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“Did you steal my sandwich?” Why she’d asked the question she had no idea because the evidence was hanging half in and half out of Rat’s mouth.
Rat chewed a couple of times before swallowing in one large gulp. “But it was just lying there. I thought it was for me. How was I supposed to know? Mary keeps sending plates of food out for me to eat.” He elbowed Harmony. “Just wait a little bit and she’ll send out another plate of something good to eat. You can have that one, or part of it anyway.”
Harmony elbowed him back but not as halfheartedly. His pained expression was punishment enough, besides, how could she begrudge him anything? He was too goodhearted and willing to please. She would have given him the damned sandwich if he had only asked.
“What did I tell you about stealing?” She attempted as level a cold stare at him as she could, but his crushed expression made it impossible to hold. Harmony swatted at him with the dirty rag she had been using to clean the friction engine. “Forget it. I’ll just eat your supper and we’ll call it even.”
“But Mary said she was cooking rabbit stew for supper, and corn muffins.” He kicked the base of the engine and swallowed hard, as if trying to hold back tears.
“Damn it to hell. Don’t cry. I’m sure Mother’s making enough for everyone, and you know as well as I do she would never let you sit there without anything to eat, not while we were all eating. She would give you her own plate before that happened.”
Harmony smacked Rat on the back of the head. “When are you ever going to learn when I’m just kidding around with you?”
A bright smile lit Rat’s otherwise plain face. “I’ll figure it out. I promise. Tech says I’m really smart and good at learning.” He nodded and went back to rubbing the sand and dirt off the friction engine, as if their earlier conversation had never taken place.
Damn. Having Rat around was growing on her. Maybe she should cut him some slack and just let him figure out these strange new ways of doing things. Her father would finally get him whipped into shape and would do it with far more patience and understanding then she ever could.
“Why don’t you go find Tech and see if he needs your help? I’ll finish the rest of the cleanup here.” Harmony almost fell backward when Rat grabbed her in a tight hug. Her first impulse was to push him away but figured it was probably better just to go with it. Hopefully, his show of affection would soon be over. The poor guy was so socially awkward. She hated to hurt his feelings when all he really wanted from them all was to be a part of their family.
In the middle of the uncomfortable hug, a movement over the top of Rat’s head caught Harmony’s attention. When Rat finally did take a step back, though, there was no one there.
Rat handed her the rag he had been using on the engine and scurried off, as if afraid she might change her mind. With a bemused expression, she watched him go. She was getting too damn softhearted for her own good. Now she was going to have to clean Airus without any help. It was going to take hours. She looked up at the sun and sighed. No lunch and now probably no supper. It served her right for being such a wuss. Harmony squared her shoulders and set about the task at hand.
The moon was high in the sky by the time the airship was just about back to its per-crash condition. Harmony was too tired to head back to the house so collapsed into the captain’s chair and closed her eyes. A soft breeze helped dry the thin layer of sweat glistening on her exposed skin. She was soon so relaxed she considered staying there the rest of the night, but then worried she would wake with a crick in her neck.
Harmony drifted off to sleep and might have stayed there all night if it hadn’t been for someone running a finger down her cheek. She had been in the middle of dreaming that a group of ruffians were trying to steal Airus, so the touch made her thrash out. Her fist connected with soft flesh. She opened her eyes as she raised her fists, ready for a fight, but then jumped out of her chair.
Still groggy, Harmony thought for a moment she was still dreaming. She unclenched her fists and touched the hand Griffin was using to protect one of his eyes.
“Damn. I think you blinded me,” Griffin said, cautiously lowering his hand and blinking several times until all the tears were washed out of his eye.
“Is that really you?” Harmony launched herself at him, nearly knocking him over. All he could do to remain standing was to wrap his arms around her while she covered his face in kisses.
He finally cupped her face with both hands to make her stand still. “I wasn’t certain whether or not you would be happy to see me again.”
Harmony couldn’t keep her hands from touching his hair and face. She breathed in his scent, unable to stop trembling with the relief of seeing him again. She was never going to let him out of her sight from now on.
His words finally registered and she paused before saying, “Why wouldn’t I be happy to see you again?”
“I saw you earlier.” Griffin stepped back, out of reach.
Harmony wondered at the pain so clear in his voice. “You were here? When?” Now she remembered the movement she had seen when Rat was hugging her. “You’re not jealous of Rat are you?” and she grinned. “Damn, you really do love me.” Harmony threw both arms around his neck.
Griffin grinned back. “Damn straight.”
Harmony wrapped one of his long braids around her fingers. “Just for future reference, if you ever see Rat grab me in another hug like that, it’s your job to come and rescue me.”
“Oh, yeah?” His expression turned serious and he tightened his grip before burying his face into her neck, then whispered, “But I wasn’t able to save you when you really needed me to, was I?”
She lay her face on top of his head. “But you did. When I was ready to give up, I thought of you and knew I had to make it back.”
Griffin didn’t say anything but tightened his grip even more.
They stood in silence for several moments before Harmony said, “An ill wind blew me away from you but love brought me back.” It no longer mattered if he thought she was making a fool of herself over him. For Griffin, she would be a fool any day, and all day long.