Strangely Normal (8 page)

Chapter 9

Cole was leaning in the fridge groaning about the absence of lunch. He pulled out a can of soda and slammed shut the door. “I thought Jude was supposed to hire another chef. I’m going to waste away to nothing.”

Finley pushed by him with a disgusted sigh. “Not you too. By the way, where’s the dark half of the sulk and whine duo?”

“He’s down in the garage tuning up his Harley. Just watch, as soon as that ankle monitor comes off, he’s going to fly out of here like The Flash. And he’ll leave us all to starve to death without a chef.”

“You guys are ridiculously helpless. There’s bread and there’s cheese.” Finley opened the fridge and pulled out tomatoes and lettuce. “There are even veggies for a sandwich.”

“Yeah, that’s great for a rabbit like you, but I need to gnaw on some flesh.”

I looked down at Some Pig. “Cover your ears, S.P.”

Cole scowled down at the pig. “Yeah, cover ‘em, Dude. You’re the reason bacon, the finest food on earth, was banned from this house.”

Finley elbowed Cole out of her way at the counter. “Shit, you’re cranky.”

“I know. My arm hurts like hell, and there’s no damn food to eat.”

Finley lifted up a slice of bread. “Do you want a sandwich or not? Final offer.”

“Nah, I’m going out for a burger.” He left the kitchen.

I picked up a knife and started slicing tomatoes. “He was definitely in a bad mood.”

“Yeah, that’s unusual for Cole. Jude is almost always brooding about something, but Cole just coasts from day to day with hardly a worry in his pretty boy head.” She spread some mayo on the bread. “I think he and Jude had an argument earlier. Cole texted me about it while you were downstairs with Jude.”

“Do they fight a lot?”

“Not really. They get along most of the time. Cole invited someone to the party that Jude doesn’t like, so they got into it. Sometimes Cole is just plain stupid, and sometimes Jude is just too bossy. It makes for trouble. But this time I sided with Jude, so Cole is extra pissed.” She cut the sandwich in half, and we each took our share. “Let’s eat fast. The longer I think about our little adventure, the less likely I am to try it.”

We decided to leave Some Pig behind. It was one less worry for Finley, and he seemed just as pleased to curl up in front of the television. Finley left soap operas on for him, and we headed out in tense silence as if we were about to explore a new and forbidden planet. In a way, I guess it was like that for Finley.

The same woman who’d passed the pool yesterday, walked by us today. “How’s it going?” she muttered as she sidled past us and on to the pool house.

Finley didn’t answer her. She was deep in thought.

“So where does this self-constructed fence begin?” I asked, deciding if I allowed her to dwell too long on her thoughts, she’d turn around and head back.

“The end of the hedge, where the massive stretch of lawn begins, that’s where my world stops and the other world begins.” She stopped and took hold of my arm. “I’m not sure about this, Eden. Today already started out badly.”

“Right. So the bad stuff is already out of the way. Let’s at least make it to the edge before you decide to turn back.”

Finley’s mouth was drawn tight as she considered my proposal. “All right, let’s get to the end of the hedge and then we’ll see. But it’s not looking good at this point.”

An incredibly long, perfectly trimmed hedge grew along one side of the yard. There was a pathway of bricks running parallel with it, and we walked along it in silence. The tension and fear radiating from Finley was palpable. And then I thought about back at home when Sophie or Janie had had a bad dream and couldn’t go back to sleep. I would get their minds off the nightmare by bringing up a different subject that interested them. For Janie, it was dolls, and for Sophie, it was princess stories, but I had the perfect topic for Finley. I knew that Finley’s fear was on a whole different level than a bad dream but getting her mind off our task seemed like a plausible tactic.

“What is Max like?” I asked.

The edge of the hedge was in sight, and Finley eyed it with trepidation for a second before answering. “He’s got long brown hair and brown eyes and he has a great smile.” The tension slowly drained from her voice. “His father is a big shot producer, and they have megabucks but Max doesn’t let it go to his head. He’s super down to earth, and he makes me laugh.”

“Humor has to be my favorite traits in a guy. I mean broad shoulders and a sexy smile are great, but if a guy can’t make me laugh then he’s history,” I said.

Things were going smoothly and Finley had definitely loosened up, but when we reached the edge of the hedge, she stopped abruptly as if there was a glass wall in front of her. I took a step past the hedge and then turned back to her. Some of the color had drained from her face, and I was having doubts about my bright idea.

“What are you going to wear to Cole’s party?” I asked casually.

I stood there just a step away, and she looked down at the ground, seemingly assessing the space between us. To her it must have been the size of the Grand Canyon.

“Max isn’t the kind of guy who likes expensive, designer stuff. I’ll probably just wear jeans.”

“That’s my whole wardrobe, so I guess I’ll be wearing the same.” I took a step back and Finley looked at me as if I was about to fall into an abyss. “The ground is solid out here, I promise. You can join me if you want. I noticed that both your brothers have tattoos symbolizing your dad’s band. What about you? Any tattoos?”

“I have a small pair of black angel wings on my butt cheek.” She pulled in a long breath and took a step as if she were stepping off the edge of a cliff. Her foot landed on the grass and she stared down at it. “Shit, shit, shit, I did it.”

“You did.” I took one more step back and sat down on the grass. “I can’t believe how lush your lawn is. You should have some horses grazing out here.”

“I keep telling my dad that, but he got kicked by a horse once so he thinks they’re dangerous.” She stood in the same place, but I noticed that her hands started unfurling from the tight fists she’d had just seconds before. “Jude races around town on a motorcycle and Dad thinks it’s cool. I, of course, pointed out the irony in it all. I mean, he thinks a horse is dangerous but speeding through Los Angeles on a bike is fine.”

“I thought Jude seemed like the motorcycle type.”

“I guess.” She took another step and looked around as if the landscape had changed with the second step. She took a furtive peek over her shoulder at the hedge, the end of her safety zone, and for a second, I was sure she’d flee back to it. But she stayed.

“I’ve always wanted a tattoo,” I said, deciding to keep the conversation moving. I was certain if she thought about anything too hard she’d jump back to the hedge.

“You should get one.”

“Some day, when I can afford it. Nothing fancy. I just want a spray of stars along one shoulder blade.”

“That would be really cute. And it would look great with your new suit.” That insatiable enthusiasm that snuck into her demeanor several times a day had returned. “I’ll call my tattoo artist. She makes house calls— for me, at least. I’ve been meaning to have a picture of Some Pig tattooed onto my shoulder. I’m sure she can put a few stars on you too.” She took a step and sat down next to me. Her hands smoothed over the tips of the green grass. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been on this grass. I used to play soccer out here with Jude.”

“You should have a web with a spider added above the picture of your pig with the words Some Pig written across it.”

“Oh my gosh, I love that idea! Why didn’t I think of that? Your mom won’t be mad if you get a tattoo, will she? My dad was pissed after I got mine. The man has tattoos all over, and rumor has it, even some raunchy ones in places I don’t even want to know exist on my dad. But one little tattoo on my ass and he went ballistic.”

I laughed. “My mom? She’ll be totally jealous. She’s always wanted one.”

“Your mom sounds cool,” Finley said.

“Yeah, I guess. But I confess, sometimes I dream about what it would be like to have one of those nerdy moms who wears polyester and bakes oatmeal cookies and always does the right thing. My mom was really young when she had me, so I could kind of understand why she didn’t always make great decisions. I really thought she’d change once my sisters were born. But she’s still pretty immature and selfish. I get suspended from school because of her joint and I had to spend the day consoling her out of her guilt trip.”

“That is pretty tweaked. But she loves you.”

“No doubt about that. Both of my parents would be devastated if something happened to one of us.”

Finley slipped off her sandals and dug her toes into the grass. “My mom never put up much of a battle for me. She despised my dad by that point and just wanted to get away. Not that she wasn’t devastated by Chloe’s death. She was. But then she left me without ever really looking back.”

“That’s brutal. As funky as my mom is, she’d never leave us.”

“Cole’s mom put up a good fight, but in the end, my dad won custody. Cole still sees her on birthdays and holidays. Jude’s mom was always wild. She left my dad and then died before any custody battle took place. Jude hardly knew her. My dad truly loved her, or at least that’s what he claims.” Finley looked around. “This is nuts. I’m just sitting out here and chatting.”

“Yep.” I looked back over my shoulder. “Where are those tennis courts?”

“Across the lawn and down a slope of grass.” She looked in the direction of the courts. “Someday we’ll make it out there. Do you play?”

“Yeah. It’s a sport I actually like. I’ve only ever played at school, of course. We decided not to renew our county club membership this year,” I laughed.

“Believe me, those memberships come with a lot of rules as my rather promiscuous rock star dad discovered one day. He was stripped of his membership, and I’m pretty sure he’s on every country club’s no entry list from here to New York.”

I looked over at her. “Really?”

“Yes. Apparently sex in a golf cart” she lifted her fingers into an air quote “is frowned upon.”

“Finley,” Jude called from the pool area.

“Over here, Jude.”

He came dashing around the hedge as if someone was chasing him and from the look on his face it must have been the devil. He slowed and quickly regained his usual cool composure once he saw his sister was all right. He strolled toward us, flanked on each side by an Irish wolfhound, which only enhanced that breath stealing aura that surrounded him.

“A long, black frock coat and some tall black boots and he could be Mr. Darcy of Pemberley,” I said out of the side of my mouth. He seemed to always sense the impact his presence had on me and I really hated that.

He lifted his phone. “Where’s your phone, Doolittle. I was trying to call you.”

Finley pressed her hand against her pocket. “I left it in the kitchen.”

Jude stopped at the end of the hedge and took a double glance at it. Then his green gaze focused on me, and I flashed him a confident grin.

“You went past the hedge,” he said.

“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Finley quipped. “And I’m not making you lunch if that’s what you’re out here for.”

“No,” he hesitated, “I was just worried about you. You didn’t answer your phone. But I can see you’re fine.” He turned and left. Damn, if he didn’t look just as good walking away as walking toward.

“That’s cute that he was worried about you,” I said.

“I suppose,” Finley said. “I think it was less worry about me and more curiosity about my new friend. I can see the way he keeps an eye on you.”

I stood and brushed the grass from my bottom. “Yeah, like someone keeps an eye on a pimple growing on their forehead.”

I reached down and she put her hand in mine. I pulled her to her feet. “Say what you will, but I know my brother.” We walked back to the hedge. Finley stopped and looked back over the grass. “It was a small accomplishment, but that was good, Eden. Thanks.”

Chapter 10

Finley and Some Pig trotted into my room while I was still in bed. Finley slid under the covers. “Becky is coming tomorrow,” she said.

I stretched and yawned. “Who’s Becky?” I glanced at the clock. “It’s ten? I can’t believe I slept so late.”

“Yeah, I was wondering if you were ever going to get up. Becky is my tattoo artist. Well, she’s not
my
tattoo artist, but she does all the family tattoos.”

“So she’s the official King family tattoo artist. That is an auspicious title indeed.”

“I know, right? She said she’ll do a spray of stars on your shoulder at no charge. And I have to convince Jude to draw me a picture of Some Pig for the tattoo. I was thinking of putting a little suit and tie on him.”

I sat up. “Or you could just let him look like a pig.”

“You think? Maybe.”

“Did I hear voices downstairs earlier?”

She slid out of bed. “Cole had a bunch of food and beers delivered for his party. Oh yeah, the main reason I came in here was to tell you that your mom called. We had a long chat this morning while you snoozed.”

“She did? Is something wrong?”

“Step off the panic button, my friend. Nothing is wrong. They’re going up north to check out some fry cook job for your dad, and they’ll be back in three days. Oh, and let’s see, I talked to Sophie, and it turns out that Parker Smith, the boy who liked to push her, actually really liked her. And he gave her a candy necklace on the last day of school, but Janie licked it and now it’s too sticky to wear. I explained to her that stickiness was one of the pitfalls of jewelry made from candy. And I talked to your dad a minute, but it kind of sounded like he was hyperventilating because I mentioned that he should come out here when my dad was in town. Your mom took the phone back and told him to breathe into a paper bag.”

“Way to keep your cool, Dad,” I muttered. “Does she want me to call her?”

“Nope. She said she’d call you as soon as they got back.”

“Up north? I wonder where?”

“Your mom said something about near Yosemite.”

“Whoa, all the way up there?”

“Hey, I’m just the messenger. Now get out of bed. I’m going to go work out in the gym. Do you want to join me?”

I pulled my legs around to the side of the bed. “I probably should do something in the form of exercise. Jude won’t be there, will he?”

“Nah, I think he’s painting already. I saw a model walking to the pool house.”

I looked over at her. “Those women that visit him, those are models?”

She laughed. “Yes.” She laughed again. “I guess you thought he was entertaining all kinds of women out there. Not that Jude hasn’t had an obscene amount of girlfriends, but a different one every week would be a lot even by his standards.” She shook her head as she walked to the door. “Too funny.”

She closed the door behind her, and I wanted to kick myself for feeling ridiculously relieved that they were only models. Then I wondered just how many an obscene amount would be.

Finley and I hopped up onto two side-by-side exercise bikes, but we did far more gabbing than riding.

“After yesterday’s excursion, I think I’m ready to go a good ten steps past the hedge,” Finley said brightly.

“Let’s make it a place this time and not just a ten steps. Maybe a tree, or something.”

“There are two apricot trees about a third of the way across the lawn. I used to go out there and pick them in summer. But they’re kind of far out there.” For a few seconds her mind seemed to be humming like the gears on the stationary bikes. “Let’s do it. There isn’t any fruit yet, but there will be next month and then maybe I can pick some again. They’re really good apricots and I can never get Jude or Cole out there to pick them.”

“I suppose if there were steaks or hamburgers growing on the tree, you’d have better luck with that.”

“So true. They’re like a couple of cavemen when it comes to food. Me want saber tooth flank steak, no green stuff.”

The door to the gym opened and Cole walked in.

“Hey,” Finley called to him, “it’s ladies’ day at the gym.”

He walked over and hopped up on a treadmill but didn’t turn it on. “Great. I love ladies’ day.”

Finley stopped her bike. “We’re done here, so you can have the place to yourself.”

The door opened again and Jude walked in.

Finley threw her towel over her shoulder. “It’s like you two have radar or something.” She looked over at me. “Trust me, they don’t usually follow me around like this. It all has to do with you.” She glanced toward Jude. “Thought you were painting.”

“That model wasn’t right. I wasn’t inspired.” Jude walked over to the panel on the wall and music blared out of the speakers. Finley and I made a quick escape.

By the time we’d showered and eaten, Finley had talked herself out of the apricot tree excursion, and I decided not to push the point. She seemed distracted and tense at the prospect of seeing Max, so it was probably a mistake to adventure out of her comfort zone.

Tilly, the housekeeper, called to us on the intercom while we rinsed breakfast dishes. “Miss King, there’s a package for you.”

Finley’s eyes rounded. “Your suit is here. Perfect. The morning fog has cleared, and we can get some color before tonight.”

I stood looking in the mirror pulling at the meager amounts of pink fabric and when that didn’t work, I began pushing at my skin to see if I could tuck more of it underneath the skimpy suit. The brief meeting with the lawyer had had me so flustered, I hadn’t really taken a good, critical look at the suit. It was definitely the most revealing suit I’d ever worn or imagined wearing.

Finley knocked and walked in. “I can’t wait to see it.” Her heavily glossed bottom lip dropped. “Uh oh, you’d better wrap up in a towel.”

“Maybe I should put the old one back on. Does it look that bad?”

“No, that’s the problem. We’ll have to take a stealthy path through the house to make sure we don’t run into a brother. They’re already fighting with their inner demons when it comes to you. And while I’m finding their turmoil completely amusing, I don’t want to be cruel. You look drop dead gorgeous in that suit.”

“I’m feeling more naked than drop dead.” I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around like a toga.

Finely tapped her various points of interest down the staircase, and we traversed the hallways unseen. Some Pig’s hooves clicked along behind us.

“I think Cole’s still working out, and Jude probably went back out to the pool house.” She waved Some Pig to the rug in front of the television. “You stay here. I don’t want another disappearing incident like yesterday.” Finley picked up the remote and turned on the television. As she walked away, Some Pig snorted loudly. She stopped, swung around, and picked up the remote. “Sorry, I thought you liked Animal Planet.” More snorts of protest and Finley lifted her hand. “Yeah, yeah, snort to the hand. I know, I know, they’re a bunch of furry tools. You’ve said that before.” Finley pointed the remote at the screen. “Here’s the cooking channel instead. Just don’t complain to me if someone makes a pulled pork sandwich.” Some Pig dropped down to his stomach. “Let’s get out of here before he changes his mind about the channel.”

I slid the glass door open and motioned her through. “You two are like a friggin’ Vaudeville act.”

The pool area was deserted which made my towel removal much less daunting. We stretched out on the lounges and buttered up with a fruity smelling suntan oil.

I smoothed the lotion over my shoulders. “I don’t usually burn, but since I don’t have any color yet and since I have just about every inch of my skin exposed, I better not stay out too long.”

Finley was so busy adjusting the straps on her bikini top, she hadn’t heard me. She moved them up and down and then up and down again. She grunted in frustration. “I knew I shouldn’t have worn this suit. The straps are going to annoy me.” She shook herself like a dog throwing off water. “There, I’m just going ignore the straps and relax.” She looked anything but relaxed. Her phone buzzed which took her mind temporarily off the straps. She looked at it, smiled, and texted something back. “That was Max. He was checking to see if I was going to show at the party tonight.”

“Definitely a good sign.”

Finley leaned back and closed her eyes. “Now
I’m
going to need that paper bag.”

“How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”

“About three months and six days.”

I couldn’t hold back a smile. “
About
three months and six days?”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure about the hours.”

I leaned back and closed my eyes as well. The June midday sun in California was already intense, but it felt good on my bare skin. In the distance, a door opened and shut. I’d only heard the door to the pool house a few times, but I already recognized its distinctive sound. Finley and I both lifted our heads and shaded our eyes as we looked toward it.

Jude plopped down in his usual chair.

“Let me guess,” Finley called across the pool area, “the model is getting ready.”

“Nope,” Jude replied without further elaboration.

“Then you needed a smoke.” Finley turned toward me. “Dad doesn’t let anyone smoke in the house or pool house.”

“Nope,” Jude answered. “Just came out here to watch.”

Finley leaned her head back and dropped her hand. “I suppose I should have started with that.”

I leaned back too. “You’ve got to give him points for honesty.”

We lay there greased and primed for the UV rays, but Finley’s straps were still causing her angst. And knowing Jude was across the way watching us sun wasn’t helping my nerves either.

Apparently, the vantage point of the pool house was subpar, and Jude strolled across the path and pulled up a chair near the lounges. I was now acutely aware of the ridiculous lack of coverage provided by my new suit.

Finley grunted in frustration. “It’s no good. I have to change my suit. Whoever designed this suit should be burned at the stake while being drawn and quartered.” She pushed off of the lounge and stomped back toward the house. “I’ll be right back after I change and push this suit through the shredder.”

Jude watched her march off and then looked at me with a told you so type of look.

“So she doesn’t like the straps on her suit.” I waved it off. “That happens all the time.”

“Right. So you talked her into walking past the hedge yesterday,” he said.

“Sure did. And she was really excited about that little accomplishment.”

“I’ll bet.”

“You really are a pessimist, aren’t you?”

He held his arms out to the side. “What? All I said was, I’ll bet. I think it’s great.”

“But?”

“But, what,” he said. “I didn’t say but, you said it.”

“You were going to say it. I could see your top lip begin to curl in to form the letter B.”

Half of his mouth kicked up in a smile. “You’re kind of nuts, do you know that?”

I leaned back with a harrumph. “You think everyone is nuts. Maybe you’re the one who needs to have his head checked.”

“No argument here.” He propped his bare feet, complete with ankle monitor, on the edge of my lounge. “So I’ve heard you and Doolittle are going to Cole’s get together.”

“Your sister wants to see Max, and I’m not opposed to a party.”

“Some of Cole’s friends are real asshats. And the girls are pretty damn venomous.”

I looked over at him. “Judge much?”

“It’s not a judgment. It’s a fact. I’ll bet you don’t last one hour with his friends before you go scurrying back to your room.”

“I’m not that delicate. I can handle some venom.” I lifted my head and grinned over at him. “But if you care to make a wager—”

“I never turn down a good bet.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. His sudden nearness flustered me, and I had to consciously control my breathing.

His hungry gaze drifted from my lips down to my thighs as if he could feel my bare skin with his eyes. That paper bag was sounding better and better.

“So what are we wagering?” he asked, looking far more intrigued than he should have, which only flustered me more.

“If I stay longer than an hour, even one minute longer, then you have to give me a ride on your motorcycle.” I’d always been crazy about motorcycles, and this seemed like an opportunity to live out a dream and ride one.

“Easy enough.” He caressed my skin with his heated gaze one more time. “And if you leave before one hour then you have to model for one of my paintings.”

“You’d really want me to pose for you? Wait, would I be naked?”

“Not completely.”

It took me a moment to respond. I would just have to suffer through Cole’s
asshat
friends for sixty minutes. There was no way I could lose.” I stuck out my hand. “It’s a bet. I better shine up my motorcycle boots.”

“We’ll see.”

Our handshake lingered overlong. I slid my fingers from his grasp and he stood. He fished in his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. Then he held it between his thumb and forefinger as he squinted down at me through a thin veil of smoke. His silent stare was enough to heat every inch of my already sunbathed skin. I shifted nervously on the lounge.

“How do you like my new suit? Finley picked it out.”

He continued to look at me as he took a long draw on his cigarette and blew out the smoke. “Once again, Valley, I wasn’t looking at the suit.” He walked away, and I slid my hands beneath my thighs to stop the trembling.

***

Finely tried on eight different outfits for the party before finally deciding on the pair of skinny jeans and top she’d tried on the first time. I, on the other hand, had only one pair of jeans decent enough to wear in front of a large number of people making my wardrobe decision quite simple. Sometimes less is better.

Finley also checked her hair and make-up enough times in the mirror that even I was beginning to question her mascara application.

“You look beyond adorable, Finley. Stop fretting. Besides if Max is as cool as you say, he doesn’t sound like the type who will be turned off if you’re wearing too much lip gloss.”

Her hand flew to her mouth. “Shit, am I wearing too much lip gloss? I knew I went too crazy with the applicator.” She reached for a tissue, but I grabbed her hand.