by Judi Lynn
Grams gave a knowing smile. “That’s what Tessa told me, too.”
“Tessa wanted the happy-ever-after until Gary cheated on her. It’s never been a goal of mine.” Harmony dragged two more chairs to a table and put them in place.
Grams cocked her head, studying her. Harmony had a feeling the woman could see inside her skull, maybe root out all of her hidden insecurities. “Hmm, you had early issues, but those can be fixed, too.”
Tessa came to stand beside her friend. “Leave the poor girl alone. She came here to help you, not to be interrogated.”
Grams gave an unrepentant grin. “I don’t suppose you two would like to help cook a hundred or so cubed steaks.”
Iris tsk-tsked. “The girls have already done enough.”
When Harmony’s jaw dropped, Tessa laughed. “The special tonight is Swiss steak with baked potatoes. When you do the steaks in an assembly line, it doesn’t take that long before you can simmer them in the sauce.”
Assembly line steaks. That was a new one for Harmony. But she pointed a finger at Tessa. “Not you. I’ll help, but you get sick every time you’re around grease and cooking fumes. Find something else to do for a while.”
Grams pressed some money in Tessa’s palm. “Go buy my new grandbaby a present from me. I was thinking crib sheets and blankets, maybe a mobile.”
Tessa’s eyes lit up, and she glanced at Harmony again. “Are you sure? If Grams gives you a hard time, you can call me, and I’ll come to rescue you.”
“Go,” Harmony said. “I’ll survive.”
When the last chair was in place, Tessa bundled up and left. Harmony smiled as she watched her pull away. “She looks like a kid who got her allowance. The money’s burning a hole in her hand.”
“It’s nice to see her so happy.”
Iris frowned. “But she was always happy, wasn’t she?”
“Not happy like now. She was only making the best of things.” Grams led Harmony to the kitchen. “Ian told Tessa that he’s never seen Brody as happy as he is now, said he’s never heard him laugh so much.”
“Who doesn’t enjoy time off?” Harmony looked at the deep, plastic tub filled with flour for dredging. Had Grams dumped the entire five-pound bag in there?
Iris slid a sideways glance at Harmony. “The poor dear went through a terrible divorce, didn’t he?”
Harmony nodded. “His ex sounds like a bitch on steroids.”
Grams’s eyes went wide, then she threw back her head and laughed.
“Being around Ian and Tessa has been good for him,” Harmony said. “Their happiness sort of rubs off.”
The two older women exchanged glances, but when Grams opened her lips to say more, Iris shook her head. “No fair, Tessa won’t be happy with you.”
Grams pressed her lips in a tight line. Finally, she said, “Okay, here’s how the assembly works.”
Harmony seasoned each piece of cube steak, then dredged it in flour and passed it to Grams. Grams browned it in a skillet. While she cooked the meat, Iris started the sauce: diced onions, celery, and green peppers, then diced tomatoes, ketchup, and seasonings. The browned steaks went into the sauce.
By the time they finished, Harmony’s fingers looked like she’d played in paste. “Does your church do this very often?” It was a lot of work.
“Four times a year. Something different each time,” Iris said. “But we usually have four or five helpers. It goes faster then.”
Grams took down a huge box of aluminum foil. “All we have to do is wrap the potatoes, and we’re in good shape.”
“No salad or dessert? Green beans?” Harmony asked.
“People carry those in. We just provide the main dish.” Iris showed her how to wrap the potatoes, and those went pretty fast. They were just finishing when Tessa—her cheeks and nose red—returned, carrying large shopping bags.
Saved by baby blankets and comforters! Harmony hadn’t realized how long getting ready for church suppers took. Tessa had chosen a jungle theme with monkeys, tigers, and giraffes decorating each sheet, comforter, or crib pad. Grams oohed over the mobile with stuffed animals dangling from strings.
When they’d gossiped enough, and it was time to leave, Grams patted Harmony on the back. “You’re a good girl. You’ll do.”
“Excuse me?”
Grams laughed and waved them away. Going from the hot, steamy kitchen to the bitter wind made her teeth chatter, but on the drive home, Harmony stretched her legs and let out a long breath. Tessa smiled. “Now you know what it’s like working in the bakery.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I don’t know how Grams does it. How old is she?”
Tessa shook her head. “She doesn’t age, and you’re seeing her when she’s slowed down a little.”
“She makes me tired.”
“She makes everyone tired.” When they reached the lodge, Tessa dropped off Harmony and headed for home.
Brody came to meet her. “Have you had anything to eat?”
She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Nothing was ready. It had to simmer a few hours. I forgot about lunch.”
“I saved you a sandwich.” He led her to the kitchen and handed her a roast beef and lettuce wrap. “The kids aren’t coming up for Harry Potter today. Aiden’s grown out of most of his clothes, and Paula’s taking them shopping.”
“Good, I can finish writing my scene.”
“Do you want me to cook tonight so you don’t have to stop writing?”
The man was so sweet! But she shook her head. She glanced at the big stockpot, sitting at the back of the stove, to cool. “I’ll come down at five to finish the soup.”
He nodded. “I’ll report for kitchen duty then.” He took her empty plate and motioned to the stairs. “Get to it!”
On the way up the steps, Harmony knew what Serifina’s answer to Luxar would be. She’d pull him into her bed and enjoy him before the battle. She didn’t know if she’d live with him, but she’d make sure to visit him every chance she got.
Hmm, that made Harmony think. She and Brody didn’t live that far apart from each other. New York was going to be even more glorious now.
Chapter 26
Tessa was wiped out by the end of supper that night. The busy day had taken its toll. Brody glanced out the kitchen window and scowled. “The storm wasn’t supposed to come until after midnight.”
They all glanced at the foul weather. Wind howled, and sleet pelted the glass panes.
Tessa worried her bottom lip. “Grams had her big dinner tonight.”
“It started at five,” Ian reminded her. “People eat, visit, and go home early. She’ll be fine.”
Harmony was surprised to see it was nearly nine. By the time they’d gotten there at six-thirty, set up, ate, and visited, she hadn’t realized it was so late.
Ian ran a hand through his dark hair, listening to the storm rage. “Maybe you guys should stay here. I stopped at the store before I came home. We’re stocked up on milk, crackers, and sorbet.” He grinned. “Wifey goes through a pint a day, but she’d share.”
Tessa tossed him a look. “It soothes my stomach, and we have plenty of leftover soup, even if Brody ate three bowls.”
“I was hungry.” Brody’s gaze returned to the bad weather outside. “Thanks for the offer to put us up, but I’d rather head back. It’s not that far. We’ll help clear the table, then take off.”
“I can do that,” Ian said. “If you’re going to go, go, before it gets worse.”
They didn’t dally. The sidewalks were as slippery as an ice rink. They slid to the SUV and Harmony watched sleet bounce off the windshield. The blizzard had started, full blast. Thank the heavens the lodge was just down the road.
Brody turned the SUV’s wipers to full speed and drove slower than a snail. Even then, it was hard to see. They were at the crossroads before they realized it and had made it halfway through when headlights glared in the side window, brakes squealed, and metal crunched. The air bag smashed Harmony in place,
and she glanced at Brody. The left side of his head was bloody. His head fell forward on the bag. He was unconscious.
Oh, please, please, please, be all right. The airbags started to deflate, and Harmony reached to gently lean Brody against his door for support, then fumbled for her cell phone and called Ian. “We’ve been hit at the crossroads. Brody’s unconscious. Call 911.”
Her hands shook. Her whole body trembled with jitters. Adrenalin? She knew nothing about how to handle emergencies.
A man pounded on her window, the driver of the other vehicle. She glanced at him and her adrenalin spiked higher. The damn, careless truck driver. She fumbled to release her seat belt. She’d throttle him. If Brody wasn’t all right, she’d hunt him down and hurt him.
He opened her door. Her side of the vehicle had no damage at all. Brody’s was crumpled and caved in, the entire side smashed, but thank God, it was a heavy SUV, or it wouldn’t have survived a box truck.
The man started speaking right away. “I didn’t see you! I glanced both ways, but the storm was too bad. I’m not sure you had your lights on.”
Idiot! “They were on. You were just going too fast to see them.” She wasn’t sure her legs would hold her, and she leaned against the hood. It took a few moments before she felt stable.
The driver kept talking. “Hey, anyone could have an accident on a night like this. I didn’t see you. I couldn’t stop in time.”
She quit listening and glanced through the windshield at Brody. Please, ambulance, get here!
“You can’t blame me for this,” the man said.
Was he nuts? She just wanted him to shut up. “No one barrels down a road when they can’t see ten feet ahead of them. You almost hit us last night. You didn’t stop for the sign and drive too fast.”
The man stalked away to open Brody’s door and pull him out.
“Don’t touch him!” Harmony ran to wedge herself between the driver and the SUV. “Keep away from him. He shouldn’t be moved.”
“Cool your jets, lady. He’s leaning against shattered glass. That can’t be good.” He put out an arm to push her aside. He was her height, but stocky. She tried to root herself in place.
Headlights stopped behind the SUV, and Ian rushed to Harmony. She pointed to the truck driver. “He’s trying to move Brody.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” Ian straightened to his full height, and the man took a step back from them.
“I was just trying to make him more comfortable.”
“If he has a broken rib or bone, you’ll make him worse. The EMS should be here soon.” Ian turned to scan Harmony. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, but tears misted her eyes and emotion clogged her throat. “Brody’s bleeding.”
A deep gash oozed blood along his left temple. The driver pinched his lips together and paced in a small circle. “I don’t need this shit. It’s not my fault I couldn’t see his car. My boss said he’d fire me if I had one more accident, but this isn’t fair.”
Ian’s warm brown eyes flashed with temper. “Just shut up. All you think about is yourself.”
“Hey, man—” Luckily, his words were cut off by the sound of a siren.
Harmony stepped out of the way to let the experts do their job. She looked away when they lifted a limp Brody from the SUV and strapped him on a gurney. They were wheeling him away when he opened his eyes, frowned, and said, “Where’s Harmony?”
She hurried forward so that he could see her. “I’m here. I’m fine.”
“Stay with me.”
She blinked, surprised. “Ian’s here.”
“I want you.”
She glanced at the tech, unsure.
He shrugged. “Grams is a good friend of mine. He’s not critical. If you want to ride with him, I’m down with it.”
She sat next to his gurney on the way to the hospital, and he never let go of her hand.
“My insurance information’s on a card in my wallet,” he told her. “They’ll ask for that.”
When they rolled him into the emergency room, she sat in the lobby, waiting for Ian’s arrival. So many emotions churned through her, she had trouble sorting them. Fear. Worry. Anger. And deep, deep down, a sort of numbness. Brody could have been killed. She could have lost him.
Ian stalked through the doors a short time later. “Sorry, I had to stay to talk to the deputy and make a statement. Glad I did. The box truck driver kept insisting Brody didn’t have his headlights on.”
That didn’t surprise her. The man was a jerk.
“How’s he doing?” Ian asked.
“Too soon to be sure, but the EMT thought he had a broken arm.”
Ian winced. “He took a beating. Thanks for staying with him.”
“I’m glad they let me.” She bit her bottom lip. “The worry would have driven me crazy if they hadn’t.”
“Tess wanted to come, but I talked her out of it. I don’t want her out on these roads tonight. I can give you a ride home when they kick us out of here.”
Harmony nodded, only half taking in what he said. She kept seeing Brody, slumped against the side of the SUV, blood oozing from his temple. What would she have done if she’d lost him? The thought stopped her. She couldn’t go there.
A doctor walked toward them, giving off an air of authority and calm. “Brody’s being taken to his room now. You can visit him in a few minutes. His ribs are severely bruised, and he’ll have to take pain medication so he can breathe normally. And his left arm was broken. It’s in a cast. His head wound was minor, and there’s no concussion, but we’re going to keep him overnight for observation. He won’t be able to do his usual work for a few weeks, but all in all, he got lucky. Everything will heal.”
Harmony felt air gush from her in relief. Ian stood and shook the doctor’s hand, then called Tessa to tell her the news. When they gathered their things to go to Brody’s room, Harmony kept clenching and unclenching the fingers on her left hand. Brody was all right. She kept repeating it in her head.
By the time they reached the room, the nurse was just leaving. She gave them a bright smile and said, “He’s all settled. He shouldn’t laugh or cough. It will cause him a lot of pain, but he keeps asking for Harmony.”
Ian turned to Harmony with a smile. “My brother thinks the world of you.”
She didn’t know what to say. “He’s pretty great himself.”
When they entered the room, Harmony tried to hide a gasp. Brody looked terrible. The left side of his face and neck were covered with bruises.
Ian, as always, stayed upbeat. “The doc says you’re going to live. I wasn’t too worried. Only the good die young.”
Brody shook his head and winced. He reached for Harmony’s hand, and she went to sit next to his bed, gripping his hand firmly in her own. “I won’t be able to lay the rest of the floors.”
Ian sighed. “I watched you. So did Luther. We can manage.”
Brody gave his brother a skeptical look. Clearly, he didn’t think they’d do the job he did.
Serious for a moment, Ian said, “Look, I’m just glad you’re not in worse shape. A damn box truck hit you.”
Brody tried to turn to see Harmony and gritted his teeth. “Are you all right?”
“Not even a scratch.” She stood up and walked to the end of his bed, so he could see her. There, she turned in a circle and said, “See? The air bag held me in place.”
Ian narrowed his eyes. “When I get home, Tessa’s old pickup is history. She’s getting the heaviest, safest vehicle on the road with a dozen air bags spaced everywhere.”
Before they could reply, the nurse returned to the room. She gave Brody another bright smile. “Time for your pain meds.” She pushed meds through a hypodermic, then busied herself at a computer mounted on the wall. She kept glancing at Brody as she entered information and smiled when his head sank deep into his pillow and his eyes shut.
“He’ll sleep for the rest of the night,” she told Ian and Harmony. “You two might as well go home and ge
t some rest, too. His muscle and body aches are going to be horrible tomorrow.”
Harmony realized that she was exhausted. By the time she and Ian made it to his pickup, she could hardly move her limbs. Must be the crash after the adrenalin rush. On the ride home, they didn’t talk, and Harmony realized that Ian was as emotionally depleted as she was.
“You’re welcome to spend the night at our place,” he offered, but Harmony shook her head. She needed time by herself. He dropped her off at the lodge and drove home.
Harmony went straight to the kitchen and carried a bottle of wine to her room. After a glass, she crawled into bed and crashed hard.
She woke at eight, got ready, and grabbed her laptop. Ian was nowhere to be seen, so she called Tessa. “I’m driving to the hospital to spend a couple of hours with Brody. I’ll probably grab lunch in town, so tell Ian and Paula not to worry about me.”
“The roads are better now,” Tessa said. “The salt and sand trucks have been out. Tell Brody we’ll be up later.”
Harmony was tense on the drive to town. The accident made her wary of every intersection she drove through. When she walked into Brody’s room, he smiled at her.
“Whenever the doctor signs the form, I get to go home today. I can’t work, and I’ll be on pain meds, but I can supervise.”
“Lucky Ian.”
Brody started to laugh, but groaned instead. “Damn that hurts.”
“Getting released from a hospital can take a while. I brought my laptop. Want to watch Harry Potter?”
His pale eyes gleamed. “Thanks for coming. I’m cutting into your writing time.”
“I’ve made good progress. I’ll hit my deadline, no problems.” Brody was more important than a damned book. She scooted her chair close and rested her laptop on his bed tray. They were watching The Order of the Phoenix when footsteps hurried down the hall. The door flew open, and a woman with long, wavy red hair burst into the room.
Ian trailed behind her and sent his brother an apologetic look. He smiled at Harmony, but the woman paid her no mind. She stalked straight to Brody’s bed. “I came to take you home.”