Dream of Me (Harmony Falls, Book 1)

by Gaelen Foley

  “Whew,” he said.

  “I can fill in for you for a while now if you want to go take a break.”

  He brushed off her offer. “Listen, kid, I’ve been thinkin’.”

  She arched a brow at him. “If you say you just changed your mind about selling me this place, I’m going to put you in the dunk tank.”

  “Nah,” he said with a short scoff, taking off his hat and wiping the perspiration off his weathered brow. He looked around almost self-consciously, then put the hat back on again and watched the crowd. “It’s just…I was always pretty tough on your dad. I hope I ain’t been too tough on you.”

  Bea was taken aback.

  “Probably made it harder than it had to be for you,” he admitted. “But it crushes some folks, this life, and you’re my grandkid—not to mention a girl. I had to make sure you’d be all right if I passed the torch along to you. Not get yourself in over your head and then regret it. It can be a burden, running all this. I just wanted you to know I don’t doubt anymore you can do it.” He looked at her at last. “I’m real proud of you, sweetie.”

  Tears in her eyes, Bea hugged him in front of everyone for a long moment, whether he liked it or not. “I wouldn’t be anywhere if it weren’t for you, Pap. You’ve earned the chance to put the burden down and go have some fun for a while. You and Gram, both.”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  Bea quickly wiped away a tear and pulled back. “Where is Gram, anyway?”

  He glanced around. “Ain’t seen her in a while.”

  At that moment, Reggie, wearing scrubs and a stethoscope, came charging out of the thick stand of oak trees behind the house.

  “Just so you know, I did not authorize this!” she warned them in a panic.

  They wondered what she was talking about when, out of nowhere, came a wild, high-pitched screech from above.

  “Yaaaaaa…hoooooo!” a woman cried out with sheer excitement.

  Next came the fizzy hiss of a zip-line cable fifty feet overhead.

  Bea glanced up in shock. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

  “Oh, no, she didn’t!” Pap’s jaw dropped.

  Bea gasped as her sweet little silver-haired grandma flew by, dangling from a harness overhead. Wearing a shiny red helmet and a glee-filled smile, Gram hooted and hollered with wild abandon as she went gliding above the orchards at twenty miles per hour—flailing arms outstretched, legs in bright yellow capris kicked out in front of her, soaring over the farm like some giddy goldfinch.

  At long last, she reached the wooden landing platform down by the stream and slammed her tiny frame right into Finn’s capable arms.

  “Go, Gram!” he shouted.

  The whole fairground cheered, except for Pap, who couldn’t scrape his jaw up off the ground.

  Reggie stood with her fists at her hips next to them, shaking her head at the old woman in the distance. “I swear, this was all her idea,” she said.

  “It’s fine, Reg.” Bea stared in astonished delight, while Pap began bellowing with laughter at his bride of fifty years. “I think it’s absolutely…awesome.”

  # # #

  Bea retreated into the barn a few minutes later. Lance, currently in charge of the corral, had hollered over that they were getting low on the feed mix for the kids to give the petting zoo animals. She had waved to let him know she’d go get more. After being on all day so far, she welcomed the prospect of a quiet moment alone.

  Leaving her grandfather’s station, she found the inside of the barn relatively empty. It was decorated and hung with strings of old-fashioned lights for the square dance tonight.

  It gave her a warm glow inside to see it all neat and tidy and dressed up for the occasion. The horses would be spending their weekends out in the pastures, but they didn’t mind.

  Crossing to the back corner of the barn, she stepped into the small, dimly lit feed room, pulled out a bucket, and started scooping the petting zoo mix that she’d put together into it. The animals loved the sweet-smelling, molasses-tinged alfalfa pellets and corn kernels, and it wasn’t too messy for the little kids to handle.

  Bea had no sooner put the lid back on the bin, though, when somebody snuck up behind her and covered her eyes with large, gentle hands.

  She knew their touch well.

  “Guess who?” Harry whispered, the tickle of his warm breath at her ear instantly sent a tingle of awareness racing through her body.

  “Hmm, no idea,” she answered, feigning nonchalance.

  He leaned closer. “What if I told you it’s the new vice president of communications for Montclair Resorts International?”

  “What?” She spun around and shouted, “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope.” His handsome face beamed. “I guess ol’ Monty’s been keeping a closer eye on me than I knew.”

  Bea’s jaw dropped. “Monty hired you?”

  “Yep. I’ll be based right over at Silver Oaks.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. “Oh my God, congratulations!” Hardly able to speak, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard.

  He laughed and lifted her off her feet, spinning her around once in his embrace and giving her a hearty kiss before setting her down again.

  Bea held dizzily on to his biceps to steady herself. “Tell me everything. What did he say? What does the job entail? Do you like it? Is he going to pay you what you want?”

  “And then some. Bea, he created the position just for me,” Harry said, clearly stunned. “He asked me to describe my dream job, and then we took it from there.”

  “Are. You. Serious.”

  “I played it cool, but holy shit. It’s perfect for me,” he whispered. “My emphasis will be on strategic marketing and branding for his two main luxury and lifestyle brands. I’ll answer to him directly.”

  “Wow. Just wow.” She stared at him, inwardly thanking God. “How did this happen?”

  He laughed and shook his head dazedly. “It seems that all my patience and cleanup jobs with Curt haven’t gone as unnoticed as I thought.”

  “Ha!” said Bea.

  “Of course, I’ll have to travel sometimes, but you could come with me whenever you want. That is…if you wouldn’t mind occasional junkets to luxury resorts in places like the Maldives, Tokyo, Paris?”

  She gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from shrieking. But she started jumping up and down. Paris?

  The glint of victory in his eyes was unmistakable. “He was very impressed with my résumé—and my right hook. Not to mention my taste in women. To be honest, I think he’s only giving me the job so he can see you again, fair Beatrice—and, above all, to tweak Curt.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Some things never change. Could that be a problem?”

  Harry started laughing. “Nah, I think it’s hilarious. At least Monty’s relatively sane. Besides, I’m going to do a great job and he’ll see it’s the best move he ever made.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Bea grinned, loving his confidence. She found it so sexy. Finally, she began absorbing the news. “Harry, this is awesome—but I’m not surprised. You’re awesome. You deserve every good thing.” She hugged him again for a long moment, laying her head against his chest and squeezing her eyes shut in gratitude. “So I guess this means you’re staying.”

  He pulled back to cup her face between his hands, staring tenderly into her eyes. “Sweetheart, nothing could’ve torn me away from you now. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”

  “Why would I ever want to do a silly thing like that?” she said as she held his gaze, enchanted by his sweet words.

  Instead of answering, Harry leaned down and claimed her mouth with deep, devastating tenderness, but he paused much too soon. “Bea?” he said, sounding a little breathless. “There’s one more thing I need to tell you.”

  “Uh-oh.” She pulled back, frowning. “There had to be a catch. I knew it. Okay, what’s the downside?”

  He quirked a smile, studying her. “No
downside. That’s not it at all.” He shook his head. “I just—” He faltered, took a breath. “I just really want to tell you that I love you, Bea.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “I’ve been wanting to say that for weeks now,” he confessed, “but I thought it might still be too soo—”

  “I love you too!” she interrupted, and pulled him down to kiss him ardently.

  The fevered contact of their lips in that moment swept her up in a world of joy and heart-pounding bliss. His kiss was heavenly, and he tasted like home.

  At length, Harry rested his forehead against hers, cradling her in his arms.

  “You make me happier than I’ve ever been,” he whispered. “I’ve never felt this close to anyone.”

  “Me too. I’m so glad I found you.” She paused, tilting her head back to meet his gaze with a soft smile. “At least we have Curt to thank for that, right?”

  “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes,” he whispered, and they shared a private chuckle.

  But his words had reminded her of her task. “Come on, you,” she said. “We’ve got hungry animals waiting for this food at the petting zoo.”

  “Aw, you mean we don’t have time for a quick celebratory visit to the hayloft?”

  “Rascal. Tonight, definitely. You and me: hayloft.” Laughing, she stole another kiss. “But for now—here, carry this for me, Mr. Fancy-Shmancy vice president, would you?” She unceremoniously handed him the feed bucket and then made sure the bin’s lid was secured.

  Otherwise, the mice would have a field day.

  “But don’t think you’re getting away from me.” She grabbed his free hand and held it tightly as she moved ahead of him to get the feed room door. “You’re coming with me, sir.”

  “You better believe I’m sticking with you.”

  His words, so loyal, so reliable, made her turn back once more, unable to resist. She studied him, memorizing this moment.

  This day that he had dreamed up and made possible for her.

  “I love you, Harrison Riley,” Bea whispered instead of going back out yet.

  His gaze melted, those deep blue eyes engulfing her in their soft glow. He set the bucket down and moved toward her, drawing her into his arms one more time.

  It was several more minutes before they stepped out of the feed room together, their cheeks slightly flushed, clothes slightly rumpled. They cleared their throats, put themselves back into order, and nonchalantly headed for the wide barn door, exchanging a knowing glance. Bea’s blush deepened.

  “Ahem,” Harry said, trying to act normal. “You know, with this new job, I’m going to need somewhere close by to live. Maybe I’ll buy one of those lots. Then we can be neighbors,” he teased.

  “Nonsense. You can just stay with me.”

  “Exactly,” he whispered. “But that’s your grandparents’ house. I think we’re going to need a place of our own.”

  Startled, she stopped and looked at him; with their fingers interlaced, Harry lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, gazing meaningfully at her.

  Bea read her future in his eyes, and felt a tremor of joy run down her every nerve ending. She could barely manage to speak for a moment. “Well—I can probably get you a good deal,” she forced out at last, quirking a smile while his eyes shone. “I know a guy.”

  “Oh, do you?” Harry laughed. “You’re hanging around me too much.”

  “Never,” Bea said with a grin.

  He put his arm around her shoulders, then they strolled back out into the warm golden sunshine and, together, rejoined the festivities.

  EPILOGUE

  November

  “Do you really think you’ll need all these flashlights, Gram?” Bea hollered over her shoulder. She struggled to fit one final suitcase sideways through the narrow side door of her grandparents’ new Alpine Cruiser Deluxe.

  Grandma Jean hurried down the steps of the farmhouse and over to the giant blue-streaked RV, carrying two travel mugs filled with fresh, steaming-hot coffee. She and Pap had been doing their final packing for the long-awaited cross-country road trip since dawn, and she was positively jittery with excitement.

  The sweet old matriarch huffed a steamy cloud of warm air out of her mouth as she caught her breath in the foggy morning. “I have no idea, Honey-Bea, but you just never know.”

  Gram and Pap planned on getting out of the rugged Pennsylvania mountains before winter really hit, but they had waited until exactly one day after Thanksgiving before shoving off. The rest of the world might be shopping, but for these two, it was go time. The RV’s little fridge was loaded up with leftovers of turkey, stuffing, and pie.

  There was nothing left now to hold them back. Their bank account was flush from the closing on the farm and the sale of the first few lots. Better still, they had gotten a thumbs-up for travel from Pap’s doctor.

  The old couple’s excitement had been palpable for the past week. Bea had taught them both how to use a smartphone so they could keep in touch and take lots of pictures and vids. They were skeptical about the device, but not only was it fun for her to teach them something for a change—she felt better knowing they’d always have digital maps at their fingertips. Of course, where they were headed, there were probably lots of places where the GPS didn’t work.

  They still preferred paper. Buried in a heap of state maps at the kitchen table last weekend, Gram had vowed to visit every national park between the Palmer Family Farm and the Pacific Ocean by next summer.

  To start, the old snowbirds decided to make their way south for the winter. They’d hit Shenandoah and Mammoth Cave, trot across the Blue Ridge Parkway, and shoot further south to the Everglades, spend Christmas in Key West, snake through the Ozarks, and risk crossing over icy Texas in the New Year.

  By that time the desert would be blooming with brilliant spring flowers, they’d reach Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Saguaro. Gram decided she could wait until then to see the Grand Canyon, though it was highest on her list of parks to visit.

  “I just want to see the place before I die,” she’d proclaimed.

  “You will, Jeannie, you will,” Pap said.

  As long as they had someplace safe to pull over and rest each night, they were completely self-sufficient in their luxury home on wheels, and that was good enough for Pap.

  The old farmer inspected the vehicle’s control panel inside, and, catching Bea’s eye, he shrugged. Pap was used to entertaining his wife’s whims, and he wasn’t going to argue with her for bringing two dozen flashlights on their journey. Not when their lifelong dream was finally coming true.

  Gram carefully passed him one of the travel mugs, which he nestled into the cup holder of the cab’s center console. Finally, Pap lurched down the steps of the RV, put his hands on his hips, and gazed around at the fields he’d tilled for decades.

  Bea followed him. When her boots hit the cold, hard ground, she stood next to him, silently, and wrapped one arm around his back. She couldn’t imagine how it must feel for him to be leaving everything he’d ever known.

  Entrusting it for real now into her hands, not just on paper.

  Gram popped her head out of the RV, then descended to the bottom step to join them for a moment of reflection.

  Now elevated six inches off the ground, she stood at Bea’s eye level. Her silver-haired grandmother gave Bea’s hand a squeeze and drew in a long breath as she took one last look around.

  “It’s really happening, you two,” Bea whispered to them, holding tightly to Gram’s hand.

  The fog draped itself over the farm, creating a thick, gently swirling screen that danced above the orchards. All the lush green of summer had faded into dull hues, but Bea loved this time of year. It meant she could finally relax.

  She’d have to schedule some workers to come and construct the grape arbors to get her vineyard up and running by the spring, and there’d be plenty of crops to plant and look after in her new, heated greenhouse. Of course, the animals would always need tending.


  But she was eager to break ground on the little shop she’d be starting at her old site on Clover Highway. Instead of running a fruit stand out of a scrappy woodshed every Sunday in the summer, she’d be operating a quaint country market out of a brand new Victorian-style storefront all year round.

  With a grand opening scheduled for early spring, it would be loaded with more than just her fresh-grown organic produce. Local wines, artisanal cheeses, homemade pies, and fresh-baked breads would fill the shelves.

  And Bea would have to hire more employees to help her operate all aspects of her business, from working at the market to planting and pruning on the farm.

  But for the most part, winter was a time for catching up on old movies, sipping hot chocolate, and snuggling in her PJs, as she’d finally have a chance to read the newspaper and see what she’d been missing for the last six months.

  And now, with Harry by her side, she’d have plenty to keep her occupied.

  Suddenly, Bea snapped out of her daydream as Gram let out a vigorous cheer: “Grand Canyon or bust!”

  Colby and Dodd had even made the exhausting effort to come down off the porch to say their goodbyes. They ambled over and Dodd slumped down at Pap’s feet, snuggling against his old friend. Colby stood obediently next to Bea, looking up with those old, sad eyes.

  Pap cleared his throat and gave his dogs a good, hard scratch. “You boys are in good hands,” he told them.

  At last, he turned to his granddaughter. Though dark glasses shielded his eyes, Bea could tell he had gotten teary.

  “We’ll see you next summer, right?” she said, holding back the tears herself.

  “You give us a holler if anything comes up,” Pap informed her in a gravelly voice.

  “We’re gonna be just fine, I promise,” she assured him with a warm hug.

  Just then, Harry slammed the hood of the RV shut and came around the side to join them, wiping oil off his hands with an old rag. “Fluids look good,” he said with a grin.

  “Thanks for your help, son,” Pap said, reaching to shake Harry’s hand, and he didn’t just mean thanks for checking the oil.