by Starla Night
She leaned into him. "I got kicked out."
"You? No."
"Chrysoberyl threatened you."
"Threatened me?"
"Because I'm marrying you instead of him. He said he would destroy you. I lost my temper."
He held her tighter. Wordless support flowed into her heart from his kindness. He didn't tease. He was warm and masculine, and his presence centered her.
"The dragon inspectors will rule against us. I shouldn't have reacted."
"I would have done the same."
"Yes, but you're not a female dragon."
"No, I'm just a guy who loves one. And if anyone threatened you, I'd lose my temper just the same."
She turned in his arms. "You would?"
"Don't you remember how angry I was in the alley? That guy got off light."
"About four hundred degrees light." And the reason for her current problems. If only she could keep her good humor like Darcy...
"And all I can say about that is thank goodness you're a strong, powerful, no-nonsense female dragon." Darcy nuzzled her nose and tipped her chin up for a kiss.
She surrendered to him, drinking in the comfort of his presence as her body reacted to him demanding more. His hard thighs brushed hers, reminding her of how they felt pressed against her from behind, his male scent enrobed her, and she shivered with the memory of tangled sheets.
He was Darcy, he was hers, and no one would hurt him.
Darcy's thumb brushed her cheek.
Suddenly, her nose tickled. Fire bubbled in her belly. A spark jumped up into her throat.
She shoved him back.
He stumbled and landed on his butt in the soft back lawn.
She sneezed.
Flames erupted from her mouth and charred the lawn in a spot between his ankles.
"Whoah!" He scooted back.
The tickle increased. She sneezed again, launching more fire at the lush lawn. A sharp, chemical scent stabbed her upper nostrils. She pointed away from him and sneezed a third time. Black marks burned the damp bark dust.
The tickle receded. She took several breaths and released them.
Darcy stamped the lawn fire out and climbed to his feet. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. I think so."
He brushed her cheek. "You have a soot smudge."
The tickle punched her nostrils. She whirled and sneezed into the air. A brilliant arc of fire exploded. Nearby, a group of early guests oohed like she was putting on a display and then clapped.
She sucked in another deep breath and turned back to him. Putting one sleeve over her nose, she pointed at his fingers. "What's on your hand?"
"Nothing."
"It's a chemical. Something prickly."
He frowned, confused, and then his brows lifted and a familiar smile tugged his lips. "Lighter fluid."
"Lighter fluid?"
"I prepped the charcoal to start appetizers." He sniffed his fingertips. "Sure enough. You're allergic to lighter fluid?"
She shrugged, wrist still in front of her mouth.
"That's ironic." He ambled up the gentle slope into the house and washed his hands in the outdoor sink. Then, he held out his fingers. "Here, aim at the koi pond. Just in case."
"What about the koi?"
"They got too big and were rehomed. It's empty."
She kissed his fingers the way he always did hers. No tickle. "We're safe."
His eyes, unfocused, landed on her and heated. "Are you sure? Maybe you should test again. Don't make a mistake."
Ah, he was teasing. And she didn't mind. She nipped his fingertips, watching his chest hitch and savoring the hardness of his cock as he nudged her hip.
"And cut!" Nicole lowered her cell phone and checked the recording. "That was great, you guys. I wanted to show the romantic ambiance Tara created. First, you gave a fire performance, then sealed it with a kiss."
Darcy drew Amber into his arms. "We can be more romantic."
"Save it for when I'm recording your wedding."
"Are you the official videographer?" Amber asked.
"Since 'someone' canceled the official one, I am now." Nicole panned over the buffet tables adorned with ferns and wildflowers, the classy white folding chairs set up to form a mock aisle, and the honeysuckle arch. "Ahhh. It's so beautiful and almost what Tara wants. Mom will hate it."
"Hate it? But it's what Tara wants," Darcy said. "She can't hate that."
Nicole eyed him. "You poor summer child."
"Huh?"
"It's too bad you didn't challenge her to a drinking contest last night, Amber, because then Mom might have slept through the wedding and Tara could have gotten out unscathed."
"She might sleep through it," Darcy said, holding Amber.
Nicole pointed to their mother bent over and clutching the back door frame as she stepped gingerly onto the stone patio. She looked older than usual with disheveled hair, dark sunglasses, bright magenta lipstick, and a mismatched magenta shirt with a violet skirt. Her shoes were bunny slippers.
She peered over the rehearsal frowning like she couldn't see through the dark lenses. "Tara? Tara, this is all wrong. Everything's wrong." She stalked to the waiting members of the wedding party. "Where's my daughter? Answer me. Kris?"
Amber pulled away from Darcy. She would accomplish one good thing today. "Okay, I'll go challenge her. This time I know she'll accept me. Wish me luck."
And she marched to Darcy's mother to win her approval once and for all.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Amber took off across the patio to challenge Darcy's ill, hung-over, bad-tempered mom.
Nicole trained her cell phone and hit record. "Oh, I am not missing this."
"Amber!" Darcy sprinted across the backyard.
At the arch where the officiant was scoping out the setting for the ceremony with Kris, Mom shoved herself in between and stuck her index finger in Kris's face. "This is wrong. This arch is supposed to be clean and wrapped with white gauze and faux diamonds."
Amber marched down the aisle.
Darcy caught her in the middle, grabbed her around the shoulders, and spun her to face him. "Hold on."
At the arch, Mom's voice rose. "Stop this rehearsal! Everything is wrong."
Kris held up her hand. "Gayle, are you sure you should be out of bed?"
"These chairs are supposed to be festooned with gauze, not weeds, and my daughter is supposed to float in on a white carpet, not this sod."
"Tara's doing what she wants."
"Tara doesn't know what she wants. I know what she wants!"
"You've been through a lot with the alcohol poisoning, falling, and chipping your tooth..."
Her hand went to her mouth. "Tooth?"
"And your head injury..." Kris guided her to the middle chair of the first row. "Why don't you have a seat at the special Mother of the Bride chair and relax?"
"Don't treat me like an idiot, Kris."
Kris's eyes narrowed and she lowered to speak in his mom's ear things that weren't appropriate for a wedding rehearsal.
Darcy saw the drama and did not want his mom's anger about the wedding to transfer straight to the easy lightning rod of Amber. He tugged her away from the altar. "Mom's not feeling well. Now's a bad time. Let's at least wait until after the rehearsal and, uh, reception. Just in case."
"Just in case?" Amber tilted her head. "What's wrong, Darcy? I won you fair and square. Now, she has to admit it and plan our wedding for the day after tomorrow."
"Won?"
"Yes, we were drinking to see who would win your heart. She stopped first — twice — so according to human rules, I've won."
"Ah...huh. This is the first time anyone's ever held a contest for me." He stopped at the edge of the folding chairs and jutted his chest. "I'm not sure how to feel about that."
"You should feel happy I won. Now, your mom must admit defeat." Amber turned to approach his mom again.
"Okay, wait." Darcy steered her until she'd turned away again
. "Mom's not the kind to admit defeat."
"You admitted that you don't know her."
"Yes, but she's never been fond of admitting defeat and that's something I don't think has changed."
Amber frowned. "Don't you want to get married?"
"More than anything."
"Then we need your mom's approval so we can marry in a beautiful ceremony."
He pressed her to his chest. "I love you. I love beautiful ceremonies. And I also love letting Mom recover and enjoy Tara's wedding before facing ours."
Amber remained stiff and unhappy in his arms. "I don't like this."
"Okay, let's discuss it. After the rehearsal. Tonight, just ourselves."
Amber pulled away. "I'll talk to her."
"Er, hold on!"
But before she could enact her plan, Tara Ed intercepted her with a crowd of his relatives.
Tara threw her arms around Amber and hugged her like a long-lost friend. "I'm so thrilled to introduce you to my almost in-laws. They've heard so much about you. This is Ed's mom and dad, these two guys are Ed's younger brothers, and there's Ed's babushka."
Darcy let out a small sigh of relief as Amber greeted Ed's family. This was their second time flying to the states; Darcy had met them at Ed's college graduation a few years earlier.
His parents were a kind older couple with a firm grasp of English and great joy for drinking, toasting, and playing games. His brothers were lanky teens glued to cell phones and wearing Nike logos from head to foot. His grandma, the most humorless person he'd ever met, wore a headscarf and cardigan over a stocky dress, white hose, and chunky shoes.
In the middle of their polite conversation, the grandmother muttered something to Ed's mother, and Amber switched midsentence to Russian.
The whole family perked up, switching languages, and the grandmother animated to tell a long story. Everyone listened breathlessly, and then she laughed and patted Amber's forearm with affection.
Ed thanked Amber and led his family to their places for the rehearsal.
Tara hugged Amber. "I didn't know you could speak Russian!"
"I don't. Dragons use a language implant."
"What did Ed's babushka say?"
"She told a story about aliens abducting people and challenging them to performance art or face death. The Russian person broke the performance pieces and won the challenge."
"Huh."
Ed swooped back to Tara's side. "She told a joke. It's a Russian joke."
"Was it funny?" Darcy asked.
Ed shrugged awkwardly. "Russians think so."
"Aha."
"My babushka has a joke for every situation. She doesn't have a dragon joke now, but I am sure she'll have one for you the next time you meet."
Amber softened. "That's very kind. I'll try to laugh."
"You don't have to." Ed grinned. "She knows only Russians have a sense of humor."
Amber frowned.
"He's teasing," Darcy assured her, at the same moment as Tara.
"I mean, I'm sure his babushka thinks so, but she doesn't mind," Tara assured Amber.
Kris called from the front. "Tara? It's time!"
Tara and Ed excused themselves to grab the last few things for the rehearsal.
Darcy linked hands with Amber. It was a pristine afternoon for a rehearsal, and with any luck, the weather would hold for tomorrow's noon wedding, too.
The bride and groom took their places on the opposite ends of the soft lawn. Tara stood with Dad. He looked proud in khaki shorts and a polo shirt, while her bridesmaids giggled, and the flower girl twirled. In front of them, the groomsmen assembled around Ed, a jolly and steadfast crew led by Jackie's husband Michael. Then, he saw the reason for the bridesmaids' giggles. Michael dropped to his knee, re-proposing to Jackie, and she pretended to accept.
Darcy's heart warmed.
Someday soon he would walk down an aisle just like this with Amber.
He squeezed her fingers. Being with her was still a dream. Their relationship had changed so fast. Wasn't he was fantasizing all they'd been through? In another world, Darcy was at work, stealing a cat nap between clients, dreaming about a future where this gorgeous dragon agreed to be his wife.
But he was here in reality because he'd asked her to take him seriously.
A weight in his pocket reminded him.
He turned to Amber. "About our rings, I—"
"Darcy!" Mom's furious you're in so much trouble now, mister tone shook him out of his reverie. She stormed the aisle to them. "What's she doing here? You promised me in the kitchen days ago that you'd break up!"
His stomach squeezed. Somewhere behind him, Nicole was recording this and laughing. "That was a misunderstanding."
"It was no misunderstanding." She stopped in front of them. Her legs shook and her cheeks reddened. "You agreed with me that she's tearing the family apart and has no place in our lives."
Amber met his mother square on. "Gayle, I won your drinking contest. Acknowledge that I passed your test, and plan my wedding to Darcy on Monday."
Mom pulled up short. "You didn't win. You're immune from alcohol."
"I told you that before we started."
"I didn't believe you."
"Well, I—"
"You should have made me believe you. Instead, you cruelly set me up, tripped and disfigured me, and left me to die."
Darcy rested his arm on Amber's shoulders. "Mom, you tripped by yourself."
"That's what she told you."
"I saw you."
"No, you didn't."
"I was there. The entire bridal party. We were all there." His heart broke for his mom but he had to reach through the denial and make her face the truth. "Amber did nothing."
"She tricked me into the contest."
"Mom."
"She knew what she was doing."
"Mom, Amber flew you to the emergency room. She saved your life."
"Open your eyes, Darcy." Mom gestured at the gorgeous arbor. "She set me up knowing I couldn't resist battling for my son's future and happiness, and then all the time I was out, trying to recover, she turned Tara's wedding into a hellscape."
A gentle breeze made the weeping willow leaves shimmer. The honeysuckle's sweet fragrance perfumed the air.
Darcy cleared his throat. "Hellscape?"
"Just look at this place!" His mom ripped off her sunglasses and pointed the end at Amber. "And it's all her—"
"Gayle?" Kris called. "Darcy, Amber. We're starting."
Thank goodness.
"We'll discuss it later," Darcy told his mom, pulling Amber away.
"But she hasn't approved yet," Amber objected.
"Later." He hugged Amber close and pulled her to the end of the aisle.
Ed's brothers acted as ushers, seating them as fake guests, and also escorted his mom back to her seat of honor beside the altar.
"Wow, Darcy," Amber murmured. "I didn't realize human weddings were so intricate. Your mom has to tell me her plan today, or else Monday will be too short notice even if I hire a hundred contractors."
He didn't have an answer for her so he stayed silent.
Kris ran the rehearsal, playing music off her phone to time entrances and orchestrating like a competent, stressed conductor.
Mom only stood up once to protest, stopping Tara and Dad from entering. "I thought I'm supposed to walk Tara down the aisle."
Kris waved them to continue forward to the altar. "No, Gayle, we're not doing that."
"Yes, it's supposed to be both parents, or me. Tara's my daughter too. I have to give her away."
"This is Tara's decision."
"No, this is my backyard, and I'm the one who decides—"
"No, honey, for the next day it's Tara's backyard." Kris put her fists on her hips. "The bride tells me what to do. And if any guests get in my face, I will ask Amber to fly them to Antarctica until after the reception."
Mom blinked.
"Now, Gayle, you watch over Tara and Ed when th
ey light the unity candle. So sit down and wait until your turn."
Mom sat and glared death daggers at Amber.
Darcy pulled her closer as the rehearsal progressed. "You're flying rowdy guests to Antarctica?"
"Well, I would, but I don't think Gayle is adequately dressed."
The rehearsal finished and the delicious scent of barbecue hotdogs, hamburgers, veggies, and chicken drew everyone to the buffet tables where Nicole managed the grill. Out popped salads, sandwich wraps, and a bunch of party premades from Costco, with ice chests full of sodas, wines, beers, and flavored vodka in plastic cups.
Amber stood up from her plate. "Darcy, it's after the rehearsal, so I'm going to talk to your mom now." She pushed back from the table and started toward his mother, who was following Tara into the kitchen.
"Wait." He stopped Amber. "Don't bother."
"Don't bother?"
"She's too rattled."
Amber's face fell.
He tugged her into his embrace. "It's better for us to plan our own wedding. Something simple, maybe using the same arch and flowers, since they're already here..."
"But if your mom doesn't approve now, she will always drive me away. We'll never get to enjoy family time. Taco Tuesday..."
"I know and it might be best to let that happen."
Amber pushed back. She eyed him. "You're not teasing, but the feeling is the same."
"I'm not teasing."
"Yes, but it feels the same. There's something you want and you're not taking it. You're saying words empty of action."
His heart kicked in his chest. "I'm trying to keep the peace."
"'The peace' isn't planning our wedding."
"Amber."
She turned and strode toward the house.
He stopped her at the back patio. "Look, I'll go talk to her right now. You go eat."
"But, Darcy—"
"Trust me, it will go better if I soften her up first."
Amber studied him with the old skepticism that made his palms sweat. She would reject him, then call him a coward, and then ask why he was still so worried about being a mama's boy...
But then she nodded once. "Okay, Darcy. Tell me when to come."
"I will."
She walked back to her place at the long buffet tables.