by Dylann Crush
It felt good to laugh about Jeff. So good I didn’t want to stop. “How about that time he decided to move the manure pile in back of your dad’s place with that new ATV?”
“Dad pulled out the belt for that one. Jeff had to wash and wax every patrol car at the station.”
Waves of laughter subsided. My stomach ached. I hadn’t laughed like that in years. “He was one of a kind.”
“Yeah, yeah he was.” Rob looked over at me again, bonded by our mutual admiration and loss of a brother and best friend.
“Can you forgive me?” I bit my lip while I tried to gauge his response.
“I told you, nothing to forgive. There’s no sense talking about what might have been. It’s done, Dustin. I don’t harbor any ill will toward you for something that happened almost twenty years ago. Jeff wouldn’t want us to dwell on it, y’know.”
I did know. Jeff was the biggest jokester, live-in-the-moment guy I’d ever met. “Still, it would mean a lot if you’d just accept my apology. You might not need it, but I do.”
Rob stuck his hand across the table. “Done. I’ll accept your apology under one condition.”
“What’s that?” I asked as I shook his hand.
“That you’ll accept mine.”
My brow furrowed but I didn’t have time to ask what he meant. Cassie and Harmony returned to the table, followed by the waitress. By the time I’d signed the credit card slip and pocketed my receipt, the moment had shifted.
I stood, putting my arm around Harmony, and following Rob and Cassie to the door.
“Anyone up for a nightcap?” Cassie asked.
“I have to get back to feed the raccoons,” Harmony said.
“I hope you’re not letting all those wild animals run around the house.” Rob smiled as he held open the door. “Your landlord might have a problem with that.”
“Yeah, because that place is in such pristine condition.” Cassie linked her arm through Harmony’s as they made their way to the truck.
“So are we good?” Rob asked.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “We’re good.”
“I’m glad.” Rob gave me a half-hug-half-clap-on-the-back kind of thing, solidifying our agreement that the two of us were back on good terms.
“Hey, I meant to tell you”—I glanced back at him on my way to the truck—“you did good with that baseball field. Jeff would have loved that.”
Rob grinned, the same kind of dopey grin his brother and I used to make fun of him for so long ago. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
“See ya around then?” I’d reached the truck before Harmony and managed to open her door for her this time.
“Yeah, see ya around, bro.” Rob lifted a hand in the air, giving a casual wave before he disappeared around a parked car.
“How did it go?” Harmony asked as she ducked under my arm and slid into the truck.
I leaned into the open doorway. “It went well. Really well.”
“Good.” She linked her fingers together behind my neck, pulling my lips down toward hers. “I told you not to worry.”
I let my forehead rest against hers. “You were right.”
She kissed me, a sweet, light peck of her lips to mine. “I think we should celebrate.”
There was nothing I’d love more than celebrating with Harmony. “I thought you had to get home to feed the raccoons?” I asked, already hot for her. One innocent kiss, and she had me eager for more.
“A little white lie. I just wanted you all to myself tonight. Liam’s staying over at a friend’s again.” She batted her eyelashes at me, all innocent-like.
“You tease.” My finger ran along her shoulder, under the strap of her sun dress. “I ought to go tell Rob and Cassie that you lied. Take ’em up on that offer for a nightcap after all.”
She reached up, untying the straps then holding the top of her dress up with one hand. “Or you could take me home and have your way with me.”
My blood heated as she taunted me, letting one side of her top dip lower. I reached down, adjusting myself for a very uncomfortable ride back to her place. “Watch your feet, babe.”
Then I closed the door, eager to get her home and underneath me—a place I was getting way too used to having her.
33
Harmony
“Can I get a touch more coffee, Harmony?” Frank tapped the handle of his coffee mug, drawing my attention away from the front window.
Now that Dustin and the boys were back at work on the studio build out, I was dying to get over there and see the progress they’d made.
“You bet.” I reached for the carafe. Not quite enough to fill up his cup. Dang it. “Let me go find some more for you in the back.”
“All right.” He turned his attention back to his newspaper.
As I passed Ryder on the way to my cubby, he shook his head. “Why don’t you ask Cassie to show you how to make coffee today?”
“Would you be quiet?” I set the carafe down on the counter while I reached for the jar of instant coffee I’d smuggled inside. “We had a deal.”
“Yeah, Julianne loved those bath bombs.” He waved a spatula at me. “You should sell those.”
“Already do.” I felt around in the back of my cubby. I could have sworn I’d brought the jar in from the car. Two of them. At the rate we went through coffee around here, I’d been stocking up as fast as I used them. “You know what else I’m selling now? Mud packs. I bet your girlfriend would really go for those.”
“I’ll check it out.” Ryder slid his earbuds back in.
I crouched down to peer inside my cubby, desperate to find the magic crystals that would allow me to avoid the monster machine.
“Looking for these?” Cassie stepped around the corner, my two jars of instant coffee crystals in hand.
“What? No. I was just looking for…um…a hair band.” My hand went to my hair which unfortunately was already held back in a ponytail.
“Harmony, why didn’t you tell me you were having such a hard time with the coffee machine?” she asked.
My shoulders slumped. She knew. It was no use pretending any longer. “I’m sorry. I wanted to. I didn’t want to admit I couldn’t figure out how to master that horrible machine.”
Cassie laughed as she set the jars down on the counter. “It’s complicated, that’s for sure. But I don’t mind showing you again. And again after that if it doesn’t sink in. You should know that.”
“I know. I do. I’m just tired of being so bad at everything.”
She put her hand on my shoulder. “You’re not bad at everything. In fact, I’d say you’re pretty good at a lot of stuff. I tried one of those mud packs on Robbie’s knee last night and he said it really helped. Think you can make me some more of those?”
“I’d love to.” I’d been harvesting mud a couple times a week from Dustin’s property. Once the studio space was finished I’d have more room to expand my operation. As it was, I’d taken over almost half of the kitchen at home and was eager to get everything into one place.
“All right. Let’s take this one step at a time.” Cassie proceeded to walk me through the many steps of how to make a pot of coffee in the giant machine. I even took illustrated notes on my order pad.
Bound and determined to succeed, I followed her directions. As the first drops hit the empty carafe, I squealed and clapped my hands together.
“Today she makes coffee, tomorrow she’ll rule the world.” Frank raised his mug in a toast.
“Slow down. I don’t want to get ahead of myself.” I laughed as I wiped down the counter in front of him.
“He’s right.” Cassie put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “It won’t be long before you’re out of here and running your own business.”
Happiness swelled up from deep inside, expanding through my entire body until I couldn’t contain it. “I can’t wait.”
“You’re going to be fabulous as an entrepreneur,” Cassie said.
“You and Robbie have been so supportive.
It’ll be nice to have a place of my own.” I snagged the half-full carafe of fresh-brewed coffee and refilled Frank’s mug. “Once I get the business going, hopefully Liam and I can find a house, too.”
“Plenty of places close to town if you’re looking,” Frank said.
“Oh, we’d need somewhere with some land, I think.” I bit my lip, wondering exactly what we’d do with the menagerie of animals Liam and I had managed to collect so far.
“You still got that skunk and those raccoons out at your place?” Frank lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip.
“How’s the coffee?” I held my breath while I waited for him to answer.
“Better than ever.” He winked.
“Good. And yes, we managed to get Crackle and Pop up to the wildlife center, but it sounds like Snap might be with us for a while. His foot got injured while he was stuck in the engine of the truck and they can’t keep him at the wildlife center indefinitely so we brought him back home.” The little raccoon had gotten so attached to Liam, I didn’t know how they’d manage to separate when the time came. At least he’d still have Petunia, Magoo, and the lovebirds to keep him company.
“You’ve got a good heart, Harmony.” Frank took a few dollars out and set them on the counter.
“Where are you headed so early? We can usually count on you to stick around until the lunch crowd starts to arrive.” I made change for him while he got up to go.
“Got a lunch date today.” He nodded. “Keep the change.”
“Thanks. And have fun on your date.” I grinned as he gave me a little wave before he exited the front door. Dustin might not appreciate the fact his mom was obviously being romanced by Mr. Blevins, but I still thought it was cute. They deserved to find happiness together.
Speaking of happiness—I glanced around the café—now would be the time to make a mad dash across the street and check on the progress.
“I’m going to run over,” I yelled toward the kitchen.
“Okay. I’ll meet you there in a few,” Cassie yelled back.
Eager to see what they’d managed to accomplish, I hung my apron on a hook behind the counter and headed across the street. As I pushed through the front door, the buzz of a saw greeted me. I inched up the steps, smiling as I remembered the first time Dustin and I previewed the space.
Finally, at the top of the stairs, I turned. Natural light filled the room. Since Dustin had removed one of the walls, sunlight spilled across the original hardwood floors. Gorgeous. Yes, a layer of sawdust and drywall dust coated everything. Yes, wires dipped from the ceiling, waiting for the electrician to put in a few more outlets. But I could see past all that. And what I saw took my breath away.
“Hey!” Dustin’s voice carried over the buzz of the saw. “Hey, cut it.”
The noise stopped, replaced by the blaring of a boom box in the corner. Dustin walked over and flipped the switch, leaving us in silence. “So, what do you think?” he asked.
“What’s that?” I lifted my chin in the direction of the ancient boom box.
“What? I like to kick it old-school. You can’t get bass like that on an MP3 player.” He reached me and slid an arm around my waist.
My gaze drifted around the space. “It’s stunning. Absolutely gorgeous.”
“We had to change the design a little. There was a pipe in that wall over there so we shifted the half-wall to accommodate.”
Dustin continued to talk about minor adjustments while I pictured myself in the space. I could actually see it: the tiny bottles of essential oils lining the shelves, the homemade mud packs and bath bombs wrapped in cellophane and tied with teal ribbons…all of it.
“So hopefully only another couple of days and we’ll be ready to paint.” Dustin took off his work gloves and tucked them into his back pocket. “Anything you want us to change before it’s too late?”
“It’s absolutely perfect.” I couldn’t keep the ear-to-ear grin from my face if I tried. To think that someone had gone to this kind of effort for me…it ripped my breath from my lungs. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Dustin drew me into a hug, despite Rodney and Liam being nearby.
I let him. It still surprised me how naturally we seemed to fit. My shoulder slid perfectly under his arm. I was going to miss this.
“Did you bring over any cookies, Mom?” Liam shuffled over, eyeing the way Dustin had his arm draped over my shoulder.
I ducked out from under Dustin and rubbed my hands together. We’d been trying to keep a low profile around the boys, especially after their big blow up. “I was in such a hurry to get a peek, I forgot.”
“I remembered.” Cassie entered the space, three box lunches stacked in her arms. “Turkey and Swiss on wheat okay?”
Before she had a chance to set them down, the boys had each grabbed a box. She handed the last one to Dustin. “It’s looking great in here.”
“I can’t believe what a difference you’ve made.” I couldn’t help but put my hand on Dustin’s arm when I talked to him.
“Liam and Rodney did a lot of it. I’ve still got a bum shoulder, you know.” He smirked. His shoulder hadn’t seemed to be bothering him much during the nights we spent together.
“I can’t believe you’re going to be leaving me soon.” Cassie took my hand in hers. “Now that you’ve finally learned how to make coffee, you’re moving on.”
“Wait, she finally learned how to make a real pot of coffee?” Dustin’s eyebrows shot up.
“I did. Even drew myself a diagram so I wouldn’t forget.” I gave him my best version of a “yeah, I’m a badass” grin.
“See? There’s nothing you can’t do.” He shrugged.
I wanted to cover his scruffy face in big, wet, sloppy kisses but Cassie tugged on my arm.
“Show me the rest of the space?”
I led her around, pointing out the different areas of the shop. “Dustin said only a few more days and I’ll be able to paint and move in.”
“I’m so excited for you. It’s all coming together, isn’t it?” Cassie’s smile could have warmed the heart of even an ice queen.
I smiled back, not quite a hundred-percent.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I shook my head, trying to dislodge any worry. Having the space was just one more physical reminder that my time with Dustin was coming to an end. An end I didn’t want to happen. “Did you see the massage rooms?”
Cassie shook her head, so I pointed to the back of the space. “Right back here. Follow me.”
The space might be mine, but Dustin never would be. We were from two different places. He loved the spotlight while I craved peace and quiet. He craved the rush of adrenaline, the cheer of a crowd, while I adored running my hand through gobs of mud and figuring out the perfect way to relax after a hard day of work.
He might look at home in Swallow Springs, but his home base was a thousand miles away. It might be time I started reminding myself of that. The longer we kept this going, the harder it was going to be when it came time for him to go.
34
Dustin
The phone rang, clanging through the trailer, the noise bouncing off the walls of the small space. I reached for it on the nightstand, my first thought that it might be Mom or even Harmony needing help.
“Hello?”
“Damn, do you ever owe me big time now.” Mav, my agent. What the hell? The digital clock lit up one-thirty in the morning.
“Do you know what time it is?” I squinted at the bright red numbers before letting my eyes drift closed again. “Are you drunk?”
“Maybe a little.”
Great, when did those tables turn? It used to be Mav would talk me down, sober me up, and bust my ass for being a dick. Now all of a sudden he was the one calling me in the middle of the night?
“So you’re just in the mood for a heart to heart, or what?” I nestled my head back on the pillow, not willing to sacrifice sleep to hear the latest about his drinking buddies.
“I’ve got one word for you, D-man.” Hell, he must be drunk. D-man?
“What’s that?”
“Redemption.”
“Why don’t you call me in the morning after you’ve had a chance to sleep off the massive hangover you’re bound to have?”
“For you, buddy. Redemption. For you.”
“What?” I brushed the fuzziness of sleep away. What the hell was he talking about?
“How would you like a chance to redeem yourself on national television? Show everyone you’re not the crackpot they saw back in May when you botched that burnout? Huh?”
“Well, yeah.” Of course I wanted another shot at showing the world I actually knew how to ride a bike. I’d thought of nothing else since I’d tucked tail and drove out of California. “That would be great, but—”
“But nothing. I just had drinks with the executive producer of the show. She said they’re willing to give you another appearance.”
“That’s great. When? Just say the word and I’ll be there.”
“Next Thursday night. Best night of the week. Do you love me or what?”
Thursday, Thursday, something was happening next Thursday. I rubbed a hand across my forehead, trying to retrieve the information. “Hang on a sec.” I put him on speaker while I pulled up my calendar on my phone. Oh shit. Harmony’s grand opening. “Thursday’s no good for me. Can we do another night?”
He laughed. “Good one.”
When I didn’t say anything he let out another laugh, this one a little louder. “What do you mean Thursday’s no good? You think they’re asking if you can fit them in? This is your shot. Redemption.”
“I can’t.” I pinched the pulse points on my temple with my thumb and middle finger, anticipating a monster headache. “I just can’t make that night work. I’m sorry.”
“Do you have any idea what I had to go through to get this for you? I drank Cosmos. With cherries. I’m not a Cosmo drinker, D-man.”
“I said I was sorry.” I couldn’t ditch Harmony on her grand opening, not even if it meant a chance at redeeming my own career. She’d never forgive me if I wasn’t there, and the truth was, I wanted to be there. I had to. The past several weeks had shown me there was nowhere else I’d rather be than by her side, especially on such an important night. “Are you sure they don’t have any other spots?”
