The Duet

  Once Derek grabbed my bags, I turned to the cabin in time to see Jason step out onto the small balcony on the third floor. He was barefoot, wearing a worn t-shirt and jeans. His hair was mussed up and from where I stood, it looked like he hadn’t shaved in the last few days.

  When our eyes met, he didn’t smile or nod. We just stared at each other for a moment in silence and I felt a shiver of something run down my spine. That was probably my body’s physical reaction to the hate signals he was trying to send my way.

  Then I realized that I was in the middle of some bizarro Romeo and Juliet balcony scene where Romeo was standing on the balcony instead of Juliet.

  “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”

  And all he said in reply was: “Begone, wench!”

  Chapter Seven

  “You must be Brooklyn! You’re such a looker!”

  I smiled at the plump woman who’d answered the cabin’s front door for us. She was wearing a crisp white shirt that matched her curly white hair. She had bright blue eyes, painted red lips, and a warm complexion. Mostly, she reminded me of a Montana version of Paula Dean. And from the smell permeating from the kitchen, I figured she probably wasn’t far off.

  “Yes, hi. Are you LuAnne?” I asked, holding out a tentative hand for her to shake. She promptly ignored it and pulled me forward into a long hug. And when I say long, I meant long enough for Jason to make his way down the stairs and take us in as he stood with his arms crossed wearing a permanent scowl.

  When she finally released me from the hug, she held onto my shoulders and kept inspecting me.

  “Really, you are the prettiest thing we’ve had here in a while,” LuAnne said, scanning me from head to toe. I winced at the reminder of my stained and wrinkled clothes. I’d even added a coffee stain on top of the ketchup. Apparently you shouldn’t take a sip of coffee while the plane is taking off.

  “Jasper would take offense to that,” Jason said from behind her. I hadn’t heard his voice in a few days, but it was just as deep and melodic as I remembered it being on the phone.

  LuAnne turned toward Jason and waved him off. “Oh, please.”

  I smiled, glancing back and forth between them. “Who’s Jasper?”

  “Our newest Arabian gelding,” LuAnne replied.

  I didn’t know anything about horses, but that sounded like a pretty breed.

  “Jason, would you stop being such a brute and welcome our guest? Look at Derek, helping with her bags and picking her up from the airport. What a gentleman.”

  We turned to watch Derek drop my bags near the doorway and tip his hat down in appreciation of LuAnn’s praise.

  “It was nothin' much. I’ve got a few things to wrap up in the barn. Do you need anything else before I go, Ms. Heart?”

  He looked so eager to please, but he’d done enough and I had faith that I’d be able to help myself if something came up. “No. Thanks again, Derek.”

  We watched him leave through the front door and then LuAnne clapped her hands.

  “Well, I’m just finishing dinner. Why don’t you freshen up and then the food will be ready,” she suggested as she started backing up out of the main corridor, heading toward what I assumed to be the kitchen.

  I didn’t think to protest before she was gone, and soon it was just me and Jason, who was still standing with his arms crossed by the stairs. I did my best to ignore him by taking in the house around me. The foyer and the living room just off of the front door were both decorated in rich, modern interiors. Bright walls contrasted with dark, stained wood furniture. It was a beautiful house, but I couldn’t just stand there craning my neck around all day, so I bit the bullet and slid my gaze to him.

  His brown eyes, rimmed with even darker lashes, were locked on me. “You have the room upstairs on the left.”

  “You know most people usually greet their guests with a hello,” I said with a little smile so that he’d know I was teasing.

  He shrugged. “Most guests are invited, not thrust upon the host for forced collaboration.”

  Alrighty then. I was at a loss for words, but then I remembered the gifts I’d brought him from LA.

  “Oh, I have something for you!” I said, confident that I’d done the right thing in bringing him a few of his favorite things. Derek had set my carry-on bag next to the door, on top of my giant suitcase. The box of cookies and the shaving cream were sitting at the very top, so I grabbed them and turned to him with a giant smile plastered on my face.

  His gaze slid down to the boxes in my hands as I stepped toward him.

  “Cookies?” he asked, taking the box reluctantly.

  I smiled wider. “Your favorite. I wanted to bring a peace offering.”

  He flipped open the lid to the cookie box and frowned. What? Why the frown? Did I get the wrong flavor or something?

  I leaned forward to inspect the contents and my smile froze. The box was completely empty save for a few crumbs and one half-eaten cookie.

  “You ate my cookies on the way here?” he asked, less than impressed with my gift.

  I slapped my hand over my eyes. “That asshole kid!”

  “What?”

  My hand stayed planted over my eyes as I explained to him what happened. “There was a kid sitting next to me on the plane and he must have eaten the cookies while I went to the bathroom.”

  Jason laughed, an actual laugh that made me peel my hand away from my face and glance back up at him.

  There was still a hint of smile on his face when he said, “That’s a shame. Those are good cookies.”

  I frowned. “I know. I asked your assistant what your favorite bakery in LA was.”

  He kept his gaze locked with mine and I saw a hint of lightness trying its best to seep through. “Oh, well.”

  No matter what I did, I could not win with Jason Monroe. The universe was intent on making us mortal enemies. Except, I didn’t approve of enemies that were as good-looking as he was. Now that we were standing closer, I could smell the faint hints of his cologne, and each of his features that were breathtaking from a distance were only better up close. They were clearer, sharper, more interesting to behold.

  But I just gave him an empty box of cookies, so what did it matter.

  “I’ve got some stuff to finish up before dinner,” he said, turning toward the stairs with the cookie box still in his hand. As I watched him ascend the staircase and turn out of my sight, I assessed our first encounter. It could have gone a lot better. With a sigh, I went to retrieve my bags so I could carry them upstairs. I still had his shaving cream clutched in my hand, but I’d find another time to give it to him.

  “Leave your bags,” Jason called from the second floor. “I’ll get them in a minute.”

  A door closed a second later, so I assumed that he couldn’t hear me even if I wanted to protest.

  Since I wasn’t left with much of a choice, I grabbed my purse, left my bags, and decided to try to find my room on my own. LuAnne probably thought that Jason would give me a tour or at least lead me to where I was staying, but she obviously didn’t know him the way I did. Or maybe he was only an asshole to me.

  When I arrived on the second-floor landing, I peered down the hall. There were six doors flanking the hallway on each side, and then at the end, there was another set of stairs that I assumed led to the room on the third floor. Every one of the six doors in the hallway was closed except for one. I headed in that direction and smiled when I realized I’d guessed right.

  It was a guest room and it was fit for a queen. The bed in the center of the room was topped with fluffy white linens and overstuffed pillows. The table next to the bed had a bouquet of pink peonies on it with a card that said my name on the front.

  I took a step inside and spun in a circle. There was a flat-screen TV over the armoire across from the bed. A medium-sized bathroom connected to the side of the room and there was already a terry-cloth robe and all the bathroom essentials waiting for me inside.

  The only prob
lem was the closet. It was the smallest thing I’d ever seen, with just one hanging bar behind a thin door. I doubted I could fit even one-fourth of the clothes I’d brought with me for the trip inside of it.

  “Brooklyn, dinner is ready!” LuAnne called from the first floor. Since there wasn’t much I could do about the closet situation, I went into the bathroom and washed my hands. I even dabbed some water on my face to get the layer of airport off my skin.

  After I’d patted my face dry, I made my way back down the stairs, taking in the smell of roasted chicken as I hit the landing. Oh, hell yes. The last time I’d had a home cooked meal, Cammie had attempted to make sushi but she’d only succeeded in making my condo smell like fish for two weeks.

  LuAnne’s cooking smelled divine. Garlic and spices mingled in the air and I let the aromas lead me toward the kitchen. When I made it to the doorway, I paused to take it all in. Each part of the house seemed to be even better than the last. The kitchen was a dream with dark stained wood cabinets and speckled granite countertops. A massive window hung over the sink and I realized that many of the walls in the cabin had been sliced up to include as many windows as possible. It wasn’t a mystery as to why they’d done it. In every direction there was a spectacular view waiting to be seen: mountains, forests, barns, and stables. It was mesmerizing to take everything in and I hardly noticed that LuAnne was watching me from the island.

  “I bet they don’t have houses like this in LA,” she said with a warm smile.

  I laughed, “Definitely not. I mean there are some amazing houses, but this is just different. You can’t compare them,” I explained.

  She nodded thoughtfully.

  I offered to help her prep the rest of dinner, but she shooed me off and told me to wait at the table. Most everything was already laid out: two plates, two glasses with chilled wine waiting to be poured into them, and mounds upon mounds of food.

  “Will it just be the two of us at dinner?” I asked, purposely keeping any notes of disappointment hidden beneath my smile.

  I suppose she sensed it anyway. “Afraid so. Jason seems to be working hard upstairs and Derek is still out working in the barn.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t think Jason would want to eat with me anyway,” I said, surprised at my loose lips. LuAnne just had that way about her, she gave off a grandmotherly vibe, like if you stared into her blue eyes, you knew you could tell her all your secrets and she’d pat your shoulder and tell you how to fix your life, all while shoving food in front of you.

  “Nonsense, why would you think that? Did he help you find your room and get situated?”

  I knew that LuAnne technically worked for Jason, but I had a feeling that if I told her the truth he’d be in major trouble with her later.

  I shrugged it off. “I found it really easily. The room is awesome. Do I have you to thank for those flowers?”

  “Oh! I’m glad you liked them. Normally the guys hate it if I leave flowers in their room.”

  We laughed as she came to sit across from me. Over a plate of garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, and roasted chicken, I got to learn a bit more about LuAnne. She told me that she’d lived in Montana her whole life. She’d married young but never had any children of her own, and ten years ago her husband had cheated on her with “a skank from outta town” and they’d divorced soon after. Since then, she’s worked for Jason.

  “Do you ever get bored out here on your own when Jason travels for work?”

  She studied the stem of her wine glass, smiled, and then shook her head. “I think other people might get lonely, but the country life is for me. I’m old-fashioned in a lot of ways and I appreciate the quiet. I have my hobbies and I go into town when I need some social interaction. We have a little book club in town and those girls give me more than enough drama to keep me going.”

  I laughed and nodded. “I don’t have too many friends, but my younger sister and I have always been close.”

  She smiled, “What about a boyfriend?”

  I puffed my lips out so that they made a puttering sound. LuAnne cracked up and poured us each a bit more wine.

  “My job doesn’t make it very easy to date. I had a seriously pitiful hook-up before leaving LA and I fear that might be the only action I’ll get for quite a while.”

  “Well, let’s hope you have a good vibrator.”

  My eyes shot to her. “LuAnne!”

  She shrugged innocently. “What? Are we not close enough to talk about that yet?”

  I thought about it for a second. “You just look very prim and proper.”

  She grinned. “Don’t let my ironed button-down fool you. I was quite the wild child in my day.”

  “Good to know,” I laughed.

  “So what do you think about Derek?”

  I glanced around the open kitchen, wondering if we could talk privately in here without being overheard.

  “He’s still out working and Jason locked himself up in that room, so you’re free to speak your mind,” she said, reassuring me of our privacy.

  “He’s a little young,” I answered honestly.

  “And Jason?”

  I choked on the sip of wine I’d taken a second before. LuAnne had to come around and pat my back for fear that I was going to keel over on her kitchen table.

  “That bad, huh?” she asked, taking her seat across from me once she was assured I was okay.

  I laughed and coughed out the remaining wine. “You have no idea.”

  What did she think I wanted? Jason’s heart? I was there to write music and then be on my merry way.

  She narrowed her eyes, studying my features before speaking again. “Jason is a rough around the edges kind of guy. I won’t pretend to understand the intricacies of that man, but he’s had an interesting last few years. Lots of ups and lots of downs. After everything that happened with Kim and Lacy, I think he keeps his heart well-protected.”

  Interesting.

  “Who’s Kim?” I asked, trying to sound like I wasn’t aching to know more details of his life.

  She stilled. “Oh, no one. Let’s not talk about that boring stuff,” she said, trying to brush her slip of tongue under the rug.

  I tried to think of something else to talk about, but Jason was still clouding my thoughts so we sat in comfortable silence for a beat.

  “Why don’t you go head up and get some sleep. I’m sure Jason has plans for you tomorrow.”

  The dishes that were piled in the sink caught my gaze.

  “Don’t even think about it. I can handle all of those. It’s my job and I’m pretty picky about how my kitchen is cleaned.”

  I laughed and stood up to leave, but before I could, LuAnne stood to give me a hug.

  “I’m really glad you’re visiting us, Brooklyn. It’s about time we had some roses up here to balance out the thorns.”

  Maybe it was the smell of butter in her hair or the wine floating in my veins. Either way, that hug felt like a million bucks, and I softened into her so that she could hug me even tighter. It’d been over eight years since my parents had passed away and even though that ache in my heart had lessened slightly over the years, it still felt really good to be hugged by LuAnne.

  “See you in the morning,” I said as she released me.

  I made my way upstairs. The house seemed even quieter since the sun had set, and each one of my high-heeled steps on the hardwood floor echoed through the house. There were no signs of Jason in the hallway, but I could see a soft glow from the third floor as I made my way to my room.

  When I got to the doorway, I stopped in my tracks. I hadn’t even noticed the absence of my bags in the foyer on my way upstairs, but they were up in my room now. Not only that, but there was an empty metal garment rack pushed up against the wall next to them. I guess when Jason had carried my bags, he’d realized that the closet wouldn’t be big enough.

  I couldn’t process the sweet gesture, so I closed the door and stripped into some comfortable pajamas so I could try to call Cammi
e. California’s time zone was an hour behind Montana, so I knew she wasn’t asleep yet.

  When she answered on the second ring, a giant smile broke out across my face.

  “Hey, I can’t talk for long. I’m still in the studio.”

  “Are you serious? It’s so late,” I complained, grabbing my watch from the nightstand to check the time. 8:00 P.M. California time.

  “Yeah, and I’ll be here through the night probably. I have a presentation later this week on a design project.”

  I felt bad for leaving when she was so busy. “I’m sorry, Cammie. If I were there I could have brought you dinner or something.”

  “No worries, I’m subsisting on caffeine and granola bars. Food is for weak babies and invalids.”

  Something clanked to the ground on her end of the phone line and then she cursed under her breath.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yes, sorry. I’m trying to finish this damn model and a few parts don’t want to stay glued together.”

  “I’ll let you go so you can finish working.”

  “Okay, love you.”

  “Love you, too,” I laughed.

  Immediately after I hung up, I dialed Cammie’s favorite Thai restaurant and ordered a few dishes to be delivered to her studio’s address. There was probably a group of ravenous grad students ready to consume anything that smelled remotely like food.

  After that, my phone’s service started cutting in and out so I couldn’t call Summer and get an update about how things were going in LA. I didn’t mind. I was exhausted from traveling and the longer I lounged on the bed in my cotton nightshirt, the better sleep sounded.

  The pile of pillows and the soft duvet cover called my name and when I laid down I realized they were just as good as they’d looked. I was nearly asleep when my eyes flew open at the sound of a knock at my door. I laid completely still, wondering if I’d imagined it before another soft knock followed a moment later. I pushed off the bed and crept toward the door before turning the handle and checking to see who was on the other side.