Page 44 of Bad Seed

It was cold outside, but she had already settled into the snug comfort of the room, finishing up the last of the soup, when she got a call. The moment Harley saw caller ID, she sighed.What now?

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, darling, where are you?” Judith asked.

“Out of town on a case. Why?”

“I just wanted to let you know I’m flying to the villa tomorrow. It’s not prime weather in the south of France, but it’s far better than where I am. I’m sick of this nasty weather here. Your father is in DC at NASA headquarters at the moment, but will be going down to Houston in a couple of days and working at the NASA facility there for an extended period of time. I have no wish to winter alone in New York City. I was calling to see if you wanted to go with me, but I guess since you’re already working again, that’s out.”

The pitiful tone of her mother’s voice made Harley feel guilty, but such was life.

“You’re right. I can’t possibly go with you, and we both know you’re going to have a good time. You always do. You have your little squad of buddies there. I should probably be telling you to behave yourself.”

Judith giggled. “Oh…I know. I just hate traveling alone.”

“I do it all the time, Mom. You’ll read and sleep your way there anyway. Travel safe. Thanks for letting me know where you’ll be.”

“If anything comes up and you need us, you can always call your father.”

“Right. Will do,” Harley said, knowing she would never ask that man for help.

The call ended. Harley put her phone aside, upped the volume on the show she was watching, and reached for the plate with the little chocolate tart, forked a raspberry, swiped it through the whipped cream, and then forked off a piece of the tart and popped the whole bite in her mouth. The chocolate was smooth as silk. The whipped cream was to die for, the raspberry a perfect accompaniment, and the tart crust had a most delightful flaky, buttery crunch.

She ate the rest of it in three bites and was sorry when it was gone.

But the treat had been both delicious and unexpected, and she’d been raised with proper manners, so she picked up her phone, scrolled through her contacts until she came to the number Brendan had given her, and sent him a text.

Thank you for dessert. Your baking skills are amazing. I am in awe. I burn canned biscuits.

She hit Send before she could change her mind, and then set the food tray out in the hall for staff to pick up, grabbed a sweater from the back of the sofa, and walked out onto the balcony.

The moon hanging in the sky was backed by an explosion of starlight above the majestic mountain. In the dark, Pope Mountain was nothing but a looming pyramid, hiding all the people up there within the density of the forest.

She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be rooted in one place. Did the people here know what the rest of the world was like, or did they even care? It made her wonder what it would be like to be so happy, so soul-satisfied that you would never want to leave. She couldn’t imagine it. But the longer she stood, the more evident it became to her that she felt this way because she’d never met anyone special enough who wanted her as much as she wanted him.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the cold night air, and as she stood, felt something cold touch her cheek, like a butterfly kiss. She looked up in surprise to see tiny snowflakes swirling aimlessly in the air and shivered as if a ghost had just passed by. The feeling was so unsettling that she went back into her room, locking the sliders behind her, then closing the drapes.

As she was turning around, she heard her phone signal a text and saw it was from Brendan.

You’re welcome. I’m getting off work now. Do you still want to speak to me? If so, I need a room number.

Harley quickly responded.

Yes, please. Room 800. See you soon.

***

Brendan’s pulse kicked. He didn’t know how this was going to go, but he liked her sense of humor and had laughed at the “burned canned biscuits” remark. Bottom line—he wanted to see her again. He grabbed his coat from the employee lounge and took the staff elevator up to the eighth floor, got out, and started up the hall. When he reached the right door, he knocked twice and waited.

Seconds later, the door swung inward, and she was standing before him in her sock feet, devoid of makeup, hair in a tumble, wearing faded pants, an old sweatshirt, and a smile sweet enough to break a heart.

Chill, Pope. She’s not Justine, and you’re a grown-ass man. That smile is real, not fake, and you already know she’s more than a pretty face.

“Brendan, thank you for this! Just toss your coat on the back of that chair and come sit. I’m sure you’ve been on your feet all day.”

Brendan’s thoughts were in free fall as he followed her to the sofa.

“Can I get you something to drink? Have you had your dinner?” she asked.

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