by Dylann Crush
“Yeah. Just a little lightheaded.”
“Come here.” I set the bird down on the grass and pulled her into my arms, letting her lean against my chest.
She pressed her cheek to my pec, making me wish we weren’t standing on the side of the road with an awkward bird.
“I’m okay. That just scared the crap out of me.”
“You and me both.” I brushed my hand over her cheek.
The bird squawked. “What should we do with it?”
“You’re the one on a first name basis with the wildlife rehab center. Want to give them a call?”
“I think they might have blocked my number. I still haven’t had a chance to get the raccoons up there, but I’ve been calling them all the time with questions.” She squatted down next to the emu. “He looks injured.”
Dropping down next to her, I took a look at the bird. One leg had a nasty cut. “A vet ought to take a look at that. The sooner the better.”
“You’re right.” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “Lucky for me I added Dr. Hobert’s number to my contacts earlier this week.”
While Harmony talked to the receptionist at the vet’s office, I studied the bird. No matter where I moved, its eyes didn’t follow, which was strange for an animal, seeing as how it had to feel threatened. I leaned in, trying to get a better look. A layer of cloudiness covered the poor bird’s eyes. I’d bet my competition bike that the damn bird couldn’t see a thing.
Harmony rejoined me. “They said to bring it in. Do you have time to handle that? I’ve still got a delivery to make to the chiropractor’s office.”
“But I’ve got laundry going and have to get home in time to make pork chops and apples in caramel sauce.”
She stepped back, appraising me with raised eyebrows. “What happened to you? Laundry and pork chops?”
I shook my head, dropping my gaze to my toes. “It’s my mom. I took her to the doctor this morning. All of a sudden she’s been getting these dizzy spells and they can’t figure out why.”
Harmony placed a hand on my arm. “I heard Scarlett talking to you on the phone. How bad is it?”
My shoulders slumped, the guilt of not being around threatening to bowl me over. “I don’t know. Mom wouldn’t admit to feeling bad even if she were on her deathbed.”
“Well that’s not happening.” Harmony’s hand brushed over my arm. “I may have some oils or something else that can help.”
“You really think those little oils are going to make a difference?”
She ran her thumb over the spot where the coffee had burned my hand. “They’ve worked in the past.”
“I suppose it’s worth giving it a shot.”
“So how about I run lunch over to the chiropractor while you handle the bird?” I gave her my best grin, hoping we could swap errands.
“Fine. I wouldn’t want you to be late on getting the laundry done or not have time to make your pork chops.”
“You and Liam want to come over for dinner?”
“Two nights in a row? People might talk.”
“Let ’em.” I leaned in, wrapped my arm around her waist and drew her close. Her breath tickled my skin.
“Do you think this is a good idea?”
“No.” My nose nudged into her hair, breathing in that earthy combo that hovered around her.
“Then why start something?” She spoke into my chest.
I put my finger under her chin, tipping her face up so she’d meet my gaze. “I can’t not start something. I’m drawn to you, Harmony, craziness and all. Did I see this coming? Hell no. Do I want to get caught up in something that’s going to have to come to an end? Hell no on that, too.”
“Then why?” Her eyes told me everything I needed to know about how she must be feeling inside. A mix of hope, hurt, and helplessness pulled at my heart.
I didn’t want to hurt her. And leaving in a couple of weeks would do that. But how could I deny the feelings she stirred up inside? I wasn’t that strong. At that moment, another possibility entered my mind.
“I was planning on going back to LA in a couple of weeks.”
“Even more of a reason not to get involved.”
“But with my mom not feeling well…what if I stuck around for a while longer?” As I said the words out loud my mind was made up. I could spend the summer in Swallow Springs, give my shoulder ample time to heal before I went back to the doc. “If you don’t want this, just say so. Tell me to leave you alone and we’ll keep things professional.” I brushed my finger along her jaw. She shivered.
“What if I can’t?” Her gaze met mine again. She felt it too.
“Then we go into it with eyes wide open. Have a bit of fun while it lasts.”
“No regrets?” she asked.
“No regrets,” I confirmed. “If we’re both on the same page, how could it go wrong?”
She nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this. A summer fling with no commitment and no regrets.”
“So can I count on you for pork chops tonight?” I asked.
“Caramel apples, too?”
“All the caramel apples you can eat.”
“I think I’d better avoid the sugar.”
“Sugar, no sugar, it’s up to you.”
She nodded, her head barely moving against my shirt. I snugged her against me and lowered my head to meet her lips. The heat, the humidity, the awkward bird at our feet…it all faded into oblivion. I could have stood there for fifteen seconds or fifteen hours. Time lost all meaning as Harmony wrapped her arms around me and met my mouth with hers, time after time.
We only broke apart when a truck rolled by. A horn sounded, invading the private dimension we’d carved out between us.
“Oh my gosh, I’ve got to go.” She wiped her fingers over her lips. “Can you put the bird in the back of the truck? I need to get to the vet and head back to the diner before Liam’s out of school.”
“Sure.” The bird didn’t move as I attempted to scoop it up in my arms. My shoulder twinged and I grunted.
“You need some help?” Harmony asked.
“I got it.” Staggering to my feet, I readjusted my grip before loading the feathered beast into the bed of the truck. “Where am I going for that delivery?”
She reached into the truck and pulled out a brown bag. “The chiropractor just down the road. Watch out though, Cassie said he’s cute.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Even more of a reason for me to make the delivery instead of you.”
“Don’t go getting all possessive on me now. Nobody can know about this. I don’t want Liam to get any ideas.”
That’s not exactly how I would have done things, but if we kept it a secret then I wouldn’t have to handle questions from my family either. And it would make it easier to leave when the time came if no one knew we’d been involved except us.
“Fine. So tonight? Pork chops at seven?”
“I have a better idea,” Harmony said. “Why don’t you sneak out after dinner and swing by my place? Liam’s out like a light by ten.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal. Now go take care of Big Bird.”
She fired up the engine and blew me a kiss. As I watched her drive away, I couldn’t help but wonder what would go wrong. Because if history had taught me anything, it was that Swallow Springs and me didn’t add up to a happy ending, no matter what. For a moment I thought about texting her and calling the whole thing off. She obviously didn’t need a guy like me in her life, even in secret. But the anticipation of having her in my arms in a few hours, of getting to explore every inch of her with my eyes, my mouth, my tongue, shot that idea down faster than I could have scarfed down one of Mom’s mud pie patties.
I’d be careful. Not let Harmony get attached. No strings meant no guilt. And I needed to leave Swallow Springs without a ton of regrets hanging over my shoulder when the time came. This time.
23
Harmony
I smeared a thick layer of mud over the emu’s leg. P
oor bird stood still, letting me run my hands over the wound. It was healing up nicely, thanks to Dustin’s magic mud. For a moment I wondered how my life had come to this. I’d gone from a busy life in LA to feeding a trio of raccoons, catering to a needy skunk, and harboring a giant, blind bird.
Either the fresh country air was making me crazier than normal or I was starting to actually enjoy my newfound life. I reached a hand out and smoothed down the soft feathers on the emu’s back. He twitched then swiveled his head around, seeking out the dried apricot I held in my hand.
“Goodnight, Magoo.” I let myself out of the makeshift pen we’d rigged on the side of the garage and made my way back to the house.
Exhausted, I peeked in on Liam to make sure he was asleep. Out like a light. That was the one thing I could count on with my son. He slept like the dead. And thank goodness for that. Dustin would be knocking on my door—I checked my watch—any minute.
That didn’t give me much time to get ready. I ran a toothbrush over my teeth then took my ponytail down and tried to fluff my hair. What he saw would pretty much be what he got with me. I’d never been one to fluff and primp, and I wasn’t about to change my ways.
It had been a long time since I’d entertained a man. The last guy I’d even kind of dated had been a few years back. I wasn’t into swiping left or right and preferred to meet potential dates the old-fashioned way—in person. That put a severe limitation on the possibilities. Reva had introduced me to one of her clients—a relatively normal guy with a tennis injury. We’d hit it off but he bailed when he found out I had a kid. At least Dustin knew what he was getting into, even if we were going to keep it under wraps.
I walked back to my bedroom. Maybe I should change my shirt. I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t like we were going to be dating. I didn’t need to try to impress him or even look good. What I wanted from Dustin was purely physical, and evidently he felt the same. I ditched the idea of changing into something less unisex. My LA Kings T-shirt would do just fine.
With nothing left to do but wait and second guess myself, I sat down on the edge of the couch. Maybe this was a bad idea. I’d never done a pure hook-up before. Something was bound to go wrong. Liam would find out or Mrs. Jarrett would suspect something. I snagged my phone from the coffee table, ready to call the whole thing off.
Someone tapped on the front door.
I’d have to have this chat in person. I pulled open the door to find Dustin on the porch, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. The last man who’d given me flowers had probably been my dad when I graduated from college.
“Hey.” He stood in the doorway, looking entirely lickable in hip-hugging jeans, a form-fitting T-shirt, and holding a colorful bouquet of wildflowers.
“What are you doing?” I grabbed the flowers out of his hand. “You aren’t supposed to bring me flowers.”
“Sorry. I thought you might like them.”
“I do. But it doesn’t matter. We’re not doing flowers.”
Dustin grinned, tucked one thumb in his belt loop and reached for my hand. “What exactly are we doing?”
I let him pull me out onto the porch. “I don’t know. It seemed like a good idea earlier today, but now—”
“Now you’ve changed your mind?” He stepped close, too close, crowding into my space.
I turned, resting my back against the door frame. He didn’t touch me, just stood there, his body lined up with mine. The ache I’d felt for him earlier in the day returned with a vengeance, throbbing between my legs. My arms itched to wrap around his neck. My lips tingled in anticipation of another kiss.
He moved in closer. I didn’t even think it was possible. I might have been able to slide a piece of paper between us, but that would be about all that would fit. His fingers traced the outline of my cheek in the air. I could almost feel them. Almost, that was the problem.
“Did you change your mind, Harmony?”
The way he said my name, all gravely and wispy, was the final straw.
“No.” I managed to say the one word before his mouth captured mine.
His hands went behind my head, cushioning me against the door jamb while the rest of him pressed into me, all hard planes and rigid lines. I let the flowers fall to the porch before I moved my arms up, circling his neck. His lips moved from my mouth to my cheek, trailing down to my collarbone.
“Not here.” How I could even think rationally at that moment was beyond me. But I knew we couldn’t do the kinds of things I wanted Dustin to do to me out in the open of the front porch. “The bedroom.”
He pulled away long enough to eye the doorway to the house. “I can’t. I haven’t been in there since…since that day. I’m sorry. Is there somewhere else?”
Somewhere else? “Like where?”
“The truck?” he asked.
“No.” I’d been there, done that.
“Give me a second.” Dustin let go, taking his warmth with him, giving me a moment to consider where this was headed. It was crazy. This wasn’t the kind of thing I’d done in the past. Which was precisely why I wanted to.
Dustin returned, a blanket draped over his arm. “Trust me?”
We seemed to keep coming back to that question. I did trust him. I trusted him to get my truck out of the mud. I trusted him to take apart my engine and put it back together again. But did I trust him with my feelings? Did I trust him not to break my heart?
“Yes.” I twined my fingers with his before I let myself over think things.
He led me around the house to the backyard and down a well-worn path. The pond sat behind the house, halfway between Robbie’s dad’s place and where Robbie and Cassie lived now at her grandparents’ remodeled farmhouse.
“Have you been out here before?” I asked.
“Just to skip rocks and swim on a hot summer’s day.” He held my hand, leading me away from the house.
I turned back as it disappeared beyond the ridge of a small hill leading down to the water. There would be no way Liam could see us from here. The tension drained from my shoulders.
Finally, he stopped at the end of a small dock. He spread the blanket out and moved to stand in front of me. Taking my hands, he bent to kiss my neck. I couldn’t help but respond.
Within moments he’d pulled me down to the blanket. The hard boards of the dock pressed against my back but it didn’t matter. His hands worked up and down my side, his fingers finding their way under the edge of my shirt. Goosebumps pebbled my skin, and a spark of desire ignited in my gut before slowly spreading through my limbs. When was the last time I wanted a man like this? The thought entered my mind but was immediately pushed away by the sensations flooding my nervous system. What Dustin was doing with his tongue along the rim of my ear crowded out any rational thoughts.
I let my hands roam over the sculpted muscles of his shoulders, being careful not to touch his injured ribs. His groan reverberated through me, making me even more eager, more desperate to feel him everywhere.
His mouth moved down my neck, over my collarbone, stopping at my chest. “You all in on this with me?” he asked.
I nodded, incapable of speech.
His fingers undid my button. I lifted my butt so he could slide my shorts down my legs. He kissed my navel, moving lower, avoiding the place I most wanted to feel his touch. With a grin of someone who enjoyed teasing way too much, he lowered his face and kissed his way down my inner thigh all the way to my ankle.
I sat up and reached for him. He kissed his way back up my other leg then paused to wriggle out of his own pants. Did the man not own a pair of underwear? His shirt followed, landing on top of the accumulating pile of clothing. The light of the moon bathed him, turning him into a mixture of shadows and smooth planes. He took pride in keeping his body in shape and it showed in the curve of his muscle, the definition of his pecs.
For just a moment I gazed in appreciation. Then he reached for my shirt, lifting the edge up and over my head. I crossed my arms over my breasts, sudden
ly slightly chilled with the full force of his gaze bearing down on me.
He settled on the blanket, pulling me closer. With a final nod to my reservations, I dismissed them. Told them to take a hike. Before I had a chance to change my mind I took the foil packet he held between his fingers and ripped it open. While he unrolled the condom in place, I slid my underwear down my legs and tossed them toward the rest of our clothes. Then I straddled him, wrapped my legs around his waist and lowered myself onto him.
He leaned back, his palms flat on the dock, watching me move against him. I didn’t care. The need to feel him deep inside shredded my inhibitions. It had been so long, too long, since I’d taken pleasure from something that didn’t require batteries. He waited, letting me find the perfect angle.
With my knees on either side of his thighs, I was in complete control. He moved slightly, his arms wrapping around my back, pulling me into him. His mouth found my breast, and he scraped his teeth over my nipple, teasing me. Two could play at that game. I lifted up and lowered myself fully onto his lap. His breath came out in a heavy exhale, blowing over my naked chest, stirring something deep inside. My fingers dug into his shoulders and I lifted myself again, over and over, taking him deeper and deeper each time.
He held back, his restraint clear in the clench of his jaw, the tightness of his shoulders. Then finally, my release washed over me. I drew it out as long as I could, riding that wave of pleasure until I’d wrenched every last possible sensation from it.
Breathless, I leaned against him, feeling his hands run up and down my back, the sweet heat of his kisses falling on my cheeks. Gently, he urged me back. I stretched my limbs, satiated and satisfied, like a cat who’d just enjoyed an afternoon nap in the sun.
Dustin hovered over me, then nudged my legs apart with his knee. I lifted my hips, welcoming him. He pushed into me, driving into me with a force I hadn’t expected. I wrapped my legs around his back, pulling him in with each thrust. My back rubbed against the blanket and we scooted across the dock. With a final thrust and a shudder, he collapsed on top of me and let out a sigh.
