by Tena Stetler
“And just how many guests have you lured to your humble abode?”
“Oh, let’s see…at last count…one,” he said dryly.
She sniffed, looking around the kitchen. “Do I smell…” She sniffed again, one eyebrow raised. “Tracy’s world-famous cinnamon apple tarts?”
“Yep, sure do. She baked them especially for you, actually.” He shrugged again and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“For me?”
“Apparently my coworkers have very little faith in my ability to entertain a woman. Earlier this afternoon, I opened the door to find Cody standing on my porch with a bottle of wine—dessert wine, he claimed—a bag of ice, an ice bucket, and Tracy’s homemade tarts.”
Brandy burst out laughing, then covered her mouth, trying to stifle the laughter. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to get those tarts? You have to order several days in advance.” She waved her hand toward the counter where the tarts sat in the basket. “And you get them in one day. She must really like you.”
“Or feel sorry for me. I’ve gone from being the strange, scary midnight DJ rarely seen during daylight hours to everyone’s favorite charity case. You’re to blame, you know. It all changed when you attended the ball game.”
She hopped up on the stool, reached into her bag, pulled out a chicken sandwich, and took a bite, smoothing out the bag to set the sandwich on. “You’re welcome,” she called over her shoulder. “You’re the one who invited me to the softball game. It is a small town, after all.”
Moving around the breakfast bar, he said sarcastically, “I have plates.” Taking a plate out of the cupboard, he slid the sandwich from the bag to the plate, crumpled the bag, and tossed it in the garbage.
“Sorry. I wasn’t sure what creature comforts you’d have.”
“I have glasses too. Wine glasses, to be exact, just in case you were wondering.” He winked at her and walked around behind her, laying his hands on her shoulders, slowly sliding them down her arms. Stefan leaned into her, enjoying her warmth. “I’m glad you came,” he whispered against her ear.
He sauntered back into the kitchen and grabbed a crystal glass from the cupboard and a bottle of iced tea out of the fridge. Setting the glass in front of her, he added a few ice cubes and poured the tea over the ice with a flourish. Then he handed her a napkin and sat across from her. “What brought you to Montana?”
She took another bite of her sandwich, chewed thoughtfully, then took a sip of iced tea. “The desire to travel, I suppose. See new things and get away from a controlling, possessive Irishman.”
“Oh, so you have a boyfriend?” he asked, a knot forming in his stomach.
She’d taken another bite of sandwich and nearly choked. “No!” she sputtered. “We were high school sweethearts. After graduation, he expected to marry me. He wasn’t what I was looking for in a mate…ah, man. Like my sister, I applied to a college in America, was accepted, and I left.”
“You’re not involved with anyone in Ireland or here?” Stefan felt that knot ease.
“Relax. I’m not involved with anyone at the moment but you. Is that what you want to hear?” She narrowed her eyes, watching him over the rim of her iced tea as she took another sip.
“Sure is.” He shifted in his seat, glad to get that out of the way. “Your sister still in the States?”
“Aye, she lives in Maine. Hannah attended Yale as an exchange student. A cyber security firm grabbed her up right after college. She’s been there ever since.” Brandy popped the final bite of her sandwich in her mouth, picked up the plate, and put it in the sink.
“Wow, I’m impressed. That’s not an easy college to get into.”
Brandy padded back to her seat and settled in. “Ma and Da always insisted on a good education for us. We’ve relatives that are well connected. They pulled strings to get her admitted. She was an excellent student. Even before graduation, she got the job offer of her dreams that she couldn’t refuse—working for Black Hawk Cyber in Maine. She never returned to Ireland. When she was out on her own, she called every week with tales of what she’d seen and done. Then she met a man, and everything changed. Her calls were sporadic. She became secretive.”
Stefan washed and dried the dish, sliding it back in the cupboard. “What happened?”
“It got to a point where she rarely returned my phone calls. When she did call, she was distant and evasive. Three months passed. Ma and Da didn’t hear a thing from her, and they were worried. I went to check on her.”
“I don’t mean to pry. The couple of weeks you were gone, did that have to do with your sister?”
“It did. I could tell something was up the last time she called. My job was crazy, but as soon as I could, I caught the first plane to Misty Harbor for a surprise visit. But the surprise was on me. I arrived on her wedding day immediately after she’d said ‘I do.’”
“Wow, that must have been a shock. Did you know the relationship was serious?”
“Not exactly, but she seemed glad to see me. Tristian, her husband, was cordial enough but distant. It was a small wedding with his family and friends in attendance.” Brandy paused. Better not tell any more about what I actually learned. “Hannah introduced me, assured me everything was fine, and promised to call more often. She seemed happy. I left it at that and flew back.”
Stefan nodded, rounded the counter, and sat in the chair next to her.
Brandy shrugged, her forehead creased. “She won’t let me tell Ma and Da about her marriage. That bothers me. Hannah says she’ll tell them when the time is right. She swore me to secrecy.”
“Won’t they be upset when they do find out?”
She threw her hands up in the air. “Oh, upset doesn’t begin to describe the fireworks that will go off. Not to mention how hurt they’ll be. In Ireland, a wedding is a big deal, a huge celebration.”
Brandy’s eyes clouded with sadness and worry, but Stefan said nothing.
Shaking her head as if to dislodge unpleasant thoughts, she shifted in her chair. “Okay, enough about me. I want to hear about you.”
“You’re much more interesting than I am.”
“Don’t think so.” Brandy grinned. “Tell me about your family.”
“I don’t really have one.” He got up and walked across the room to the entertainment center that spanned the entire living room wall. “Last winter, I built this and that corner hutch over there out of aspen during a snow storm that nearly buried us.” Stefan slid his fingers over the smooth wood.
“I remember that one. It was just before Christmas last year.”
“That’s the one.”
“I’d planned to fly to Ireland for Christmas. The frigging storm made travel impossible. Ma and Da were so disappointed. Now, tell me about your family,” she insisted.
“No,” he said flatly. “I don’t have any family. End of story.”
Her eyes rounded in surprise, but she didn’t miss a beat. “Okay, tell me what brought you here.”
“Why don’t you pick out a movie for us to watch? They’re in the corner cabinet, arranged in alphabetical order.” He waved his hand toward the cabinet in the corner.
She sighed, moving toward the cabinet, then abruptly turned around to face him. “I’d rather hear you play.” Pointing toward the other corner where his guitar stood.
Relieved that she’d dropped her line of questioning, he reached over, turned off the DVD player, and picked up the guitar.
Brandy plucked a coaster from its holder and sat her tea glass on the oak table in front of the couch. She sat down and curled her legs up under her.
Stefan sat cross-legged on the floor just below her, leaning against the couch. “What would you like to hear?”
“Anything. I liked the instrumental that was playing when I arrived. Can you play something like that?”
“I can.” He played a couple of the songs that were actually on that CD, then several more that were not. She seemed to enjoy the music so much that he decided to risk pl
aying a song he’d been working on. “Stay right here. I’ll be right back.”
He ambled to the entertainment center and opened the side door. Several sheets of music fluttered in the air, landing lightly on the floor. He gathered the sheets, thumbing through them until he found the one he wanted. “This song still needs some work, but I’d like to know what you think.”
As she watched him, her eyes lit up with understanding. “You write your own music?”
“Sometimes.” Checking the notes on the sheet of paper, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the song, its feeling and story. His callused fingers slid over the strings, coaxing out a haunting melody. Finished, he slowly opened one eye, then the other, to take in Brandy’s expression. Her eyes were closed, her body swaying to the final chords of the song.
A little sigh slipped from her lips as she blinked her eyes open. “It doesn’t need any work. It’s beautiful. You are very talented.” She was silent for a couple of minutes. “That was you playing on the CD.”
“Guilty. Music is the one thing that brings me peace.” Reaching out, he placed his guitar gently in its stand and leaned back against the couch.
She stretched her long slender legs out in front of her, then in one fluid movement, slid from the couch to the floor next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Drawing her legs up in a triangle, she wrapped her arms around them and laid her cheek on her knees. She looked up at him from under long copper-red lashes as the tip of her tongue slowly traced her pouty lips.
“You know, Stefan, every experience you’ve had up until this moment makes you what you are, what I find so fascinating. Any woman alive would consider herself lucky to be sitting here with you.”
He raised a dark brow in disbelief. “Glad you feel that way but doubt others would. Not that it matters.”
“That would be their loss.” Her voice was firm and final.
Scooping an arm around her, he brought her into his lap, enjoying her delicious warmth, oddly comforted by the constant beat of her heart. He wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest, existing only in a moment where nothing else mattered.
Unsure of how long they’d sat there, her regular breathing told him she’d fallen asleep. Stefan knew she’d been up long before sunrise this morning to lead another morning hike. It must have caught up with her. He didn’t mind. This way there was no pressure or questions he didn’t want to answer. Just her wonderful scent and body cuddled against him. Could I really make this work?
Chapter Seven
Snowbound without a Shovel
She awoke with a start and blurted, “Don’t you have to be at work? I probably should start toward home.”
He reluctantly released her, and she crawled out of his lap, stood, stretching her arms above her head, and rolled her head from side to side. She padded over to the window and pulled the curtain aside. “Wow, it’s really snowing hard.”
The snow had piled up quickly since she’d first arrived. He let out a low whistle as he joined her at the window. “I don’t think you’re going anywhere.”
“I’m leading a sunrise hike tomorrow.” She twisted the curtain in her fingers, then released it.
He shook his head. “That’ll be canceled.”
“I’d better call Randy anyway. See what he wants me to do.”
Stefan stood behind her, his arm wrapped around her waist, mesmerized by the large feather-like snowflakes falling through the frosty air.
She ambled over to the couch and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “I can make it home even if I can’t drive.”
“And just how do you propose to do that?” His raised brow formed a question mark as his inquisitive eyes continued to watch her.
She reached up, rubbing her forehead lightly with her fingertips. “Ah, I guess I was just thinking out loud again. I’m not sure what I meant. Just tired mumbling.”
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with your disappearance a couple weeks ago, leaving bits of your clothing on the forest floor, would it?” A sly grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said primly, putting her cell phone to her ear and walking away.
While she was talking to Randy, Stefan’s cell rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, and picked it up off the table. “What’s up, Cody?”
“Hey, Stefan, you’re coming in, right?” Cody asked anxiously.
“Of course. I’ll be there in a few minutes. But you aren’t going anywhere,” Stefan said flatly. “Brandy’s still here, and we’re discussing whether she’ll be staying or try to make it home.”
“Don’t let her leave. The roads are all closed. It’s bad out there.”
“Well, that makes it a moot point. I’ll be in soon.” Stefan disconnected the call and turned back to Brandy. “Well?”
“Randy doesn’t want me going out in this storm. All the roads are closed anyway.” She glanced at the phone in his hand, her brow raised.
“That was Cody. He wanted to make sure I was going to relieve him. The station is only a few hundred yards from here. Wanna come along? Otherwise you can stay here while I do my shift, then we’ll see about getting you home when I get off. These spring storms don’t usually last long, do they?”
She shook her head and considered his offer for a moment. “Sure, it might be fun if you won’t get in trouble.”
“Not a problem. Russ lets me do pretty much what I want as long as I follow the playlist. If you get tired, you can nap on the couch just outside the control room. I’ll send Cody over here to crash. That way he won’t bother you all night long.”
“Don’t want him flirting with me, huh?” She grinned wide, batted her long lashes, and flipped her cascade of long red hair over her shoulder.
“Nope, just don’t want him bothering you.” He took her parka out of the closet and held it out for her. “We need to get going.”
Big, wet flakes fell steadily as they walked through the half foot of heavy, wet snow already on the ground. It was a quarter to midnight when Brandy and Stefan walked up to the radio station door, stomped their boots on the mat, and stepped inside. They slipped their snow boots off, leaving them in the little alcove just inside the reception area. Stefan took Brandy’s coat, hung it on the rack above their boots, and motioned her forward where the lit sign over the control room door said “On Air.” The light flicked off and they entered the control room.
Cody glanced up from the computer, his tired eyes filled with relief. “Finally. Good thing it’s not blowing, or we’d have whiteout conditions and you wouldn’t have made it in either.”
“Yeah, the snow’s piling up fast.” Stefan shook his head, his hair slinging snow everywhere, including all over Cody. Ice crystals glistened in Cody’s hair and eyeglasses.
He took his spectacles off, wiped the lenses off with a tissue, and glared at Stefan.
A smirk turned up the corner of his mouth. “Are we getting many calls about the closures and road conditions?”
“Hey! You did that on purpose.” Cody glared at him, brushing the melting snow from his clothes, then stared at the puddle forming on the tile where Stefan stood.
Stefan bit back a grin, grabbed a roll of paper towels, and mopped up the floor.
“We did earlier in the evening, but they’ve tapered off. Seems the storm is making people nervous. It’s mostly just the tourists and newcomers.” Cody looked around Stefan to where Brandy was standing and winked. “Hi, Brandy.”
“Nice to see you again, Cody.”
He shoved Stefan out of the way, took her hand, and brought it up to his lips. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said in a deep, sensual voice while he made a low sweeping bow and kissed the palm of her hand.
She batted her long eyelashes and smiled at Cody, gingerly slipping her hand from Cody’s grip. If the expression on her face was any indication, she enjoyed the interaction. Stefan scowled.
“Okay, that’s enough, Casa
nova.” Stefan tossed him the keys to the cabin. “You can crash at my place tonight. That way you can shower and change before relieving me in the morning. There’s leftovers in the fridge, and only eat ONE of those tarts. Understand?”
“I make no promises where Tracy’s tarts are concerned.” Cody smirked. “Who says I’m coming back?”
“Suit yourself, but you’re not staying here.” Stefan shoved Cody out the control room door and locked it.
Cody grinned through the glass door, dangled the keys and mimed laying his head on his hand, eyes closed, then mouthed, “See ya.”
“That was rather rude,” Brandy said sternly, then burst into giggles. “Does he always act like that?”
Still slightly irritated, Stefan shook it off and walked to her. Cupping her face in his hands, he looked into her trusting green eyes. God help him, she stirred something inside him that he thought was long dead. Leaning over and brushing his lips over hers, he whispered, “Only when females are around.”
She whispered back, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.”
Stefan roared with laughter, composed himself, and asked, “Of what?” Reluctantly, he let go of her and turned back to the console, checking the time left on the song. “Hey, I have an idea. Since you’re here, I could interview you at each stop set about the interesting aspects of being a park ranger in Glacier. Then we could open the phones for questions. That’ll take the listeners’ minds off the storm and we could have a little fun. When you get tired, I’ll tell the listeners question and answer time is over and go back to regular programming. How about it?”
She rubbed her palms down the side of her pants and nibbled on her bottom lip for a beat. “Do I have to talk into the mic?”
With a half laugh, he said, “Sure, there’s nothing to it. It’s no different than talking to the crowd of people you take on hikes every day or just talking to me. You’ll be great!”
She hesitated, twisting her hands together, picking at her fingernails. “I’m game, but personal questions are off limits, and only if you won’t get in trouble.”