Melt My Heart

by Anna Cove

  Dylan glared over the top of her mug.

  Skylar's gaze was unwavering. "Don't you think it's time?"

  Dylan could have played it off with a joke. Time to pick up knitting? Do you want a scarf that bad? But she was too tired. She knew what Skylar was saying. Just the thought of it brought a lump to her throat so solid she wasn't sure she could take another sip of her drink. Three years. And despite the adage that time would heal her wounds, it hadn't done its job, hadn't dulled the pain. With shaking hands, she set her mug down on the table and tried to bring her body under control again. A quick shake of the head and training her gaze on the fire did the trick. After a few moments of uninterrupted silence, Dylan spoke, her voice cold as steel. "Do not mention that again, Sky. I'm serious."

  "Katie would have wanted you to start living again. You've got to stop running, you know. You wouldn't be replacing—"

  "Sky. No." Dylan's throat wavered, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

  "Alex agrees with me, too, and you know she's a professional. We're here if you want to talk about it. And you know how I am. I can set you up with a date you'd like, no problem."

  "I don't care what anyone else thinks." They had been talking about her love life? Dylan struggled to keep the tears away from her eyes. What did Alex know about her? About her grief? Nothing. Dylan wasn't her friend. Dylan curled up again and closed her eyes. This conversation never happened. It was just a dream. She had simply drifted off in the middle of a conversation, and her dream world had made Skylar much bolder and more invasive than the real one. After a few moments, the swishing sound of fabric signaled Skylar's departure.

  WHEN SHE AWOKE, THE Snuggery was busy. Usually, it was shut down at night, but this evening was special. Tonight, the kids Dylan mentored and their sexuality and alliance group Better Together was raising money for a new space, and Skylar had volunteered to keep the café open late. Dylan's first student of the night would arrive any minute. She wiped at her eyes to clear away the sleepiness, then downed her tepid chai for a caffeine kick. The catnap had left her feeling groggy and dry, so she made her way to the counter. Sky, without looking at her, slid a cup of water in her direction, which Dylan downed as well.

  Seeing how Sky was overwhelmed already, Dylan slipped behind the counter and wrapped one of the black aprons around her waist. She exchanged a glance with Sky—a glance that said everything she needed to say—and started taking orders. Together, they made it through the line. Only then did they come together for conversation.

  "You were right," Dylan said. "About the sleep. I really needed it. I'm feeling better now."

  "You can sleep in my arm...chair anytime." Sky winked.

  "And maybe I should join your crew team," Dylan said quickly, before she could change her mind. She did need something, even if it wasn't the kind of dating something Skylar specialized in or wanted for her. She was starting to feel burned out at work. She needed a change.

  "Really?"

  Dylan shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, look. It may help me get out some of my aggression."

  Skylar let out an eep as she squeezed Dylan into a tight hug, leaving no space between them. Dylan kept her arms by her side but let Skylar hug her. It was the only touch she'd had for a while, and secretly, she loved it, though there was nothing sexual about it. That, perhaps, was the only reason she could admit to herself she loved it. When they broke free, Dylan paused for a moment, evaluating the crowd.

  Five years ago, this had been an abandoned building. Since then, Skylar had built something beautiful. The cozy atmosphere, plants so thick it almost felt as if you were outdoors even while inside, a whimsical spiral staircase leading up to a reading loft. It was all so her. And people loved it. It was one of the only places in Love Falls where both the newer bohemian artist types and the old guard congregated.

  Dylan's eyes scanned the crowd until they shuddered to a stop on the very pregnant newcomer. The woman was poring over a notebook, her wavy blonde hair falling around her face like a curtain. There was something familiar about her, familiar beyond simply seeing her a week before, but Dylan couldn't quite place it. Like the last time, when she'd given her a cushion for her back, she couldn't take her eyes off her. Her shoulders were regal, her gaze intelligent. A part of Dylan—a long-dormant part of her—wanted to take the chair across from her. To ask her where she was from and what she did, and to find out what made her unique.

  But she hadn't done anything like that since before the accident. She hadn't even thought of doing anything like that until now. Why was this urge surfacing? Was it because Skylar had brought up dating, and Dylan's subconscious was now betraying her?

  Dylan gave herself a shake and returned her gaze to Skylar, who was looking at her with a glare pointed as a freshly sharpened pencil.

  "Do you know who that is?" Dylan stared at her fingernails. She really should stop biting them. They were starting to look red and ragged.

  "Really?"

  "Yeah," Dylan said, unsure why Skylar was using that flat tone with her.

  Sky glanced at the woman, then back at Dylan with wide eyes. She leaned forward, so close their foreheads almost touched. "It's Laura Munro."

  "Laura Munro?"

  "Do you read anything?"

  "If by anything you mean the tabloids, no. You know I don't read that crap. And I find it ironic you say that when you have a truckload of books upstairs you've never touched."

  Further conversation halted as two more waves of people entered the café. The first were the members of Better Together. The second was the town council. As Sky took care of the council's orders and Dylan tried to corral her rambunctious teens around the old dining room table so they'd be out of the way, Dylan searched for the name Laura Munro in her mind. It was there. Dylan could practically see the thread leading to the information, but it was as if a bank of dark clouds hid it away.

  "Yo, Dylan. Earth to Dylan. Where are you?" Jo, Dylan's favorite student, waved a hand in front of her eyes. Jo was tall, lanky, still trying to find her style, and hiding who she really was from everyone she loved. Just like Dylan had done at sixteen.

  Dylan snapped back into place. Six of the kids arced around the table, gazing at her with nervous anticipation. These kids depended on her to give them her full attention. They got enough of being ignored, at best, at home. She smiled at them, truly happy to see them and be with them. "Okay, so let's review. Jo—what's our goal tonight?"

  "To find items for auction at the Summer Carnival," Jo responded, peeking out from behind her bangs.

  "And?"

  "To look for business owners to sponsor us," another student added. He had carrot-colored hair and was a newer addition to the group. Dylan's brain searched for his name before she found it—Tyler. Tyler, Tyler, Tyler.

  "Correct," Dylan said. "Don't forget to say please and thank you. Politeness can go a long way. Ready?"

  The six kids in the group stared back at her with determination, tinged by varying degrees of anxiety, depending on the kid. They had gone over the plan before, and they knew exactly what they needed to do to meet their goal. Even the shy ones wanted to participate because there was a very shiny carrot at the end of this tunnel.

  "Just one thing." She leaned in. "Don't bother the pregnant woman by the window."

  "Why?" Jo asked, her sky-blue eyes still as a lake.

  "Just don't," she said in a harsh whisper. Dylan still couldn't quite place her, but if Skylar knew her then she must be famous or something. And she really didn't look like she wanted to be bothered. "Now, go. Shoo."

  Jo, in a much more courageous bid than Dylan would have ever made, went straight for the city council. The rest of them scattered to the various parts of The Snuggery to execute the plan they had made together. Before Dylan had a chance to settle back in her seat, ready if she needed to jump in to help someone out, Skylar appeared holding a mug in her hand. "Thought you might need this," she said.

  Behind her, a woman a head taller than Skylar
appeared, drawing Dylan's attention. The sides of her head were shaved, the remainder of her sleek black hair styled into a fauxhawk. She was about as butch as they come, and improbably, the mayor of Love Falls.

  "Sky tells me you're going to join the crew team. 'Bout time, Wilson."

  "Hi, Kell." Dylan sipped her drink. The hot liquid burned her throat. She grimaced. "How are you?"

  Kell waved her hands in front of her face, the gesture big, like everything she did. "Can we dispense with the pleasantries and get to the meat of the conversation, please? Speaking of meat..." Kell dropped her voice and took a step closer, connecting the three of them in a conspiratorial circle. "Did you see that babe over by the windows?"

  Dylan frowned. Surely Kell couldn't be talking about this Laura Munro person, but Dylan had a decent sense of everyone in the place right now and the only person by the windows that could come even close to resembling a babe would be her.

  Sky swatted at Kell's arm. "You're awful. She's pregnant!"

  "So?" Kell waggled her eyebrows. "Haven't you ever fucked a pregnant woman? The hormones make the sex insane."

  Dylan could feel her face starting to flame. Kell was just too much for her. Too brash. Too loud. Tonight, she couldn't stand it. "I don't know how you ever got elected talking like that," she said.

  Kell kept a warm smile on her face, unfazed by Dylan's prim tone. "I don't talk to most of my constituents like that."

  "Just about them," Dylan shot back.

  "Wilson's feisty tonight." Kell turned to Sky, her smile broadening. "You're up on all the gossip. Did you hear the pregnant chick cheated on her husband with a woman?"

  "Yes. And that they forced her to go on leave from The Beautiful Ones after she beat up a paparazzo?"

  "No way."

  "Guys." Dylan blocked her ears. "She's right there. She's human. You might want to—"

  "I hear she's quite a partier. I bet she's a lioness in bed. Roar." Kell clawed the air in front of Dylan's face.

  "Really? I see her as more submissive," Skylar offered.

  Dylan squeezed her eyes shut, but the two of them went on.

  "Why do you think she's here? Do you think she's seeing anyone? Dylan." Kell pulled a hand away from Dylan's ear. "You should ask her to help with your carnival project. She is a famous actress, after all, and I bet she has loads of cash. You could raise all your money in one shot."

  Dylan fisted her hand, trying to pull it out of Kell's iron grip. "No, absolutely not."

  "One of the kids will hit her up, I'm sure," Sky said.

  "No, they won't." The moment it came out of Dylan's mouth, she wished she could stuff it back inside.

  Kell and Skylar stared at her for a beat. Then Sky spoke. "Why not?"

  Dylan's brain tried to find a reason that would make Sky and Kell back off, but nothing came to her mind or her tongue. "No reason. Hey, Sky, do you think you'll need more help tonight?"

  "Dylan."

  "I told them not to bother her," Dylan said as if the words had been dragged out of her.

  "Why?" Kell asked.

  "Because she's a stranger here. She's new, and she probably has enough to deal with," Dylan said quietly. This was more than she had spoken in a long time, and she was finding it exhausting. She was also starting to regret her decision to join the crew team if Kell was involved. Maybe she would just go to one practice and quit. Maybe she would be so awful she wouldn't make the team anyway. That was something to look forward to.

  Kell's eyes drilled into Dylan's, making her squirm. "Are you afraid to ask her for money?"

  "No."

  "You think she's hot, don't you?"

  "No. I mean..." Dylan slid her fingers over her face. Kell's questions were coming so fast she couldn't keep up with them. She straightened and put her hands down by her side. "I'm in charge of this project and I say we're not going to ask her."

  Kell lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "You're scared. I'll go."

  Before Dylan could stop her, Kell stalked toward Laura's table. Dylan blinked in Sky's direction. Sky shrugged. Kell was already three-quarters of the way to the table before Dylan ran after her, dashing between tables like she was running an obstacle course. When she reached Kell and Laura, they were already talking. Dylan reached up and wrenched Kell's shoulder backward, only to see Laura's laugh coming to an abrupt stop, her smile gradually fading into a look of confusion. Kell was giving Dylan a similar look.

  Had she said something?

  Yes.

  "I've got this," she'd said as she'd pulled on Kell's shoulder.

  What made her think that was a good idea?

  Nothing. She hadn't thought.

  Dylan ran a hand through her hair and laughed awkwardly. Then pulled on the neck of her T-shirt.

  "I was just welcoming Ms. Munro to town," Kell said, the picture of politeness. "And warning her away from the crazies."

  The way Laura was looking at her, with a slight smile on her lips, implied maybe she thought Dylan was one of those crazies. But Dylan's lungs were starting to work again, and her mind caught up as well. A little. Enough to take in the woman in front of her.

  She wore no makeup, leaving bare a spray of freckles over the bridge of her nose and cheeks. A black long-sleeve top stretched over her belly and she wore jeans. Simple. Elegant. But she was now looking over Dylan's shoulder like she was searching for help or maybe a way out of the situation. Dylan took a step back and was about to take another when Laura's gaze locked her in place.

  "You're really good with those kids," she said.

  "Thanks." Dylan rubbed the back of her neck. "The group is a sexuality and gender alliance for the teens in town. They're looking for sponsorships now so we can buy our own space from old Maisy Mills. You probably haven't met her yet, but she owns the bakery a few places down from here. I recommend it. Anyway, she has a duplex and she isn't using one side. It needs some work but—ow!"

  A pain shot through Dylan, radiating out from her behind where Kell had landed a firm pinch.

  Dylan cleared her throat to try to retain the sliver of dignity still in her possession.

  "I'd love to donate," Laura said.

  "Really?" Dylan looked up and met Laura's eyes. This close, and without the baseball hat she was wearing the last time they met, she could see them clearly. They were the most intriguing eyes she'd ever seen. From far away, they looked green, but up close she could see they were a gradient of colors. A golden color in the middle, fading to moss, then a richer green around the edges.

  "Yes, of course." Laura leaned over and looked at her bag. "I don't have my checkbook with me, but if you give me your phone number or your email, I can send you the money electronically."

  "Seriously?"

  "Yes." Laura laughed. She ripped a tiny corner from the notebook she was carrying and handed it to Dylan, along with her pen. "You're doing a good thing here. Something heroic. Not many people would give up their time to volunteer with these kids."

  Heroic, huh? Hardly. Dylan bent, using the corner of the table as a hard surface for writing her number and her email address, painfully aware of the woman's breath on her cheek. She straightened. "Thank you so much."

  "Here's my number as well, in case I forget, and you need to nag me." Laura handed her a piece of paper.

  "Oh, thank you. You have a very nice... pen. It's—"

  "Thank you for your donation." Kell bowed, slung her arm through Dylan's, and wheeled her back toward the dining table.

  "You have a very nice pen?" Kell said, once out of earshot. "Smooth move, Romeo."

  "I'm not a Romeo," Dylan said. "Let me go. She'll wonder why we left like that."

  "I'm saving you from yourself. You'll thank me later."

  Dylan shook herself free. When she glanced back at Laura, Laura was poring over her notebook again.

  You have a very nice pen? She thought. Romeo or not, that was the stupidest thing she had ever said.

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE BABY WAS DU
E IN a week and Laura still hadn't come up with an original idea.

  The One seemed to flit at the edges of her mental vision, blocked by less interesting and more mundane ideas. Food. Shelter. Nature. She kept going over topics she had pitched recently—race relations in America, the state of the country's infrastructure, drugs—like she'd worn grooves in her brain along those topics and couldn't stop the perpetual loop. But she needed something different.

  Something bigger and smaller at the same time.

  Ever since Laura had graduated from college, this urge to do something had been strong in her. Instead, she'd been plucked out of a shopping mall and screen tested for The Beautiful Ones. She'd told herself it would get her into the industry and closer to her dream job of documentary directing. Cal told her that, too. Ten years later, her dream had never seemed farther away. And with her latest shenanigans, she may have ruined any potential connections as well.

  So she really really needed a great idea.

  The Thursday before the baby was due to arrive, Laura found herself in the Love Falls Library, housed in a tiny Cape-style house. She couldn't get the Wi-Fi working in the cabin she was staying at, plus two days cooped up alone was enough for her. She'd wanted a change of pace and tried The Snuggery first. It was a fabulous place for people-watching. Not so much a great place for uninterrupted brainstorming, though. Not to mention, she just couldn't get comfortable. Most of the plush chairs in the café had been taken when she'd arrived, and she'd had to sit on a stool. Her feet had dangled and strained her back until it ached so much she couldn't focus.

  She'd left there an hour ago for the library to surround herself with brilliant minds that had come before. Maybe she could stand on their shoulders, she'd thought. But once she arrived, she'd discovered this wasn't the kind of library for that. Its shelves were filled with romance novels and popular biographies. Its clientele were mostly older people looking to check their email and Facebook pages. She forced herself to stay, not sure where else to go, resistant to returning to the cabin.