Melt My Heart

by Anna Cove

"I wonder if that's why I never got any tattoos. Never felt the need to rebel against... well, no one."

  "You're perfect as you are."

  Laura's gaze met hers and grew serious. She kissed her delicately on the lips again. Once. Twice. Three times. Every time keeping her eyes on Dylan, never letting go. "So are you."

  Dylan hugged her and Laura nuzzled back into her shoulder. Laura trailed her fingertips along a few of the other tattoos. Dylan told her the stories behind most of her body art, but she held back the story about the one she'd gotten after Katie had died. That memorial was safely on her other side, hidden from Laura's fingers. And Dylan was happy about that, she thought. That part of her body was Katie's and would remain so.

  "Stay with me for a few days," Laura asked.

  "Hm?"

  Laura rolled and propped herself on her elbows again. "We can work on the items for the carnival. You can teach me all about woodworking," she said, tantalizingly running her hand along Dylan's arm, drawing goose bumps.

  "I have to—"

  "Work, I know. But if there's one thing I know, Dylan Wilson, is that sometimes we need a break to replenish our cups. Take some vacation time and hang out with me and Aaron. Pleeease." She clasped her hands. "Pretty please. If you don't, I'll do that thing with my tongue again."

  "Are you trying to make me stay or go back to work?"

  Laura laughed. "I'll do that thing with my tongue a hundred times if you stay."

  "That's more like it." Dylan thought for a moment. The summer was starting in a couple weeks, and she had been stretched a little thin lately. She hadn't taken a vacation in almost three years, and Marcia was always on her case about it.

  Would taking a week off really hurt?

  LAURA DID THAT THING with her tongue at least a dozen times more over the course of the next few days, and they settled into a routine that felt as natural as if they'd been living together forever.

  As soon as Aaron woke, around five or six, Laura would feed him, and Dylan would get up and make a huge breakfast. Laura ate for more than two people, it seemed, so Dylan made eggs and oatmeal, or sometimes eggs and pancakes, always eggs and something, each day. By the time Dylan delivered the laden breakfast tray to the bedroom, Laura was done feeding Aaron.

  At that point, while Laura ate in bed, Dylan took Aaron, changed his diaper and got him dressed for the day. The two of them talked about what was going on in the world. Then sometimes they spent the morning doing errands, and sometimes they spent it working on the lawn games for the Summer Carnival. On Wednesday night, they all went together to The Snuggery and worked on the remaining plans for the carnival with the Better Together kids.

  Dylan was happier than she'd been in years. No, she was more than happy. She was content.

  Laura seemed happy, too. Their sex life was explosive, every time more connected and surprising than the last. One day after sex, Dylan found herself laughing as she realized that what Kell had said way back at The Snuggery the first time they spoke was true. Laura was a firecracker in bed. Wild. She'd allowed Dylan to lead that first time, but after that she took charge. Handkerchiefs came into play and a vibrator once or twice. It was all Dylan could do to keep up. They weren't sleeping much between the sex and the baby, but it didn't matter.

  As the week drew on, however, Dylan started to feel a little anxiety in the moments in between. It was as if a pinball had started rolling early in the week. It had little momentum at first, so little that Dylan could just ignore it. But as time went on, it rolled faster and faster, and started pinging Dylan with its increased speed. By Thursday and Friday, the thought that she should be doing something often surfaced.

  At the same time, they were working hard on their projects. Dylan taught Laura how to use her impact driver, how to hammer a nail more often than your fingers, how to use the circular saw and the miter saw. Of course, Laura was a fast study, understanding building concepts and applying them as she went. In her breaks, she would record videos of Dylan and Aaron on her phone.

  On Saturday, Dylan and Laura were cutting a long board with the miter saw, but Dylan couldn't focus. She pushed the board too hard, and it flew off the saw.

  Laura turned off the saw and let the drone die before speaking. "Are you okay? You seem distracted today."

  "I'm fine," Dylan said, but then she remembered how it had paid off to be honest about her feelings before. "I'm just feeling weird. Come here, you always make my brain stop spinning."

  Laura crossed the distance between them and sunk into Dylan's arms. Her usual apple pie scent was tinged with sawdust, bits of it clinging to her hair. Dylan kissed the top of her head and focused on the warmth of her. On the realness of her. Of this woman that so many people knew and loved and loved to hate. Dylan was the one who got to hold her. Dylan was the one who got to know her.

  But for how long? Had what Kell said at the restaurant been true? Would Laura leave? Would she take Dylan along? Or was Dylan just a fling for her?

  Dylan didn't think she could go back to being alone again, to go back to having no one to share her most intimate thoughts with. There was Sky, of course, but this was different. She squeezed Laura tighter.

  Laura glanced up at Dylan. Her forehead creased with concern.

  "Promise me you're not going anywhere," Dylan said.

  Laura's eyes widened, she pulled away slightly. "What makes you think I'm going anywhere?"

  "You burn too brightly to stay in Love Falls."

  "I like it here."

  "For now. But you have dreams, Laura Munro. You want to make films. You want to travel the world. How can I... me..."

  Laura's face softened. "I really, really, really like you, Dylan."

  Dylan bit her lips. Was it enough? Dylan's mood had turned sour. She didn't want to take Laura down that path with her. "I'm going to go inside for a bit to check on Aaron."

  "We'll hear him on the monitor if he wakes."

  "I need a drink of water anyway."

  She let go of Laura and started to move for the door. Laura caught her hand and pulled her in for another hug, clasping her hands around Dylan's back. "I'm not going anywhere, Dylan. There's nothing for me except for you and Aaron right now."

  Right now. But if there were, would you still stay? Dylan couldn't bring herself to ask the question. Laura was from another world, another planet, an alien in Love Falls. Someday, her planet would call her back. Dylan managed a weak smile. "Okay," she said. "Thank you."

  Laura held her for another moment and tried to kiss her. Dylan kissed her back, but she needed space to think this out. She needed space to be okay. She squeezed Laura's hand once, hoping she would understand.

  Then she left.

  Dylan crossed the short path from the shed to the house. It was cloudy, but warm and muggy, and rain threatened. The air was cloying. The inside of the house was cooler, refreshing, and Dylan felt better the moment she stepped inside. It was quiet. Aaron was still asleep. She poured herself a glass of Brita water and drank it down. Then she drank another.

  She picked up her phone where it sat charging. She had barely looked at it all week and hadn't checked it since the night before. Now, she was surprised to see a dozen missed calls and more texts. She quickly unlocked her phone, scanning through them all. There were three calls from Jo and a text asking her where she was.

  I need you, she'd said. I'm desperate.

  There was a call from an unknown number as well, and one from Marcia. She listened to the messages. The unknown number was Jo's mother. As she listened, she grew more horrified.

  Jo was missing. She'd reached out to Dylan and Dylan hadn't been there.

  And now she was missing.

  "I've finished with that board." Laura wiped the sweat from her forehead as she stepped into the house. "Phew—what's wrong?"

  "Jo..."

  "Jo, what?"

  "She's missing, Laura. She texted me and told me she was in trouble and I wasn't there and..." Dylan couldn't breathe.


  Laura crossed the distance between them. "Did you try calling her back?"

  "No, not yet." Of course. Why hadn't she thought of that? She dialed Jo's number. It went straight to voicemail. She hung up, her heart pounding. "No answer."

  "Maybe her phone died."

  Dylan was shaking her head. "Something's wrong, I know it. I don't—why isn't my brain working?"

  Laura took Dylan's hand from where it was practically pulling out her hair. "Because someone you love is in trouble."

  "I have to do something," Dylan said. "What do I do?"

  "We'll go to town and organize a search party. I'll get Aaron ready and meet you at The Snuggery. Can you drive?"

  Dylan nodded mutely.

  Laura squeezed Dylan's hand. "We'll get through this, Dyl. We'll find her and it'll all be okay."

  Dylan nodded again, then broke away and headed out the door. She could only pray that Laura was right, that Jo was fine, and the awful things jumping to the front of Dylan's mind weren't happening at that very moment.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  "MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? Excuse me," Laura yelled, using her loudest voice while standing on of the counter at The Snuggery. Aaron was asleep in the wrap on her chest and didn't stir at the sound. The Snuggery was slammed with people, busier than she'd ever seen it. The rows closest to Laura hushed, then shushed the people surrounding them until silence spread through the room. Only one sound remained, the clicking of Dylan biting her thumb nail as she leaned against the counter at Laura's feet.

  Maybe I should have her hold Aaron? Laura thought. That would at least give Dylan something to do with her hands. But honestly, given the look in Dylan's eyes, she wasn't sure that was the best idea. Meanwhile, she couldn't worry about Dylan at that moment. She had a job to do.

  "Thank you for joining us. Jo and Olivia's parents are grateful that you have all given up your Saturday afternoons to help look for their girls." Laura glanced at the sea of faces, all looking up at her, and pushed down the thrill she always got with this kind of attention. She would use that feeling for good. "I know you're all worried," she continued. "But we're going to find them. Here's how. First. We don't want information to fall through the cracks, so if you find any clues or hear from Jo or Olivia, please let Officer Lucinda know. Lucinda, could you wave for everyone?"

  The cop gave a curt nod and a short wave, all business. When they had entered The Snuggery, Officer Lucinda had been both on the phone and trying to direct people... with a barely there voice. When Laura had volunteered to speak to the crowd, the police officer had gratefully agreed and given her a script.

  This was Laura's wheelhouse.

  "Thank you. She and I will have a table in the corner that'll operate as home base for all information coming in."

  "What can we do?" shouted someone. "All this red tape—we're wasting good daylight in here."

  The crowd started shouting and talking over one another. Dylan gazed up at Laura, her body visibly vibrating with anxiety. Laura wanted to hold her, to comfort her, but that was not where she could do the most good. She had to use her skills to find Jo. "The longer you talk, the longer it'll take me to explain. We have to do this right. Trust me. Shut up!" The voices in the crowd fell silent again and Laura regained her composure. "Jo and Olivia's friends. I want you texting them, posting on social media, watching social media, seeing if you can find any clues for us there."

  "The Wi-Fi password is Catz045 with a 'z.' This is the one time you can use your phones in here," Sky added.

  The kids—the Better Together kids and some others—filtered to their usual spot at the antique dining room table. The phones came out and the teens pored over them.

  "As for the adults. Organize into search parties of three to four people each. Kell, you take one. Colleen, you take another. You're going to work with the rangers to trawl Blackhead Mountain where they were last seen. They've already got helicopters and rangers on the mountain, but they need more people on the ground. Dylan, Alex, Skylar, and the parents of the girls, please stay here. If you find anything, anything at all, report it to a ranger or call it in to Officer Lucinda directly."

  Was she forgetting anything? Probably, but the crowd was itching to go, and they really shouldn't waste more time. Laura knew the statistics all too well. The first twenty-four hours were crucial for missing kids. She had to send them out, even if it wasn't perfect. "Okay, let's go. Skylar will pass out snacks and water to the search groups. Take care of yourselves, okay? See you all soon."

  Laura eased herself down onto the counter as the crowd dispersed.

  "What am I doing?" Dylan asked.

  She looked awful, truly awful. Her hair was going in all directions, and her eyes had this wild quality to them. Before Laura could answer, Jo and Olivia's parents pushed Dylan out of the way.

  "We want to go out there," Jo's mother said.

  Laura shook her head. "I know, and I can't imagine how hard this is for you, Mrs...."

  "Ludlow. Call me Karen."

  "Mrs. Ludlow. Karen. But we need at least one of you to stay here in case they come here or try to contact you. As you know, there's not much reception on the mountain."

  The men turned to each other and nodded in unison. With few words, they decided they would go out and search with the teams while the mothers stayed at The Snuggery.

  "What can we do?" Karen asked, once that was decided.

  "Skylar will need some help making food over the course of the day, so if either of you have any skill in the kitchen—"

  "I'll do it," Olivia's Mom said. So far, she had seemed quiet and shy, but there was a determination about her. No frills or drama. Karen, on the other hand, was right on the verge... as was the woman just behind her. Dylan.

  "Karen, why don't you make sure the social media kids are fed and comfortable? Then I want you to go home and try to find something, maybe a diary, that would help. If Jo ran away, we need to know where she might have gone."

  Laura heard a hiss, but Karen didn't seem to notice. She went off in the direction of the kids at the social media table.

  When Laura finally turned her attention to Dylan, her eyes were even wilder than before. "Why would you say that to her?"

  "Because she's Jo's mother and needs something to do."

  "She's the reason Jo is missing, and it's an extreme violation of Jo's privacy."

  "You think she had something to do with her own daughter's disappearance?"

  "Not directly." Dylan's jaw looked like it was about to crack with the force of her frustration. Her hands balled in fists by her side, and if Laura didn't know her better, she would have taken a step back because of how crazed she looked. But she knew how Dylan worked now, how she often stuffed her feelings inside. So instead of stepping back, she stepped toward her and reached for her hand, trying to comfort her.

  Dylan ripped her hand away.

  Laura placed the forsaken hand on Aaron who had just started squirming and rocked him back and forth to cover the sting of rejection. She kept her voice even and soft. "Why don't you go in the back and get some food from Skylar? You must be starving. You didn't have lunch."

  "No. I need to do something. I need to find Jo."

  "You need to take care of yourself first."

  "I know you're used to people falling over themselves to make you happy, Laura, but I won't do that. I'm going." Dylan turned and stalked toward the front door.

  "That's not fair." Before Aaron, Laura may have physically tackled Dylan, but now she had only her words as tools. She couldn't dwell on Dylan's hurtful response. There wasn't time. She spoke quickly. "The search teams have already left. You need to stay in an area with reception so you can keep calling Jo. You were the one she reached out to last. What if she calls again?"

  Dylan hesitated at the door, her shoulders rolling with tension and raised almost to her ears. Her fists gripped at her sides. Tight power and rage rumbled through her taut muscles.

  "Do you need me to
restrain her?" Skylar materialized at Laura's side. Laura eyed her. She was shorter than Laura, and in Dylan's current state, where adrenaline was no doubt running high, Dylan would win the battle. Well, maybe not, Laura thought again as she glanced at Skylar's face and saw her fighting expression.

  "Let's just wait a moment," Laura whispered, hopefully quiet enough so that Dylan didn't hear.

  Around them, The Snuggery continued to buzz with the conversation of the people left in the room, but the triangle between Dylan, Skylar, and Laura echoed with silence. It seemed to last forever.

  "Dylan, sweetheart," Skylar said in the softest voice Laura had heard from her yet. "Let me get you some chai and then we can figure out our next steps. Okay, woman?"

  Dylan seemed to relax a fraction, Skylar's voice achieving the calm Laura's couldn't. Then she turned around and stalked into the back kitchen. Skylar followed her, raising her eyebrows at Laura as she went.

  Laura checked with the kids working social media. They had found a few pictures from the Girl Scout trip, where the two girls had been before disappearing, but nothing after the calls Jo had made to Dylan. She told them to keep looking. Jo's mom was buzzing around them, acting generally motherly and making sure they were fed. The kids seemed to know that humoring her was the best tactic. Even if they already had a plate in front of them, they said yes to the offer of food. Jo's mom disappeared into the kitchen with their orders.

  Then Laura checked with Officer Lucinda. They brought out a map of Blackhead Mountain, the most likely location of the girls, and the surrounding mountains. Officer Lucinda explained how far they could have possibly gone in the time since they'd been missing. Then she called her findings into the rangers. Just then Laura heard a crash come from the kitchen. Officer Lucinda pushed back her chair, but Laura held out her hand. "It's probably nothing. I'll take care of it."

  Aaron was getting more agitated by the moment. He really needed to eat, but more pressing were the increasingly noisy sounds coming from the kitchen. Raised voices, now, and one that was familiar to her. As the voices piled on one another, Laura hurried around the counter and through the kitchen door.