by Beth Ehemann
Mom looked back at me and winked. My face flushed as I rolled my eyes, just in time to look up and catch Brody turning around, smirking at me. Suddenly, crawling into the couch cushions and hiding for the next couple days sounded like a wonderful idea.
“Room for one more?” Sophia called out as we entered the kitchen.
I immediately felt comfortable in her big, warm house.
She made her way around the room, introducing me to everyone. We finally got to three little girls, who were staring at me wide-eyed like I was an alien.
“This little one right here is Jenna, Catherine’s daughter. And those two sweet little things are Lucy and Piper, Kacie’s twins.”
My mouth fell open slightly before I could reel the shock back in. I was blown away that Kacie, the cute girl with the messy, copper-colored ponytail, wearing the white chili-stained t-shirt, was a mom. And not just a mom of one, but two. Kacie noticed the surprised look on my face, as her eyes turned sad and darted toward the floor in embarrassment. I suddenly felt like a giant douche.
“Here, Brody, come sit by me.” Ashley started tugging my arm toward the large farmhouse-style table that separated the kitchen from the family room. She was in her early 20s and cute enough, but girls like her who were constantly trying to get my attention were like a tiny sheep in a huge herd.
“Okay, one sec,” I replied before turning to Kacie. “Is there somewhere I can plug my phone in for a bit?”
“Sure.” A tiny smile crossed her face as she pointed to an open outlet on the tile backsplash. “Right there.”
“Thanks,” I said, unable to look away from her gaze.
Once again Ashley tugged my arm. I followed over to the table and sat down next to her, but I couldn’t peel my eyes off of Kacie.
I don’t know what I was expecting when I knocked on the door to this inn, maybe a little old cat lady or a family of cannibals in the woods? Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t her. A pint-sized little cutie whose sparkling green eyes nearly knocked me on my ass.
Every movement she made around the kitchen was hypnotizing, even the way she crinkled her nose when she focused on cutting the cornbread into perfect little squares. She walked over to the large pot on the stove, lifted the wooden spoon to her lips and tasted the chili. I almost lost my shit right there at the table, but I couldn’t look away. I didn’t even care if anyone was watching me watch her. This was the most tortuous, accidental seduction I’d ever been a part of and I was enjoying every second of it.
“So Brody, we’ve all spent the afternoon getting to know each other. How about you? Where are you from?” Henry asked from the family room behind me. I jumped at the sound of my name, turning in my chair to face him.
“I grew up about two hours north of here, but now I live in Minneapolis.”
“Ooooh, I love Minneapolis,” Ashley cooed as she leaned in close, resting her hand on my knee.
“What do you do there?” Henry continued.
Crap. No one here seemed to know who I was and I wanted to keep it that way. Being anonymous was a nice change. The sooner I was out of here and on my way home, the better. I quickly looked over at Kacie who seemed to be just as interested in my answer as everyone else. The minute our eyes connected, she quickly turned back around to the counter.
“Uh … I’m in sales,” I responded.
Really, Brody? That’s the best you could come up with?
“Interesting. What do you sell?”
“Sports equipment,” I answered confidently, hoping it sounded convincing, but also boring enough that he wouldn’t ask anything else. I wasn’t a very good liar. Before he could ask anything else, I turned my attention to Fred.
“So Fred, how long have you lived here?”
“Oh, about 10 years now. I worked for the previous owner and when they sold the place to Sophia, she asked me to stay on and I was happy to.” He looked over at Sophia and winked. Sophia smiled back as she finished setting down the plates.
“Brody, you look very familiar. Have you done any acting?” Henry looked right at me; his eyes squinted as he studied my face.
Ashley sat up straight and gasped. “Do you know any movie stars?”
I laughed uncomfortably, wishing someone would stop this impromptu interview before I said something stupid.
“Nope, never done acting.” Looking at Ashley I added, “And sorry, no movie stars.”
She stuck her bottom lip out dramatically and made an annoying little pout noise. I looked over at Kacie who also noticed Ashley’s childish behavior and rolled her eyes.
As if Kacie read my mind, she started putting bowls down on the table and called out, “Okay everyone, dinner is served.”
“Excuse me, Mommy,” Lucy said, trying to squeeze in between Kacie and the table.
“Pay the toll.” Kacie bent down and puckered her full, beautiful lips. Lucy giggled and kissed her mom back.
That interaction was the purest, most intriguing thing I’d ever seen.
Dinner was finishing up and people were sitting around talking about the weather when I pushed my chair back and stood up. “I hope you all don’t mind if I excuse myself for a few minutes. I want to run out and check on Diesel real quick.”
“Diesel?” Sophia looked at me, puzzled.
“My dog, he’s in my truck.”
She gasped as she pulled her hands up and clapped the sides of her face.
“Oh my gosh! I forgot all about him. That poor thing. Go get him, bring him in so we can feed him something.”
“Thanks, I’ll just be a few minutes.”
I unplugged my phone, pulled my boots on and trudged back out to my truck. Diesel was waiting for me when I got there, standing on the driver’s seat with his tail wagging 100 mph. I pulled the truck door open and pushed him over to the passenger seat so I could get out of the pouring rain.
“Hey, buddy! Were you lonely out here?”
He panted and licked my face over and over.
“Okay, okay. Chill out, I gotta make a couple calls.”
I grabbed my cell phone and dialed my mom’s number.
“Are you home?” She answered the phone.
“Uh, hello to you too.” I laughed.
“Sorry, hello. Are you home?”
“No, Mom. I’m not home, but I figured I’d better check in before you sent out a search party.” I paused so she could laugh … nothing. I continued. “In a series of completely shitty events, which I’ll explain later, my truck is stuck in the mud. I just had the BEST chili ever at a little inn where I’m spending the night.”
Again, silence on the other end of the line.
“Mom?”
“I told you. Didn’t I tell you to wait and go home tomorrow? Why don’t you ever listen to me?”
“Mom,” I sighed, “you were right, I was wrong. I don’t want to argue, I just wanted you to know where I was. The bridge to get back to the highway is flooded, should be open tomorrow so I’ll be home then. I’ll keep you posted, okay?”
More silence.
“Okay?”
This time, Mom sighed. “Yes, Brody. Fine. This place you’re staying, is it decent?”
“Well, there are cleavers hanging on the walls and soft screams coming from the door with a padlock on it. Other than that, it’s great.”
Another sigh on the other end of the line.
“Brody, you are going to make me gray prematurely. Your sister doesn’t give me problems. Why must you torture me?”
I laughed loudly in the phone. “I love you, Mom. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“I love you too, Brody.”
I hung up with her and looked over and Diesel. “Are women always like that, D? She worries constantly.” He cocked his head to the side and eyed me curiously. “One more call and we’ll go inside and find you some food.”
Before I could dial the phone, my text alert noise chirped. It was from my mom…
COULD YOU PLEASE TEXT ME THE ADDRESS OF THIS “INN” …
JUST IN CASE I NEVER HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN?
I laughed out loud and shook my head as I dialed my best friend and agent, Andy.
“Shaw.”
“Why do you insist on answering the phone like a jackass?” I teased.
“Ah, there’s my missing star.”
“Missing?”
“I haven’t talked to you in days. Where have you been?”
“I told you last week I was going home for a few days.”
“Ah, that’s right. Sorry, I don’t pay attention when you call. I usually wait for the tabloids to let me know where you are. Or the police.” He laughed, clearly proud of himself.
Andy had been my best friend since second grade. I was throwing rocks at cars driving past the playground at recess and I coerced him into joining me so that if I got caught, I didn’t go down alone. We’d been friends ever since. He kept my ass out of trouble all through college, so it seemed only natural that he would just continue keeping tabs on me as an adult and become my agent. He was more like a brother than a friend, we’d been through every step of life together and I’d take a bullet for the man. There weren’t many people I trusted like him.
“You’re hilarious, my suburbanite, minivan driving friend.” I shot back at him jokingly.
“First of all, it’s a SUV. Secondly, I don’t drive that; my wife does, asshole. Listen, what are you doing tonight? I haven’t left the office to head home yet. Wanna grab a beer?”
“I’d love to, man, but I’m still … somewhere north. It’s a long story, but the rain fucked up my trip back home. I’m stuck at some inn until tomorrow when hopefully they open this damn bridge again. Why the hell are you working so late anyway? Need a new coat of fresh, white paint on the picket fence?” It was my turn to laugh at my own joke.
“You’re a funny, funny man, Brody Murphy, but no. Someone needs to keep an eye on your contracts and deal with all the drama you bring. Try not to burn down this inn you’re staying at, huh?”
“Got it, boss. Talk to you soon.”
I hung up the phone and looked over at Diesel. “Ready for some food, my man?”
After dinner, Mom bathed the girls for me while I cleaned up the kitchen. The guests succumbed to their food comas and retired to their rooms for the night, everyone except Ashley. She was sitting on the couch with Fred, who was watching the news closely. She looked bored out of her mind, picking at her fake fingernails and yawning. I was sure she was waiting around for Brody, who mentioned going to take a shower.
“How’s it looking?” One simple sentence in Brody’s husky, baritone voice as he entered the room sent shivers through my entire body.
Ashley perked up from her intense session of hair twirling and beamed at Brody. She really was quite pretty and it pissed me off. She’d look great on Brody’s arm, I thought, letting out a heavy sigh.
“Not good, not good at all,” Fred answered, running his hands through his salt and pepper hair and getting up from the couch. “Okay, you crazy kids, I’m off to bed. Gotta get up early and make sure the inn didn’t float away.”
Out the back door he went, making his way to his cozy apartment above the garage. I had been in it quite a few times. It smelled of cigars and was full of hot rod memorabilia. It was a comfortable place that fit Fred perfectly. I loved having him there.
“Wanna watch a movie, when she’s done?” I heard Ashley whisper not-so-quietly to Brody. I was instantly annoyed that I felt like a nuisance in my own home as I started rinsing the dishes and loading them into the dishwasher faster. The last thing I wanted to see was the two of them all snuggled up on the couch, watching TV together.
“We’ll see, I’m pretty tired after today.” Brody smiled politely at her.
I looked up and saw her make that awful pouty face again. Someone should really tell her how unattractive she looked when she did that.
“Awww, come on. I’m not sleepy yet.” She whined like a child.
“Sorry, Ashley. My girlfriend probably wouldn’t be too happy with me spending the evening shacked up on the couch with a stranger either.” He patted her on the shoulder and walked over, rifling through his duffel bag.
Girlfriend? He has a girlfriend? Bummer.
I wasn’t really shocked though. He seemed charming and charismatic with the most infectious smile I had ever seen, not to mention hot as hell. I was immediately drawn to him, it’s no surprise that others were as well.
“Mom, will you read us a bedtime story?” Lucy came into the kitchen, snapping me out of my thoughts. She was wearing her favorite Strawberry Shortcake pajamas and had an armful of books.
“I want Pinkalicious,” pleaded Piper, following right behind her.
“Sure, I just have to finish the kitchen real quick,” I answered, rinsing out the big chili pot.
“No! I want If You Give A Moose A Muffin,” whined Lucy.
Piper squeezed her little hands into fists and tensed her arms down at her sides, ready for an argument, but I stepped in.
“Ok, I’ll finish this later. How about we read both?” I tossed my sponge in the sink and turned to the girls, desperate to diffuse the potential argument in front of Ashley and Brody.
I heard Ashley giggle from the couch, and I had to fight the urge to snatch the book out of Piper’s hand and whip it at Ashley’s forehead like a Frisbee.
“Yay!” Lucy and Piper both cheered, as we turned down the hall toward their bedroom.
About an hour later, I woke up in Lucy’s bed with the girls snuggled up on either side of me, sound asleep. Their favorite book, Pinkalicious, was open and laying on my chest. We were all so warm and toasty, I was tempted to pull the blanket up and go to sleep right there with them. Remembering the mess I’d left in the kitchen, I forced myself out of her bed, tucking them in on my way out.
I walked to the end of the hall, turned toward the kitchen and stopped in my tracks. Not only was the dishwasher running, but the counters were clear, the table had been wiped down and all the leftovers had been put away. Alexa’s flowers were sitting perfectly in the center of the island. I looked around and the only person left downstairs was Brody, who was sitting on the living room couch watching SportsCenter.
“Wow! It looks great in here,” I called out. “Do I have you to thank for this?”
“Hey!” he said, getting up from the couch and coming over into the kitchen. “Yeah, I thought I would help out. It’s the least I could do, ya know, as a thank you for letting me stay here.” He leaned his hip against the edge of the island and folded his muscular arms across his chest, giving me a sincere smile.
God, those dimples might be the death of me. They were like two little secret weapons perfectly placed on his cheeks, ready to strike at any moment and bring you to your knees.
“Well, thank you for this,” I said, waving toward the kitchen. “I was sure I’d be elbow deep in chili grease until midnight.”
“No problem. It also gave me an excuse to blow off Ashley.” He laughed, his eyes wide.
“She was laying it on pretty thick, huh?”
“Ugh,” he groaned. “She was obnoxious. She’s as intelligent as this countertop, and her laugh was really starting to get on my nerves.”
“Did she back off once you told her about your girlfriend?” I tried to be coy when I asked, when really I wanted to know every disgusting detail about his relationship. How long had they been together? Were they serious? Was he going to marry her? Then I wanted her phone number so I could tastelessly call her and ask her what this sexy creature was like in bed.
“Yeah, she pouted … again and went up to bed.” A mischievous grin crossed his face. “But … I don’t have a girlfriend.”
My heart leapt into my throat.
“What? But … I thought I heard…”
“I just told her that so she’d leave me alone.” He chuckled like he was pretty proud of himself.
“Oh, well, your secret is safe with me.” I zipped my lip shut and smiled at him nervously. For some re
ason, I felt safer when I thought he had a girlfriend. Since Zach and I split, I had been so careful and precise about what type of man I was willing to allow myself to get close to. I wasn’t about to throw that all away on one charming stranger with a smile that could melt glass.
“I was looking at the pictures your mom has out. There are lots of you and the girls. Are you an only child?” He walked over to the fridge, grabbed the orange juice and set it on the island.
“Yep, just me.”
“I also noticed that there wasn’t a guy in any of the pictures with you and the girls, and your mom mentioned you were single. Where’s the girls’ dad?” He poured juice into two glasses and slid one toward me.
I raised the glass to my lips slowly in a desperate attempt to stall answering his questions. I never talked about Zach with my best friend, let alone someone I had known for a handful of hours.
“Uh … he’s gone.” My plan was to use the vaguest answers I possibly could.
“Hmm.” He looked down at his glass for a minute, contemplating his next question. “Was he ever around? Does he know the girls? Does he see them?”
My eyes widened as I took a deep breath, overwhelmed with the avalanche of personal questions he was dumping on me all at once.
He must have noticed the hesitation on my face and put his hands up in front of him. “Whoa, I’m so sorry. That was really pushy of me.”
I looked down and smiled shyly, picking at an imaginary spot on the counter.
When I didn’t respond, he continued, “Listen, I really am sorry. I don’t normally turn into Dr. Phil when talking to a pretty girl. I guess I was just trying to find something to talk about so that you wouldn’t turn around and go back down that hall to bed. Let’s talk about something else.” He looked around the room, scrambling for something new to talk about. “So, how about this weather?”
I looked back up at him and my stone heart cracked just a little bit at his adorable awkwardness as he tried to backpedal. I felt bad for being so standoffish and wondered if maybe talking to someone who I didn’t have to see again would make me feel better. I took a deep breath and decided to go for it, hoping talking about my past, just a little, would feel therapeutic, not painful.