by Hope Ramsay
“Oh.” Her mouth went dry.
“Yeah. Anyway, before you freak, I’m on his side. I was ticked off by that hatchet piece Sally Hawkes wrote in the Winchester Daily. I understand why a majority of citizens would like to have a park instead of a burned-out building, but there’s no reason to paint Dusty as a villain because he wants to keep his land. And no reason to go into his family’s jaded past or their struggles with addiction. So when he gave me a copy of his business plan for his ecotourism resort, I saw a real opportunity.”
“You have a copy of his business plan?”
“Yeah. We were supposed to meet, but the fire and his father’s death got in the way. We haven’t had a chance to reschedule. But I’ve been thinking about his plan, and I believe I’ve come up with a compromise that will make the Historical Society happy, while allowing Dusty to go forward with his lodge and fishing guide service. In fact, I’m willing to invest in Dusty’s business, but I need your help with Aunt Pam. You’re one of the few people in the family who can reason with her. The way I see it, Pam and her Historical Society ladies don’t give a rat’s ass about a big park. They just wanted to get rid of the derelict foundry building and grab the older blacksmith’s forge for a living history exhibit.
“I’ve made a dozen or more phone calls trying to figure out where the bigger park proposal came from, and near as I can tell, Heather’s opponent pushed the idea in the last election when David was thinking about running for Congress. The idea, apparently, was to pressure David, making him choose between his friend and the county. We all know he chose his friend and bowed out of the race, but the proposal remained on the docket, and the Historical Society kept breathing life into it every time it was about to die. The reality is that no one from the county wants another park to manage. So I think, in this case, we can split the baby in two.”
Adrenaline surged through Amy until she remembered the deal Daddy had made with Dusty. “Jeff, you’re too late,” she said on a choked-up voice. “Dusty’s sold out.”
“What?”
“Daddy made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He took the money and agreed to leave town. Forever.”
* * *
Dusty stood in his small office with its great big view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, packing his stuff in a cardboard box. For a man who had drastically downsized in order to live in a tiny house, he’d accumulated a shit ton of crap here at his home-away-from-home. Most of this stuff—a few posters, a couple of extra Eagle Hill Manor golf shirts, an old pair of muddy sneakers—would eventually end up in the trash. He’d decided not to haul much out to Montana, just some clothes and his fishing rods. He’d sell or give away the rest.
The fishing out West was supposed to be phenomenal. He’d waited his whole life for this trip, and he ought to be excited about it. But his chest felt tight with regret. His family had lived in Shenandoah Falls for generations. This should be his home, but the people here would never allow him to change. He’d been labeled and cataloged from the moment of his birth. What a bitch to discover that he didn’t belong here in Jefferson County, in the place his ancestors had settled so long ago. All these years, he’d been spinning his wheels, wasting his time, hoping things would change.
But hoping didn’t make it true. He should have written up a business plan years ago, right after he’d bought Daddy out and way before the county got a bee up its butt about taking his land away. He should have had faith in himself a long time ago. He should have listened to Willow. He should have…
He should have done a lot of things differently. He had to lose everything he cared about to learn that lesson.
“You got a minute?”
He stiffened and turned. Willow stood inside the doorway, dressed to the nines for Daniel’s wedding. “I was just packing up,” he said. “I’m leaving in a couple of days.”
She folded her arms. “Dusty, please. Don’t do this.”
“I can’t win the fight with the county. We both know that. So it makes perfect sense to take Jamie Lyndon’s money and run. It’s time for moving on. I think maybe this day was inevitable.”
“And what does Amy think about this?”
He barked a laugh. “I know you were worried about me breaking her heart, but…” His throat squeezed shut. Dammit, he’d become the weenie of the century.
Willow came all the way into the room and snagged him by the arm. “I may have told you to stay away from Amy, but I think that was a mistake. I’m trying to decide if you’re running away from her or what.”
“I’m not running away from her.”
“No? Then tell me why you took money from her father.”
“It’s pretty simple. Jamie Lyndon offered me more money than the land was worth, and he made it clear that I either take his deal or he’d give the money to the county. And since a lack of funding has been the only thing stopping the county, I did the smart thing. I accepted the inevitable.”
“Okay, but you don’t have to move to Montana. That’s running away, Dusty.”
“It was the best option,” he said.
“Jamie had a quid pro quo, didn’t he? You had to leave town in order to get the money.”
He nodded.
“Wow. I’m surprised. The Dusty McNeil I’ve known most of my life is a bigger fighter than that. Why give up now, right after you’ve come up with a wonderful business plan? What is it? Are you afraid of success?”
“That’s just bullshit. People are afraid of failure, not success.”
Willow shook her head. “No. You’re wrong. When someone as smart and talented as you are decides to run away from a fight you could win, that’s not fear of failure.”
“You think I can win the fight? Against Jamie Lyndon?”
She gave him a nod. “I do, as a matter of fact.”
“Why?”
“Because you thought you could blindside Jamie when you made that deal, didn’t you?”
“What?”
“You asked Amy to go with you to Montana. You planned to take Jamie’s money and his daughter too.”
“Did Amy tell you that?”
Willow shook her head. “No. I figured it out with a little help from Juni. If you want to keep something a secret, it’s best not to tell my sister about it over a beer at the Jaybird Café.”
“Dammit, your sister has a talent for discovering everyone’s secrets.”
“I know. But here’s the thing. I think your instincts were right about this.”
He blinked. “You do?”
“Jamie thinks Amy is just going through a phase or something. But I don’t think that’s it.”
“Yeah, well, you’re wrong. Amy wanted a ‘bad boy’ experience, and when I asked her to come with me to Montana, she dumped me.”
Willow closed her eyes and shook her head, her expression filled with disgust before she spoke again. “Do you remember what happened when David tried to finesse his relationship with me and his family?”
He blinked. “Uh, yeah, kind of. You guys broke up for a while. And everyone was miserable for a few weeks.”
“Right. And do you remember how he got himself out of that particular hole?”
“Not really.”
“Of course you don’t.” She rolled her eyes. “Dusty, think for a minute. What did Grady do today?”
“Uh, he successfully stole the bride. I’m thinking the tickets to the deserted isle did the trick. You think I should have—”
“Stop it. I want you to be serious and think about what happened. What did Grady say to Mia?”
“Uh, I believe he said something about the sex being good.”
“Oh my God. You guys are all alike. You think with your dicks.” She started pacing.
“I guess great sex isn’t the answer, huh? For the record—”
She stopped moving and glared at him. “Don’t say it. I don’t want to know about your sex life. Come on, Dusty. What did Grady say to Mia? It was the first thing out of his mouth.”
“I d
on’t remember, and I don’t see how playing twenty questions is helping. If you have some idea about how I can get Amy to reconsider, just tell me. Don’t make me guess.”
“I give up. If you can’t figure it out on your own, then you don’t deserve Amy.” She turned and walked right through the door.
Why the hell did women have to be so damn confusing?
He collapsed into his chair, planted his head in his hands, and desperately tried to recall the entire Grady-Mia scene. It took him a moment and several run-throughs before he realized the mistake he’d made.
Willow was right. He was an idiot.
* * *
Amy dragged Jeff across the dance floor to the table where Aunt Pam, Uncle Mark, and Daddy were sitting. Daddy gave her a hopeful smile. “Hey, baby girl, want to dance?”
“No, Daddy. Jeff and I came over here because we have something we need to talk to you about. All of you.”
Daddy glanced from Jeff to Amy and back again, his gaze sobering.
She took a big breath and started talking. “Jeff has a terrific idea he wants to outline for you. I think you’ll all discover that this is a real opportunity for the Jefferson County Historical Society. But before he does that, I have something I want to say to all of you.”
Aunt Pam leaned forward and patted Amy’s hand. “Darlin’, we know you’ve got to be upset about what happened today, and—”
“I’m not upset that Grady ran away with Mia. I never loved Grady. And it turns out that Grady never loved me either. I think he proved that today.”
“Honey, I—”
“Daddy, this is not your time to talk. This is my time, okay? And I need for all of you to listen.”
They nodded.
“Like I said, I don’t love Grady Carson. I love Dusty McNeil.” She put up her hand, palm out to stop the rush of disapproval. “Don’t,” she said. “I know you disapprove. And that hurts, a lot. Because I love you all. You’re my family, and I’d like to think that you’d be interested in making me happy.
“But, Daddy, I don’t know if I can forgive you for what you’ve done. Instead of talking to me about Dusty, you decided to buy him off. But it wasn’t a fair transaction—not when you had the power to force the issue by giving the county the money they needed to move forward with their eminent domain case. And you thought you were so clever, offering him that money in order to prove your point. But here’s the thing. Dusty asked me to run away with him to Montana.”
Oh boy, that did the trick. She’d finally shocked them all into listening.
“You can’t,” Pam said. “We’d never see you again.”
“Where is he?” Daddy pushed up from the table. “I’ll kill him.”
Uncle Mark, always the calm voice in the family, yanked his younger brother back down. “There will be no killings,” he said dryly, before turning his senatorial gaze on Amy. “So does this mean goodbye? Or has Jeff come up with an idea that will keep you here?”
“I’m not leaving,” Amy said. “I told Dusty I didn’t want to run away with him under those circumstances.”
“But you said you loved him.” Pam’s voice sounded confused.
“I do love him. But I’m not ready to follow him to Montana.”
Pam nodded. “Thank God. There’s nothing in Montana.”
“I beg to differ. The fishing in Montana is exceptional,” Uncle Mark said with a humorous gleam in his eye. Was Uncle Mark on her side? Amy couldn’t believe it.
She squared her shoulders and continued. “I don’t think Dusty should have to run away from his home. His people have been living here for as long as we have—longer maybe. His ancestors built the blacksmith forge that you want to turn into a museum.
“And that’s the irony of this situation. Don’t any of you remember that this town used to be called Liberty Forge way before it became Shenandoah Falls? There wouldn’t even be a town here if it weren’t for the McNeils. And there are plenty of McNeils buried alongside the Lyndons up at the old cemetery.
“Dusty belongs here same as you and me. Making him leave is wrong and cruel.”
Mark nodded when she’d finished her speech. Daddy and Pam looked on with stony expressions.
“So, Daddy,” Amy continued, looking him square in the eye, “when you forced him to sell out, you put me in the position of having to walk away from my family or to fight for the man I love. I know you thought you were protecting me, but wrapping me up in Bubble Wrap and forcing me to choose between you and Dusty isn’t the right approach.” She ran out of words and glanced at Jeff, who stepped in.
“I didn’t know any of this until a few minutes ago,” Jeff said. “Dusty came to me a few weeks ago with a plan that I think will make everyone here happy. And I’m prepared to pay for it.”
He went on to outline his idea of dividing Dusty’s land, giving part of it to the county for a park so the Historical Society could restore the old forge to working condition. The rest of the land would remain in Dusty’s hands with zoning covenants that would limit the development to an environmentally friendly eco-resort with a lodge, a fishing guide service, and canoe and kayak facilities for float trips on the Shenandoah, all of which would be managed privately.
“The county and the Historical Society are winners,” Jeff concluded, “because the cost of managing a smaller park won’t strain the county’s already limited resources. And by privatizing the activities on the adjacent land, the county saves money, keeps a valuable member of our community here, and creates jobs—more jobs and better-paying jobs than a park would create.”
“I like the way you think, Jeff,” Uncle Mark said. “Have you ever considered running for the county council?”
Jeff shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m not interested in politics. I’m interested in solving problems.”
Uncle Mark turned toward his wife. “Will the Historical Society be happy with this compromise?”
She glanced at Jeff and then Amy and nodded her head. “Yes, I think so.”
“Jamie?”
A muscle twitched in Daddy’s cheek. “I still want to murder Dusty McNeil.”
Uncle Mark’s gaze narrowed. “I don’t blame you. But that’s not the question at hand. The question is whether you are capable of compromising. Jeff’s plan may be the only way to keep Amy from eloping with Dusty McNeil. And unless I misheard him, Jeff’s plan will also save you a lot of cash, since he’s the one who’ll be paying for it.”
Daddy glowered at Jeff and then Amy, but he said nothing.
“Looks like everyone’s having a real nice time,” Uncle Mark said in a happy voice as he cast his gaze over the dance floor where couples slow danced to the romantic music the DJ had started playing. “Including Roxy and Daniel.” He gave Aunt Pam little a wink, and Pam smiled.
Whoa. What was up with that? Did Pam and Mark get the whole Danny-Roxy thing? Maybe she’d underestimated them.
But she hadn’t underestimated Daddy, who still glowered at her. She was trying to come up with something that would take his frown away, when someone shouted, “Amy Lyndon, I love you.”
The music played on, but everyone on the dance floor stopped moving. Amy stood up and turned toward the French doors, where Dusty McNeil stood like a Norse god, dressed in khakis and a golf shirt.
“Did you hear me? I love you. And if you don’t want to go to Montana, we can go somewhere else. Just so long as there’s fishing nearby.”
The tears Amy had been holding back for days sprang to her eyes, making it hard to actually see as he started walking toward her. And in that moment, she no longer cared whether her father approved or not.
Holy crap. Dusty McNeil loved her! He’d said the words right out loud.
Amy dashed the tears from her eyes and took off across the ballroom in his direction. They came together on the dance floor, where the party guests stepped aside to give them room.
“I love you,” he said, this time in a much more intimate voice. “I screwed up before. I put the c
art before the horse. I was so focused on one-upping your daddy that I forgot the most important thing. I don’t want to live without you, Amy. You’ve changed me. Made me a better man. I can live anywhere because, wherever you are, that’s where my home is.” He brushed a tear from her cheek with his rough thumb. “Don’t cry. I hate the idea that I made you cry.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “We don’t have to go anywhere. Jeff is going to invest in your plan, and he’s come up with an idea that will satisfy the Historical Society. You’re going to be that famous fishing guide you’ve always wanted to be.”
He blinked down at her, a strange expression on his face. “But do you love me?”
“Oh, uh, sorry. I guess I goofed up too. Of course I love you. You changed me by teaching me self-reliance. That snipe hunt was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
And then, to everyone’s surprise, Dusty McNeil, the Casanova of Shenandoah Falls, got down on his knee, took her hand in his, and in a loud voice, he said, “Amy, I love you more than life. Will you marry me?” His baby blues sparkled in the candlelight.
He didn’t have a ring. And she suspected that when he did put a ring on her finger, it would be modest—something he could afford—not the umpteen-carat Cartier rock that Grady had tried to give her.
But it didn’t matter.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He scrambled up and kissed her like she was the bride, right there in the middle of the dance floor. And then the DJ said something over the PA system that Amy missed because kissing Dusty always blew her mind. But a moment later, the sound system came back to life with the romantic Anne Murray song “Could I Have This Dance for the Rest of My Life.”
And Dusty danced with Amy at Danny’s wedding that never was.
Epilogue
Amy peeped through the crack in the Laurel Chapel’s door. The meadow just beyond the churchyard was dotted with purple Lupinus perennis, white Gypsophila elegans, and yellow Chrysanthemum maximum, otherwise known as wild lupine, baby’s breath, and Shasta daisies.
