Blue Twilight Read Free

to place in the basement until she decided what to do with them. Balancing a box on her hip, she flipped the light switch that led to the basement. When she’d checked out the house a few months back, she had only done a cursory walk through and skipped going downstairs. Lord, please do not let me run into any creepy crawlers down here . Letting out a sigh of relief, she was surprised to find the basement finished and that it lacked a creepy feel. A few bookshelves made up the far wall, and an old sofa and a few chairs surrounded a wooden coffee table. Setting the box down on the table, Lisa ran her fingers over the many titles lining the bookshelves. She paused as she noticed a section of shelves pulled away from the wall slightly.
    “That’s strange, it almost looks like a…” When she pulled hard, the shelves pulled away from the wall and swung outward. Lisa looked left and right hoping for someone else to suddenly materialize and search the exposed creepy, secret room instead of her. When Jake’s face flashed through her mind, she rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. “Suck it up, buttercup,” she muttered to herself as she squeezed into the room. She walked about three steps before something hit her in the face. Squealing, she jumped back before realizing it was just a pull-chain for a light. With a hard pull, light flooded the surprisingly large room.
    A mahogany desk lined one wall, while a large piano and microphone took up the other end. As she wandered around the room, Lisa shook her head trying to make sense of it. Stopping at the desk, she picked up one of the many papers that littered the top. As crazy as it seemed, she could swear what she was reading were song lyrics. A plaque hanging above the desk caught her attention. After wiping her hand across the thick coating of dust, she gasped as she recognized her aunt’s name listed under “Songwriter”. It seemed she’d had more in common with Layla than she’d thought. Leaning against the desk, Lisa smiled as she realized she finally felt at home.
     
    ***
     
    Lisa could have spent all day in the studio, but duty called—or the lawn, in this case. She quickly changed into cut-off shorts and a tank top before crossing the yard to the shed. Much to her relief, she found an old lawnmower inside. It had a pull start, so she figured, how hard could it be? Very. It could be very, very hard. She pulled it to the front yard, made sure it had gas, and the thing still wouldn’t start.
    Yanking hard on the cord once more, she muttered, “Come on! Start, you stupid piece of…”
    “Need a hand?”
    Lisa screamed, grabbing her chest. She turned so fast she tripped over her own feet and landed on her butt with a thud.
    “Sorry,” said Jake as he tried to hide his smile behind his hand. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He bent down and offered Lisa a hand up. “Having some trouble?”
    Ignoring Jake’s hand, she pushed herself to her feet and wiped her hands on her shorts. She blew a piece of hair out of her face and nodded toward her enemy, the lawnmower. “It won’t start. I’ve tried everything.”
    Jake grinned. “May I?”
    Smirking, Lisa stepped back and put her hands on her hips. “By all means.” It was an old lawnmower and there was no way it was going to…
    Jake’s arm muscles rippled—not that she was paying attention—as he yanked the cord, and the lawnmower growled to life. With a wink, he said, “Sometimes they just need a stronger pull.” He grinned as she stood there with her mouth hanging open. “You need some help with the yard?”
    Finally coming to her senses, she shook her head. “No, I’ve got it, but thank you…for your help.”
    Jake nodded. “Anytime. I’ll see you later.” With a wave, he headed down the street.
    Lisa stared after him for a moment before turning back to the lawnmower. Had it gotten hotter out here? Fanning her burning face, she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the