Firefly Duet: New Beginnings and Lasting Love Read online

  “Dad?” Jett said. “Hey, happy birthday, Dad.”

  Jim sat forward on the edge of the couch, his hands clasped and jaw visibly tightening. “Dad’s birthday was a week ago.”

  Squatting next to his father’s chair, Jett repeated, “Happy birthday.”

  She interpreted Ben’s dismissive arm gesture as, go away. It wasn’t like she didn’t recognize drunk either. Unsure about whatever dynamic she witnessed, Sofia sat still.

  “Damn it, can’t you even appreciate that I came to see you on your birthday?”

  Jim stood. “Let’s go, Jett.”

  Gripping the arm of his father’s chair, Jett awkwardly pushed to stand and swayed. “Big Jim’s back.” He spread his arms wide. “We’re all so lucky to have you here to take care of everything and everyone now, aren’t we?” Jett’s gaze traveled to Kai and Leo, who both stood, arms crossed next to the kitchen door. When his eyes settled on her, his voice was thick with amusement. “Baby girl.”

  I can see why Jim took a pass on talking about his brother.

  “Excuse me?” She got a whiff of liquor as he moved closer. “My name is Sofia.” Not, baby girl.

  “You. Are. Gorgeous.” He put his hand out as if inviting her to depart with him. Staggering, he stepped sideways, laying the same hand over his heart when she didn’t accept it. “Where’d you come from, sweetheart?”

  “Jett. You’re embarrassing yourself. This is a friend of Jim’s who’s visiting,” Kai said.

  “Oh, shit.” Jett laughed. “You’re with Jim?” He shook his head, an expression of disappointment on his face. Coming close again, he touched the cast on her wrist with his fingertips. “What happened to you?”

  Jim moved in front of her. “Hands off.”

  Ben rose from his chair and pushed between his sons. Taking her elbow, he silently led her out of the room and down a hallway.

  “I’ll help,” Kai said from behind as Sofia entered a cozy bedroom with a pretty purple and white quilt she suspected was handmade. After wishing her time to rest, Ben left the room. Kai moved Sofia’s bags from the bed to the floor. The curtain at the window breathed in and out with the morning air.

  “Give me the keys to your truck and get your ass in the car.” The backdoor slammed and Jim’s angry voice carried through the open window.

  Kai circled the bed and shut the curtain. Exhausted, Sofia didn’t have the energy to break the silence. She unzipped her suitcase and pulled out a small toiletry bag.

  “I’m just going to say this,” Kai said.

  Sofia shook her head, already objecting to any apology Kai might offer.

  “Please don’t hold this awkward moment against Jim.”

  “I would never think like that. I promise.” Sofia folded back the bedspread. “I’m so grateful and just really tired.”

  “Okay, rest well.” Kai told her and closed the door.

  She didn’t bother to change her clothes, instead slipping under the sheet and then looking around the room. Three small frames hung in a horizontal row on the wall across from her bed. They were watercolor paintings of purple lilacs. Other than the bed and a dresser, the only other furniture was a narrow rocking chair with a high back. Depictions of wildlife—a bear, a wolf, a deer – were carved in the mahogany wood. She closed her eyes and drifted, before a knock brought her awake again.

  “Come in.”

  Jim stuck his head in the door. “You okay? Can I come in?”

  “I thought you were long gone.” She patted the bed for him to sit.

  “We’re leaving in a minute. I’m taking Jett home with me. Leo’s talking with him so he doesn’t do anything else stupid. He’s got…issues.”

  Sofia snuggled further down in the bed. “Let’s skip that part.”

  “What part?”

  “Let’s skip explaining everyone else for now. Is your father okay?”

  “I’ll check on him before I leave.”

  “I’m so worn out. I’m going to go right to sleep in this pretty purple room and wake up to my new adventure where I meet the chickens and the pigs.”

  Jim chuckled. “Get some rest. I’ll come back later for supper.”

  She listened to every sound as he left. The goodbye to his father. The back door closing. The slam of car doors. The scatter of gravel on the driveway. Then silence settled over her like a weight, comforting in its confinement, and she drifted to sleep.

  Chapter 5

  Jim held one arm and Leo the other as they dragged his younger brother inside. “Thanks.”

  “You bet.” Leo put a pillow beneath Jett’s head. “Kai came over the other day and tried to air out the place. She put fresh sheets on the bed and left some towels.”

  Jim smiled. “I appreciate it. And that you two have taken care of this old house. It’s pretty convenient having a home of my own to come to.”

  “It’s part of the property with the lodge.” Leo shrugged. “Do you want to check out the lodge now or should I take off so you can catch some shut-eye?”

  Glancing at the snoring body on the couch, Jim sighed. “Let’s go now. If I go to sleep, I won’t get up until noon tomorrow, and I promised Sofia I’d be back at Dad’s for supper.”

  “She seems like a nice woman. Not hard to look at either, but don’t tell your sister I said that. It must be pretty weird for her, coming here.”

  “Yeah. I’m a little worried about how it’s all going to go. She has a broken wrist and probably PTSD from being at the scene of a bank robbery and seeing two men shot.”

  “What about you, you okay?” Leo asked.

  “I’m fine,” Jim said.

  “You could have her make an appointment with Cindy Wheeler. Maybe having someone to talk to about everything would be helpful.”

  “God, I forgot about Doc Cindy moving her practice here from Utah. Good idea. I’ll bring it up to Sofia when the timing is right. Do you remember my buddy, Rafe?”

  “Of course.”

  “He has a huge crush on Doc Cindy.”

  “When did he meet her?”

  “Never has. Kai sent me a copy of her first book. He saw her photo on the back. Read it cover to cover. Boom. Instant love.”

  Leo smirked. “That would definitely be a case of opposites attract. I can’t picture it.”

  After driving the mile from the house to Mercy Mountain Lodge, Leo handed him the keys. Jim unlocked the door and stepped inside. A streak of sunshine swept across the bare room, dust particles dancing in the light.

  “Whoo wee.” Leo waved his hat in front of his face. “That’s musty.”

  Jim walked the entire main room, the sound of his boots echoing off the wood floor. He took his time, listening to his brother-in-law’s steps in nearby rooms. A familiar creak of the floor brought memories of running around the lodge that served as his late mother’s art studio. A wave of nostalgia hit him as he pictured her working on one of her sculptures. She’d turn her bright eyes whenever he entered the room. Any room. God, he missed her. Missed the way she loved him. How she loved all of them. Longing must have shown on his sleeve, because Leo walked toward him and put a hand on his shoulder.

  “I’m glad you’re home, man. You’ve made Kai very happy, and you know if your sister is happy, everybody’s happy,”

  “That’s good.” Jim nodded, letting his eyes sweep over the room again. “This could be nice in winter.” He walked toward the old fireplace – a vision forming in his mind of the glow of a fire, a nice leather couch and Sofia, with her legs curled up, a soft blanket around her shoulders.

  “Your dad came by here the other day.”

  Leo’s words brought him out of his daydream. “Yeah?”

  “First time, he said, in twenty-something years. Hard to believe it’s been closed up for so long. Jett’s helped maintain it too, not just us.”

  “Jett?” His suspicions aroused at the mention of his younger brother. “Did he make Dad pay him to do that?”

  “No, but he never turns down cash fr
om Kai. There’s no shortage of women wanting to baby him,” Leo added. “First in line is your older sister and my wife, no matter how annoyed she acts.”

  “So, how’s he really doing? Is what I saw today typical?”

  Leo moved to the fireplace and ran his finger along a hairline crack running from the mantel up the wall toward the ceiling. “Not always. We don’t see him much. He gets periodic construction work and that keeps him going, I guess. He usually has some pretty young thing on his arm, if he does come by. Never the same one. I don’t think it takes even the dumb ones long to realize it’ll take more than an amazing fuck to cure his drinking problem.” Leo grinned his direction. “But with his looks, they sure are willing to try.”

  Jim didn’t answer, walking the room again, stopping to gaze out the row of windows to the west toward the majesty of Mercy Mountain. A low stretch of foothills, Moonshine Ridge, was his favorite. As a boy, he imagined a fortress surrounding his land. The sea lay beyond the hills in his fantasy. Intense battles raged on those imaginary waters, with Jim as a great commander. In reality, there was no ocean within hundreds of miles.

  “Did he know I was coming back now?”

  “Jett? Oh, yeah.”

  Leo’s long-suffering tone made Jim glance at him. “That bad?”

  “You left when your brother was twelve years old. How many times have you been home in the last, what, eighteen years?”

  “And he knows I’m moving into the house on the property?” Jim grunted. “I guess he will when he wakes up there.”

  Leo grimaced as if speaking with the sorriest son of a bitch alive. “Jett thinks he knows everything. The war veteran and hero cop returns to the cheers of the local community and takes over the castle. That’s you.”

  “What does he expect? Dad would never put him in charge of renovating the lodge. But bottom line, it belongs to Kai and you, me, and Jett.

  “This place is a dump. No offense to your late mother. It’s going to be a hell of a job trying to bring it back. Here you are, like the prodigal son returning and you get the golden goose too.”

  Jim flipped the lock on the sliding glass door leading to a back deck. “You seem to be combining a number of stories.”

  Leo snorted a laugh and followed him outside. “I was never good with my Bible stories. Or Mother Goose or whatever.”

  “What about you and Kai?” He put his hands on the dilapidated wood railing, careful to avoid getting a splinter, or in case the damn thing decided to crumble.

  “We’re good.” Leo walked the deck, kicking a couple buckets left in a corner with his foot. “We trust whatever you have in mind. You know, with our jobs at the clinic, we won’t have much time to offer. Kai understands that may mean she gets less of a cut if there’s ever a sale or you keep the property and there’s a profit someday.”

  Jim turned. “I’d never do that. You’re the ones that have been here all along. It’s a third each. Besides, you got all those mouths to feed at your place. How are all my nieces and nephews doing by the way?”

  “Our house is a zoo.” Leo counted off on his fingers. “Teenage boy and girl. Both are nightmares, by the way. The twins start second grade in the fall. And Suze. They can’t wait to see you. The girls are going to be excited about someone like Sofia being around. Do you know if she likes kids?”

  He thought about his stupid question on the airplane about whether she wanted kids. “I hardly know her. She recently lost a younger brother to cancer. That was her only sibling.”

  “Oh, shit,” Leo said. “I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe we better ease into the family thing then. The whole crew can be overwhelming and if she’s not used to a kid with Downs, like Suze, it could be too much.

  “My girl, Suze.” Jim smiled. “I’ve missed that little munchkin. Are pink and purple still her favorite colors?”

  Leo scoffed. “Are you kidding? She amazes Kai and me. All the others are tomboys regardless of gender. You know, dirt-bike, rock-climbing, fishing-crazy maniacs. Then there’s Suze with her frilly dresses and stuffed animals.” Leo shook his head. “Her latest thing is taking notes in these little tiny notebooks. Pink of course. And she has purple pens with streamers hanging off the ends of them too.”

  Jim laughed and gestured for them to head back inside. “It’s good to be home.”

  The aroma of fresh coffee woke Sofia, and she breathed deeply in pure pleasure opening her eyes. The sun shone brightly through the window and across the bed. It took a moment to realize she wasn’t in New York and a double take at the clock on the nightstand to register it was ten in the morning.

  I can’t believe I slept so late.

  She pulled a pair of yoga pants and socks from her suitcase, then sat on the edge of the bed to put her clothes on with her one working hand. Her stomach growled as she padded down the hall.

  I don’t even remember anyone trying to wake me for supper.

  Ben sat at the kitchen table reading a newspaper, several sections piled on the table in front of him. His pressed shirt and crisp slacks gave her the impression he’d been up and active for several hours. He smiled, gesturing for her to sit. “Good morning. Coffee?”

  Sofia nodded, accepting the mug Ben fetched for her. “Good morning. I guess I was totally out last night.”

  “We decided not to wake you.” Ben smiled. “I bet you’re starving.” He pushed a neatly arranged plate with cinnamon rolls and butter on the side toward her. “Help yourself.”

  She ran a shaky hand through her hair. “Thank you.”

  “Leo will be here in about an hour to drive Jett’s truck over to Jim’s house, if you want to tag along.”

  Sofia hesitated. “I’d like that.”

  “You don’t need to worry about Jett. He rarely shows up and when he does, he clears out again in a hurry. He drinks too much,” Ben said matter of fact. “It’s a shame that’s the state he was in, your first day here. We do what we can to sober him up, even if it’s just overnight.” Ben paused. “He was nine when the kids’ mother died. He has struggled one way or another ever since.”

  “I’m sorry, that must be very hard to lose your mother so young.” Sofia added cream to her coffee and stirred. “May I ask –?”

  “Catherine had breast cancer. It was six months from diagnosis to the end. She was an artist and a wonderful mother. Loving and strong. Just not here as long as we all would have liked.” Ben got up and brought the coffee pot to the table, refilling his mug. “Jim told me your brother passed away recently. I’m sorry to hear that. Would you tell me something about him?”

  Sofia took a bite of her roll and contemplated how to begin. “Anthony is…was… four years younger than me. He had cancer too. Adult onset leukemia. He passed away in June.”

  “That’s how he died. How did Anthony live?”

  The care in Ben’s manner and the direct question put her at ease. Most people asked if she was okay, but she sensed they didn’t want to hear more than how she was hanging in there. “Okay, well, we grew up on Staten Island. In the summers, we ran barefoot outside and climbed trees. We rode our bikes everywhere.” Sofia took another sip of her coffee. “That’s not how people usually think of New York. It was rare for us to go to the city, but when we did we took the ferry. We’d race from one end of the boat to the other.” She smiled at Ben’s encouraging nod. “Anthony coached high school football. It was his dream job. He had a nice girlfriend.”

  “You loved him and he loved you.”

  “Yes.” Her voice choked.

  “It’s good to be loved, even better to love back.”

  She stared into her coffee mug, lost in a vision of her and Anthony sitting at a picnic table in the backyard surrounded by family. Was it the Fourth of July or one of the cousins’ graduation parties?

  Ben patted her arm. “How about you tell me something more about Anthony tomorrow?”

  His look invited a response, so she agreed.

  “Good. I’ll look forward to hearing more about him.”


  After breakfast, Sofia took a shower with her left arm wrapped in a garbage bag. She managed to get her underwear and jeans on one-handed before the back door slammed.

  “Sofia?”

  Crap. Leo.

  Unable to button her pants, she fumbled with her front clasping bra and scrambled into a t-shirt.

  I cannot show up at Jim’s house with my pants undone.

  She cracked the bathroom door, leaning her forehead against it. “I’m in the bathroom. I…I need some help, please.”

  Purposeful footsteps moved down the hall. She hid behind the door, peeking out at Leo.

  “Well, you’re standing up,” Leo said. “So I guess you don’t need help wiping.”

  “What? No!”

  “You know I’m a nurse, right? I’ve seen and done it all.”

  Her cheeks heated. “I can’t button my jeans.”

  Leo let out a hearty laugh. “Hell, that’s no big deal. Let’s get your pants fastened.”

  She held the door a moment longer, then let go, facing him. Leo pulled her pants waist tight, then buttoned them.

  “There.” He pointed to a short sleeve red hoodie sitting on top of the toilet seat. “Let’s get that on too.” He helped her put her head through, first one arm, then the other, stretching the sleeve over her cast. “Now we mussed up your hair.” His hands on her shoulders he turned her to the mirror. Handing her the brush, he moved to the hallway. “Grab your stuff when you’re ready. Meet me in the driveway.”

  Sofia hurried to follow, stopping to get her camera case and sunglasses off the bed. She didn’t question Leo when he told her not to bother with the lock on the backdoor.

  The old pickup truck wasn’t in the driveway. “Is Ben gone?”

  “Yes, he always goes to the senior center on Saturday or Sunday. All the ladies are there on the weekends, plus dessert. You’ll soon learn that the Mannis men, or in my case, McCreed, never miss out on a chance to hang with the ladies or eat sweets.”