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Three hours later, Moose and I are finally walking through the front door to my cabin. He makes a beeline for his huge dog bed that sits beside the sofa, and I head to the fridge for another beer. It’s well after ten o’clock and I should be wiped, but instead, I’m completely wired. I’m old enough not to let myself get all twisted up in knots over a woman. Yet, I’m also self-aware enough to realize that Harper Kennedy is no ordinary woman. Thank God she’ll only be here for a few weeks.
Twisting the cap off the bottle, I take the beer with me to my bathroom. Turning on the shower, I down half of it while I wait for the water to warm up.
After I get in, I squirt some shampoo in my hand and start to lather it into my hair. How is it that I’m still thinking about Harper? She’s just another guest.
It’s guilt. That’s it. My chest tightens when I think about the hard time I gave her for being late. She’s clearly here to escape from her troubles—troubles that feed the public’s appetite for gossip. Imagine not only having to go through the pain of a divorce, but also trying to protect her children from the media. Not to mention all the ugly things people are saying about her and her ex. And then when she gets up here, she winds up facing a grumpy jerk who does his best to make her feel like she’s not wanted here…
Rinsing my hair, I decide that tomorrow morning I’m going to make up for today. I’ll make sure the Kennedys have the best time possible while they’re here because if there’s one thing those kids deserve, it’s an escape from their sad lives. Harper too, by the looks of it. I don’t know why it matters to me, but somehow it does.
Chapter11
Harper
Dear Readers,
Once upon a time travel, I ran into Harper Kennedy on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. She was loaded down with shopping bags from the various baby stores in the area—she and Brett had just announced their first pregnancy.
Anyhoo, I was all, “Harper, is that you?” I was a tad green and nowhere near the sorcerer of style and information I am today, but we all start somewhere.
She smiled at me with that thousand-watt smile of hers and said, “It sure is.”
I should have asked for her autograph. I should have asked her to have a cup of coffee with me. But all I managed to say was, “If I was born with girl bits, I would have wanted to be you.”
She thanked me kindly and went on her way.
In other historical news, my dog walker’s dental assistant’s gardener once ran into Brett Kennedy on the street and had to get four stitches when he fell off the curb and hit his head on a fire hydrant.
That’s all.
Dish,
Ferris Biltmore
* * *
“The cabin is perfect.” I smile at Evie. “Thanks so much for showing us the way.”
“Just doing my job,” she says. She helps pull our luggage in and walks toward the kitchen. “The hot water takes a good five minutes to heat up, so don’t give up on it. Oh, and sometimes you have to flush the toilet twice.” She turns to walk away but stops herself. “If something bangs on your window, don’t open the door to see what it is. Just call up to the lodge and we’ll send someone down.”
“Why?” Liam sounds as nervous as I feel.
“It doesn’t happen often,” Evie tells him. “But sometimes bears stop by to say hi.”
“Mommy.” I feel Lily’s little hand grasp mine. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be,” Evie assures her. “I sleep in a van all by myself and I’m not scared.”
“You should be,” my daughter tells her as her eyes fill with worry.
“Here’s the thing, Lily.” Evie leans down so she’s eye level. “Bears have their own busy lives. They don’t have time for us. If they come sniffing around it’s just because they want something to eat, but if you don’t give them anything, they’ll go off and hunt for their own food.”
Neither Liam nor Lily looks like they’re buying it, so Evie adds, “In the cabinet above the sink, there’s some bear spray. You can carry that with you, but make sure you don’t spray yourself with it. It stings like a ticked off wasp.”
“Why didn’t Digger come down with us?” Lily asks. “He said he would.”
“He had to help some other guests,” Evie tells her. “The plumbing in Cabin Four can be a little dicey.” Then she looks at me. “Come on up to the lodge any time after six. Breakfast is served until ten.”
Once she leaves, we explore the cabin. There are two bedrooms, one with a queen-size bed for me and one with two twins for the kids. “I want to sleep with you,” Lily decides after checking out her room.
