Firefly Duet: New Beginnings and Lasting Love

by Becca Maxton

  “Remember, the outside looks better than the inside.”

  She leaned into the truck and pulled out her camera bag. “This is exciting.”

  “It’s a ton of work.” Jim walked to the door, unlocking and gesturing for her to enter. “You go ahead. I’m going to grab a card table and folding chairs I brought.”

  The building was dark and cool even though the temperature outside held onto the end of summer heat. Sofia headed toward the windows overlooking the deck, gazing up at the wood ceiling en route.

  Gorgeous.

  Jim’s boots were loud on the floor as he came inside and set up the table and chairs near a window. “I have to get the electricity turned on still. I do have a couple big flashlights in case the upstairs and the basement are dark.”

  “Your dad may come out to look at your mom’s sculptures with us.”

  “Really? I’m surprised.” Jim stood with his hands on his hips. “So, what do you think?”

  “It’s fantastic. I mean, it needs a lot of work, but it has so much potential. What’s that mattress over there?” Sofia pointed to a corner of the room.

  “Yeah, don’t go near that. I’m sure it is filled with mice and spiders.”

  Sofia shook all over and stuck out her tongue. “Yuck.”

  Jim laughed. “My mom was dedicated to her art. I don’t remember her doing this, but dad says she slept here pretty often. She’d get lost in her work and he didn’t want her driving winding roads in the dark.”

  “I wish I could have met your mom.”

  “Me too. She would have enjoyed you.”

  Sofia grinned. “That’s a nice thing to say.”

  A knock and a “hello?” turned Jim’s attention away from her. “Here we go.” He headed to the front and opened the door. “Hey, Larry, glad you could make it. Come in. This is Sofia.” He gestured her direction and she waved. “Larry’s here to check out the foundation.”

  For the next three hours, a steady stream of contractors stopped by to take a look at the property inside and out. Sofia chatted with some of the men waiting for Jim. Speaking with the female plumber came easier, and Sofia ended up walking through a lot of the building with her, even going upstairs before Jim had a chance to.

  She had just sat down in one of the folding chairs when a familiar voice called hello. “Ben, is that you?”

  “I thought you and Jim might be getting hungry. I brought some sandwiches and drinks.” He entered the room and set a bag on the table.

  “Jim’s outside somewhere with someone.” Sofia laughed. “I’ve lost track. It’s been non-stop action.”

  Ben took a seat and opened the bag, pulling out a plastic container with sandwiches inside. “Here. Have a PB&J.”

  “I’m starving. Thank you.”

  “That’s a good sign. I’ve noticed you don’t eat much.”

  Sofia smiled and chewed. “Today’s been a good day so far. I’ve felt…useful.”

  Ben scratched his cheek. “I’m hoping Jim can give Jett something to do too. Jett has the construction experience. He also has a good design eye.”

  Sofia tilted her head. “What ideas does Jett have for the lodge?”

  Ben rocked his head back and forth. “He talks about the lodge as if it doesn’t mean anything to him. Granted, he’s the youngest and he doesn’t remember it as well as Jim and Kai. I think he understands what it could be. By the way the lodge has a pool too. Anyway, Jett’s mentioned the idea of adding four to five additional structures to the property. Like cabins or small homes.”

  “Oh, I like that,” Sofia said. “People could have weddings here and stay in the homes. Or family reunions. Or writer retreats.”

  “Exactly.” Ben nodded.

  The door closed. “Hi, Dad,” Jim called and entered the room. “Saw your truck outside. Food, thank God. I’m hungry.” He picked up a sandwich.

  “Hey, I went upstairs with the plumber lady and you were right. There are eight rooms up there,” Sofia said. “And your dad just told me about a cool idea Jett has for the property. He wants to build additional cabins or little homes for other people to stay in.”

  “Uh huh.” Jim took a bite. “Maybe.”

  Ben slapped his hands on the table and stood. “That’s something you can work out with your brother. I like the idea. Sofia likes it too.” Ben winked at her. “I’m here to go down to the basement and look at your mother’s sculptures.”

  “You don’t like Jett’s idea?” she whispered, walking with Jim and following Ben to the stairs.

  “We can talk about it later. Hold on, Dad. Let me go first. I have a flashlight.”

  Sofia crossed her arms and shivered at the bottom of the basement steps. Walk-out glass doors and a few windows provided enough light to see a room packed with sculptures.

  With his hand on the back of a large sculpture of a cow, Ben said, “This was not one of Catherine’s favorites. She was working on it when she found out she was pregnant with Jett. I think she felt like she had to keep it, for that reason.”

  Sofia squeezed between a sculpture of an eagle with its wings spread and one of a four-foot bush, each branch covered with butterflies. “I had no idea they were all this large.”

  “Most of her sculptures were meant for outdoors.” Ben smoothed his hand over a sculpture of a hawk, its talons clutching a rabbit. “She liked the idea that people would touch them.”

  Across the room, Jim’s back was to her and Ben as they moved around the room. “Do you have a favorite, Jim?”

  “What?” He turned. “No. I don’t know. Not really.”

  “Here’s a small one.” Ben walked to her with his hands cupped. “A frog.”

  “Look at that. You know what I would do? I would incorporate all these into the design of the lodge and the little homes Jett suggested. You could put sculptures on all the paths in-between buildings. Throughout the whole property. People would love that. Wouldn’t that be neat?”

  “Neat,” Jim said with a scowl on his face.

  “What do I know?” She waved a hand in the air. “I’m just spit-balling.”

  Rubbing the back of his neck, Jim walked toward the stairs. “Sorry to cut this whole thing short, but I just remembered I need to meet one of the contractors in town instead. Dad, could you take Sofia with you?”

  “Of course,” Ben answered, glancing up from his study of a mountain lion climbing down a rock. “I guess I’ll have plenty of chances to look at all these again.”

  Jim’s flashlight seemed more like a spotlight on the tension in the air as he led the way, stomping up the stairs.

  “Um, Jim, do you and I come back tomorrow and do this all over again?”

  “Not tomorrow. I’ll let you know about the day after that.” He dug his keys out of his pocket without even looking at her. “I’ll text you.”

  Nice.

  “Sofia, what do you say we stop at Patsy’s Diner on the way home?” Ben asked. “You ate all of two bites of your sandwich. We could get milkshakes.”

  Okay, so we’re all pretending we’re not feeling the awkwardness, is that it?

  She faced Ben and beamed an overly toothy smile. “I’d love to get a milkshake.”

  Outside, Ben helped her into the truck and got in himself. “Don’t take it personally.”

  “So I’m not crazy. I did upset him.”

  “You didn’t upset him.” Ben backed up and headed down the driveway. “He’s upset though. Lord, my sons are more alike than different. One bottles up their feelings and the other drinks from it to stay numb.”

  She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Feelings stink.”

  Ben’s laugh burst out. “They do.”

  “I think I upset Jim by mentioning Jett’s idea.”

  Ben glanced at her, then back to the road. “It’s a good idea, isn’t it? Jett’s smart. I just wish…he had an anchor. Other than a few teenage antics, Jim’s always been the disciplined one. A perfectionist at times. I was hoping the lodge would be
a way for them to rely on each other’s strengths and cancel out any weaknesses.”

  “They don’t know they’re lucky to have each other. Maybe it will just take some time.”

  “I’m sorry. You don’t need me rattling on about this family’s struggles.”

  She leaned back, turning her head toward the window.

  Maybe I will call Dr. Wheeler in the morning.

  Chapter 9

  It ended up being more than a couple days before Jim saw Sofia again. He kept her updated by text about needing time to travel north to Four Bears to meet with an architect. It wasn’t a lie. That was where he went.

  But you did lie. About having a favorite sculpture, when she asked you. Why wasn’t it in the basement?

  On Friday, Rafe called to tell him he was en route early, and they agreed to meet at a restaurant in the little town around the mountain from Ashnee Valley for dinner.

  He stood and shook hands with Rafe when he entered La Pinata around four-thirty. “Hey, man.” Jim gestured to a table near a window where they could sit. Rafe took off his baseball cap and rubbed his hand over his long salt and pepper hair. He wore an orange t-shirt with a giant sun on it. Tan, with weathered skin and a beard, he appeared a walking advertisement for the chill life. “You look good, for an old man. How was the drive?”

  “Dude, I am old. You wait until you’re almost fifty.” Rafe turned to the waitress who arrived at the table with chips and asked for their drink orders. “I’ll have whatever local beer you have on tap.”

  “Make that two,” Jim added.

  “So you’re up here talking to an architect?

  “A couple of them. I’m not sure I’ve found the right one.”

  “Is your brother still doing construction? He probably knows some good ones.”

  Jim scooped guacamole on a chip. “I didn’t ask him.”

  “I take it he’s still drinking?”

  Jim nodded.

  Rafe thanked the waitress as she set down his beer. “I’m sorry to hear that. How’s everything going with Sofia Russo?”

  He ignored Rafe’s stupid grin. “Fine. You’ll meet her tomorrow. Kai and Leo are hosting a cookout. Dad will be there. I imagine Jett will make an appearance. It will be the first time she meets all the kids.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “She’s helping with the lodge.” Jim paused to take a swallow of beer. “Sort of. She has some interesting ideas. She’s a photographer. I have her taking pictures of everything.”

  “Interesting ideas, like what?”

  “Incorporating my mom’s sculptures in the design. Not just in the building but some pathways around the property too.” He picked at the label on his bottle, peeling the corner back.

  “That’s creative. She sounds smart.”

  “Creative. Smart. Sexy.”

  “Now I get what’s got you all twisted up.” Rafe leaned back in his chair. “You don’t seem that thrilled about her idea.”

  “It’s a good idea. I didn’t expect all this to be as hard as it already is.”

  “Ah.” Rafe nodded. “She’s an added distraction you didn’t want, is that it?”

  Jim held his hand up. “Don’t start with your analysis. She’s good looking. Okay. Maybe, gorgeous.”

  “Maybe?” Rafe laughed. “One, I was there at the robbery. Two, I have access to the Internet in New Mexico. I’ve seen her photo. What’s the problem?”

  “I like her. I feel good when I’m around her. But, whatever, she’s going back to New York sometime soon. Otherwise, I feel shitty around Jett. I worry about my dad.”

  “It’s not easy to come home. You just got here. There’s a lot of family emotions around the lodge. Hell, I remember sleeping there right after your mom died. I’ve never been around a man as destroyed as your dad. I felt guilty he was paying me.”

  “I don’t remember you sleeping there.”

  Rafe laughed. “I was so fucking broke. I was on leave from the Army. I don’t think your dad cared. He hired me to close up the place before winter and asked me to move the sculptures to the basement.”

  “Dad didn’t care about anything after Mom died. For years. Why’d he do that anyway?”

  “Put everything in the basement? I think he thought he was going to show the place and sell it, but then could never bring himself to do it.”

  Jim ordered tacos and Rafe a burrito when the waitress stopped at the table. “Has your dad forgiven me for talking you into joining the military?”

  “It’s Kai that hasn’t forgiven you. Now that I’m home for good, she might say hello.”

  “We made a good team. Protected a lot of Marines and Seals in our day. I’m glad to be done with it though. And I’m glad you asked me to come up to work on the lodge. I’m still thinking about our conversation earlier, about investing in it. I like the idea of us being partners again. Who knows, maybe I’ll relocate up here for good. There’s more than one reason to stay in the area.”

  Jim grimaced. “Are you still fantasizing you could get Doc Cindy to give you the time of day?”

  Rafe scratched the top of his head. “Talk about a distraction. That woman does it for me.”

  “You’ve only seen a photo of her. You’re like a beast to her beauty.”

  “Yeah, well. First things first. I’m looking forward to seeing the family and formally meeting Sofia.”

  Twenty-four hours later, Jim pulled out of his driveway with Rafe in the passenger seat of his truck and headed to Kai’s house. He parked next to Jett’s vehicle and glanced in the rearview mirror as his father followed up the driveway with Sofia.

  Rafe rubbed his hands together and got out of the truck.

  “Jesus, it begins,” Jim mumbled and slammed his door. Rafe put his hands on the roof of his dad’s vehicle, leaning to look in the window. “Mr. Mannis, good to see you, sir. And this must be the one and only Sofia. I’m Rafe.”

  Her smile was tentative as she came around the car and shook Rafe’s hand. “Hi.” Turning she gave him a tiny wave. “Hey, Jim.”

  “Hey,” he answered, wanting suddenly to kick his own ass for ignoring her the last few days. Her white short-sleeve sweater, brown skirt, and tan legs drew his eye.

  “Smooth talker,” Rafe whispered as he passed by, heading into the house with Ben, leaving Sofia alone with him in the driveway.

  “How’ve you been the last few days?” he asked.

  “Good. I hope your meetings went well. Did you find an architect to work with?”

  “Not yet.” He squeezed the back of his neck. “Listen, I’m sorry about the other day. At the lodge. I was rude. Cutting you and Dad off early.”

  She shrugged her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have suggested anything about the designs for the lodge. It isn’t my place. Your mom was a great artist. I got excited.”

  She stared at the gravel in the driveway, tapping a stone with her foot.

  I’m an idiot.

  Stepping close he put a hand on her upper arm. “I don’t want you to feel that way. Your idea about the sculptures is a good one. I want you to feel like you can talk to me, okay? About the lodge or anything.”

  “I did decide I need to speak to someone here about Anthony’s death. I made an appointment with Dr. Wheeler for tomorrow.”

  He squeezed her arm. “I’m glad.” She still wasn’t making eye contact and he couldn’t take it. “Hey.” He let go her arm and put a finger beneath her chin, gently. “Are you okay?” His heart lurched when she shook her head. “If this cookout is too much, we don’t have to stay. We can go.”

  “Some days are better than others. I’m a little nervous.”

  “Let’s have a signal. You can let me know that way. We can go. Anytime. I can take you back to Dad’s.”

  Or my house.

  “Okay.” She bit her lip. “I’ll tug on my ear, how’s that?”

  “Perfect,” Jim said. “And if I grab my own neck and choke myself out, that’s how you’ll know I want to leave.” To his r
elief, she cracked up at his silly joke.

  “Hello, you two.” Kai called from the door. “Are you coming in? The kids are anxious to meet Sofia.”

  Jim put his hand on the small of her back directing her through his sister’s house and toward the deck where the family gathered. The smell of hamburgers and hotdogs cooking on the grill greeted him as they stepped through the sliding glass door. Leo introduced Sofia to each of his kids along with some of the kids’ friends who were visiting too. After a flurry of ‘nice to meet you,’ he chuckled as all the kids ran off into the yard. Only four-year old Suze remained with the adults, her arms wrapped around one of her mother’s legs. Leo joined the kids in the yard and Ben sat on the deck.

  Jim took over grilling and Rafe gestured for Sofia to sit in the chair next to him. “How are you doing since the robbery?”

  “Rafe was there.” Jim flipped a couple burgers. “He saw you first, before I did.”

  “Correction, I saw the guy with the gun first.”

  “Right,” Jim answered with a quick glance to Sofia, who had a hand on her chest, blinking rapidly.

  “Then I saw her in the white dress before you took him out.”

  Jim flinched as his sister plopped Suze in Rafe’s lap, quickly pulled Sofia from her chair and walked her into the house, an arm around her shoulders.

  “What the…is she crying?” Jim asked. Seeing her mom escort the weeping Sofia away, Suze had begun to sob.

  “Shit, I’m sorry.” Rafe held the four-year-old away from his body in mid-air. “I guess we startled her.”

  “We?” Jim picked up his niece, hugging her against his chest. “Have you never held a kid before? Jesus.”

  “What’s the matter, pumpkin?” Leo called from the edge of the deck. “Is Uncle Jim scaring you?”

  “I didn’t scare anyone. Dipshit here made Sofia cry and then Suze started crying too.”

  Ben whistled loudly. “Do you think you could stop swearing? You’re worse than the teenagers in the yard. Bring Suze here, then go in the house and talk with Sofia.”

  “Yes, sir.” Jim shot daggers at Rafe who opened his hands and mouthed “what?” After handing off his niece, he went inside and found the two women sitting at the kitchen table.