Tonight he pulled out the roasted almonds and tossed back a handful before he even closed the cabinet door. Brett washed them down before carrying both the beer and nuts back to the living room. While he waited for both his furniture delivery and Jen, he’d catch the baseball scores from today’s earlier games. He had no idea how long he’d be waiting. Jen hadn’t been able to tell him exactly when she’d get here. She and Kristen had taken their scout troop on a nature hike this morning as part of their animal habitats badge, whatever that was. She’d promised to come over as soon as they finished. The furniture company had given him a delivery window of between four and seven. So it was likely he’d have time to catch part of the Boston-Baltimore game slated to start at five.
Brett switched on the sports channel. Instead of the popular commenters being on the screen, an ad for Ted Smith greeted him. He ignored it and ate another handful of nuts while a faceless voice droned on about Smith’s political expertise and stressed how tirelessly he’d worked during his time as lieutenant governor. The ad ended by asking voters what they wanted in Washington, someone with tested political experience or a novice. The question caught his attention.
Novice, my ass. He’d never held an office but his dad and his uncles had. He knew what went on both in the Senate and behind closed doors in Washington.
The doorbell stopped him from taking another swig of beer. As much as he wanted to see Jen, he hoped it was the men with his new furniture outside and not her. He hadn’t told her he’d ordered the stuff she’d deemed necessary weeks ago, and he wanted to see the surprise on her face when she saw it.
Neither Jen nor his new furniture waited on the porch. “Leah.” They hadn’t spoken since the fund-raiser in Boston, which wasn’t unusual. He’d never been much for lengthy phone convos. “Come on in.” He gave her a hug after she walked in and then closed the door. “What are you doing out this way?” For the past several years, Leah had called Connecticut home and, like his cousin Scott, worked in New York City.
“Tory is flying in for a friend’s wedding this week. I’m meeting her in Boston. We’ve got plans for the night,” Leah answered, referring to Victoria Sherbrooke, their second cousin and one of Leah’s best friends. The two of them had been born two weeks apart and had roomed together at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.
As far as far Brett knew, Tory still lived in California but made regular visits to the east coast, although he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her. And he was okay with that. He’d never been close to her or her brother. Truthfully, he’d never been close to any of the Sherbrookes on the west coast.
“Courtney’s coming with us.”
He hadn’t seen his cousin Courtney since his move back, even though she worked in Boston. According to Aunt Marilyn, Courtney’s mom, she’d planned to attend the fund-raiser at the Harbor House but the flu had knocked his cousin on her butt. “Tell Court I said hi,” he said.
Leah nodded and looked around the sparsely furnished living room. “Seriously, Brett, you need to do some decorating in here. I’ve seen patient waiting rooms with more character than this.” She dropped her oversized purse on the coffee table. He never understood why she carried around something so large. The thing was big enough to conceal a twenty-pound medicine ball. “My offer still stands. I’ll take care of everything for you, all you need to do is give me a key.” She pointed across the room toward Bo’s bed. “And what’s with the dog bed? I don’t see a dog. Do you make guests sit there?”
“Don’t worry, I’m working on it.” He loved his sister, but he’d ask Jen’s ten-year-old niece to decorate long before he’d let Leah do it. “The bed is for Jen’s dog. She usually brings Bo when she spends the weekend. But if you want to use it, feel free.”
“If even her dog has a bed here, you are in deep.” She plucked a few almonds from the container he’d left on the coffee table. “Courtney and I were speculating who’d get engaged next, since her brother already took the plunge. We both thought it would be Curt, but if Jen’s dog has a bed here, maybe it’ll be you.”
“I guess you and our dear cousin do need something more interesting than fashion to discuss.” Brett waited for the reaction the comment would earn him.
“Oh please. I heard all about the betting pool Trent and Jake have going, so none of you are any better.” Leah grabbed a few more nuts before heading for the kitchen. “I hope your fridge has more stuff in it than this room.”
***
Since a bright red Porsche was parked in Brett’s driveway, Jen pulled to the curb in front of his house. She didn’t know who owned the car, but she hoped it wasn’t Carl. She’d spent enough time in the man’s presences at the fund-raiser to last her a lifetime. And that was saying a lot. She usually could tolerate being ar
ound anyone. Carl, though, had rubbed her the wrong way.
“Come on, Bo.” She grabbed his leash and her purse. If Carl was here, she’d have to deal with it until he and Brett finished whatever issues they had.
She gave Bo a chance to take care of business before stepping onto the porch. The previous weekend they’d sat out there and enjoyed breakfast. She hoped they had the opportunity to do so again tomorrow, assuming the rain held off. If not, maybe she’d surprise Brett and serve him breakfast in bed. The man certainly deserved to be pampered a little when he got some downtime.
The front door swung open, and Leah rather than Brett greeted her. “My brother’s upstairs on the phone with Carl,” she said, explaining why she’d answered the door and not Brett. “I’m not sure how Brett stands working with the man.”
She’d had similar thoughts herself. “Brett says he’s one of the best.”
“Dad says the same thing, but there’s something about him I don’t like. Since I don’t have to work with him, it doesn’t really matter.”
Once again Jen shared Leah’s opinion.
Jen walked inside and stopped short. When she’d left last weekend, only the sofa and coffee table had been keeping the silly large-screen television company. Now, armchairs and two end tables helped fill the room. “He got furniture.”
Leah laughed. “I know. Really, it’s about time. I was thinking about going and ordering it for him.”
The gray leather chairs matched the gray sofa well, but they weren’t what she would’ve picked out. In her opinion, the room needed some color. The walls were a boring off-white, and he’d never bothered to hang any pictures. The windows remained bare expect for the blinds, and the hardwood floors were beautiful but plain. She would’ve gone with some furniture in blue or perhaps dark purple instead. While she was at it, she’d also add an area rug to the room and some curtains.
“He even bought a kitchen table,” Leah said.
“No way,” Jen said with exaggerated surprise. “This I have to see.”
“When they delivered the furniture tonight, I was stunned too. I can’t believe it took him so long. He’s owned the home for a year.” Leah leaned down and scratched Bo behind the ears. “You must be Bo.” The dog rewarded Brett’s sister by licking her hand. “I saw your bed in the corner.”
“I think he prefers your brother’s sofa.”