by Dylann Crush
Conversation might help. “Does your son like it?”
She walked around to my side, keeping her hand on the base of my neck. “No. He hates it here. I’m hoping once we get more settled, maybe find a place of our own, that he might feel better about it.”
“Where are you staying now?” Her fingers swept over my spine as she moved down toward my lower back and began to work her way back up.
“Robbie’s letting us stay at his dad’s old place. It’s fine but kind of a ways out of town.”
“And your job at the Lovebird Café? You plan on sticking around there much longer?”
She huffed out a something that might pass as laughter. “No. My dream is to have a studio space where I can offer massage and teach a few yoga classes.”
“Mmm.” She’d hit on a particularly sensitive spot on my lower back. Her hands worked just above my glutes, making another part of my anatomy start to take notice. That’s all I needed—to get caught with a hard on when I rolled over. I visualized the last successful stunt I’d performed on my bike—the one that won me first place in the Extreme Games. “Have anywhere in mind?”
“Actually, I just signed a rental agreement on the second floor of the building across from the café. The city’s offering a reduced rent program right now to try to get some more businesses to come in. First six months are free.”
“That sounds like a no-brainer.”
“Yeah. But they won’t fund a build out. I still have to do that part myself.” She shifted, her hands grazing the top of my ass before she dug her thumbs into the base of my outer obliques.
“You’ve got a cousin who owns a construction company. That shouldn’t be too hard to arrange.”
Her breath blew over my back on a sigh. Goosebumps popped up along my skin, sending a shiver racing down to my toes. “Thing is, Robbie’s already been so generous. He’s given me a place to stay, let me borrow his truck. There’s no way I’d ask him to give up a paying job to help me out instead.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. She’d moved to the middle of my back, getting closer and closer to my sore ribs. I should say something. It wouldn’t be a total wuss move to tell her I had an injury. Wasn’t she supposed to ask about that before starting anyway? As I pondered whether or not to ’fess up and look like a wimp, her hand reached the ribs on my right. Pain sliced into my side.
“Aw, shit.” I rolled over, quick, trying to protect myself. But instead of executing the smooth Bruce Lee type move I’d pictured in my head, I slammed into her, knocking her over and onto the ground. That would have been bad enough, but karma wouldn’t let it stop there. Before I could catch myself, I rolled on top of her. The sheet stayed on the table.
“Dustin, honey?” The door cracked open. Mom stood in the open doorway, peering into the depths of the garage. “You in here, sweetheart?”
“In the back. Just a sec.” I took a quick inventory of the situation. Me, naked and sporting semi-wood. Harmony, spread eagle underneath me. “I’m so sorry.”
“Get off me.” She tried to push me aside.
“Just give me a minute.” Dammit if the brief contact of my cock on her calves didn’t get me ready for action. I reached for the sheet, yanking it off the table and slinging it around my waist.
“What the hell was that?” She got to her feet and brushed off her ass. “Why didn’t you tell me it was too much?”
By that time Mom had made her way into the building. “Scarlett said you had a guest out here. I brought y’all some mud pie patties and sweet tea.”
It might have been a little dark, but I could make out the flush that crept up Harmony’s neck and flooded her cheeks.
I tried to see the situation through my mom’s eyes. Had to hand it to her. She walked in on her half-naked son, wrapped in a sheet, arguing with a virtual stranger. Still didn’t miss a beat. And here she was offering us refreshments.
“Want a cookie, Harmony?” I asked, not even trying to hide the humor from my voice.
“That’s okay.”
“I would have made chocolate chip. That’s my specialty,” Mom said. “But Dustin loves these mud pie patties. They’re his favorite.”
“Why don’t you set everything down on the workbench and I’ll bring the dishes in when we’re done?” I suggested.
“Sure. Maybe after you and Harmony have had a chance to”—Mom waved a hand in the air—“catch up, the two of you could set a spell with me on the porch.”
“Mom, you realize Harmony is here on a job, right?” I asked.
“Oh.” Her gaze flitted from the sheet to the bottle of oil on the workbench then back to me again. “What kind of work is it that you do again, dear?”
“She’s a massage therapist. My shoulder was killing me and she was kind enough to offer to help me work out some kinks.” Damn, I was making it sound even worse.
“Well you two do whatever it is you need to do, then. I need to go check on my cookies.” Mom retreated faster than I’d ever seen her go.
Harmony cradled her head in her hands. “This was a mistake. I think maybe I should stop making house calls.”
“Hey, for what it’s worth, it was good while it lasted.” I offered her an apologetic grin.
She folded up the table, tucking the legs in and clasping the sides together.
“You want the sheet?” I held out an edge.
“Why don’t I get it from you later?”
If my mother had walked fast, Harmony practically ran, leaving me alone in the dark recesses of the garage, stirred up and still sore as hell.
10
Harmony
I hauled ass out of Dustin’s place as fast as my legs would carry me. Carting a thirty-pound massage table along with me didn’t even slow me down. Never in my eight years of working as a massage therapist had I ever been as mortified as I’d been today. Having him fall naked on me was bad enough. But then his mother? Offering cookies? Oh Lord. Not even the seediest set ups in any of my Hollywood gigs had left me feeling so…so…so…flustered.
I tossed the table in the back of the truck, not even bothering to lower the tailgate. With a final glance at the house Dustin grew up in, I fired up the engine and let the tires kick up dust as I floored the gas.
Hopefully he’d only come into town for the dedication and would be well on his way back to California before I had to work my next shift at the diner.
As the truck carried me down the long gravel drive, my heart rate slowed. In situations like this, I’d learned that my best tactic was to focus on my breath. In and out, nice and slow. The aftermath of awkwardness began to fade away. I’d almost reached the road, and almost had my heart rate completely back to normal, when something darted out in front of the truck. I slammed on the brakes, causing the back end to fishtail on the gravel.
Whatever it was, had run into the woods. I must have reached some state of pseudo nirvana because it sure as hell looked like an ostrich. Even being the city gal I was, I figured there couldn’t be an ostrich in rural Missouri.
The truck sat at the intersection of the county road that would carry me home. Before I turned, I pulled up Reva’s number.
She answered on the first ring. “How did it go with the sexy stunt man?”
“I never said he was sexy.” I pressed the speaker button then turned the wheel and pulled onto the road.
“You didn’t have to. I could tell by the way you talked about him. Plus, I looked him up online. What a hottie.”
Groaning, I let out a breath. “It didn’t go well. He had an injury he didn’t tell me about. I touched his ribs and he flew off the table, taking the sheet with him.” My cheeks flushed again, just thinking about it.
“And? Did you get a look?”
“A look at what? He fell on top of me.”
She laughed. “Oh my gosh. How did that resolve?”
“It didn’t. His mom happened to walk in at that exact moment to offer us cookies.”
Laughter filled the cab of the truck. “Yo
u’ve got to be kidding me. Did you tell Mom that you already had some cookies?”
“I most certainly did not. Here I thought I might be able to set up shop in Swallow Springs. How can people take me seriously when I botched my first job?”
“You think he’ll be eager to spread the news of what happened?”
An image of Dustin’s smile popped into my mind. “I don’t know. Probably not. He’s not what I expected.”
“How so? I didn’t know you’d spent time musing over what one of your son’s idols would act like in person.”
“Of course not. I guess I just expected him to be more of an asshole. That’s how most of the famous folks I worked for out in LA were. He seemed interested in stuff.”
“Like getting naked?”
“Would you cut it out? No, in learning more about me. He asked if I planned on being a waitress for much longer.” Granted, he’d asked because I was most likely the worst waitress he’d ever encountered in his life. But I didn’t feel the need to share that particular piece of information.
“So the sexy stunt man has a heart. Good to know.”
“Would you stop calling him that?” I wasn’t sure why it bothered me so much. Probably because it was true. Dustin Jarrett was every bit as good looking in person as the larger-than-life poster hanging on the wall in Liam’s room made him out to be. I’d worked around extremely attractive men before. Even spent a whole season as the personal massage therapist for one of the original members of a super famous boy band that I still wasn’t allowed to name.
My hands hadn’t had much of a chance to explore the contours of Dustin’s mass of muscles, but from what I’d been able to tell, he was in prime physical shape. To someone who spent time with her hands all over all kinds of body shapes, types, and levels of physical fitness, it had been a bit of a treat.
“Still there?” Reva’s voice pulled me back.
“Yeah.”
“So are you going to see him again?”
“I sure hope not. He said he was only staying for a short time. Hopefully he’ll be long gone before he gets another craving for steak and eggs.”
“Maybe that won’t be all he’s craving.”
“Cut it out.” I reached up to adjust the rearview mirror. It had a tendency to move on its own when I’d been bouncing over gravel roads. “There’s no chance of anything happening between me and Dustin.”
“Why are you always such a party pooper?”
“Someone has to be. Between you and Liam I guess that’s my permanent title.”
Reva sighed. “Liam still hasn’t come around?”
“No. Although, he’s pretty focused on those cute baby raccoons we saved. So he hasn’t much time for causing fights.”
“I can’t believe it. You’re barely there a month and you’ve got a slew of raccoons living in your house.”
I couldn’t believe it either. Especially when I found out the wildlife rehab place was closed on Sundays. Now we had at least another week of all-night feedings ahead of us before I could try to make the trip to Kansas City next Saturday. I could have tried to fit it in during the week but Liam would never forgive me if I went without him which meant my options were rather limited. “They’re technically limited to the garage.” That was the rule, but I knew Liam had sneaked the one with the bent leg, the one he called Snap, into his room last night.
“I’ve got to go. Client in Bel Air this afternoon, and it’s going to take me hours to get there on the 405.”
“I sure don’t miss that.”
“What? The fact it takes days to get anywhere out here?”
“That and the mass of people. Rush hour around here might be two cars reaching the stop sign downtown at the same time.”
“Sounds fabulous.” Reva giggled. “Hang in there, girlfriend. And don’t be so quick to knock the sexy stunt man. You might like his cookies.”
A low groan rumbled in the back of my throat. “I’ve spilled on him twice and been caught with him naked by his mom. What could possibly happen next?”
“You really want me to answer that?” she asked.
“No. Please don’t.”
“Give my love to Liam. I’ll try to get my calendar whipped into shape and let you know when I can come for a long weekend.”
“Okay. Love ya, girl.”
“Love you, too.”
She disconnected as I continued to muse over the botched massage with Dustin. If he did have a bruised or cracked rib, I wondered if there was anything in my essential oils reference book or something else that might help him heal faster. Maybe Liam had info on Dustin’s latest injury and could help me figure out what was wrong.
Why should I get involved, though? I had enough going on with trying to survive the café and now figuring out how to get my studio space built out. When I added in monitoring my son, that seemed like more than enough to keep me busy. But the way Dustin had leapt off the table when I’d barely touched him—he had to be in major pain.
My mom always said caring too much for people would be my downfall. So far she’d been right about that, at least where my love life was concerned. I’d thought I could help Liam’s dad. But I’d told myself I couldn’t help someone who wouldn’t help himself.
I slowed the truck, getting ready to turn off the blacktop and on to the gravel road that would lead me to Robbie’s old home. Although I was grateful to him for providing a place for us to stay, I wasn’t one for taking handouts. I needed to come up with a more permanent solution for me and Liam. Maybe once we got settled in our own space he’d feel better about being in Missouri. Or maybe he’d resent me for moving him until he graduated high school and could move back to California on his own.
With thoughts of plans and careers and living arrangements swirling around in my head, I almost didn’t notice the sheriff’s car parked in the drive until I pulled up beside it.
11
Dustin
How the hell would I ever be able to face Harmony again? Or a better question, how would I ever be able to look my mom in the eye? She might have played innocent with the mud pie patties and tea, but I couldn’t help but wonder what she thought she’d walked in on.
After Harmony left, I gathered my clothes and tried to get myself back into the right frame of mind. I’d never been so damn out of my comfort zone around a woman before. Not since eighth grade when I’d tried to kiss with my tongue for the first time.
I cranked up the tunes and set to work on an old engine I’d left behind. Working with my hands, zoning out and letting myself fall into the music, had always been my escape. I’d totally succumbed to the wailing guitar of Eddie Van Halen when a knock bounced off the metal door. Mom wouldn’t bother to knock. Maybe Harmony had come back.
I opened the door, surprised to see Dewey Watson, decked out in full uniform, standing on the other side. He’d always been a bit of an ass, trying to make himself more important than he was. Being a sheriff’s deputy was the perfect job for him. He’d get to wield all that power he’d tried so desperately to hang onto in high school.
“Hey, Dewey. What can I do for you?”
“Scarlett around?”
“No. She and Mom drove into Nevada today. Had to do some shopping.”
He shook his head. “That’s too bad.”
“What’s going on? What do you want with my sister?”
“Your nephew’s in trouble. Found him down by the creek bed. He and some buddies were setting off fireworks and caught a truck on fire.”
“Rodney?”
“You got another nephew?”
My stomach clenched. “No, not that I’m aware of.”
Dewey chuckled. “Wouldn’t put it past that sister of yours.”
“Hey.” My hands instinctively curled into fists. “Leave Scarlett out of this.”
“Whatever. Someone’s got to come down and get him.” His gaze swept over me. “Unless you want to leave him at the station until his mom gets home.”
A deep sigh p
assed through my lips. “Nah. I’ll take care of it. Just give me a minute to clean up.”
“See ya in a few then.” He tipped his hat at me. We’d never seen eye to eye. Looked like he hadn’t changed much.
Ten minutes later I’d put on a clean pair of jeans and a fresh shirt and was on my way to town. What the hell could Rodney have been thinking? And where did he even get fireworks? The Fourth of July was still months away. I suppose I couldn’t get too pissed off at the kid until I heard the whole story. I’d done more than my fair share of causing trouble and wreaking havoc when I’d been his age.
But that was precisely why I’d better get him straightened out. I’d had a dad with a leather belt to set me on the right path, but I’d still screwed up in every way possible. Hopefully I could save Rodney the trouble, and the juvenile record, by sharing a little more of my experience.
Before I’d managed to settle on a plan of action, I turned into the lot at the sheriff’s station and pulled up next to an old pick-up truck. A pick-up truck that looked a whole hell of a lot like the truck Harmony had been driving. The one I’d pulled a family of baby raccoons out of just the other day.
I entered the building. The same gray and white speckled linoleum covered the floor. Still smelled like burned coffee and stale cigarette smoke, even though smoking had been banned indoors for years.
“What can I do for you?” A woman sitting behind a metal desk looked up from her keyboard.
“I’m here for Rodney Jarrett.” I shoved my hands in my pockets, still uncomfortable being in this space after all this time.
“Take a seat, I’ll let the sheriff know you’re here.” She pointed to a row of plastic chairs.
Harmony sat in one of them, kneading her hands together. I took the chair next to her. “What are you doing here?”
“Liam got in trouble. Something about fireworks. He’s never even been around fireworks. Everything’s pretty much illegal in California.”
I nodded as I stretched my legs out in front of me.
“The drought. That’s why they’re illegal. Because there’s such a high risk of fires.” She rambled, probably trying to settle her nerves.
