Page 41 of The Roadie
She laughed. “You mean, he’s crazy about me.”
“I think you guys are crazy about each other. Love the East Coast accent, by the way.”
“Born and raised in New York,” she boasted.
“Have you spent a lot of time in California?”
“I go to L.A. on business all the time but never really get to do more than see live music when I’m there.”
Grant’s eyes shifted to Brett.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I was going to take you to see Bulletproof tomorrow night at the Staples Center,” Brett said, cautiously.
“Are you working?”
“No. Not a chance. I’m not going to work while you’re here.” He slipped his arm around her. “You said you’ve never seen Bulletproof live, so I thought you’d enjoy it. They put on a great show, but we don’t have to go if you’d rather do something else. We could have a bonfire on the beach,” he suggested. “It’s up to you. Whatever you want to do.”
She bounced a little, excited that he knew she’d want to go to a concert. “I want to see Bulletproof.”
Grant threw his head back and rolled his eyes. “Oh my God. You guys are made for each other.”
They both smiled, and Brett pulled her closer and kissed her cheek.
“I’m outta here,” Grant said. “You two can have the place to yourselves.”
“Where are you going?” Brett asked.
“Surfing with the guys.”
“Are you coming back for dinner?”
Grant shook his head. “I’ll grab In-N-Out. I’ll probably just see you guys tomorrow. Nice meeting you, Kira.”
“You too,” she called after him. She could tell Brett wanted to ask his brother more questions about where he was going but held his tongue, and she waited for Grant to leave before she said anything. “You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”
“Of course. But he’s a good kid.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, needing to touch him, just so she knew he was real and not a crazy fantasy. Even though it was only a week since she’d seen him, she often imagined he was there with her at home. Sometimes, when she was sitting on the couch watching TV, she pretended she was snuggling up to him instead of the gigantic furry pillow. Or she fantasized he was waiting at home for her with the table set for an intimate dinner for two, when she had a late night at work. It was so silly she wanted to laugh, but those were the things that got her through the week. “So what do you want to do first?”
“I want to show you my garden.”
It’s not what she expected him to say and assumed he was going to show her flowers and trees, or even shrubbery, so the array of fresh vegetables growing in his yard took her by surprise. Neat rows of tomato plants, peppers, lettuce, and an herb garden, covered an area behind the house like a small farm. She bent on one knee to inspect a plump tomato bursting with color. “You take care of all this by yourself?”
“My brother helps me. Actually, he does most of the work since I’m away so much. Go ahead. You can pick that one.”
She touched the fruit gently, afraid to bruise it. It came free of the branch with a small tug and she brought it to her nose. It smelled fresh and sweet, and the color was inviting. She’d never had a craving for vegetables before, but this robust tomato made her hungry. “I could bite into this thing right now like an apple.”
He picked up a basket and squatted next to her. “Help me pick some. We’ll make a fresh salad. And a sauce.”
Her cooking skills were basically non-existent, but she didn’t want to admit it, so she just started plucking tomatoes and soon the basket was full. “What else?” she asked.
He retrieved another basket and they moved to the peppers. Then the lettuce, which were long stalks of romaine that gave off a pleasing aromatic scent. A hummingbird fluttered as it took a drink from a flower, and Kira squealed quietly. “Look at the hummingbird!” she whispered, so she didn’t scare it away. “I’ve never really seen one up close,” she explained.
He smiled and tweaked her nose with his thumb and index finger. “You’re really cute.”
He waited while she watched the small colorful bird until it flew away. It was amazing how such a tiny little bit of nature brought her such joy. She breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh scent of the garden. “The air,” she said, with wonder in her voice. “It’s so clean. No carbon monoxide.”
