Things Lost In The Fire (5 page)

“
Nada mucho
, Juan.” Brody handed over the cash and accepted the bag, sniffing inside hungrily. “I’ll have to get you next time for a tip. That’s all I got right now.”

One of Juan’s eyebrows lifted as he shook his head. “Man, you always say that shit. If you’re that poor maybe you should go get a real job or something.”

“What, like you?” Brody snorted, their eyes meeting. His mouth twisted in a wry smile. “Then I’d be the sucker not making tips.”

He closed the door against Juan’s threat to blacklist him from the restaurant. Chuckling to himself, Brody carried the bag into the kitchen and set it on the cheap laminate countertop. Grabbing a single box of chow mein and a pair of chopsticks, he returned to his seat on the couch and dug in.

He mindlessly watched the game as he ate. A few moments later, his cell phone rang on the table beside him. When he read the caller-ID he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah?” he answered, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.

“
Hey, how’s it going?
” Chase, Mr. Perfect himself, asked cheerfully.

“Just peachy, you?” Brody swallowed and set aside his food. He leaned back against the sofa, rubbing his face with his free hand.

“
Good. Abby’s due in a couple of weeks. She’s so calm somehow, I don’t know how she does it. I’m a freaking mess.
”

“Having babies is a scary business,” Brody drawled, toying with his lighter. He flicked it on and off, his eyes honed in on the flames. “If you’re looking for brotherly comfort you’d have better luck with a shrink.”

Chase laughed. “
Probably. Hey, I wanted to remind you that Dad’s sixtieth birthday is coming up and we’re throwing him a big party at the house. He’d love for you to come.
”

It was Brody’s turn to laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

“
No, not really—
”

“The last time I attended one of these
parties
of yours, Dad and I nearly went to blows across the punch table. Trust me, he doesn’t want me to come.”

“
Brody, please,
” Chase began. “
I know you guys don’t always get along, but it’d mean the world to me if you could just try for once.
”

“You make it sound like
I’m
the problem,” Brody fired back, feeling bitter. “Don’t forget that Dad’s a part of the equation here, too. That stubborn old piece of shit just never really liked me. It’s okay, I accept that. You should too.”

“
It doesn’t sound like you accept it.
” Chase’s voice went cold, a sure sign that he was at his wit’s end. “
You can keep trying to push me away, but I don’t give up so easily. Even when you’re an arrogant ass, you’re still my brother.
”

“Gee, thanks.”

“
Anytime.
”

The line went dead as Chase hung up. Brody held the phone to his ear for another long moment. Eventually he set it aside, shutting his eyes tight against the guilt.

His brother had a way of making him feel selfish when he was pretty sure avoiding the family was in everyone’s best interests. There was no reconciling with his father, so why bother trying?

No longer feeling hungry, he packaged up the chow mein and tossed it and the rest of the boxes into the fridge. He swiped his gym bag off the floor of his closet-sized bedroom and slung it over his shoulder, eager to sweat out his frustrations. A good session kicking the shit out of a boxing bag would do the trick.

He grabbed his keys and left the apartment, locking it behind him. As he trotted down the stairs, he passed his elderly neighbor who was headed up. She scowled at him, muttering something in Spanish under her breath. Like many of the residents in the complex, she knew who he was and what he’d done. There was no escaping it.

“Hello to you too, you old bag.” He clenched his teeth around the words with a fake grin as he passed.

He ignored whatever else she grumbled and headed for his car, shaking off what remained of his guilt.

S
HE DROVE down the 101 and watched the city come alive with light. It was impossible not to admire the beauty of it—all the glittering buildings and billboards and headlights. It was somewhat ethereal, maybe even magical. But most of all, it was a world away from the quiet mountain forest she called home.

Sadie wondered what it looked like from the air, where she’d be a spectator rather than a participant. After only a few minutes the city was already closing in on her, giving her the impression of being caught in the middle of a wild stampede. If she didn’t pay attention, she’d get trampled underfoot and never make it out alive.

A hot red Camaro shot out from behind, exploding past her going nearly 90 MPH. Sadie sucked in a quick, startled breath, her hands squeezing the steering wheel so tight she thought she might break it. More cars darted in and out around her, making her wonder why everyone was in such a hurry. Then again, this was Los Angeles. The entire
city
was in a hurry.

She had no idea why anyone in their right mind would want to live in this chaos. Her blood pressure was already through the roof. She’d been cut off, honked at, almost clipped, and on one memorable occasion nearly driven off the road by a teenager texting on her cell phone. It was amazing anyone survived.

Once her heart settled, she checked her GPS to confirm the exit she needed to take. Hollywood and Highland, which would take her right past the Hollywood Bowl and into the heart of Hollywood.

She rolled her shoulders, her body aching from the tension of a long drive. Eight hours on the road wasn’t easy. She’d only stopped one time to grab a burger and use a questionably clean restroom at a fast food restaurant, which meant she was starving and desperately needed to stretch her legs.

Her eyes caught the sign for her exit, and she quickly merged into the far right lane and followed a few other cars smoothly up a sloping hill flanked by trees and then back down again, curving into Hollywood. She hit the usual bumper-to-bumper traffic, and tried to comfort herself that at least she was off the perilous freeway.

All around her, the streets were a flurry of lights and sounds and people. After a moment’s hesitation, she dared to roll her window down a crack just to get the full experience. She could hear the blast of techno music from a nearby Honda Civic, and caught a whiff of someone’s bad exhaust and cigarette smoke. Her nose wrinkled as she rolled the window up again.

After nearly twenty minutes of sitting through traffic, she finally turned onto Hollywood Boulevard and made her way toward the Hollywood Hills.

When she made a right onto Laurel Canyon, her heart began to race again, this time with excitement. Soon she’d be able to settle in and relax, enjoy some wine with Tess, and catch up. Plus, she was in desperate need of a long, hot shower and nothing sounded better than a pizza with everything on it. Her mouth watered at the thought.

She cruised up her father’s street and arrived at the very top in a cul de sac, spotting his ranch-style home with its tropical landscaping and Spanish tile roof. In the driveway was Tess’s sparkling silver BMW Coupé.

Sadie pulled her car in beside Tess’s. Her friend burst out the front door, a wine bottle in each hand and a bright grin on her face.

“Welcome to L.A.!” Tess greeted. Her straight chocolate-brown hair bounced just above shoulders covered by a slim and stylish black dress.

Sadie opened her car door, taking a second to admire her oldest friend. Tess had the tall, well-built body of a super model, with a brain sharply honed from her years of climbing the ranks at the top real estate development firm in Los Angeles. She was successful, single, and ferociously independent—a true modern woman. Sadie couldn’t help the rush of envy she felt at seeing her.

“Did you miss me?” Sadie vaulted into her friend’s arms for a swaying hug.

“Hell yeah, I did,” Tess replied, pulling away. Her tawny eyes inspected Sadie from head to toe. “Honey, you look like you need a bottle of wine and a straw, STAT.”

“Yes, yes I do.” Sadie accepted one of the bottles, not bothering to read the label. Instead, her eyes remained fixed on Tess as she took a steadying breath. “God, I’m back.”

“You’re back.” Tess patted her on the shoulder, a sympathetic look crossing her face. “I’m sorry to hear about Valerie. Though this feels a lot like karma coming back to bite her.”

Sadie shrugged. “Let’s not talk about it now. I want a shower, wine, and pizza.”

“Wonderful. Calories don’t count when you’re on vacation, so eat up,” Tess reminded her, sliding an arm around her shoulders to lead her inside. “Then again, you’re such a twig. Maybe you could use a pizza or two. What’re they feeding you up there in the boondocks, anyway? Berries and nuts?”

Sadie snorted and dug an elbow into her friend’s ribs. “We occasionally eat a squirrel or two,” she joked.

“Ew. You better just be messing with me.” Tess paused before the open front door, motioning for Sadie to enter first. “Go on. Don’t be scared.”

Sadie laughed, giddy with excitement. The last time she’d been to the house was back when her father lived there, which was right after the divorce. For some reason he’d kept it all these years, even though she knew he’d never move back to L.A.

She let Tess take the bottle of wine from her hands and took the first few steps into the house. The living room was high-ceilinged and open, spanning out into a dining area and a stunning kitchen complete with amber granite and white cabinets. A stone fireplace roared to life to her right, an enormous flat screen television above it set to a music station. Aretha Franklin’s soulful voice crooned out about feeling like a natural woman. Surrounding the fireplace was an expansive beige leather sofa with neutral-toned throw pillows that Sadie itched to spread out on.

Beyond the dining area straight ahead were glass patio doors that led to the backyard. Even from the front door, Sadie caught a glimpse of the view.

“Oh, wow,” she murmured, her feet carrying her forward. She stopped at the glass, her fingertips rising in an attempt to touch the lights that were so far beyond her reach. How could she have forgotten about that
view
?

The skyline of towering buildings and the surrounding city glittered in the night. They cast a glow that blew up into the heavens, extinguishing any chance she had of seeing the stars. At that moment, she didn’t care. She’d spent the last eleven years admiring the stars. Now she wanted nothing more than to enjoy man’s rebellious attempt at creating his own starlight.

She could see the freeways curving in and out of the city, a million cars seemingly a million miles away. Here was that feeling she’d wondered about before, only now she
was
a spectator, enjoying the city at its very best. From a safe, comfortable distance.

The popping of a cork startled her. She turned to see Tess pouring two glasses of burgundy wine.

“Have a glass of wine first before that shower. You deserve to relax.” Tess brought over the glasses and motioned for Sadie to open the patio door. She did, and the two stepped out into the night.

“Great view, huh?” Sadie asked, taking a seat on one of the cushioned outdoor chairs. She accepted the wine glass and took a sip.

Tess nodded, sitting beside her in a matching chair. “As my boss would say, it’s a one-in-a-million-view worth all the millions in the world.”

Sadie smiled. “I guess the city’s not
all
bad.”

“You’ll be back to hating it in the morning.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Sadie sighed, settling into the chair. “It really is pretty from up here, though.”

“You know me, I love this town,” Tess said with a wink before sampling the wine. “It’s home.”

“I wish I felt that way,” Sadie admitted, her eyes fixated on the city lights.

Tess reached for her hand, urging Sadie to look at her. “I know you don’t like to talk about it, but I’m sure just being here brings it all back up again. You survived, Sadie. You got lucky or saved or whatever you want to call it, and then you survived every day since. Not many people would’ve been strong enough to do that.”