by Dylann Crush
I swiveled my head to look at Scarlett. “Is she okay? Are the dizzy spells getting worse?” There had to be some explanation. I’d never seen my mother stick her tongue out at anyone, much less blow a bad raspberry.
Scarlett shook her head. “There were no dizzy spells, you dope. Mom faked them to try to get you to stay in Missouri.”
“What?” I turned back to my mom. “Are you kidding me?”
The staffer tapped me on the shoulder. “Um, sir, we need you to get on your motorcycle now. You’re going to miss your segment.”
I put my palm up. “Just a minute.”
“Yes, I faked the dizzy spells, but only because I wanted to keep you close.” Mom reached for my other hand, holding both of mine between hers. “You’ve got to come home now.”
“Is Harmony okay?” My heart dropped into my boots. If something had happened to her and I wasn’t there, I’d never be able to forgive myself.
“No, she’s not okay, you dumbass.” Robbie finally spoke. “You ran out on her, just like you ran out on me all those years ago.”
“This is different, Rob. With all due respect, Jeffy died. And I convinced myself it was my fault. I was just a kid. I know now that it was an accident, a mistake. But with Harmony…hell, it was my radio that caused the fire. My fault it got left on.”
Rob shook his head. “You don’t get it.”
“I’m the one who left the radio on, Uncle Dustin.” Rodney hung his head. “You asked me to turn it off and I turned it down instead. I’m the one who caused the fire.”
“No. You listen to me. You didn’t do anything wrong, Rodney.” Like hell I’d have my nephew spend the next twenty years blaming himself for something that he couldn’t possibly have prevented. “I should have thrown that piece of crap away a long time ago.”
“Would you listen to yourself?” Rob poked a finger into my chest. I dropped my mom’s hands and backed away. “You can’t tell Rodney it wasn’t his fault and shoulder the blame for this whole thing.”
“Is Harmony okay?” I didn’t want to ask, but I had to know. I’d been dying inside, not being able to reach out to her. But I knew if I did it would just make it worse.
“She loves you.” Scarlett stepped closer. “You need to come back. If not for you, then come back for her.”
“She’s better off without me.” As much as it pained me to say it, I knew it was true. “I killed her dreams.”
“Sir, if you don’t get on that motorcycle right now, we’re going to have to skip your segment.” The staffer jabbed me in the arm.
“Don’t do it, Dustin.” Mom pleaded with me. “You don’t have anything to prove to anyone except yourself. If you get hurt again, my heart couldn’t take it.”
Scarlett wrapped her arm around mom’s shoulders and I let my gaze drift over them all, one at a time. Robbie looked like his head was about to spin around and steam would start pouring out of his ears. Rodney hung his arms over the barricade, his gaze on the ground. Mom and Scarlett stood huddled together, fear in their eyes.
What was I doing? I thought my redemption needed to take place on a public stage. Turned out the only one needing to witness my redemption was me. And the place I needed to find it was a thousand miles away, not on the back lot of a television studio.
“Sir.” The staffer’s finger poked me in the shoulder, firmer this time. “You’ve got twenty seconds.”
At that moment, Mav burst through the doors. “Dustin, what’s going on?” He smiled, obviously unsure how to spin the current situation.
“I’ve gotta go.” I pulled the helmet off my head and handed it to him.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his jaw clenched. “This is your chance. Redemption, buddy.”
I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re right. I do need to redeem myself.”
Then I hopped the barricade and found myself surrounded by the people who cared enough about me to travel a thousand miles to bring me home.
“Let’s get out of here.”
42
Harmony
I glanced at the clock on the wall. The minute hand jumped and for a moment it actually appeared to be going backward. Time had dragged since Dustin left town. I knew why he’d gone. But I also knew that he had to be the one to come back to me on his own. He’d run away from his ghosts and demons years ago. Even though he’d faced them by coming back to Swallow Springs this summer, he still hadn’t completely forgiven himself for what he believed he’d done all those years ago.
A week ago I’d been preparing to open my own space. To finally have the studio I’d dreamed about. To have the opportunity to share it with someone who’d taught me what true love looked like. Now I was doing good to drag myself out of bed each day. I had to put on a strong front for Liam. He was devastated enough that Dustin had left without even saying goodbye. How could I explain to my son that his superhero was only human? That sometimes kryptonite existed within ourselves and it would take time for Dustin to work his way through the blame, even though he was the one who’d mistakenly claimed it?
“Hey, have you got a minute?” Cassie leaned through the window from the kitchen to the dining area. “There’s something I want you to take a look at out back.”
“Yeah, just a sec.” I refilled Frank’s mug before following her through the kitchen. She ought to know better than anyone that I had nothing special pulling at my attention. “What’s up?”
She pushed through the door leading into the back parking lot. “Somebody has something to show you.”
I stepped out into the late morning sun, shielding my eyes with my hand.
“Surprise!” A chorus of voices yelled, causing me to toss the carafe of coffee into the air. My heart ricocheted in my chest as my eyes tried to take it all in.
“Oh, shit.” Dustin jumped in front of me as coffee splattered all over him, dotting his white shirt with brown splotches.
My hands went to my mouth. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. What are you doing here? What’s going on?” I reached for him, trying to wipe the coffee from his face. It dripped down his hair.
“Something about this reminds me of the day we met.” He stood there, a gorgeous grin on his face. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m the one who needs to be apologizing to you.”
“I understand why you left.” I glanced around. Dozens of people formed a semi-circle around us. “Can we talk? In private?”
He turned to the crowd. “Give us a sec, okay?” Then he led me back into the kitchen where Ryder stood at the grill, bebopping to the music playing through his headphones.
“He can’t hear us.” I whirled around, my back pressing against the wall. “What are you doing here?”
He stepped in front of me, crowding my space. “I’m so incredibly sorry about what happened.”
I brushed his cheek with my hand. “I know. It’s not your—”
“Shh.” He put a finger to my lips. “I need to say this before I lose my nerve, okay?”
I nodded.
He took his finger from my lips and ran it along my cheek. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Tears welled in the corners of my eyes. I willed them not to fall. He needed to do this.
“I was wrong to leave. When Sheriff Sampson stopped by and told me the fire was caused by my stupid radio…I didn’t want you to hate me. I wouldn’t have been able to take it.”
I ran my hand over his arm, waiting for him to go on.
“You’re the first person in my life who’s made me want to be a better man. The way you breathe life into everything and everyone who crosses your path. Damn, Harmony, I couldn’t bear to be the reason some of that shine slipped away. Does that make sense?”
“You’re not—”
“Wait. I’m not done.” He offered an apologetic smile.
My heart swelled. We were going to get past this, I could tell by the way he touched me, by the way he said my name. I just needed him to confirm it. He had to hear himself say it out loud.
/>
“I love you so much. I thought it would be better for you if I left. But it didn’t work out that way. I left my heart here when I drove away. You ripped it right out of my chest. I had to come back. I’ll understand if you hate me.”
I shook my head, unable to continue to listen to him beat himself up like that. “Stop. Just stop, will you?”
He met my gaze. Hurt shone in his eyes. I wanted to ease his pain, erase everything that had happened in the past week and fill the empty void with love and kisses.
“I don’t hate you. Dustin, I love you.” He looked down but I nudged his chin up, not letting him look away. “We’re in this together. It’s not your fault this happened. I’m not going to let you take that blame. It was a stupid accident, that’s all. Just like what happened with Jeffy.”
He glanced down for a sec then met my gaze again. “I just thought it would be easier for you if I left.”
“Easier how? You said you wanted to give us a shot. Has that changed?” For a second I waited, my hope suspended between us.
“No, of course not.”
I let out my breath. We were going to be okay. “Good. So no more flaking on me. Next time you get weirded out we talk about it.”
He nodded. “Got it.”
My heart swelled. The worst was over. “Then it’s a good thing you came back because I’m going to need some help with stuff.”
“Oh really?” His lips curved into a tentative smile.
“Yep. I’ve decided to put the studio on hold. Maybe it was a sign from the universe, but I think I’m going to focus my efforts on those mud packs I’ve been making.”
“You don’t say?” Now his smile covered his entire face.
“Yeah. I got a huge order from a place out in Beverly Hills.”
He lifted his eyebrows and nodded.
“Wait.” I put my hand under his chin so he couldn’t avoid my eyes. “Did you have something to do with that?”
He shrugged. “I just shared some samples with a couple of places. Your mud packs speak for themselves. They asked me where they could get more so I gave them your number.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I promise. You’ve got a talent for healing. I could tell from the moment I met you, and you dribbled that smelly oil all over my hand.”
“Lavender.” I rolled my eyes.
“Will you come back outside?” He laced his fingers with mine, pulling me toward the door. “I really want to show you something.”
We exited back into the lot where our friends and family still milled around. Dustin’s truck sat in the middle, the back full of that gorgeous black mud.
“What’s going on?” I felt the power shift, from me to him. This was his show, his moment.
“I expect you’ll be hearing from some other places in the next week or so. Figured you could use some raw material to get your business going.”
“You brought me mud?” I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.
“Love in the form of mud,” he joked. “I figured you can set up in one of the outbuildings on my property until you decide where you want to make your permanent home. And if you want to stay”—he shrugged—“I’ve got a few acres set aside that would be perfect for a little place for you and Liam.”
“You want to sell me some land?”
“It’s big enough to build a place of your own. With plenty of room for Magoo, and Petunia, and even that raccoon that you and I know you’re never going to give up.” He leaned closer, whispering. “And maybe I could move in sometime if you’ll have me.”
I shook my head. “I told you, I’ve got to set a good example for Liam. I won’t live with someone unless it’s—”
The sight of Dustin dropping to one knee made the words die on my lips.
“Harmony Rogers, will you marry me?” He held out a small robin-egg-blue box.
I glanced around our circle of friends. There was Scarlett, her arm wrapped around Rodney’s back. Mrs. Jarrett stood next to Frank, their hands joined between them. Robbie and Cassie stood to the side, holding each other close. And Liam. He crouched down, a smile on his face, waiting for me to answer. I lifted my eyebrows, a silent question. He nodded, his smile growing even bigger.
“You think I didn’t already run this by the man of the house?” Dustin asked. He put his arm out, motioning Liam to come closer. “Liam already gave his approval. I just need a yes from you, sweetheart.”
“Yes.” How could I say anything but yes? Yes to accepting Dustin’s proposal. Yes to his offer to build the business of my dreams together. Yes to everything.
He slid the ring on my finger and I looked down, expecting to see a diamond. This man really did know me. There, sparkling on my ring finger, was a pear-shaped emerald.
“You remembered.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
“Of course I remembered. You said green was your favorite color. Now, can we go home? I need to take a shower and wash off all this coffee you managed to spill all over me.”
“Yes. Maybe if you’re nice to me I’ll even scrub your back for you, get into all those places you can’t reach on your own.”
He groaned, sending a sliver of desire coursing through me. “Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.”
“Oh, I’ll keep it all right. Now what are you waiting for? We’ve got some mud to drop off, don’t we?”
He turned to Scarlett and said a few words before taking my hand and pulling me toward the truck.
“What was that all about?” I asked as I slid into the passenger seat.
“I asked her if she’d be willing to keep Liam overnight. He and Rodney can have a sleepover and stay up all night playing video games.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. That means you and I can have a sleepover too.”
“And stay up all night doing what exactly?”
He leaned over the center console and captured my mouth in a kiss. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”
My heart could have burst with happiness, it was so full of love and gratefulness. As Dustin pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, I took a deep breath of the fresh Missouri air. I’d been looking for purpose my entire life. And now I’d found it.
Mired in enough mud and enough love to carry me forward no matter what the future held.
Love and mud.
I’d never been happier.
Epilogue
Scarlett
“You two are more sugary sweet than a truckload of cotton candy.” I swatted at Dustin’s arm as I passed. Harmony stood in front of him at the kitchen counter, her backside nestled into his front, mixing up another batch of mud facial packs. I was happy for my brother that he and Harmony had found each other. But it still hurt a little that Dustin, self-confirmed eternal single stud nugget would find his happily-ever-after before me.
“You’re just jealous.” Dustin dipped his hand into the bowl and flung a finger full of mud at me.
“You’d better cut that out. If Mom finds mud on her kitchen floor she might take a wooden spoon to your bum.” He had no idea how close his statement cut to the truth. I was jealous.
Dustin grinned. “I’d just tell her you did it.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He shrugged, scooped up another finger of mud, and flipped it my direction.
I ducked. The mud smacked against the white refrigerator door then oozed down the front, landing in a puddle on the hardwood floor.
“Dustin, you’d better watch it. I’m liable to side with Scarlett on this one.” Harmony lifted her hands from the large bowl in front of her. Dark, wet mud covered her fingers. “What do you say, Scarlett? Can we take him?”
Dustin darted toward the sliding glass door to the porch with me hot on his heels. Petunia scurried after us. She never could stay out of the action. Harmony brought up the rear, the big bowl of mud on her hip.
“Cut him off by the garden,”
Harmony yelled.
I veered toward Mom’s raised garden bed. Dustin wouldn’t dare step foot in there. Harmony went the other way. We had him cornered.
Dustin crouched low, looking like a pro wrestler waiting for his opponent’s next move. His gaze darted back and forth between me and Harmony.
“You ready to go clean up the mess you made in the kitchen?” I asked, drawing his attention.
“Not even close.”
Harmony scooped up a whole handful of mud and sent it sailing. It smacked into his cheek, a huge brown glob.
I hunched over, laughing at the sight of my big brother with a face full of mud.
“What was that for?” He stalked toward Harmony, the smile on his face belying the way he clenched and unclenched his fingers. It was on and Harmony stood in his direct line of fire.
“Us gals have to stick together.” Harmony shrugged, lobbing another handful of mud his way.
He reached her, slinging an arm around her waist and dipping her into a low, deep kiss. The bowl Harmony had been holding tipped over and rolled away as she lifted her arms to wrap around Dustin’s neck.
I caught my breath as the two of them caught each other. Not in the mood to watch two very much in love, horny, muddy peeps go at it in my mom’s backyard, I picked up the bowl and headed back into the house.
If my moody, ornery older brother could find someone that made his hard heart soften again, maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t too late for me.
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Next up at the Lovebird Café…
Hot Fudge & a Heartthrob
We only have one thing in common…we’re both excellent liars.
