by LuAnn McLane
Because of the premature death of his father in a car wreck and losing his mother to lupus, Jimmy tried to roll through life on an even keel, refusing to sweat the small stuff and dealing with the big stuff. He took pleasure in simple things, especially nature, art, and music. Satisfaction came in the form of music lessons with Jesse at the family music store and helping Grady with the Susan Heart Lupus Foundation. And yet recently, he had begun to experience a sense of restlessness, almost like there was something waiting for him out there, but just out of his reach.
After pondering why this sudden fidgety feeling was invading his usual calm nature, Jimmy began to reflect upon his life. Toeing his running shoe through the sand, he mentally ticked off some of his recent reflections. Though he’d seen snippets of the world while touring with Heartbeat, he longed to do more traveling and have a few adventures along the way. Maybe go white-water rafting in West Virginia, spelunking in Kentucky, hiking in Tennessee, fly-fishing in Colorado. He’d been doing a lot of research.
Recent insomnia caused by the lovely redhead next door had its perks.
But right now, more than anything else, Jimmy wanted to get to know Maggie Murphy. With a sharp intake of breath, he scooped up a battered conch shell and examined it. “You look like I feel,” he said, and then tossed it beyond the surf. Getting to know his sexy neighbor was proving difficult since she avoided him at every turn—literally. Yesterday, he’d seen her on the way to the mailbox, only to have her change direction when she spotted him—well, pretended not to spot him. The same thing had happened at the grocery store. She’d put her head down, forged forward, and nearly taken out a tiered display of toilet paper.
Following Maggie seemed stalkerish, and so he’d glumly let her escape into the frozen section, where she’d stared at the frozen vegetables as if her life depended upon it. Once this past week he’d even called out to her in the parking lot, only to have her pick up speed. Jimmy sighed. Perhaps he needed to have Trixie treats on hand to coax Trixie over to him and thwart Maggie’s retreat efforts. Maybe his tenuous bond with the little dog could be his answer to getting Maggie’s attention.
Jimmy simply could not get Maggie off his brain. He’d relived the sexy-as-hell kiss in the storm too many times to count … Ah, damn, her mouth, her wet skin, the silk of her hair tangled around his fingers. “Gah!”
With an exasperated groan, Jimmy picked up another shell and tossed it so hard he nearly threw out his shoulder.
To make matters worse, thinking about Maggie was making finishing Oliver and Belinda’s song impossible. The crazy scorching kiss in the pouring rain invaded his thoughts and squashed his creativity, and he knew there was only one cure: to kiss her again.
But she’d somehow evaded him for nearly a week and it was fucking killing him.
Jimmy shoved his fingers through his damp hair and kicked his foot through the foamy water lapping against the shore. Since she failed to show up at the mailbox or come onto her balcony, he was going to have to just knock on her door.
No, he couldn’t just pop over there. He needed a valid reason, but what?
Knowing who to ask, Jimmy pulled his phone from his pocket and called Oliver.
“Hey, Jimbo, I hope you’re calling to let me know you’ve finished the song.”
“Uh … no, ’fraid not.” Jimmy pushed his Oakleys up on his nose and started walking briskly back toward his condo. “I have a little … uh, creativity issue going on.”
“Seriously? What’s the problem? Not the dog, still?”
“No.” Jimmy tilted his head up to the sky and sighed. “The owner.”
“Ah, the hot redhead. Still giving you the cold shoulder?”
Jimmy’s brain slid back to what he would always think of as The Kiss. “No and … yes.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Jimmy hesitated. While he remained very close to his brothers, he had a hard time revealing some of his personal life. He was the listener, the calm one, the giver of advice.
“Don’t bother doing your classic clamming-up thing on me. I’m not havin’ it.”
“Not having it?”
“A Belinda saying. It works. Come on. What’s up? I’m sensing something juicy.”
Jimmy sighed. “We had a … moment.”
“A moment?” The sound of a chair scooting meant he had Oliver’s full attention.
“Yeah.”
“Uh, come on, clarify. What the hell is a moment?”
“It’s …” He looked up at a pelican swooping toward the ocean.
“It’s what? Don’t say something goofy like It’s complicated. I’m your brother. This isn’t a Facebook post. Damn, Jimmy, for someone who can tell a story with just a line of a song, you suck at explanations. Start from the beginning.”
Jimmy gave Oliver an abbreviated version of the night the lights went out. “And now she completely avoids me.”
“Well, look on the bright side. She must have felt something too, or she would have been way calmer about what happened.”
“Really?”
“You were there. Sounds like she’s super into you and can’t deal with her feelings.”
“Since when did you get so insightful?”
“I had to figure out Belinda.”
“Have you?”
“Are you kidding me? So go on. What did she say?”
“She said she didn’t want to get involved with a neighbor.”
“Bullshit. Total cop-out.”
“Really? Well, I don’t know. I mean, it makes sense on some levels. What if—”
“Whoa, no, stop it right there. Don’t go down the what-if road. I’ve been there and it’s a stupid waste of time. Indecision will fuck with you if you let it. Trust me, I know.”
“Oliver, I don’t know what the hell to do.”
“That’s my point. Come up with a plan and roll with it.”
“I’m fresh out of plans.”
“Okay, here’s a what-if for you. What if you marched your ass over to her front door? I mean, you did it to begin with, right?”
“Yeah, but for a reason. To get Trixie from barking her fool head off at me. So now what?”
“It’s pretty damned simple. Your reason is that you want to see her. Just tell her that.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Not a word,” they said together. A heartbeat of silence passed while they silently missed their mom.
Jimmy cleared his throat but then said, “I can’t pull that kind of thing off the way that you can. I need a … prop.”
“How about needing a cup of sugar?”
Jimmy groaned. “Come on, help me out.”
“You gotta admit the cup-of-sugar thing would be transparently funny.”
“Again, something you or Grady could pull off. Jesse would come up with something funny. That’s not me and you know it.” Jimmy looked up at the cry of a seagull, wishing his brother would get serious. “Oliver, I’m really into her,” he said firmly, hoping to get his brother’s full cooperation. “Trixie isn’t barking now that I have treats to toss to her. I can’t use that excuse.”
“Whoa, wait. That’s it! Ask for more.”
“I still have a bunch of them.”
“Maggie doesn’t know that. And even if she figures it out, so what? She’ll be flattered that you want to see her and then you’re in. Boom.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you’re not brilliant, like me.”
Jimmy laughed. “Damn, little brother, I miss you. Get your ass down here to Sea Breeze.”
“Well then, go get the girl so you can concentrate on the song.”
Jimmy sucked in a breath. “Gotcha.”
“Dude, you’ve performed in front of thousands of screaming fans. You can do this.”
“Are you forgetting about my stage fright? If you remember, I had to do shots of Fireball to get through the reunion concert.”
“And you did it. Damn, take a shot of Fire
ball, then.”
Jimmy groaned, but it wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Hey, I get it,” Oliver said in a tone loaded with emotion. “Putting your heart on the line is scary as shit.”
“Then why am I doing this again?”
“Trust me, the rewards are worth the risk. Okay, get your sweaty ass home and shower. I want a full report tomorrow.”
“You won’t get it. I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Ah, so you’re swooping in for the kiss. That’s my man. High five.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you thought it.” Oliver sighed. “At least keep me informed.”
“Will do. Catch you later.” Jimmy picked up his pace to the boardwalk, eager to get back to his condo. But just as he reached the boardwalk leading through the sand dunes, he heard a dog yapping that sounded a lot like Trixie.
“Trixie! No! Get up here! Oh God!” The fear in Maggie’s voice had Jimmy running. A moment later he spotted Maggie looking down from a bridge over a narrow stretch of wetlands. When she spotted him approaching, she yelled, “Jimmy! Trixie fell into the water and there’s a snake! Help, please!” Her eyes were wide with anxiety. “Oh God!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get her,” Jimmy promised.
“But the snake …” She put a hand to her chest. “I don’t want you to get hurt!”
“I’ll be fine,” Jimmy insisted, even though snakes scared the living hell out of him. He spotted Trixie up to her chest in brackish water shaking like a leaf and oh shit, a snake, just a few feet away, appearing ready to strike. With his heart hammering, Jimmy hiked his leg over the wooden railing of the bridge and then quietly eased his body down into the water, keeping an eye on the snake. With lightning speed, he scooped up the trembling little dog and raised her high enough for Maggie to grab. He heard movement behind him and glanced back to see the snake slithering his way.
“Oh God, get up here!” Maggie shouted. “Shoo!” she exclaimed, as if she could scare the snake away. “Oh … God! Hurry!” She threw something above Jimmy’s head. “Go away you … asshole!” With a grunt, she heaved something else over the railing.
If he hadn’t been so scared, Jimmy would have laughed. Bracing himself for the snake to strike, Jimmy placed his hands on the boardwalk floor and heaved his body upward, tucking and rolling. He felt the wood scrape his skin and he was sure he’d gotten a few splinters. “Shit.” Rolling over, he looked up into Maggie’s stricken face
She knelt next to him. “Ohmigod, are you okay?”
Jimmy felt the sting of what he knew were minor injuries. “Yeah, I’ll live.” He tried to grin but winced. “Maybe.”
Maggie gently touched his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I must have loosened my grip on Trixie’s leash when I answered my phone, and she chased a gecko to the edge of the bridge and … she just tumbled over into the water. I should have gone in, but I froze when I saw the snake. Oh God, what kind of pet owner am I?” She appeared close to tears.
Jimmy pushed up to a sitting position. “The kind who feeds her dog organic dog food.”
“I should have been more careful.” She pressed her lips together.
Jimmy reached over and brushed Maggie’s hair from her face and then, as if on cue, Trixie licked her cheek … and it was her undoing. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. “Hey,” Jimmy said gently. “Let’s get Trixie cleaned up at the outdoor shower. Okay?”
Maggie swallowed hard but nodded. “ ’Kay.”
Jimmy pushed up to his feet, trying to ignore the sting of the scrapes.
“Ohmigod, you’re bleeding!”
“Where?”
“Everywhere!” Her lips trembled. “I am so sorry.”
Jimmy extended a hand to help her up. “Don’t be. I’m glad I came along at the right time. I wouldn’t have wanted you to go down there.”
“I am deathly, pee-in-my-pants afraid of snakes.”
“Did you pee in your pants?”
She gave him a trembling smile and sniffed hard. “I nearly did, but then you came along and saved me the humiliation. But it was my responsibility, not yours, and now you’re all banged up!”
Jimmy shrugged. “I’ll be fine. But … uh, if you want to cook dinner for me as a reward, I won’t refuse.” He smiled to let her know he was joking. Well, kind of joking.
Maggie swallowed hard again, but then nodded. “It’s the least I can do,” she said gruffly, and then looked down at Trixie. “You’d better be nice to him from now on, you hear me?”
Trixie ducked her wiry, sand-crusted head and then looked at Jimmy with her big eyes.
“Oh look, I think she knows you came to the rescue,” Maggie said with a small smile. “You might just have a friend for life.”
“Are you talking about you or Trixie?” he asked in a teasing tone, and they began walking toward the shower at the end of the boardwalk.
Maggie didn’t respond, but the sudden pink color in her cheeks was a good enough answer. “I promise you a delicious dinner tonight.”
“Oh, the delicious aromas that come from your condo drive me crazy.” Jimmy did a fist pump. “Worth every scratch,” he said, but when they stopped at the shower, Maggie gave him a once-over.
“Jeez, you’re scraped and scratched all over. I think you must have some splinters. Let me see your palms.”
Jimmy turned his palms upward.
“Oh, gosh, yes. Dammit!” She groaned.
“Again, I will survive.”
“Well, I want you to come over so I can remove them and make sure they don’t get infected.”
“Okay.” Jimmy nodded, thinking this wasn’t the way he’d wanted to get a dinner invitation, but he’d take it. He shoved his sunglasses to the top of his head. “Now hand me Trixie and I’ll put her under the shower with me.”
“That friend-for-life thing might be rescinded. Just a fair warning. She hates bathing with a passion.”
“We can at least get the sand and muck off her before you take her inside.”
Maggie handed Trixie over to Jimmy, and to his surprise, she didn’t squirm or growl. “Oh, wait.” Maggie slid her purse down her shoulder and dug around before producing a small shampoo bottle. “Ta-da!”
“So, do you always carry shampoo with you?”
“I tucked it in my purse as I was leaving the last hotel I stayed in.” Her cheeks turned rosy again and she lifted one shoulder. “Waste not, want not was one of Granny Mags’s many pearls of wisdom.”
“Smart lady,” Jimmy said, and before Trixie knew what was happening, he turned on the shower. He sucked in a breath when the cool water pelted his warm skin. “Sorry, girl.”
Trixie whined in protest but remained relatively calm as if in penance for the trauma she’d caused. “You do the shampooing,” Jimmy said to Maggie. “And I’ll keep a firm hold on her.”
“Okay.” Maggie put her purse out of the range of the water and squirted a generous amount of shampoo into her palms. She leaned in to rub down Trixie and laughed when the water sprayed her T-shirt.
“Were you heading somewhere?”
“Yeah, I was just going to take Trixie on a short walk before running some errands. Nothing important—just getting out for a bit,” she said with that slight lilt in her voice that he loved. She lathered Trixie up. “You silly girl,” she chided. “You’re lucky you’re not hurt.”
Trixie whined in earnest, looking pitiful with her sudsy fur matted to her slight doggie body.
“It’s impossible to be mad at her,” Jimmy said, and realized he’d developed quite a fondness for the little dog. He sniffed the fragrant shampoo. “She’s gonna smell like coconut.”
“So are you.” Maggie looked up and then quickly avoided eye contact. The shampoo suds landed on his chest and slid downward, and he thought it would be nice to have Maggie’s hands all over him, soaping him up, but then his body reacted and he forced his mind elsewhere. “What did you throw at the snake?”
Maggie grinned.
“A Twix candy bar and then a roll of mints from my purse.”
Jimmy laughed. “That’s awesome. Not even a snake can resist chocolate.”
“Hey, I was desperate. He appeared ready to …” Maggie shuddered, and then returned her attention to washing Trixie. When the little dog had had enough of her shower, she wiggled and whined, causing Maggie to stumble forward, and suddenly, she was beneath the spray of water too. She squealed but then laughed. “Oh my gosh, look at me! I’m soaked!”
Jimmy did look at her, and he felt an immediate reaction to how her T-shirt clung to her skin. He was reminded of their epic kiss in the storm, and the urge to pull her into his arms was almost overwhelming. But little Trixie was getting really fed up with bathing. Tilting her head upward, she howled like a werewolf during a full moon.
“How can that much volume come from such a little dog?” Jimmy asked. Trixie squirmed and bucked while wildly waving her paws in the air. “Whoa there.” Jimmy struggled to hold on to her while Maggie rinsed her off.
“Here.” Maggie laughed and reached for Trixie. “I think she’s clean enough.”
“No doubt.” Jimmy handed Trixie over to Maggie and then turned the shower off.
“Hold still!” Maggie scolded when Trixie wiggled and squirmed. “She wants to do the doggie shaking thing,” Maggie said, putting her down onto the boardwalk.
Jimmy laughed when Trixie shook from her tail to her wiry head, sending droplets of water flying. When she finally stopped, Maggie grabbed the red leash and picked the dog up. “You’re not getting away this time.”
Jimmy spotted Maggie’s purse and gave it to her.
“Thanks. In all the commotion, I might have forgotten it.” She gave him a shy smile. “Thank you, Jimmy. My heart was in my throat before you arrived on the scene.” She kissed Trixie on top of her wet head.
Damn, she looked sexy. Jimmy cleared his throat. “I was happy to help.”
“After you get out of those wet shorts, come over to my place and I’ll get rid of your splinters.”
Jimmy nodded and fell in step beside her. He wanted to ask why she’d felt the need to avoid him, but he thought that Oliver’s theory was spot-on. Maggie Murphy was as turned on by him as he was by her—she just didn’t want to accept it. The thought would normally have left him perplexed, since they were both single and there was obviously some serious attraction going on between them. But now, knowing her background, he understood her hesitation. She had been treated poorly by guys in the past … and then there was her father’s desertion. It made sense that she had a chip on her shoulder when it came to men. But there was also something else in her demeanor toward him that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, so he was going to do his best to find out what bothered her about him.