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“This will be fine,” Lainey said faintly, studying the room. “Perfect, in fact.” It was huge, with a large bed, an easy chair, a small desk and a dresser.
Turning back to Brody, she said, “Thank you, Brody. For letting me stay out here.”
“My pleasure, Lainey.” He waved in the direction of the bathroom. “Towels and toiletries are already in there. I’m going to put those boxes is my office. They won’t be disturbed, since no one but me goes in there. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Brody,” she said, closing the door. She needed to get control of herself. Hard to do while standing in the doorway of a bedroom and staring at Brody.
After taking a few deep, steadying breaths, she looked around the room. She’d bet the view from the windows would be spectacular, but right now, she saw only blackness. Her legs suddenly shaky, she flopped onto the bed.
The adrenaline burn left her drained and exhausted, and she struggled to her feet. She’d worry about tomorrow after she got some sleep.
Stumbling into the bathroom, she flicked on the lights. Saw that it was sparkling clean and tidy. Brody kept everything in good condition. Ron hadn’t done squat around the house.
Shoving Ron out of her mind, she returned to the bedroom for her kit bag, then did a shortened version of her nightly routine before stripping off her clothes and falling into bed. It was comfortably firm, as if Brody knew exactly the kind of mattress she liked. The pillow smelled like a pine forest, and she burrowed into it as she dropped into sleep.
The faint clanging of pots and pans drifted into her consciousness, and Lainey struggled to sit up. She wanted to sleep for hours more, but she had things to take care of today. She glanced at her watch, swore and leaped out of bed. She had appointments at her office, and unless she hurried, she was going to be late. Precious minutes would be eaten up by retrieving her car from the house. She should have driven it out here instead of riding with Brody.
But she’d wanted to stay close to him, and warning bells clanged. She’d have to make sure she didn’t lean on him too much.
Taking a hurried shower, she towel-dried her hair, then twisted it into a single braid. Her hair was still dark with moisture, but it would dry.
Examining the braid in the mirror, she nodded. Easy and quick. Today, she didn’t have time for fancy. Then she plucked the business suit and blouse she’d packed in the duffel and threw it on. A brush of mascara, a swipe of lipstick, and she was ready to go.
Grabbing her purse and her briefcase, she stepped into the hall. Brody’s door was firmly closed, and she pulled hers shut behind her. Then she ran down the stairs.
Brody sat in the dining room eating an omelet and bacon, a mug of what smelled like coffee on the table. He looked up as soon as she appeared in the doorway.
“Lainey. Come sit down and have breakfast.” He nodded at his plate. “Omelet and bacon okay? Coffee? Tea?”
“Not sure I have time for breakfast,” she said. “I have an appointment in forty-five minutes.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “I’m less than fifteen minutes from town, and Vi’s already cooked the bacon. It’s staying warm in the oven. And an omelet will only take a few minutes.”
She was really hungry. She’d eaten only a few bites of her pasta last night, and God knows she’d need her strength today. Food would help. Her stomach growled as she stared at Brody’s food.
He bit his lip, probably to keep from laughing at her. “Hey, Vi,” he called. “Can you fix another plate like this?”
“Sure thing, Boss,” a female voice sang out.
He pushed away from the table and grabbed a mug on the sideboard, poured a cup of coffee from a carafe, and glanced at her. “How do you take your coffee?”
“Cream, please,” she said, drawing in a deep breath. She was really hungry and her mouth watered at the butter, cheese and egg aroma of Brody’s meal. Taking the coffee he prepared, she slid into a chair on the other side of the table.
Brody continued to eat, and Lainey appreciated that he didn’t wait for her. It also made conversation unnecessary. Several minutes later, a young woman with vibrant red hair carried in a plate and set it down in front of her. “Here you go.”
Brody smiled at the woman, then glanced at Lainey. “This is Vi, my housekeeper and cook. Also known as Violet. Vi, this is Lainey. She’ll be staying with us for a while.”
Lainey reached out to shake the woman’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Violet. Thanks for fixing my breakfast. I’ll be down at your regular breakfast time tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Violet said with a smile. “Happy to do it.”
She disappeared into the kitchen, and Brody finished the last bite of his omelet. “Vi’s married to my foreman. She was a baker in town, and when the snow started last year, I convinced her to work for me instead.” He smiled. “Haven’t regretted it for a moment, and I hope Vi hasn’t, either.”
“I heard that,” Violet called from the kitchen. “You know I worship the ground you walk on, Brody.”
He grinned. “Vi is a very perceptive woman. She knows how to suck up to the guy who writes her checks.”
“Like I need to suck up to you,” she retorted. Sticking her head around the door, she said, “You’re damn lucky to have me.”
“That I am,” Brody said, pushing away from the table. “As soon as you’re finished, Lainey, I’ll drive you to your place so you can pick up your car. In the meantime, I’ll put some coffee in a go-cup for you.”
Lainey stared after Brody as he disappeared into the kitchen. Not once in their marriage had Ron offered to fix her a cup of coffee to go when she was rushing to leave for work. It felt as if she’d gone through a wormhole and ended up in an alternate universe.
After finishing her breakfast and running upstairs to brush her teeth, Lainey squared her shoulders and headed downstairs again. Time to go to her office.
The thought made tension twist her stomach into a knot. Every single person she’d see today would ask her about Ron. Offer their sympathies. A few of them would eye her with speculation in their gaze, wondering if she’d killed him.
Some of them would know about her prowler. Stu Stevens would have told people she’d gone home with Brody.
Breakfast with Brody, meeting Violet, had been lovely. But the rest of her day was shaping up to be a horror show.
