Love Inspired June 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Single Dad CowboyThe Bachelor Meets His MatchUnexpected Reunion

by Brenda Minton

  “I’m working on that.”

  “I love you.” The words slipped out. He closed his eyes and wished he hadn’t said them, not yet. Talk about the worst possible timing.

  Her eyes widened. “You can’t love me.”

  The waitress suddenly appeared with coffee and cake. She set it down in front of them, asked if they needed anything else and left. Harmony pushed the cake away. Yeah, he didn’t have much of an appetite either.

  “You can’t love me.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the woman sitting across from him. Man, he loved her. More than he ever could have guessed, he loved her. And like an idiot he had put it all out there. “I really don’t have a choice, Harmony. It isn’t something that I planned.”

  “No, I’m sure it’s the last thing you planned.”

  “Thanks.” He lifted the cup and took a sip of the worst coffee he’d ever had. At least the bitter taste of the coffee took his mind off the bitter taste of her rejection.

  “I’m the last thing you need, Dylan. You need someone without all of this baggage. Cash and Callie need someone...”

  “Who loves them the way you love them. Not every woman is going to want a single cowboy with two little kids to raise, Harmony. Not every woman is going to love those two kids.”

  “Dylan, please...” She flicked away a tear that had rolled down her cheek, then reached for a napkin to wipe away more tears. “I’m the last person you need in your life.”

  “You are the only person I want in my life, Harmony.”

  “I wish you hadn’t done this.”

  “I’m glad I did. I want you to think about it, about the four of us together.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you. This isn’t just about you and me.”

  “I know it isn’t.” He reached for her hand. “And I also know this is about you being afraid of losing someone again. You think you’re easy to walk away from...”

  She shook her head. “Don’t.”

  “I’m going to say this, Harmony. I’m going to tell you that you’re the last person I would walk away from.”

  “If I fall...”

  “I’d pick you back up.”

  “You want to spend your life that way? Do you want to always wonder if I’m hiding something, or worry that I’m using?”

  “I’d pick you up every single day, if I had to.”

  She smiled at that and he felt relieved for a minute.

  “That’s sweet, but you know it isn’t that easy. You haven’t had to live with addiction. You’ve only dealt with the aftermath, not the stuff that tears a person apart.”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  She pushed her coffee aside and scooted out of the booth. She smiled down at him. He had a bad feeling growing inside him.

  “I can’t let you do that to yourself, Dylan. I don’t want you trying to fix me.”

  “Do you realize how much you’ve been picking me up, Harmony? How much you’ve fixed my life?”

  “It’s easy to help you.” She grabbed her purse and leaned to kiss his cheek. “That’s what we’ve been doing, helping each other.”

  “Harmony, you know it’s more than that. Somewhere along the way, it became much more.”

  She shook her head. “I’ve loved helping you with the kids. I’ve loved...”

  “What? You’ve loved what?” He wanted her to say the words, that she loved him.

  “We have to stop now. We both have to go back to our lives.”

  She walked out the door. Dylan thought about letting her go but couldn’t. He tossed a ten on the table, and followed Harmony out to her car.

  “Do you love me?”

  She got behind the wheel and looked up at him.

  “Dylan, I hurt the people I love. It’s what I’ve always done. I don’t want to hurt you, too.”

  Too late.

  He watched her drive away, then he walked back to his truck knowing he’d blown it. He hadn’t told a woman he loved her since high school. And that definitely hadn’t been love. That had been a Friday night with a pretty cowgirl and no thought of forever. At the time he’d been pretty confused about what love meant.

  Now he knew exactly what love was, and how it felt to want to hold a woman forever. Now if he could just convince her to trust herself—and him—enough to be loved.

  Chapter Sixteen

  On Friday, Harmony walked through the Cross farmhouse one last time. Her suitcase was already in the car. This was goodbye, to this house, to Dawson, to the life she had lived here. She stopped in the kitchen to look out at the pasture. Blake Cooper was driving a farm truck and cattle were following behind him. No doubt he’d probably buy the place if her dad put it up for sale.

  Her heart broke a little thinking that it wouldn’t belong to her family much longer.

  It had been her refuge these last weeks. It had been the place where she’d put herself back together. She wiped at the tears burning her eyes and told herself to stop crying. She had to get on with life.

  She had to get back to her life before the alcohol, before the accident and pills. She knew that she was more than the person she’d become over the last few years. She was better than this, than the person who hid behind a high, or used a high to fake happiness.

  God had not created her to fail. She took a deep breath and reminded herself of the message she’d heard from Dawson Community Church the previous week. God had created her with a purpose.

  She picked up the dog Patricia had given her. Its tag said Whizz, so that’s what she called it. She thought it probably wasn’t the best name but the puppy answered to it.

  In twenty-six years, Patricia Duncan had given her daughter three precious gifts. Life. A family. And a puppy.

  It mattered.

  She made one last loop, making sure all of the lights were off, then she walked out the door. She didn’t look back. On her way out of town she planned to say goodbye to Doris and Bill.

  She needed to remind Bill to feed Beau until she could arrange for someone to haul the horse to Nashville. Her horse. She knew he wasn’t worth much, but in a way, the horse had saved her life. He had given her something to focus on, a distraction.

  When she pulled up to the Tanner’s house, she saw them both sitting on the front porch. Doris was home for the weekend. If everything went the way they wanted, she’d be home for good in a few days.

  Harmony carried the puppy up the sidewalk and she remembered back to the first time she’d pulled up this driveway. She stopped in front of Bill and smiled at the man who had become an unexpected friend.

  “I’m leaving.”

  Bill shook his head and looked at Doris. She answered for them both. “We wish you wouldn’t.”

  “It’s time for me to go home.”

  Doris’s lips thinned. “I think you’re running, but that’s between you and God. And Dylan Cooper.”

  “I’m not...”

  She couldn’t lie.

  Doris smiled at her.

  “Okay, maybe I am running. But this is for the best. For Dylan. For the kids. It’ll hurt less if I leave now than if I let them down later.”

  “Why are you so sure you’ll let people down?” Bill spoke, his voice shaking a little and his hand clenched. “I’ve never met a young woman so determined to think she can’t do right.”

  “I’m... I’m just...”

  “Determined.” He pointed a finger at her. “Be determined to make the right choices, not determined to mess up.”

  “I’m...” She didn’t know what else to say. “You’ll feed Beau for me and take him treats?”

  “Told you I would.”

  Harmony handed Doris a gift bag and watched as the older woman opened it. She pu
lled the pale blue shawl out of the tissue paper.

  “I made it myself. I think I finally figured out how to count stitches.”

  Doris wrapped the gift around her shoulders. “I think you were determined to get it right.”

  “Yes, I guess I was.”

  Doris reached for her hand and pulled her close. “Harmony, let yourself be loved. Take a chance. I did, fifty years ago. And look how it worked out for me. This old man, I couldn’t imagine my life without him. And I almost walked away. Almost went to California to live with a cousin. I’m so glad I stayed and gave it a chance.”

  “Doris, I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m going to miss you. But I’m not you. This isn’t the same.”

  “Oh, it isn’t so different. But you go and remember you have a home and people who love you here. I’m going to miss you, Harmony Cross. I’ll miss you a lot. But I’m not going to miss you near as much as Dylan and those two kids will.”

  Harmony choked back a sob. “I have to go.”

  “No, you just think you have to. Now give me a hug and you do me a favor.”

  “What’s that?”

  “First, remember to visit. Second, pray about this. You’re headstrong and determined, but that doesn’t always mean you’re right.”

  She nodded, hugged Doris, then Bill, and finally she left. As she drove out of town she looked in her rearview mirror thinking, hoping, that maybe Dylan would come after her. She kept her promise to Doris; she prayed. As she prayed, she thought of a million things that she should have taken care of.

  What if Dylan forgot where she’d ordered Cash’s cake? Who would fix Callie’s hair for the party?

  As she drove toward Arkansas, she thought about texting Heather or Eva to make sure someone knew where to find that cake. She thought about being the person who didn’t let everyone down. Including herself.

  Walking away was easier than staying. If she didn’t commit herself, she didn’t have to feel guilty if she messed up.

  Just like Patricia Duncan.

  The thought left her unsettled. Even as she drove, she knew she couldn’t be that person, the one who walked away. She’d learned a lot about herself in Dawson, and in the end, wasn’t that why she’d come home? Because she’d known in Dawson she would find herself. She would find her faith.

  She would find her heart.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dylan didn’t know why he drove by the Cross Ranch on his way to town, but he did. He guessed he hoped Harmony would be there, that she might have changed her mind. But she was gone. Her car wasn’t in the garage. The lights were all turned off and the doors were locked.

  Beau whinnied from the pasture. She had promised to find someone to haul the horse to Nashville. He thought he might load the animal up and drive him down there some time. After giving the animal an extra can of grain, he got in his truck and headed to town.

  It was Cash’s birthday and Dylan had other things to do besides worrying about Harmony leaving town. He glanced at the address written on paper left in the console of his truck. It had the name, address and phone number of the baker who was making the train-shaped cake Harmony had ordered.

  He guessed a cake she picked was better than nothing. But Cash and Callie weren’t as easily convinced. They wanted her back. He did, too.

  Cash and Callie were with Heather. She was fixing Callie’s hair and getting Cash dressed in new clothes. He was turning two. It was an important birthday. And it was hard, having birthdays without Katrina. It mattered more to Callie. She remembered how it should have felt. Callie’s third birthday had been a big deal with pizza and a trip to the circus, because they’d known they needed to make it special.

  He pulled up to the bakery, and went inside as a young woman walked out from the back. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m here to pick up a birthday cake.”

  She looked surprised. “Did you order one?”

  Oh, great, just what he didn’t need. “Yes, I did.”

  “There must be a mistake. We had one birthday cake but the customer picked it up an hour ago.”

  “This can’t be happening. Today is my son’s second birthday. We, I mean, my friend ordered a train cake for Cash Cooper.”

  Her mouth formed an O. “You mean Harmony Cross?”

  “Yes.” He wanted to close his eyes and count to ten but he didn’t. He waited, hoping the light was coming on here.

  “She picked the cake up an hour ago.”

  “She picked the cake up? Are you sure it was her? She left town.”

  “Oh, yes, I’m sure I know who Harmony is.”

  “You’re positive?”

  “Yes, I am. She said she was afraid you wouldn’t remember where she bought it and she didn’t want that little guy to be let down on his birthday. She was real sweet about it. She even ordered a special pink cupcake for your daughter.”

  He tipped his hat and walked out the door to his truck, stuck somewhere between madder than an old hornet and happier than a kitten with a bowl of cream.

  He didn’t call her. Instead he headed for the ranch. But first he stopped at his grandmother’s house. She and Winston were getting ready for the party.

  “Dylan, what in the world are you doing here.”

  He kissed his grandmother’s cheek. “I left something here.”

  “You left something here?” And then her eyes lit up. “Why, yes, you did. I had forgotten all about that. Let me go see if I can find it. You have a better memory than I do.”

  “There are some things a guy can’t forget, Gran.”

  “Well, isn’t that the truth. Winston is forgetful but he never forgets where he left me.”

  She chuckled as she walked away, leaving him waiting in the entry of her big Victorian house. Winston came out of the kitchen, gave him a look, one that said he couldn’t remember which Cooper was standing in his house. In his defense, there were more than a few of them.

  “Dylan,” Dylan reminded his stepgrandfather.

  “Of course, Dylan. Where’s your young ’uns?”

  “With my sister Heather.”

  “Well, that’s just fine. I guess we’ll see you at the ranch for the party?”

  “Yes, we will.” Granny Myrna came down the steps and handed him a box. “I think this is going to be quite the party.”

  “Gran, I love you. You’re the soul of discretion.”

  She smiled. “Yes, I am.”

  He pulled up to the ranch a few minutes later, more nervous than he’d ever been in his life. What if Harmony wasn’t there? He brushed a hand across his face. He saw her car on the other side of Lucky’s SUV. Dylan hopped out of his truck, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.

  Then she was there, coming down the steps of his parents’ house. She looked beautiful, like a fall afternoon. She wore a long, dark blue sweater and jeans tucked into riding boots. Her blond hair was loose and the breeze caught it, lifting it.

  “Surprise,” she said as he walked up to her.

  She was everything he wanted, and more. He hoped that she felt the same about him.

  * * *

  Harmony didn’t know what to do. She stood on the last step, holding the rail, waiting for him to react, to say something. She’d planned this moment. She’d stopped at a hotel in a little town in Arkansas and realized that she was strong, she was a survivor.

  She had also realized that she couldn’t handle the idea of going back to Tennessee, not with three people she loved left behind in Oklahoma. She had called her parents and explained that she might be delayed.

  “How long are you here for?” Dylan finally asked, pulling off the cowboy hat and running fingers through flattened hair. She wanted to touch his hair, remembering that it was soft beneath her fingers with just the sl
ightest curl.

  “I think a while.” She swallowed the fear and found determination. “I asked my dad to keep the ranch. I might want to live there.”

  “Really?” His brows arched and she saw a hint of a smile.

  “Yes, really. It’s my home, you know. Nowhere else has ever felt the way this place feels.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. We missed you.” She nodded and took the last step, thankful for the hand on her arm. His hand.

  “Dylan, I need to be honest.”

  He grinned now. “Because it’s required?”

  “No, well, yes. But I need to be honest because if I’m not, I’m going to fall apart. My heart isn’t going to be whole. I’ll...”

  He stopped her words with the sweetest kiss. His hands held hers and he held her close. He kissed her twice, the second time whispering her name against her lips before holding her captive in the sweetest possible way. She leaned close, needing more of him.

  When he pulled back she looked up, into the hazel eyes of a cowboy who made her understand, without a doubt, that something was meant to be.

  “I came back to tell you I love you, Dylan.” She brushed a hand across his cheek. “I love that you’re kind and generous. I love your faith. I love that you love Cash and Callie.”

  “I love you.” He kissed her again. “Oh, Harmony, I love you and I can’t lose you.”

  “You’re not losing me.”

  “Good, because I was thinking that I would have to deliver Beau to Nashville. Anything for another chance to convince you that we need you here with us.”

  Suddenly Cash and Callie zoomed down the steps and grabbed her, two pairs of arms tight around her legs. Dylan held her steady and she smiled up at him, falling in love all over again.

  “Kids, get back in here.” Angie Cooper walked out the front door, wiping her hands on her apron. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop them.”

  “They can stay.” Dylan reached into his pocket. “This concerns them, too.”

  “Dylan.” Shivers ran up Harmony’s arms.

  “I’ve loved you forever, Harmony, so this doesn’t feel like rushing into something for me. It feels like now is the perfect time.”