Once Upon a Summer

by Brooke Moss

  When Mackenzie removed the plate, Harmony felt a little disappointed. She sat back and wiped her lips with her napkin. "I think I could have made a meal just from that. Thank you for sharing with me."

  His eyes took on a smolder as he grinned mischievously. "I'll be happy to share a great number of things with you, Pix." He lifted her fingers and brushed the knuckles with a kiss.

  The kiss was an electric fire that raced down her nerves and slammed into her belly so hard she rocked slightly. She had never been one to read those sappy love novels or watch chick flicks but living in a dorm full of women during her freshman year at college insured she saw a few. She never understood how a single action from a man could make a woman's center heat up or make her toes curl appreciatively. Now she had firsthand experience with both.

  Unsure how to proceed, Harmony gently tugged her fingers out of his grip and dropped them to the napkin laid across her lap. Lowering her eyes, she stared at the table even as she felt the heat of his gaze on her. Wishing her hair were longer so she could hide what she was sure was a beet red face, she twisted her napkin in her fingers and swallowed.

  "So, Harmony, tell me about you."

  "Me?" She glanced up at his face. "Why? I'm nothing special?"

  Hunter's smile brightened. "Because, I find you to be extremely interesting. Yes, you," he said as she shook her head. "You are beautiful, have a sweet personality and a fascinating mind. We'll start with something easy. How did you end up in Mechanical Engineering?"

  "Oh, that's easy. I always liked figuring out how things worked. When I was in the group home, they would take us to the Boys and Girls Club several times a week. That's where I met Uncle Mickey. He volunteered there, and whenever he was working on stuff, I'd follow him around like a shadow. Eventually, he let me help and taught me everything he knew." Her eyes lit up as she recounted the story. "They had this old furnace that barely worked half the time. Mickey would spend most of his time there during the winter trying to patch it through until they had a new one donated after a couple of years." She shrugged. "I loved seeing how everything fit together. It was like it had its own language. Gears, cogs, pistons, springs. All of these tiny parts working together to make everything run."

  "I can tell you love it. Your whole body becomes animated when you talk about mechanics. I'm confused though. You met your uncle there?"

  She laughed softly. "Yeah, I can see how that is confusing. Uncle Mickey and Aunt Jolly aren't my uncle and aunt. Technically, they are my parents, I guess. They adopted me when I was fifteen. But I'd been calling him Uncle Mickey, just like the other kids, for as long as I had known him. When I turned fifteen, they were going to place me in another group home for older kids down on the coast. I wasn't very happy about it because everything I knew was in Meridian. When Uncle Mickey found out, he and Aunt Jolly decided to adopt me. I've been with them ever since."

  Hunter's eyes blinked in shock. "I had no idea. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your biological parents?"

  "It's complicated. When I was about six, they left me with a neighbor while they went on a trip. It was supposed only to last a few days, but they never came back. I used to think they were coming back but after a while, it was obvious it was premeditated. When the police started an investigation, they found out my dad had huge gambling debts. He lost his job, the house and pretty much everything. Our home was cleaned out of anything valuable and the bags they packed with my clothes and toys turned out to be everything I owned. The state placed me with my Mom's aunt for a while, but she was old and couldn't handle a kid. There wasn't any other family, so off to foster care I went until I turned twelve and then into the group home. When I was ten, my Mom died in a car crash. She was drunk at the time. They didn't know where my father was and I've never heard from him."

  "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." Hunter took her hand in his and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.

  "Don't be." She shrugged but left her hand in his care. "I don't remember them and to be honest, I wouldn't have wanted to be with someone who didn't want to be with me. Uncle Mickey and Aunt Jolly are the best parents a person could ask for. They love me unconditionally and have supported me every moment of every day. When I got the scholarship to go to Stanford to be a Mechanical Engineer, Mickey promised me he would make sure I had anything I needed. He didn't want me working. He said he wanted me to spend my time studying, so they set up an account and made sure I had money. I was very frugal with it. In return for his generosity, I come home over the breaks to help him in the store."

  They were interrupted by Mackenzie returning with their dinners. The conversation turned toward lighter topics such as books and movies. They laughed to discover they held similar views on modern movies, preferring older classics.

  When Mackenzie cleared off the table, Hunter asked for two pieces of their famous peanut butter pie. A frown creased Harmony's brow. "Oh, Hunter, I can't! I'm already so full. One more bite and I'll explode."

  He laughed. "We'll get a to-go box for you. Have you had their pie before?" When she shook her head, he tsked. "Take my word for it; you'll thank me later. It's really top notch."

  Too soon the check was delivered along with their boxed deserts. Hunter paid then escorted Harmony outside. The stifling heat of the summer day had cooled significantly after the sun went down. It had rained one of those quick showers that plagued Southern summers. Hunter pulled her to his side, draping his arm around her back as they navigated around the little pools of water dotting the ground. By the time the sun rose, the thirsty ground will have drank the puddles dry leaving only a damp indication they were ever there. Within an hour after sunrise, even those reminders will be gone.

  Harmony enjoyed the feel of Hunter against her side. He was so observant and chivalrous, making sure she was comfortable with everything they did. She liked how he opened doors for her, guided her carefully with his fingers on her elbow or back and helped her to sit at the restaurant. Even now, as they strolled down the sidewalk, he had put himself between her and the light traffic on the one way streets downtown.

  Movement caught her attention. Glancing toward the inky slit of an alley, she stopped and stared, trying to make out the shadows that dwelled within.

  When Hunter realized she had quit walking, he followed her gaze. "Is everything all right?"

  She frowned then shook her head with a laugh. "I thought..." She smiled up at him and linked her hand through his arm. Together, they continued their walk. "Just a shadow, nothing more."

  He glanced back at the alley then shrugged his shoulder. "If you're sure?"

  "Yeah, it's nothing."

  Harmony snuck one last glance over her shoulder as she let Hunter lead her away. The black rectangle didn't change so she shook it off. Tonight had been perfect and she wasn't going to let herself ruin it by jumping at imagined boogeymen.

  When they reached his car, he opened the door for her. Once she had settled, he got into the other side and started the car. They drove back to her house in relative silence. Harmony smiled as the scenery passed. It had been a simple date, but she had enjoyed every minute. As he escorted her to the door, she told him so.

  "I enjoyed it, too, Pix." He cupped her face in his palm and smiled at her. "I'm glad you agreed to come with me."

  "I'm glad, too." That butterfly in the stomach feeling was back, and she fidgeted, suddenly not sure what to do with her hands. Taking the initiative, she hesitantly placed one on his chest and the other on his hip. Gazing up into his eyes, she saw one side of his mouth lift ever so slightly in a smile.

  "Are you flirting with me, Ms. Tailor?"

  "Maybe?" Harmony sucked on her bottom lip.

  He chuckled and ran his thumb over her captured pout, gently tugging it out of her mouth. He then leaned in and seized it with his own.

  Harmony's world exploded in multicolored skyrockets. Closing her eyes, she leaned into the kiss, gathering his shirt in her fingers. She had kissed a boy before— in high school
and again in college, but those dry mashings were nothing compared to the soul-searing touch of Hunter's. He flicked at the seam of her lips with his tongue, asking for permission to enter which she gladly granted. He explored her mouth in slow sensual strokes until he stole her breath and left her gasping.

  When he retreated, Harmony's half-hooded gaze flicked to him. "Wow," she breathed softly. Part of her amazement was from the kiss, but the greater portion was due to the burning inferno of desire shining in his blue ice depths. Hunter wanted her.

  Her.

  It was intoxicating to think someone like him desired her. Harmony's body flushed with molten longing, and she squeezed her thighs together as a tiny gasp passed her lips.

  "You're going to stroke my ego if you keep that up," he whispered.

  She could think of many things she wanted to stroke. The shocking thought unnerved her. Harmony didn't have those kinds of musings. Instead of chastising herself further, she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him. Her face burned hot as the strength of his arms enclosed around hers. She nuzzled his chest as the need to ask him to kiss her again almost overcame her reasoning. Harmony wanted to beg him to take her to his house and teach her all the things that happened between a man and a woman. Knowing she would never be so bold, she chose to change the subject. "You smell good."

  "So do you, Pix." He let her go and lifted her face. "Sweet, delicious vanilla." Leaning in, he kissed her a second time; only this one was chaste. He groaned as he rested his chin on her head. With a resigned sigh, he teased, "I better go before Mickey comes out with a shotgun."

  "He won't, but okay," she reluctantly dislodged her hands from his shirt, took a moment to smooth out the new wrinkles and took a step back. Remembering her manners she told him, "I had a good time."

  "Don't forget your pie," he reminded her as he picked up the bag beside his foot and held it out. "If you don't want yours, then take both and give them to Mickey and Jolly."

  "That's very thoughtful of you." Harmony took the bag. "Thank you, again."

  "You're welcome. Oh, before I forget, they’re showing some classic movies at the Temple Theatre this weekend. How about we make it an evening? I'm working for a while on Saturday. So, pick you up at four? We can watch the movie then have a late dinner."

  "I'd like that, Hunter."

  "It's a date."

  She smiled warmly at him then on impulse, rose up on her toes, pressed a kiss to his cheek and ran into the house, closing the door behind. She waited until she heard his car start then peeked out the window. As Hunter drove away, she couldn't help but hope this was the beginnings of something amazing. She may be naive and unused to the nuances of dating, but she knew what she wanted.

  With everything in her body, she wanted Hunter Masterson and judging by the searing glances he had been feeding her all night, he wanted her too.

  CHAPTER 7

  "Hey, Hunt." TJ walked into Hunter's office. "Whew, I'm beat. What a freaking long shift."

  "Awww, bless it," Hunter smirked with a condescending tone.

  TJ leaned against the wall and regarded his friend. "You know, some of us have to get out there in the trenches and actually work, unlike others who sit on their butts all day in the air-conditioning."

  Hunter snorted. "Hey, I work, thank you. In fact, I'm going over the Billups' homicide as we speak."

  "Oh?" TJ raised an eyebrow. "Did you hear from crime lab?"

  "I haven't looked in the last few hours." Hunter pulled up his email and nodded. "Yep, here it is." Opening the report, he read through it. "Hmmm. There were two different sets of footprints at the back entrance to the Billups' house. So our perp had help. They also sent pictures of the reconstructed glass containers from the second room. Just as I suspected - trinket and jewelry boxes." He leaned back. "But why? It doesn't make any sense. Why destroy them?"

  "I still think it's tweakers. They broke in looking for something to steal, saw the old woman there and did her in. They found that room full of jewelry boxes - only they didn't have any jewelry in them, so it pissed them off, and they smashed everything. Realized it was getting late, so they grabbed her purse and took off before someone found them."

  Hunter contemplated TJ's theory. "So why did they leave the laptop and the television? Why not ransack her room and find the jewelry in the dresser?" Why would they bust in the car window but not take the car? The keys were by the door."

  TJ dropped into the chair by Hunter's desk, leaned back and crossed his feet at the ankles. "That's why I say they were tweakers. It doesn't have to make sense to us, just to them."

  "It would explain the overkill on the blunt force trauma. The medical examiner said the back of her skull was crushed in."

  Hunter leaned back and studied the picture on his screen of the fifty or so small boxes painstakingly reconstructed. No wonder it had taken them several days to put everything back together. Something about it scratched at his mind.

  "I can't help but think there's more here than we are seeing." He pulled up the photos of the scene taken before the crime lab had arrived. Flipped through them slowly, he stopped on the ones of the extra room full of destruction. "This is what I don't get, TJ." He turned his screen around so they could both see. "This was the only room with damage. Why focus here? They left valuables in plain sight. They didn't take the time to ransack the house and find the jewelry. They didn't even take the money jar in the corner of her bedroom. If this were the work of a couple of tweakers, they would have taken anything that wasn't nailed down. It's hinky, TJ, and I don't like it."

  "But they did take her purse," TJ argued. "They took the money out of her billfold and left the cards."

  "You're assuming she had cash in there. Her sister said she usually used her card for purchases and just kept enough money to buy coffee. There were almost twelve dollars in change in the side pocket. If they took the cash, why leave the change behind?"

  TJ shrugged and let out a long breath. "I don't know. Druggies aren't exactly the smartest, you know. "

  Hunter lunged forward and slapped his hand on his desk. He grinned broadly. "Exactly. Yet, they were smart enough to wear gloves and not leave a single print anywhere." He stood and motioned toward the monitor. "How many drug addicts looking for money for a fix take the time to break into a house, kill the occupant, destroy a collection of music and trinket boxes, leave the money items behind and wear gloves? None, that's how many. This wasn't a random moment of opportunity. This was methodical and planned. I know it. I just don't know why."

  "Well, I'd love to sit and talk to you all day, Hunt, but I got a date with a sweet little blonde tonight, and it's quitting time." TJ stood and stretched. "I'm glad Aaron is back from his honeymoon tomorrow. I'm ready to have a weekend off. How about you? Going to see that pretty little girl from the antique store? I know you ate lunch with her yesterday."

  The smile that broke Hunter's face made TJ laugh. "Oh yeah, you're going to see her. Is she giving it up, yet? They say you have to watch out for the quiet ones. I bet she's one wild ride." He waggled his eyebrows.

  Something unfamiliar burned through Hunter's veins. Slowly, he stood as the smile fell from his face, and he leveled his gaze at his best friend. "Harmony is special. She's the real deal. She's not the kind of girl that you take out for a few drinks and then to a local motel. She deserves respect, and if you want to keep your teeth, friend, or not, you will give her that respect. You get me, TJ?"

  His friend's eyes widened as he took a step back with his hands up in a surrender mode. "Yeah, shit, I get you, buddy. I didn't mean anything by it. I didn't know it was like that. Never thought I would see the day a pretty girl would fell the mighty Hunter Masterson. Damn, man, girls all over the Twin-State area are in mourning now."

  Hunter shook his head and shut down his computer. "It's not what you think. We're dating, that's all. I don't want her to get a crappy rep because some idiot thinks it's okay to talk trash about her."

  "Right. Well, I better
go. I hate to see a grown man willingly give over his balls to a woman." TJ shot back as he ran out the door. Hunter's orange stress toy bounced after him down the hall.

  "Asshole," Hunter muttered as he grabbed his cell off the desk. He shot off a quick text to Harmony then laughed. "But probably right," he added as he pocketed the device and jogged out the building. They were going to meet at the theater, and he wanted to get a shower first. The truth was he couldn't wait to see her, even if their date was less than an hour away.

  ***

  "That was awesome." Harmony gushed as they ate their dinner in the small grill down the street from the theatre.

  Hunter grinned. "Yeah. I haven't seen The Man That Knew Too Much in years. I'm glad that's what they were showing. Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day are two of my favorites."

  She wiped her lips and placed the napkin on the plate. "I hadn't seen this version. The Leslie Banks and Peter Lorre one from 1934 was on television back before Christmas. It was the first day home for the holidays, and I stayed up watching it. I didn't want to get up to go to work the next morning."

  Hunter loved the way her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the restaurant. She was so animated and full of life. Every smile he coaxed from her thrilled him. His feelings put him in an unfamiliar place. Normally, he didn't want more than a casual fling, but there was something special about Harmony, and he found himself looking forward to every moment he had with her.

  He scooted next to her and held her hand. "Now that you've seen both, which one is your favorite?"

  She looked down at his hand but didn't move it. Instead, she smiled warmly. "I think the first one. It was set in Switzerland and seems more familiar and less threatening."

  "Less threatening?"

  She nodded enthusiastically. "Let me explain. One of my bucket list items is to travel around the world someday. I want to visit, see and experience. However, the thought of being kidnapped in a foreign country terrifies me. The 1934 version was set in Switzerland while the 1956 one was in Marrakesh. Switzerland is gorgeous with lots of different vistas, but it still looks like it could be a part the US. It looks like home in a way. However, Morocco is so much different than here. The colors are different, the sounds, customs, food, and everything associated with it is completely foreign. That makes it more alien and therefore more dangerous. This movie solidified my thoughts in a manner." She shook her head. "I think if I ever get a chance to travel, I'll avoid Marrakesh. It even sounds sort of like a code word for spies. I can almost see two men meeting in a dark alley, and one of them says something like 'the white dog lies in the sun,' and the answer is 'Marrakesh'." She shivered. "But the movie was good. I especially liked the part where Jimmy Stewart was trying to get comfortable in the restaurant. That poor man's legs were too long for the seating. Your legs are long, too. I bet you’d also have a hard time getting comfortable."