Page 27 of Heartfelt Goals

“Laurel…”

“I think I’ll unpack my office,” Laurel whispered, her voice barely more than a breath, raw and fragile. She turned away, pushing past Dustin before he could stop her; before he could see the devastation etched on her face. She couldn’t bear to meet his eyes—not when they were so breathtakingly beautiful, not when they held a promise she would never truly have.

Regret coiled tightly in her stomach, bitter and suffocating. Why had she said yes? Why had she let herself believe, even for a second, that this marriage could be anything more than a mistake? The weight of her choices pressed down on her, thick and oppressive, and she swallowed hard against the nausea rising in her throat.

And then there was Kendall.

“Laurel?” Her little sister’s voice rang through the hall, light and eager, blissfully unaware of the emotional wreckage in its path. “Hey, Laurel! Did you wanna see my room? It’s so cool and?—”

Kendall stopped abruptly, her gaze locking onto them. In an instant, her playful excitement vanished, replaced by something sharp and dangerous. Her eyes darkened, her body stiffening as her protective instincts flared.

“What did you do to my sister, Dump Truck?”she demanded, her tone ice-cold.

Dustin let out a slow breath, jaw clenching. “Nothing. And it’sDustin, not ‘Dump Truck’—”

Kendall’s lips curled in disdain. “No, it’s definitely ‘Dump Truck.’ Or maybe ‘Septic Tank,’ because she looks like you just crapped all over her.”

“Kendall, stop it,” Laurel murmured, rubbing her temple, already exhausted.

But her sister wasn’t done.

“No, really,” Kendall continued, eyes flashing. “She looks miserable, and I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that’syour fault. Haven’t you done enough?”

Dustin exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. “Enough,” he snapped, his voice cracking like a whip through the air. The sudden force of it made both sisters freeze. Even Laurel flinched—this was a side of him she hadn’t seen before.

He took a step closer, pinning Kendall with a firm gaze. “You’ve got a mouth on you, kid,” he said, voice tight with barely restrained frustration. Then he turned to Laurel, his expression unreadable. “And I told you we need to talk. Alone.”

Kendall crossed her arms, defiance burning bright in her eyes. “Oh, I see. You wanna have a nice little chat about how you’re screwing up my sister’s life?”

Dustin exhaled through his nose, his patience hanging by a thread. “Kendall, go to your room. Play a game. Do anything but stand here making this worse. This is between me and Laurel.”

“I hate you,”Kendall spat, her fists clenched at her sides.

Laurel’s breath caught. The words hit like a slap, reverberating through the room. Kendall’s small frame trembled with barely contained fury, her youthful bravado making her look far older than her years.

Dustin’s expression hardened. He lifted a finger, his voice dropping to an even, dangerous calm. “That is the first and last time you say that in this house.”

Kendall’s glare sharpened. “Are you threatening me?” she snapped, her voice rising. “Because I’ll call the police.”

“Oh my gosh,” Laurel gasped, stepping between them as the argument exploded around her.Dustin barked out a humorless laugh.

“You’ll call the police?”

“Yes!” Kendall shot back.

“And what exactly are you going to tell them?”

“That you threatened me!”

Dustin shook his head, anger simmering beneath the surface. “That wasn’t a threat. That was a promise—get your act together, or this is going to be a very long, miserable stay for all of us.”

Kendall’s face twisted in disgust. “You think you can just buy me? Buy my sister? I think she’s insane for marrying you.”

“Probably!” Dustin roared. “I’m starting to think I am too!”

“So you admit it—you’re insane and threatening me?”

“Why, you little?—”

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