by Judi Lynn
She shrugged. To hell with it. She was tired. She walked home and crashed on the couch for the rest of the night.
Chapter 15
When Tessa walked into Darinda’s house carrying tiramisu, Darinda whipped it out of her hands and placed it on the counter in the kitchen.
“I love you, girl!” Darinda wrapped her in a tight embrace. When the boys saw the bag of cookies in her hands, they came to hug her legs. That’s when Ian and Brody walked through the door.
Brody raised his dark eyebrows at her. “You have a strange effect on people.”
“Not me, my cooking.”
Darinda released her and hurried to welcome Ian and his brother. She hugged Ian, then slowly looked Brody up and down. “Man, you’re one daunting dude.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Darinda frowned at the bare finger on his left hand. “No wedding ring? No woman’s snagged you yet?”
“Divorced,” Brody growled.
“Bitter and ugly?” Darinda was like that. She could ask impertinent questions in a breezy fashion and get away with it.
“Worse.” Brody rolled his shoulders, as though unhappy even thinking about it.
“Well, you’re among friends here. We love your brother.” Darinda led them to the French doors that opened onto the back deck, where David manned the grill, and friends surrounded him. The deck’s steps led down to a cement patio that circled a kidney-shaped pool. “We don’t live on the lake, so we had to make do. Hope you brought your swimsuits.”
“They’re in the car. We got your message.” Ian looked at Tessa. “Did you bring yours?”
She had, but she’d feel self-conscious wearing it in front of the two McGregor brothers. “I usually just hang out and yak with Darinda.”
“But you brought it?” Ian persisted.
She sighed. “It’s in my bag.”
“Good, then we can dunk you.” A sparkle lit his brown eyes. “That’s a small bag. It must be a small suit.”
“Will you stop it?” Darinda gave him a playful push. “Tess is stubborn enough, if you bug her, she digs in. Leave her alone.”
Two arms circled Tessa from behind and Keavin’s chuckle filled her ears. “Hey, Tessie!”
She didn’t have to turn around to see who held her. She smiled. “You’re still here?”
“I’ll be around. I’m house shopping and staying with Mom and Dad for a while.”
David called from the deck, “The chicken’s ready, folks! Time to eat.”
No one needed to be told twice. People grabbed plates and headed to the deck. Picnic tables had been lined up across the cement patio. Garth Roarke and Leona hurried in at the last minute, bearing three bottles of white wine.
Everyone loaded their plates, sipped drinks, and settled in for a good time. Ian and Brody sat across from Tessa and Keavin.
Brody scowled at him. “I’m Ian’s brother. I heard you’re getting married soon.”
Keavin blinked, but nodded amiably. “In a few weeks. And you? How do you like Mill Pond? Are you thinking of moving to the area, too?”
“Not in the immediate future, my construction company’s in upstate New York. But I like it here. Ian’s found a good spot for a resort.”
“Is your family in New York?” Keavin looked up and down the tables. “Most of the folks here have lived in Mill Pond all their lives.”
Brody swallowed a bite of potato salad. “Our parents and two sisters all live near Ithaca.”
That’s the first she’d heard of two sisters. Come to think of it, Tessa had forgotten Ian had a brother until Brody showed up. She turned to Ian. “You have two sisters?”
“Bridget and Maeve, salt of the earth.”
Brody made a disgusted noise. “They always gave me hell. He’s the baby of the family. Everyone spoiled him.”
Ian grinned from ear to ear. “Hey, I learned to work it. Either that, or the girls made me play tea party with them or dressed me up like some doll. I learned to stay on their good side.” He nodded toward Brody. “Some people never figure things out. He battled them most of his life . . . and lost.”
Brody chuckled—a deep, pleasant rumble. “Bridget can be a hellion if you cross her. She has red hair and the temper that goes with it.” He narrowed his eyes at Tessa. “You seem awfully easy-going for a ginger.”
“Ginger?” She frowned, and Brody laughed.
“But I could be wrong about that.”
They yakked about homes and families for the rest of the meal, and Tessa enjoyed hearing about Ian’s childhood. By the time they finished their desserts, David turned on the outside stereo and music pulsed in the air. People changed into their swimsuits, and the party moved to the pool.
“Get moving,” Ian told Tessa. “Last one changed gets tossed in the water.” He and Brody left the table.
“I think he’d do it,” Keavin said. He hurried to find his suit.
Tessa shrugged. She didn’t have the best figure in the world, but she didn’t have the worst, either. Her only fussing point was her creamy skin that barely hinted at a tan, no matter how much time she spent in the sun. But what the heck? She slipped into Darinda’s bedroom and came out in a modest black bikini.
When Ian spotted her walking toward them, he stopped talking in mid-sentence and stared. Brody followed his gaze and shook his head. “All that baking, and you don’t have an ounce of fat. No wonder my brother spends so much time with you.”
Tessa hurried to shake her head. “We’re friends, nothing more.”
“Then you’re an honorable woman,” Brody said, “because if you teased him, he’d be in trouble.”
“I’m not Sadie. I’d never do that.” The words came out sharper than she intended. She felt herself blush.
Brody studied her. “I see we each have a past. Yours hurt, too.”
“It was a long time ago. I’m over it.”
“The hell you are. Neither am I.” Brody took her hand, and together, they jumped into the deep end of the pool.
When they surged out of the water, Tessa asked, “What happened to you?”
Ian cannonballed next to them, drowning them in his wake. Brody raked his hands through his thick black hair and said, “Married a woman who loved my money more than she loved me. I didn’t see it until it was too late. I don’t want Ian to make the mistake I did, to marry the wrong woman.”
“Lily’s not the wrong woman,” Ian sputtered, shaking water from his face and hair as he joined them.
Brody shrugged massive shoulders. “We disagree. And stop shaking yourself off like that. You’re like a wet dog running loose in the house.”
Ian swam closer to Tessa. “Just because I’m the youngest in the family, Brody always thinks he’s right.”
“You can’t hide behind your friend,” Brody grumped. “I am right.”
Tessa shook her head. “My brother’s eight years older than I am, and he’s the same way. Always giving me advice.”
Brody smirked. “See? We learn by experience, and I have more experience.”
“Not every woman marries for money,” Ian protested.
Brody tread water. “You do have a lot of it, though. But that won’t save you. Mine didn’t save me. Lily likes bright lights and action. She’s not going to last here.”
“That’s the perfect thing about it,” Ian argued. “She travels all week long. By the time she comes here, she’ll be ready to relax and spend time together.”
“Doing what? How close is the nearest nightclub? Fancy restaurant? Has Lily spent a quiet night in front of a fireplace in her entire life?”
“She entertains clients or they entertain her all week. When she comes here, we have the lake and boating. Everything’s at our fingertips.”
“If you say so.” If Brody’s expression could grow more forbidding, it did. He looked at Tessa. “Do you like Lily?”
“She’s always nice to me.” A noncommittal answer, and that was all she was going to give. She knew bette
r than to get in the middle of two brothers, especially these two. Both had dark hair. Both were good-looking enough to turn heads. One was charming. One was brooding. And she’d better be careful with both of them.
Darinda called from the middle of the pool, “You boys stop arguing among yourselves. Go mingle. I’m stealing Tessa. I want to hang with my buddy.”
Ian pouted until David motioned for him and Brody to join the group of men, talking sports. “You’re going to have to change allegiances now,” he said. “We’re all Colts fans. Baseball’s up for grabs.”
And the conversation took off.
When Tessa reached Darinda—hot and sexy in a yellow bikini—she glared. “How can you look that good after having two kids?”
“I married an Italian. Lots and lots of sex. It’s great exercise.”
Tessa rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, I gotcha, girl. I know what your problem is. You haven’t had any for so long, you’re drying up, and both of those brothers are hot.”
“Stop it. Ian’s taken, and Brody’s so intense, he scares me.”
“But there are good scares and bad,” Darinda said, never dipping below her waistline, so that her cute, black curls still looked gorgeous. Tessa had jumped in the deep end and her hair was doing who-knows-what. “It’s like watching those Scream movies,” Darinda went on. “You scream ‘Don’t go in the basement,’ but you know that actor won’t listen to you. And it’s not your fault he’s gonna die. You tried to warn him, so it’s all good. You WANT that thrill.”
“This is my life,” Tessa said, “not a movie.”
“I’m just sayin’, all thrills aren’t bad.”
“They’re not all good either.” Tessa leaned back against the edge of the pool and let the water buoy her body.
Darinda shrugged. “I don’t think it matters. I think you’re already smitten.”
“Smitten?” Tessa stared at her.
“Too bad that cute Ian’s already taken, because girl, you and him are like jam on toast.”
Tessa didn’t deny it. “But he is taken, and I know how it feels to be betrayed.”
Darinda nodded. “History sucks. Experience can be worse than PMS.”
Tessa bit her bottom lip. “I need to get some distance before I’m in trouble.”
“Ain’t gonna happen, friend. That’s like trying to keep positive and negative magnets apart.”
“I’m screwed, aren’t I?”
Darinda gave a slow nod. “But I’ll be here to help you pick up the pieces. This time, though, once you’re done licking your wounds, you’re not hiding again. You’re gonna turn into a Valkyrie and go out to find your man.”
Tessa laughed. “If you say so.”
“I don’t just say so, I’m gonna kick your ass if you duck and hide again.”
How lucky was she to have such a good friend? “Agreed. I got it. I’ve been a weenie long enough.”
Darinda’s smile could light the world. It curled into a sign of happiness now. “Hallelujah! My girl’s come back from the dead.”
The rest of the party went remarkably well. By the time Tessa left to drive home, she was tired, but happy. Ian might break her heart, but she knew that ahead of time. It wasn’t his fault or hers. And afterward, she’d learn from her mistakes. And this time, she’d be ready to move on.
Chapter 16
Tessa finished dicing the last of the parsley, capers, and anchovies to place in small glass canning jars. She seasoned the mix with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon before topping them with extra virgin olive oil. Good. The Italian salsa verde was ready to go. She smiled at the jars lining the counters in the barn’s kitchen. Red chili pepper sauce, tomato relish, and onion jam. She’d made enough to stock the barn’s shelves for a month or so. A couple from the city had bought the last of them on Saturday and promised to return for more. There hadn’t been any.
“We stopped here last fall and should have stocked up on these,” the husband said. “We both have a thing for pasta.”
Mondays were good days to work in the kitchen. The farm stand was open, but not the shop. This early in the spring, she had plenty of time to work between people stopping for salad fixings.
She was finishing up when Ian called. “I know you said I could bring Brody with me tonight, but we just finished all the work on the tennis courts. Want to come and try them out? You have a racket, so I’m thinking you must play.”
“Give me an hour. I made chicken salad. Want me to bring it for sandwiches?”
“Brody loves chicken salad.”
“You don’t?”
“Not as much as Brody. Hope you made plenty.”
When didn’t she? She locked the barn and put a basket between the spinach and lettuces at the stand. People could grab what they needed and drop the money in the basket. Then she hurried to the house and changed clothes.
She smiled on the drive to Ian’s place. A satisfied smugness hummed inside her. She’d grown up playing tennis. Had lots of private lessons. Ian thought he was going to play a girl so was guaranteed a win, but he had another think coming. She was damned good at the game.
She was surprised at the progress on the lodge when she pulled to the front door. The trim gleamed with new white paint. Wreathes of flowers hung on the red, double doors. The front lawn was edged and trimmed. Blooms spilled from flower boxes at the front windows of the three-story limestone house, and each wing displayed black shutters at the windows. Damn, it looked good!
Brody came to greet her when she parked her pickup by the front door. “Ian says you come bearing chicken salad.”
“I kept it simple,” she told him. “Added dill since it’s for sandwiches.”
“Works for me. I’ve never met a chicken salad I didn’t like.” He took the bag with the food from her and glanced inside. “A fruit salad, too? Another of my favorites.”
“What can I say? You got lucky today.” Brody’s luck would end at the tennis courts. She followed him to the back patio. “The place looks great. Were you a part of that?”
He shrugged. Damn, the man had broad shoulders. “I work with a lot of landscapers in my business. I know what a difference presentation can make. We worked with your friend, Buck Krieger, at the nursery. He has nothing but good things to say about you.”
She smiled. “Buck and I go back a long ways. I’ve known him since I spent summers with Grams and Gramps. He can be had with blueberry pies.”
When they reached the back of the property, she noticed the new tennis courts and five, rental, log cabins beyond them. The cabins were bordered by the tennis courts on one side, the golf course—under construction across from them—and the lake. Not a bad setting.
“I talked Ian into buying ready-made cabins,” Brody said. “Someday, if he wants to replace them with something fancier, he can, but people who like privacy might like them now.”
She’d seen the log cabins for sale. Long and narrow, each had a small porch. They weren’t spacious, but they were comfortable enough for sleeping quarters. Most people who came here would spend most of their time outdoors anyway.
They sat at the picnic table, overlooking the lake, while they ate. “What do you think of all the work we got done?” Ian asked.
“It’s perfect. People should love it here.”
When the ducks saw them, they headed in their direction. Tessa had brought extra bread for them, and Ian went to the shore to feed them.
“A little farther down,” Brody called. “You want to keep them away from the pier and beach. Ducks can make a mess. No one wants to step in their droppings.”
Ian blinked at him, surprised. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“You don’t fight Canada geese then. They’re a nuisance on our lake back home.”
When Ian finished his sandwich, he tugged at Tessa’s hand. “Come on. Let’s hit some balls. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to play.”
Brody winced at his wording, but Tessa glanced at the four, immacula
te courts on the far side of the yard. It was a perfect evening to play tennis. The air was cool. A slight breeze stirred the tree limbs. Her lips curved in a smile. “Did you finally buy a racket?”
“Better. I found the box that held my sports gear. I have my own.” He reached for it and gave it a twirl.
Uh-oh, men who cherished their tennis rackets were usually pretty good at the game. She narrowed her eyes at him. Trouncing him might not prove as easy as she’d planned.
Brody grabbed two more sandwiches and a beer, then followed them to the tennis court. He settled himself on a comfortable park bench to watch.
“You’re not going to play?” Tessa asked.
“No, this time, I’m going to enjoy watching.”
“You can have first serve,” Ian said.
She decided to start nice and solid, nothing too crazy. She’d gauge how well he played. She placed the ball in the center of his serve box, and he easily returned it—a nice, safe hit. She backhanded it to the other side of his court. He returned it to the base line of hers. They went back and forth, back and forth, each hit getting a little harder to return, with a little more power behind it. Finally, Ian hit a strong forehand shot, she rushed the net, and dropped the ball just over it on his side.
His mouth dropped open in surprise.
Her next serve hit the far corner of his box, and he had to work to return it . . . to her back line. She returned it to the center of his side, just inside his line, and he raced to get it. She smashed his return. He glared.
She aced her third serve, and Brody called, “Forty-love, bro! Get the lead out.”
Ian’s lips pressed into a tight line.
Tessa’s first serve was out. Her second was safer, and Ian killed it.
Brody’s voice took on a taunting tone. “Forty-fifteen. Kill him while you can, Tessa.”
Things became brutal after that. Obviously, Ian didn’t like to lose any more than she did. By the time they finished their set, sweat drenched each of them, and Ian had won after more deuces than Tessa could bear. It had been that close.