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“All quiet on set please,” someone called.
Annie stepped in front of the camera. “In five, four, three …” She used her fingers for the two and one.
Harmony’s mind went completely blank. She stood there for a full minute just staring into the camera. Finally, her voice came back to her. “Are we rolling?”
“Yes,” the director bit out.
Harmony plastered a smile on her face and announced in an overly loud and sticky-sweet voice, “I’m Harmony Wright and welcome to Badass Baker.”
She felt anything but badass.
She swept her arms out in front of her like she was revealing a new car to the audience on The Price is Right. “This is my kitchen.”
After glancing down at her note cards, she grinned back at the camera. “Today I’m making Caribbean carrot bread, cheesecake brownies, and coconut cream pie.”
She stood there grinning into the camera for what seemed like an eternity.
“Okay, let’s begin.”
Six hours later, her cheeks hurt from smiling, her feet hurt from wearing shoes no one could see, the pearl choker at her neck was choking the life out of her, and she’d only just noticed that she’d grated two fingernails in with the carrots, which explained why no one would touch the carrot bread. Deep in her soul, she knew she’d blown her shot at Food Network stardom.
As she sat at the kitchen table and watched the crew packing up, she couldn’t help but notice the tension and defeat in the air. This wasn’t merely a disaster, it was the death of her dream.
Heath put a hand on her shoulder, leaned down, and whispered, “What the hell was that?”
He’d been at work most of the day and had only caught the last thirty minutes.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Did she have to spell it out for him? She wasn’t Food Network material.
“Yes, you do. I need to see you in my office … now.” The look on his face told her he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Normally, she’d fight him just for the sheer joy of fighting him, but today … today she just got up and followed him.
Like a gentleman, Heath waited for her to enter his office, and then he followed her in and slammed the door. “What in the holy hell just happened out there?”
“I’m done. I suck at this.” She hated being pitiful, but that was exactly what she was.
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself, go change into something that doesn’t look like Livinia, get your shit together, and go out there and do it again.” He pointed in the general direction of the kitchen.
“I can’t. They’re almost gone.” Harmony had never been this low in her life. If she went back to San Angelo, she’d have to deal with Momma, and she couldn’t stay here forever. Especially now that Dalton had written her off. She didn’t fit in anywhere, and she didn’t have anywhere to go.
Heath took a knee in front of her. “You’ve been fighting your whole life, so what’s changed in the last three days? I don’t get it. You’re Harmony freakin’ Wright. You’re always up for a challenge, and if you get to kick some ass then more’s the better. Dalton dumped you. I get it, it sucks. But trust me, he’s going to pay. No one screws with my family.”
Good to know that Heath was going to make Dalton feel as low as she did now. If she were a better person, she’d tell Heath that Dalton wasn’t at fault for their breakup. But she’d never claimed to be a good girl. That was half her problem.
“Right now, you need to decide who you are and what you want. Are you a quitter who mopes around looking like a beaten puppy? Or are you a badass baker who kicks ass and takes names? You’re a fighter—hell, you fight not only your fights, but everyone else’s too. You may drive me crazy, but the way you always stick up for the people you care about, no matter the odds, is one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen.”
“Not anymore. I’m done and I’m tired.” What was the point of fighting if it was never going to get her anywhere?
“Since when are you such a pussy?” He stood and threw his arms skyward. “Hell, you just took on an entire biker gang and an Okinawan hooker, and you’re going to let a little cooking show bring you down?”
She opened her mouth to tell him that that had been different, but he had a point. Acting the whipped puppy wasn’t making her any happier than being the total badass had.
Middle ground, Tre had told her. Find the middle ground, and she would be okay. With her clothes and with her life. But could she do that? She’d been one extreme or another her entire life—always trying to be who she thought she had to be on either end of the spectrum.
Was there a way to just stop trying so hard? A way to just be her, to just live her life the way she wanted to live it?
“You only get one life. Don’t waste it pretending that you’re happy. Freakin’ go out there and be happy. Be the best Harmony I know you can be.” Heath opened the door and yelled, “Tre!”
