Melt My Heart

by Anna Cove

Laura glanced at the shears in her hand and put them down by her side. She had worked up a sweat, and she swiped an arm across her forehead. "I'm so glad to see you. I've been meaning to write a thank you note for the lasagna and the casserole and the other things you dropped off, and to return the dishes, but..." Laura waved her hand in a general motion.

  I forgot. Completely.

  Colleen waved her off. "Oh, don't worry about it, dear. I don't do things for thank yous or the glory."

  "Well, you're a rare specimen of humankind then."

  "And knowing that is good enough for me." Colleen winked and slung her thumbs through her belt loops. She surveyed the area, then glanced at the group of flowers Laura had lugged from the back of her car. "You've got a big job ahead of you. Care for some company?"

  Laura wasn't used to agreeing to the company of strangers or to assistance but she'd been so long without either that she couldn't help herself. She'd spent far too many hours in her own mind, and she needed to get out of it. Not to mention, over the past few weeks, as Colleen had dropped off dish after dish without bothering Laura, she'd come to like the woman, even though they hadn't really spoke. The thought of sending her back to her house now made her feel uncharacteristically anxious. "You don't mind?"

  "Of course not, dear. It's better than watching soaps, which is the other thing I had to do today."

  She watched soaps? Did that mean she recognized her and had made no indication of doing so? It was possible she watched soaps but not The Beautiful Ones, though Laura's show was most popular. Laura scanned Colleen's face again, but it was still the same. Still normal. No hysteria. No excitement. No nothing. Whether or not Colleen recognized her, Colleen, as far as she could tell, was safe. And thank the stars for that. "Don't you have your own yard work to do?"

  "Already done. For now. I like to get a head start on things. Anyway, gardening is my favorite thing to do in the world. I love when the lilacs and the forsythia bloom in the spring. It lifts my spirits." Colleen settled beside her, pulling a pair of gloves from her back pocket and digging right into the soil.

  Laura picked up her shears again and started pruning, this time more gently. "I really appreciate this," she said. "I've lived in one city or another for so long that I've forgotten how to garden."

  "Ah, so this mountain life must be different for you."

  "Very different."

  "My husband was born and raised in Love Falls. I grew up in Baltimore, and it took me a while to get used to this place, too. But you do, you know. You come to appreciate the pace of life here. Or I did, anyway. What did you do for fun in the city?"

  "Oh, I'm not here permanently. I still technically live in the city." Which city, she wouldn't say, because she didn't really know. Would she have a job to return to in L.A. after her maternity leave was finished? Or would they kill off her character in a dramatic and permanent fashion? Right now, she couldn't imagine going back to set, back to a life where many things mattered that didn't really matter. She could have died on the side of the road, and she wasn't sure she could go back to caring about makeup and hair and celebrity gossip. This break from all that had made her see just how ridiculous it all was. "I'm just vacationing here for a couple months. And to answer your question, I didn't do many fun things, honestly. Most of what I did was... for work."

  "Ah, so this must be a great break for you, then. I have a few suggestions about things you can check out if you're willing to listen. Do you like to hike?"

  "Yes. I love hiking."

  Colleen told her about the best hikes around, then she moved on to the towns in the area. After Laura finished pruning, she knelt next to Colleen. Colleen told her about how she'd moved here when she was in her twenties when her husband got a job as a park ranger. She talked about how she'd hated the area at first, how she struggled with her strong-willed daughter, how she coped with loneliness. They worked side-by-side, clearing the space of leaves, chatting, while Aaron continued to doze in the shade. It was perhaps the longest nap of his life so far. When they'd finished clearing the leaves, Laura laid out the flowers in an appealing pattern.

  "You have a good eye," said Colleen.

  "In my work... I'm in... film." Laura slid a glance to Colleen to see if she flinched or looked at her knowingly. Nothing. She relaxed even more, not having to worry about pretending or protecting herself. That was the thing she had liked about Dylan, too. She never felt like a celebrity with her. She could be herself. A normal person. Seeing Colleen's non-reaction, she continued. "I have to be able to see a scene, but usually I'm not the one who lays everything out. This is a nice change. I like getting my hands dirty."

  "It suits you." Colleen squinted up at the sky. "I know you have some pruning left to do, but why don't we get these in before it gets too late?"

  "Good idea. I feel like I'm pushing my luck with this nap."

  They knelt in the dirt, closer than last time. Colleen picked up a plant and jabbed her trowel into the soil. "You know, I haven't seen this garden in such good shape since Katie was here."

  "Katie? Was she the person who lived here before Dylan?" Laura said, picking up her own plant.

  "No, she was—" Colleen froze, holding the plant she had just extracted by the stem, clumps of potting soil raining down around her hand. She froze for so long that Laura glanced at her, and when she did, she saw parts of Colleen's face shutting down. After so much talking, after telling her so much about her life without holding much back, this was a notable change. It could only mean one thing.

  "What? Who is Katie? Dylan's ex?"

  Colleen sat back on her heels, squinting at Laura's face, searching for something. "You should ask Dylan. You two are friends, correct?"

  Laura almost laughed out loud. Why was it such a secret? "Oh, c'mon. What? Could it be that bad?"

  Colleen pinned her lips between her teeth.

  Now, Laura was curious. Who could this Katie be and who was she to Dylan? As long as she wasn't seeing her now, Laura wouldn't care. It wouldn't affect the relationship she had with Dylan, if you could even call it a relationship. They'd only actually seen each other a handful of times, and much of that time Dylan had been ignoring her.

  But what if... what if this Katie was the reason Dylan was ignoring her? What if Dylan had thought the kiss was a mistake because she was with someone else?

  It all makes sense now.

  Laura knew very little about Dylan's personal life, or her professional life for that matter. She had proposed the documentary to find out more, but if there was no Dylan to interview, then there would be no documentary and no finding out more about her.

  But Colleen seemed to know something. If she could get her to talk about Dylan a little, maybe Laura could figure out what was going on.

  Aaron woke up from his Sleeping Beauty-sized slumber and begged to be fed. Colleen volunteered to keep planting while Laura went inside, fed him, changed him, and secured him in the wrap before going back outside.

  She was going to find out more. Colleen couldn't just leave her in the dark like this.

  She strolled back out to the garden. Colleen had finished planting the flowers and had moved to pruning the rhododendrons.

  "Do you want to quit for some lemonade? I made some fresh squeezed for us and I thought we could sit and quench our thirst on the porch."

  "Ah, that would be lovely. How kind." She set down the shears and stretched, then made her way to the porch behind Laura.

  They sat down on the Adirondack chairs and stared out into the woods. Though they couldn't see through the trees, beyond the tree line a road sloped down, a road that led into Love Falls. To Dylan. That was one path to her, but Dylan was going to try another first.

  "How long have you known Dylan?" she asked.

  "Just over three years, I reckon."

  "That's when she moved here?"

  Colleen narrowed her eyes over the top of her sweating lemonade glass. "Yes."

  "What is she like?" Laura asked, undeterred. She
felt herself slipping into the rhythm of the interviewer and briefly wondered if she should grab her phone to record the conversation. She opted not to, to keep it less formal, and hopefully make it more likely that Colleen would speak.

  Colleen took a moment to think. "She's quiet, keeps to herself, mostly. That's not a surprise... given... well, she's very sweet. And my daughter Kell tells me—"

  "Kell? As in the mayor?" Laura hadn't realized the "strong-willed" daughter Colleen had spoken of had been Kell.

  "Yep." Colleen beamed, her face brimming with pride, and not for the first time in her life, Laura's stomach twanged with an old, scarred-over pain. She could rule the world, and no one would be as proud of her as Colleen was of her daughter. Like always, the feeling made Laura feel a little sick.

  She held on to Aaron's solid warmth to keep her grounded. Maybe this information would help. "Are Kell and Dylan friends?"

  "Not really, not that I know of. They run in similar circles, if you call what Dylan does running, but..."

  Then she drifted off again, leaving an open space, a Dylan-sized hole in the conversation. What was so awful that not even Colleen could speak about it? "When did she move out of here?"

  "Oh, about a year after she moved in, I'd say. She started renting it out then. I've been keeping an eye out for her and the tenants ever since."

  "That's nice of you."

  Laura took a swig of her lemonade and so did Colleen. It was refreshing after all their hard work.

  "She's very private," Colleen offered. "A little like you. You should know. As you two are... friends...."

  Laura felt the heat rise to her cheeks. The way she'd said friends held more than its literal meaning. How did she know? Laura didn't even know what they were. "I'm not sure. I thought we were, too. But she hasn't been answering or returning my calls for a while now."

  "Don't give up on her," Colleen said. "From what I've seen, she needs friends. It might take a little patience, but I think it will be worth it for you, and I think you can manage it."

  If Colleen thought her patient, she didn't really know her. And maybe if she had made that assessment of Laura, her assessment of Dylan was also off. Whatever the case, she wasn't going to give Laura any more information. If Laura wanted more, it was obvious she would have to go to the source.

  "Thank you, Colleen," Laura said. "For everything today."

  "Anytime, my dear. You've got my number. Anytime."

  They sat for the rest of the evening, talking about the weather, about the mountain, about things that didn't matter. It was good. It left Laura enough brainpower to try to figure out how to get Dylan to talk to her.

  And then how to get her to reveal her secret.

  THE NEXT DAY, LAURA opened her door to find Dylan standing on the stoop.

  Dylan rushed through the door, her hair standing on end, her eyes wild. "Are you and Aaron okay?"

  Laura closed the door behind her. "We're fine. Come in. Make yourself at home."

  "Where did you last see the bear? How did he get into the house?" Dylan strode across the living room to the tall windows on the south side of the building. "I don't see any damage."

  "I made up the bear."

  "You made..." Dylan looked at Laura for the first time, her gaze hardening from anxiety to that inscrutable blank look she got sometimes. That impossible wall that Laura couldn't break before now. She would break it today. Smash it to pieces.

  "Why would you make something like that up?" she asked, each word spoken slowly.

  "Sit down, Dylan." Laura gestured to the dining room table.

  Laura had invited Dylan to the cabin hoping that Aaron would be asleep, and blessedly, he had cooperated. But she didn't know how much time she had. She walked to the kitchen counter, aware of Dylan's eyes on her with every step, an awareness that had been present to her from the first day they'd met. She poured two glasses of iced lemonade she'd made from the fresh-squeezed leftovers. Then Laura walked to Dylan and handed her a glass. Dylan still hadn't sat.

  Laura could do this sitting or standing. It didn't matter to her. "Why have you been ignoring my calls and messages?"

  Dylan ran a hand through her hair, and more pieces stuck up in the air. It was one of the things Laura found adorable about Dylan, but she wasn't going to get sidetracked. She needed to stay on task.

  Pretend she is a source or an interviewee, Laura. "It's not that hard of a question, Dylan. Why have you been ignoring me?"

  Dylan lifted her chin, a vestige of an old pride long gone. "I haven't been ignoring you. I've been busy with work."

  "Too busy for a five-second text?"

  "My hours are odd. I didn't want to wake—"

  "You're saying this to the parent of a newborn."

  "I know, I just... can we sit down?"

  Laura resisted replying that she was the one who'd suggested sitting a few minutes before. She was feeling salty, and she never did well when she let her feelings get involved. That's what had gotten her into trouble in the past. This was an interview, and good practice for the career she wanted. If Dylan didn't want to talk to her like a friend, Laura was just going to drag the information out of her as professionally as she knew how.

  Maybe she should start with something easy. "Tell me a bit about your job. What kind of hours do you work?"

  "I don't know."

  "...You don't know?" Good God, this woman could be infuriating, especially when she spoke in curt, factual replies. It reminded her of a few of the men she had dated. "How is that possible?"

  "It varies week to week. Forty, at least, but I take on a lot of extra shifts for overtime."

  "What kind of calls come in?"

  "All kinds. So... we're doing this? Still?"

  Laura shrugged, trying to seem as distant as Dylan felt, if only to protect herself. "You agreed to help me, right?"

  Dylan's eyes scanned the room, then focused on the window. She continued to stare for a few minutes, seemingly forgetting about Laura. Where was she? Had she noticed the flowers Laura had planted outside? Did she regret ever meeting Laura? The longer they sat at the table together, the more confused Laura was feeling. She wanted to touch her, to kiss her again, but then she also wanted to shake her and scream at her. Talk to me.

  Laura didn't need this right now. Not on top of everything else. She just had to go for it.

  "Who is Katie?"

  Dylan's eyes shot to Laura, narrowing. Her cheeks flamed red. Her whole body tensed. "Who told you about Katie?"

  "Are you seeing someone else? Is that why you haven't returned my calls?"

  "No."

  "Come on, Dylan." Laura was done messing around. "You kiss me, and then you don't call me, but worse, you agree to help me and then refuse to answer any of my calls and texts. Who is Katie?"

  The blood seemed to drain from Dylan's face, the pink flush yellowing around her jawline. With a shaking hand, she placed her glass of iced tea lemonade on the dining room table, untouched. "It's none of your damn business."

  Dylan's words landed on Laura like a punch to the stomach. Maybe she had misread the situation, but if so it was only because Dylan was deliberately writing in a code that looked just like English. Who kissed someone and then shut them out? Laura went back over the moment in the loft. Thinking back on the kiss made her temperature rise and an unbridled warmth to flow over her whole body. Her fingers tingled, itching to reach out and continue what Dylan had started. Dylan had been the one to initiate the kiss. Hadn't she?

  "Is she your girlfriend?" she asked with slightly less confidence in her voice.

  "No," Dylan stood, blinked at Laura once and took a step toward the door.

  Laura followed her. She couldn't give it up now. "Then who is she? Is she a relative? No, she can't be. Why wouldn't you tell me about a sister or a cousin? I've been over this a dozen times, Dylan, and I keep coming back to the same conclusion. You're involved with her in some way. Otherwise—"

  Dylan turned, a thunderous darknes
s washing over her eyes as she stopped so short that Laura almost ran into her. "She's my wife," she spat in her face.

  Laura's heart wouldn't calm its frantic beat. I knew it. "You're married?"

  "No."

  "So she's your ex-wife."

  Dylan took in a long breath and let it out. It rattled in her throat. When she no longer had any air left, she looked up at Laura. "I refuse to be interrogated about this."

  Then she turned to leave.

  "So, you're just going to leave again?"

  Dylan said nothing, opening the door.

  "Run away, like you always do, Dylan."

  "Fuck you, Laura."

  The door slammed, and the baby let out a wail. Laura let him cry for a moment, steadying herself after the earthquake of an argument that had just occurred. It was reminiscent of the kind of fights she used to have with her celebrity "friends," except, instead of feeling triumphant, or like it was just all a game, it felt very real.

  This was all a mistake. She should just forget about Dylan and move on with her life. They were too different. From different worlds. They had only known one another a few weeks and seen each other a handful of times. It shouldn't be that hard to cut her out.

  So why did the thought of never seeing her again make her want to raise up a wail that would rival Aaron's?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  DYLAN SAT IN THE PASSENGER seat of Sky's car, watching Love Falls pass by without taking it in. She hadn't slept more than twenty minutes at a time for the past twenty-four hours. Her brain had long stopped going over the argument with Laura in its specifics and settled into a foggy haze.

  But one thing remained clear.

  Laura had crossed the line. She should never have asked about Katie, especially like that. Just hearing her name on Laura's lips felt wrong. It compounded the guilt Dylan had been feeling since she'd kissed Laura.

  It was all a mistake. Speaking to Laura in The Snuggery that first time, then going to the hospital, and dinner at the cabin, and the book loft, and the kiss. That kiss. Even now when she thought about it, the ghost of a tingle ran across her lips. Why did her body keep betraying her? Why?