mother was in town, doing her weekly grocery shopping. Her father was in his workshop “tinkering” with something. She updated the reservation screen, hoping to find a new one, something to occupy her time. She’d already done enough research on the software that they ran to know that she’d not be able to tweak it for what her mother wanted. They did have the capability to upload files, meant for the purpose of populating personal data from a questionnaire that her parents weren’t using. The questionnaire was fluid and could be changed easily. She thought she might be able to use that to her advantage. Dump the reservation file, populate the reworked questionnaire, then upload it back into the system, populating all the fields that they were manually doing now.