The police arrived loudly, sirens blaring, lights flashing. It was far too late, of course, for anyone in the house, save Harmony and Lenny. The former stared in numb disbelief as the officers--friends of the late Sheriff Paul Madsen, she realized in a detached sort of way--began securing the crime scene. The latter they arrested, though he wasn't in any sort of shape to resist. When he'd slipped on the pulverized glass, he'd slammed into the already-broken pane, which had sliced a large gash into his back. He couldn't move, for fear of severing something. The paramedics had a time getting him onto a stretcher.
Clawson had been hit in the lung, falling on his accomplice (and driving the glass deeper into Lenny's body as a result) before dying with an ignominious gurgle. Jenny lay in a heap at the foot of the stairs, her neck broken. The shot at her, from what Harmony could tell, had completely missed. She'd been so startled she'd missed her step and fallen to her death. But it was Dane, silent as the grave, his face pale and blood-streaked, flecks of pizza caught in the hairs of his beard, that would haunt Harmony. His kiss had done more to her than she'd let on, sending her own thoughts into an array of possibilities and worries. For most of the movie, she'd been considering what it might mean to start a more serious relationship with Dane Amleth. She'd never begrudged Gwen and Dane's courtship--both were good friends and she liked seeing them together. Trying for something besides friendship so soon after Gwen's death had seemed unwise…but Harmony couldn't say that the idea of, perhaps someday, farther down the years, something could have come from this. But now, nothing could. It was over. She was the only one left. And she was alone. One of the officers walked over to where she sat, a blanket over her, a cup of untasted tea in her hands. "Miss Roman," said the officer, sitting down next to her on the couch. "The paramedics are ready to check on you now." "I…" The officer smiled softly, then shrugged into her thick parka. "Miss, I understand that you're feeling a little lost right now. That's understandable. We just want to check you for shock. This has been…" "Hell," provided Harmony. The officer sighed. "Yes. Care to come with me?" Harmony swallowed but didn't answer. "Okay. I'll send them to you." The officer stood, adjusted her belt, then stepped carefully over to the two remaining paramedics. The ambulance, now loaded with a critically-injured Lenny, roared away from the Lodge. Harmony watched, uncomprehendingly, at the bustle about her. The partner paramedics approached her, their hands blue from the cold--no, not the cold; they were wearing those gloves, those familiar gloves. "Hey, are you doing okay?" asked the younger of the two, her face lined with concern. "No." "Can't say as I blame you," she said. "Sometimes, talking through things can help you out, you know. Giving a statement, that sort of thing. It can provide closure." "Or it can dredge up old traumas," said the other paramedic. "Frank's right," said the first paramedic. "But if you want to talk things through, that's okay with me. I can listen while we check you over…" But what could she say? That it was ambition, cruelty, casual slaughters, mistaken ideas that had led to the tragedy all about them? How could she even start to explain that sort of thing? Yet, perhaps that was the only way to try to make sense of the chaos that swirled around her. Tears--held in since Dane had slipped away--broke out of her. Through the sobs, she began to explain, starting with the drone of an anemic copier and light gossip between Dad and the secretary, when Harmony had found herself back home. They were alone in the Lodge as they settled down on the couch across from the 4K TV that hung above the fireplace. Dane kept his attention away from the bullet holes, still unrepaired, that stared out at him like condemnatory eyes. Thinking of them reminded him of the way he'd treated Gwen, how he'd shouted at her, shot at her…a wave of embarrassment and shame rolled over him and he turned away. The remote controls wouldn't turn on the TV themselves.
"I'm going to order some pizza, okay?" asked Harmony, flicking her phone on. "Sounds good." "Pineapple and ham sound good?" Dane snorted. "If your bloodline is weak, yeah." Harmony stared at him. "What?" He shook his head. "I mean, I'd rather pepperoni, if that's okay." "Yeah, no problem." She stepped into the hallway to place the order while Dane fiddled with the streaming service until he pulled up a movie he thought might be nice. It was some original programming movie about a knight, a princess, and a sorcerer. Probably a fair amount of blood, guts, boobs, and swearing--the perfect thing to take his mind off of what he'd just been through. Harmony parked herself next to him and they started the film without speaking. Some thirty or so minutes later, the pizza arrived. Dane collected the food and paid the woman, then he and Harmony chomped through most of the pie together. As they ate, Dane found his attention sliding away from the film, floating from one thought to another as the screen flickered and the sound system raged. Why had he kissed Harmony? It had seemed like the right thing to do at that moment, kind of an indication of how much he really appreciated her. It was, after all, just a kiss, right? He caught the profile of her face in the eerie blue hue of a TV screen, her slightly-slanted eyes fixed on the movie. She was beautiful, but that didn't give him any right to do what he'd done. There was no reason for him to invade her space like he had, to say nothing of what it might mean. They'd been friends for so long, the possibility of it being something more was just…strange. It felt completely wrong… …but also completely right. That was what bothered him so much: He wasn't really sorry he'd done it. Sure, he'd startled her, and if she wasn't interested in that kind of physicality, then there was an issue. But in terms of his own heart, it had felt like the right thing to do. Returning his attention to the television, his eyes brushed over the spot where the home-security system had been and he'd shattered with one lucky shot. Gwen… If nothing else, that should be his real impulse toward embarrassment and remorse. His girlfriend, the one he'd shared such wonderful moments, the love they'd shared…was he giving up on that already? Bouncing from a tragedy of death to try to find affection in the arms of the still-living? If that was the case, could he really blame his mother for what she'd done? After all, it had been for him. At least, that's what she'd said, wasn't it? She was doing it for him, to keep Elsinore Ranch in the family. Yet how well was that working, if the Norway deal ended up going through anyway? Clearly, Mom's plans had gone awry. If he was to learn anything, he would have to start learning from others. Dane drew in a deep breath and toggled the pause button on the remote. "Hey!" said Harmony, as though being waked from a deep sleep and not appreciating the alarm. "What--" "Harmony, look," he said, straightening and looking at her. "About…about the…you know…" "No," she said slowly, clearly confused. "Not really." Sighing, he glanced around the room. The bullet holes stared back at him. "I'm sorry about the kiss." "Oh. Right, well…" "I didn't mean to…" Harmony grabbed his hand. "Like I said in the car, Dane, it's something that I have to think about." "No, I mean…I like you. I really do. You're my best friend. You have been for as long as I can remember, it feels like." She chuckled without humor. "Tell me about it." "And you've been the only reason I've survived this past month or so." "It's nothing," she said, squeezing his hand with hers. "It's what friends do. I told you." "I know. It's just…I don't want anything to ruin what we have. Few people are lucky to ever have a friend half as capable, thoughtful, brave, and loyal as you." "Stop, you're making me blush!" "No, I'm serious. You are an incredible woman. I've taken that for granted. So…" He drew in a deep breath. "I'm sorry. For anything I may have done to you that I shouldn't have." "Well, apology accepted." She smiled at him in a way that Dane recognized as being a personal, genuine smile--not the sort of thing she would attach to her face at a bar when a guy was trying to con her phone number from her, or the polite-but-not-interested-in-this-conversation smile he'd seen her use with some of her father's clients over the years. It warmed him to know that she was being so honest with him. "But I have a question for you." "Anything." She jerked her thumb at the screen. "Can we keep watching? I want to know what happens." Dane glanced at the TV, then back at Harmony. He laughed and pressed the play button, settling back down. A few minutes later, Mom walked in the front door. "Hey, you two," she said, lurching forward and gripping the bannister that led up from the entryway. "I'm headed straight to bed, if that's all right." "Oh." Dane craned his neck to look up at her. "Are you okay?" "I'm…just tired. It's been a long day." She hesitated. "Dane, you know you shouldn't have…" "I know." "Well, you should apologize to Lenny and Clawson. They didn't deserve what you did." He felt a fire of anger flame in the pit of his guts. "Okay," he said in a non-committal voice. "Really, they're still pretty pissed off." "Where are they, Jenny?" asked Harmony. "They're going to Outer Darkness. I wasn't interested in any drinks, so I asked them to drop me off here before going to the bar." Dane nodded. There was only one bar in all of Noah, and the proprietors spoke LDS-ese well enough to name their establishment after the Mormon version of hell. It was the sort of long-road-to-the-punchline that had entertained Dane when he was younger, but he simply found it tacky now. "Good night, you two," said Jenny, starting her climb up the stairs. Dane heaved himself out of the grip of the cushions and hurried to his mother's side. "Let me help." "I can walk up stairs, you know." "So can I." "I'm fine." "Good." He helped her up to her room, giving her a goodnight hug and bidding her pleasant dreams. He came down the steps to find Harmony involved with her social media. Once he'd dropped back into the couch's embrace and fired up the film, Harmony scooted next to him, quietly watching the story unfold. One movie turned into two, and soon enough, Harmony's head was lolling against Dane's shoulder. He was just as detached from the second film as the first, paying little attention to what was there and letting his thoughts wander where they would instead. Eventually, he, too, slipped into the silence of sleep. Something shattered behind him. Dane's eyes popped open. On the TV, the program was patiently awaiting an action: "Are you still there? Select 'OK' to continue watching." His right arm was numb, with Harmony soundly asleep there. Doing his best to turn without too much disturbance, he felt a ghostly passage of icy air breeze past him. The door was open, with the porch- and moonlight casting diamond-like sparkles over the broken glass on the floor. Shifting, he forced Harmony up. "What is--" He put a finger to his lips as he started to stand… …only to drop as a heavy club dropped across his shoulders. His breath gushed out and he fell to the ground with a dull thud. Harmony screamed and backed away on the couch, her hands near her mouth. For his part, Dane coughed a couple of times. The injuries from the accident, still delicate, shrieked at the abuse. A burning ache started across his shoulders and his mind whirled as he struggled to his feet. Hands dropped on his back, hauling him up. A vicious punch to his stomach sent what little air he'd regained free. Pizza came out in a slimy torrent, spraying over the ottoman footstool and the hardwood floor. A right hook crashed against the side of his head. A Fourth of July show behind his eyelids accompanied him as he dropped again to the ground. Blood pumped from his now-broken nose. Harmony screamed some more, and there was a clatter of feet upstairs just as Dane's eyes came into focus. There, beneath the couch, where he had left it, was the ASP. Struggling against the pain in his body, he reached out. The cold metal lay just beyond his reach. One fingertip caressed the iron sights, then slipped free. Another shout from Harmony, then a confused, "Dane?" and a yelp as someone slipped against the door. He could only hear what happened next, but the report of a gun going off, a cry, and a tumble down the stairs was enough to paint a picture for him. Lunging forward, he pulled out the ASP and got to his feet. "No! What did you do?" The voice crying with despair was deep and familiar. The man--no, men, there were two of them--in his house, clad in dark camo and face covered with a ski mask, stared at his partner, who lay sprawled against the open door. "Freeze!" shouted Dane. It was a stupid thing--coming from too many TV shows, he figured--but it was what came out. The standing man turned at the sound and, perhaps out of spite or surprise, pulled the trigger. There was a pop, a flash of startling pain in his side, and Dane crumpled. The ASP went off as he fell; the standing man fell backwards, crushing his accomplice. In the darkness, his life bleeding out in the same room that he'd threatened Gwen in, Dane suddenly realized something. It had been there all along, the great understanding that had been the key to his own sadness and melancholy. It was so obvious, so clear… Water fell on his face, pulling him out of his reverie before he could formulate what he now understood. He looked up. The room was dimly lit by the TV and the light coming in from the open front door. Harmony, the left side of her face thus illuminated, the other half hidden in shadows, sobbed. She said something, but it faded from his grasp before he could recognize the words. Words. Words were all they had, when he stopped to think about it. Words that told stories, that confessed crimes. That apologized and loved. They were important, words were. So sad that he didn't know them anymore. Harmony had her phone to her ear, she was saying something, crying and blubbering. It was too much. Her words faded into the slight buzzing in his ears. Dane looked around one last time. It was over. The buzzing faded. He had nothing left to hear. The rest was silence. It was too much, he realized only in retrospect, to see his uncle-father and Gwen's brother, out there in the cold, windswept cemetery. Too much anger, too much frustration, too much pain. He knew that Clawson was a killer, that Lenny was mentally unstable. He also knew that he didn't have much in the way of fighting abilities, having never gotten past the introductory time period of karate at some guy's house, twenty minutes away in Ephraim. Knowing all of this and the stupidity of his next action, Dane went in swinging anyway.
He cleared the low log fence with an easy jump, landing on a frosty clump of dried-up weeds, and ran toward the two men, his mother standing to one side and only dimly entering into his periphery. Lenny noticed the approach in time to step back, but Clawson was blindsided as Dane crashed into him, a wordless bellow accompanying his tackle. The two fell to the frozen ground, with Clawson's superior strength and mass quickly turning the surprise attack around. Before Dane could land more than a punch or two, Clawson had bucked him off and had pinned him tightly to the ground. Lights burst behind Dane's eyelids as first one and then a second blow rocked his head. He tasted blood. Screams filled the air, and then the crushing pressure on his torso lifted. There was more scuffling and it took a moment for Dane's mind to clear enough to understand what was going on: Lenny had pulled Clawson off of his nephew-son, with Mom hobbling over to put calming hands on Clawson's still straining arms. Rolling onto his side, Dane tried to regain his feet, but a wave of dizziness knocked him down again. "--the hell he's doing?" Clawson's shouts were loud enough to cut through Dane's cotton-stuffed ears. "Stop it, Claw, stop it now!" "He nearly killed you!" "It was an accident!" "He killed your dad!" This last one pulled Dane's attention to the speaker, only to realize that it was actually Clawson shouting at Lenny, who was holding Clawson back but with less than his full effort. The reminder had drained Lenny's face of color, and he stared at Dane with an inexpressible expression. "What the hell was that, son?" demanded Clawson, shrugging off the impeding hands but not lunging forward, either. "I'm not your son," said Dane, staggering to his feet. His still-new injuries throbbed. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and he jolted away in surprise. "It's me," said Harmony, her voice low. "You're insane," snarled Clawson. "Jen, you didn't tell me that your kid was a damn retard." "Clawson!" "He attacked me out of nowhere!" "You're selling this land, is that right?" The comment drew Clawson up, and he shot a nervous glance at first Dane and then Mom. "What if I am?" "Clawson," said Jenny, her voice almost too quiet to hear, though there was a tone of dismay that Dane heard. "You're no Amleth. You don't belong here." Clawson snorted. "You're one to talk. Prissy little snot, too busy reading his books and studying the most useless of all majors--philosophy--and then comes home and starts moping around like a damn woman. You think that we're impressed by you?" Before Dane could engender a retort, Lenny stepped forward. "Why are you here at all?" "I live here." "No, I mean, why are you alive and my father isn't? And my sister? You know how she died, don't you?" The question stalled Dane. He shot a glance at Harmony. "I heard, yeah." He worked his mouth a couple of times, the coppery taste of blood making him choke. "I'm sorry for your loss. I…" He hesitated but only for a moment before saying, "I loved her." Lenny snorted. "You didn't act like it." The comment sliced deeply into Dane's heart. He'd been so wrapped up in his own problems, the drama of his current life, that he realized that he had failed Gwen. She'd been special to him--he really had loved her--but he'd lost sight of that. She'd wanted only to keep the men in her life happy. He thought back to their conversation in the church foyer the day of Papa Dane's funeral. She'd tried to be there for him, but he'd had this moment, this strange miscarriage of thought that had made him think that she'd be better off not hanging around the Amleth family anymore. That she was in danger, as Dane had such dark suspicions to unearth. There wasn't much he could say to Lenny's comment, because Lenny was right: Dane hadn't been a very good friend, and a worse boyfriend. The realization made his heart drop into his stomach and he lowered his gaze. "I should have," Dane said, his voice low. "I'm sorry. I mean it." Lenny stared, clearly unmoved. Clawson watched, his face still crumbled in fury. Jenny watched her son, one hand on Clawson's arm--in part to steady herself, in part, no doubt, because she looked to him for comfort now--and the other hand over her mouth. With a quiet nod, he turned from the group and headed toward the street and, up the road a ways, the car that he and Harmony had taken up there together. Harmony fell in step with him, as she always did, and he couldn't help but notice her presence. As he climbed over the fence, he asked her, "Why do you stay with me? Why are you still my friend?" Harmony sighed as she swung one jean-clad leg over the fence and then the other. "You know why, Dane." "I don't think I do. I do stupid stuff like--" and he gestured behind him "--that all of the time. I'm lucky to be alive, what with the fact that I'm living with a murderer. You've put your life on the line for me multiple times." Harmony gave him a strange look, one that he couldn't quite place until she spoke. As the sunlight bled out of the sky and the rapid-dark of a winter night began its conquest of the day, she said, "Because we're friends, Dane. It's what friends are for." He chewed on that thought as they progressed to the car. As they clambered in and Harmony gently backed the car into the road, her head turned to look over her shoulder, Dane noticed the gentle pulse of her heartbeat visible on her neck. Strands of black hair poured from beneath her beanie, framing her beautiful face. Dane had never really noticed before how pretty she was--at least, not normally. He knew she was cute, in the same way that a kid might recognize that same reality about his cousin--true, perhaps, but not noticeable. This wasn't really a surprise; he'd always had eyes only for Gwen. Then he'd screwed that up. Dane shook his head and looked away with a sigh. "What's that mean?" asked Harmony as she settled in the seat and dropped the car into gear. "What's what mean?" "That sigh. There's matter in these sighs." He shook his head. "I guess." "So?" Dane looked out the window, then rolled his gaze over to Harmony just as they passed the graveyard. It was empty now, with Mom, Clawson, and Lenny gone already. "You know, Harmony, that place is special." "What, the cemetery?" "Yeah." She chuckled as she fiddled with the heater. "I gathered as much by the way you tackled your funcle because of the idea that he was selling it off." "No, I mean…special people belong there. After they die, of course." She laughed. "Yeah, I would assume as much. I hope that you don't keep your cemetery for special living people." "No, but…" Dane wasn't sure what he was saying, so he trailed off and watched the death-yellow foliage streak past his window. "But what?" "Don't take this the wrong way, Harmony," he said, knowing what the words were going to be before they made it out, unable to stop them, "but if it were up to me, I'd want you there, too." Harmony considered the road for a second before glancing over at him. "What, like--" "You're part of my family. More than Clawson ever could hope to be." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you." Harmony didn't answer, but he saw a distinct blush rush up from her neck and cover her cheeks. "Dane, I--" "Want to watch a movie?" he asked, desperate to change the subject. Why had he done that? What was that supposed to mean? It was a joke, wasn't it? His mind wasn't on track; it had been acting strangely, thinking strangely for far too long. It was strain…a hope to express his appreciation to her without speaking. That was it. That was all it was. "Um…" "Just something normal, you know? Like two millennials should do on a weekend night." "Oh…okay," said Harmony, her voice small and her fingers tight on the steering wheel. They drove on for a few minutes in silence, until at last Dane said, "I'm sorry for not asking first. I didn't mean…" "No, that wasn't the problem. I just…I'm going to have to figure out what that means." "I--" She shook her head as she pulled into the Lodge's lengthy driveway. "Don't say anything, Dane. Just…give me a bit to think, yeah?" "So…the movie?" He asked more because he didn't want Harmony to go than because there was anything that he really wanted to watch. He was surprised at how happy it made him when she nodded her head. "Yeah. That'd be nice." She clicked off the car and together they walked through the icy wind and into the empty Lodge. Harmony Roman
Sliding into the hospital parking lot, Harmony spotted the unmistakable behemoth of Lenny Madsen's Ford F-150, greasy with travel--a sure sign that he had recently arrived in town. The man was obsessed with that truck, and leaving it that filthy could only mean something else was on his mind. Of course, Harmony didn't have to think hard to figure out what that might be. Eager not to confront the sole Madsen, Harmony hurried inside and turned left just past the nurse's station. She arrived at the door for visitors, which required her to punch in a code--3152#--and let herself in. A brisk walk down the linoleum-tiled hallways and she was at Dane's room. She tapped it gently before letting herself in. Dane was, to her surprise, sitting up on the side of his bed, dressed in his clothes. "Are you…Dane, what's going on?" He looked at her and smiled. "I'm doing better than expected. They said I can go home. I just…" He gave her a sheepish look. "I don't have a phone anymore and I don't, um…I don't know your phone number. I'm glad you came." Harmony laughed and gave him a gentle hug. "This is the best news we've had in…" "A long time?" "Yeah, something like that." She smiled. "Come on. I'll get you home." "Great." Leaving the hospital was the easy part; the next few days, however, were fraught. There was a lot to do, a lot to put back together, a lot to decide. Clawson spent most of his time away, while Harmony would come to the Ranch as often as she could to help Dane get around. A week passed; Jenny came home, though Dane was careful not to cross paths with Clawson. Every time Harmony came over, the tension was sharp in the air. The day before Gwen's funeral, she and Dane sat in his room. He stared out the window, clearly lost in thought. Harmony set down the book she was reading and said, "What's on your mind?" "Nothing," he said. Harmony snorted. He broke off his thousand-yard gaze and focused on Harmony. "I need to get out of the house. Come with me?" "Sure." She stood and stretched. "Where are we going?" "The butte." "It's cold, man." "Wear a coat." Harmony grumbled a bit but obeyed. This was the most active that Dane had seemed since leaving the hospital, and, to be frank, Harmony was glad to leave the chilly atmosphere of the Lodge behind. They took Harmony's car. Dane closed his eyes and she noticed sweat sprinkling his forehead as they rounded the turn that still had the black skid marks from the accident. The bushes, mangled and broken, were dying. She drove on without commenting. Once they'd rounded the turn, Dane loosened up. "Sorry," he said. "Nothing to apologize for." The rest of the trip was in silence. After they arrived at the parking spot near the butte, they hiked up the familiar hill to where they could see over the Ranch. "I was talking to Dad," Harmony said as they settled on the boulders that acted like benches. An icy wind rattled the naked scrub oak branches. Snow was forecasted for the next day, and the skull-gray sky made everything feel washed out and colorless. The weather, it seemed, mirrored the world. "Oh?" "The Norway deal is happening. There's nothing we can do to stop it." Dane grimaced. "How much are we losing?" Harmony gestured. "Basically everything that you see that's south of the Lodge, from about there." She pointed out the landmark. "It's complicated--probably take another few months or so. But by next planting season, yeah…Elsinore Ranch will no longer be in charge of the majority of this place." Dane grimaced. "It doesn't bother you, does it?" He looked down, then regarded the landscape in front of him. "It does." Harmony's eyebrows rose. "I didn't take you for wanting to stay in Noah. I didn't think you were interested in the Ranch." "I'm not. But I'm not interested in it being in someone else's control, either. It's my family's land. Not someone else's." He shook his head. "But I don't know the first thing about land acquisition deals or these kinds of sausage-making parties. I just…" He shook his head. "I just feel like I'm letting my dad down by allowing this to happen." "Most of it happened while you were unconscious, Dane. I hardly think he'll hold that against you." "It feels like I'm losing everything, though. You know?" "Yeah." "Like, the Ranch is one thing, but my mom hasn't been the same since she got out of the hospital. I'm still in constant pain. I can't even look at Lenny. And losing…" He struggled to finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. She knew what he meant. Harmony put a hand on his. "Hey. Don't let it eat you up." "This would be so much easier if I had just died." Harmony gasped and retracted her hand. "Don't say that!" "Why not?" "The world is a better place with you in it." He snorted. "George and Ryan probably don't think so." Harmony hesitated. "Yeah. I still can't believe you did that." "They deserved it. And Clawson does, too. He probably hasn't figured it out yet, since he's been so preoccupied. But it'll come." He sighed. "At least I have satisfaction in that." Harmony forced a smile. "See? There's a reason to stick around!" "Because I'm an irritation to my uncle-father?" "I guess. Hey, the wedding isn't going to happen for a while yet, though, right? Because of the accident?" "Small comfort." "Sometimes, Dane, that's all there is." Dane sighed. "Ricky said the same thing." "Ricky?" He nodded. "Ricky Ortega. We called him Ricky-O. He was a farmhand. We loved having him around because he was such a funny guy." "I don't remember him." "By the time you came around, he was getting older, sicker. He died when I was in high school. But when I was a kid, he was always around. I remember he had a chip in his tooth that looked like an upside-down Utah. It always made him whistle when he said the letter S, and since he was Peruvian, he had this great accent to go along with it. He would make great jokes, with perfect timing…anyway. "One time I was really upset about something, I don't remember what. He pulled me aside and told me about how he had lost his wife and kids in a bus accident in Lima. He'd been so devastated that he could only think of leaving Peru behind. He came here, since he had some family who'd settled in Salt Lake. But he was done with the city life. Ended up here. He told me that living with us, helping the Amleth family, was like starting over again. It wasn't the same, of course, but it was something--a small comfort." Dane affected a surprisingly accurate Peruvian accent. "'Dane, you gotta remember that sometimes the esmall comforts are the only ones you get.'" Dane pointed at a gnarled tree in the far distance. "When he died of cancer, we buried him there. As one of the family. It was a small comfort…" "But it was a comfort," finished Harmony. He sighed and nodded his head. Then he paused, a strange look covering his face that she didn't recognize. He stared at her eyes deeply, as if he were trying to memorize what he saw there. His eyes flitted from place to place, taking in her cheeks, her nose, her lips. He leaned slightly closer to her, slowly, but deliberately. He cleared his throat and, deliberately, almost as if he were embarrassed, said, "Harmony, I…" Before he could say anything more, a car pulled up at the family graveyard. Clawson and Lenny threw open their doors, then Clawson went to the passenger side to help Jenny out. "What's going on down there?" asked Dane quickly, straightening and turning his attention to the people below. "I don't know. Maybe…" They watched for a moment. "Maybe what?" asked Dane. Harmony shrugged. "Dad told me that Clawson was interested in interring Gwen here." "Oh. Well. I like that. It would be wonderful to have her on the family Ranch." Harmony blinked in surprise. "Dane, I just told you that this area is going to Norway." "What?" "What do you think I meant when I said the land south of the Lodge was going to Norway?" "But…Why would he do that?" A fire kindled in his eyes, and Dane stood up suddenly, his body tight with an anger that Harmony was sure wouldn't help him recover. "It was part of the deal. The cemetery is going to be Norway's after the deal is over." "Like hell it will," snarled Dane, who spun on his heel and headed toward the car. "Dane?" asked Harmony, alarmed. She scrambled to her feet. "Dane, what are you doing?" He didn't answer as he stomped down the path. Harmony had no choice but to hurry after him. |