“Come on where?” she asked. “Where are we going?”
“I’m going to show you the city,” Theo said. “And we’re going to have a long talk about why you should stay.”
He stopped walking for a moment and turned toward her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking right into her eyes again.
“And the number one reason you need to stay is I can’t live without you.”
* * *
Two and half hours later, Theo and Maddie were sitting across from each other in a booth at a fondue restaurant. Theo had driven home, then quickly showered and changed while Maddie waited for him. They’d made the two hour drive into Dallas, and Theo had chosen this restaurant on a whim. He’d been here once before with a group of friends, and he’d had a lot of fun. The place was reasonably fancy, but it didn’t require reservations. Not bad for a last minute date.
Theo and Maddie hadn’t spoken much on the drive up. Maddie had sat in the passenger seat, clutching her copy of the Gazette and staring out the window sullenly. Theo hadn’t pushed for conversation. He’d been grateful for the chance to organize his own thoughts a little bit, since the conversation he was going to have with Maddie tonight quite literally had the potential to be life-changing. He’d dated off and on over the years, but he’d never felt strongly enough about a girl to reveal his dragon side. With Maddie, things were different. They hadn’t known each other that long, and this was technically their first official date. But he already felt connected to her. He knew he had to tell her who he really was, and he was equal parts excited and terrified to see her reaction.
Maddie was staring down at the menu without seeming to actually read it. She had relaxed a little bit since they arrived at the restaurant. She’d left the newspaper in the car, thankfully, and she’d ordered a glass of red wine as soon as they sat down. Theo hoped that she would be in a good enough mood to really hear what he had to say.
Their server arrived, and Theo ordered for them. They chose a three course fondue feast that included a cheese fondue appetizer, a generous amount of meat to cook in broth for the main course, and a chocolate fondue dessert. Their server fired up the heat under the fondue pot, and put a mixture of cheeses in the fondue pot. The fondue they had chosen included Brie, Gruyère, Raclette, and Fontina cheeses, and Theo felt his mouth watering as the aroma of the decadent cheeses hit his nose. Within minutes, the cheese was melted down and Theo and Maddie both grabbed their fondue forks, spearing apples, pears, and pieces of bread to dip in the cheese and enjoy.
Maddie seemed to relax even further as they ate. Theo took a deep breath and decided this was as a good a time as any to explain his idea.
“I have a plan for how you can stay in Persimmon Springs,” Theo said.
Maddie’s eyes shot up to look at him. Her hand was frozen in the air above the fondue pot, holding a fondue fork with a piece of apple on the end of it.
“Start your own newspaper,” Theo said.
Maddie rolled her eyes, and then laughed. She stuck her cheesy apple into her mouth and chewed it thoughtfully before speaking.
“Right. How am I supposed to do that? I have no experience, and no money.”
“You do have experience. You’ve interned. You’re a good writer, Maddie. Way better than Steve.”
“How do you know?” Maddie asked, a note of challenge in her voice. “You’ve never seen anything I’ve written. You’ve only seen things Steve wrote and tried to pass off as my work.”
“I looked up some stuff from your internship,” Theo said. “You’re really good. Much better than Steve. Persimmon Springs could actually use a real newspaper. I know it would be a lot of work, but you could start small. If there was a newspaper option that didn’t involve Steve’s obnoxious opinions, people would buy it up like crazy.”
Maddie set her fondue fork down and chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. The sight of it drove Theo crazy. Her mouth was so perfectly shaped, and her lips looked so soft. He wanted to lean over the table and kiss her, but this wasn’t the right time. She needed space to think.
“I’d never thought of starting my own newspaper,” Maddie said. “I always thought I would end up working for one of the big papers, so my only focus has been on getting a job as a reporter. But you’re right—I do have a lot of experience between school and internships. And Steve’s writing is so bad. It wouldn’t take much to outdo him. But I have no money, Theo. I spent all my savings already. You know that. How can I possibly get a newspaper off the ground when I barely have enough in the bank to make it between paychecks?”
“Find someone to invest in you,” Theo said. “There are a lot of people in Persimmon Springs who would love a chance to help a fresh newspaper get off the ground. I’m one hundred percent positive I could help you find people willing to help you out.”
Theo held his breath as Maddie once again considered her options. Before she could answer him, their server came and took away the nearly empty pot of cheese fondue. In its place, she brought a pot of broth for them, and a platter generously stocked with meat and vegetables. There was raw steak, chicken, shrimp, lamb, potatoes, mushroom, broccoli, and more—all just waiting to be dipped in the broth and cooked to perfection.
Maddie speared a piece of chicken and dipped it into the broth before speaking. She still sounded cautious, but her voice held a note of excitement that Theo had not heard before. His heart leapt with joy at the sound of it.
“I would love to start my own paper, actually. I’ve always been impressed with people who were able to be their own boss. It sounds scary and exciting all at the same time. There would be so much to learn, but I could finally do things the way I want to do them.”
Theo grinned. Maddie’s face was lighting up right before his eyes.
“You’d be great at it,” he said. “You’re a hard worker, and you care a lot about your work. Let me look for people who will invest in you, okay? I’ll make some calls and we can get this thing off the ground. You shouldn’t have to waste your talent working for a scumbag like Steve.”
Maddie nodded, her smile widening.
“Okay,” she said. “If you can find investors for me, I’ll do it. I’m still worried about how well I can actually fit in. Persimmon Springs is so different from what I’m used to. But this newspaper idea would be a good start. And, I have to admit, it’s nice to know that Dallas isn’t too far away. It’s not New York, that’s for sure. But at least there are some restaurants and shopping here.”
“I think you’ll fit in great once you get settled,” Theo said with a smile. “You’re kind, and genuine. That’s all people really want.”
Maddie’s face was beaming, and Theo could feel his heart rate increasing. So far, this evening was going well. It had been easier than he’d thought to convince Maddie that starting her own newspaper was a good option. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more excited she seemed to be. She spent the next half-hour talking about ideas for how to get it off the ground. Theo could barely get a word in edgewise. He was happy to let her talk, though. The next conversation he needed to have with her was going to be much more difficult. Even though he knew it was the right thing to do, he felt his nerves getting the best of him as he mentally rehearsed how, exactly, he was going to break the news that he was a dragon.
Their server came and cleared the remaining broth and meat, making way for the chocolate fondue. Theo’s mouth watered as the chocolate started melting in the pot, and the server delivered plates of fresh fruit and pound cake for dipping. Theo’s heart warmed as he saw Maddie’s eyes light up.
“I haven’t seen a spread like this in a long time,” she said, picking up a fondue fork and spearing a strawberry. She dipped the strawberry in the melted chocolate and then took a big bite.
“Mmm,” she moaned. “You have to try this.”
Theo grinned.
“If you insist,” he said. He picked up his own fondue fork and stabbed a piece of pineapple. He would tell Maddie about his dragon in a little
bit. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy this dessert, and enjoy her face lighting up more and more with each bite she took. There would be time for explanations later. At least for one fleeting moment, he wanted to enjoy the company of the woman he was falling for, without worrying about whether she was falling for him, too.
And without worrying about how she would react once she discovered the secret he was hiding.
Chapter Seven
Maddie breathed in deeply, enjoying the crisp evening air. She was told that this was a mild winter, even for Texas, but tonight felt unusually chilly. Maybe it was just all the excitement she felt over the wonderful evening she’d just had. Or maybe it was because she was four hundred and seventy feet above the ground—Theo had insisted on taking her up to the observation deck of Reunion Tower. Whatever the case, Maddie hadn’t felt so alive in quite some time.
Reunion Tower was all but deserted tonight. A winter weekday wasn’t exactly the peak time for people to take a trip up to the observation deck, and Maddie had only seen one other couple since they arrived. She was thankful for the solitude. The quiet was so peaceful, and the cold didn’t bother her. They were on the outdoor deck, and her jacket was doing a good job of warding off the slight chill in the air.
The view from up here was strange to Maddie. Dallas was a city, sure. But it was so different from the other big cities she was used to. In New York and Chicago, skyscrapers and tall buildings filled the scenery. Here in Dallas, there were a few tall buildings. But most of the city was urban sprawl. The night was clear, and she could see the lights of houses twinkling from miles away. The city itself, and its suburbs, seemed to stretch on forever. Below her, headlights zoomed by on the busy highway, which was still filled with cars even at this late hour.
“I know it’s not quite New York, but what do you think?” Theo asked.
“It’s beautiful in its own way,” Maddie said, glancing over to look at Theo. His face was covered with a hint of stubble, and his cheeks and nose were slightly pink from the cool air. His deep green eyes looked different tonight. They were intense, and almost looked like they were churning. Maddie looked away, overcome by the emotions that filled her. He was almost too perfect.
Sure, she’d been upset when he left without sleeping with her after the bar a few nights ago. But he had been right—she had been drunk. She would have regretted it if they had done anything. Not because she didn’t want to sleep with him. Lord knows her body was yearning for his touch. But she didn’t want their first time to be when she was inebriated.
Maddie’s cheeks reddened at the thought of making love to Theo. She was glad for the relative darkness up here, and hoped Theo hadn’t noticed how flustered she was. It was obvious he had feelings for her, and, for the first time since she’d met him, she allowed herself to truly imagine a future with him. What would happen if she stayed in Persimmon Springs? She could start her newspaper, settle in to the town, and make a life with Theo. They could have babies together, and live happily in the community he had grown up in and seemed to love so much. When she itched for a little city life, they could come here to Dallas to enjoy a fun night out.
Maddie glanced back at Theo. He was staring off into the distance himself now, a wistful look filling his eyes.
“I need to take you to Fort Worth, too. Downtown Fort Worth is a really fun place. I used to go there almost every weekend with my buddies back in the day. Max and I still come out now and then, but we’re getting older. We don’t hold up to nights of partying as well as we used to.”
Maddie laughed, and Theo smiled at her. The look of affection in his green eyes took her breath away.
“Maddie, there’s something I have to tell you,” he said. His voice trailed off, and Maddie’s heart started beating faster. She felt a warm anticipation filling her body. This was it, wasn’t it? He was going to tell her, officially, that he wanted her to be his girlfriend. This is where their life together would start. When they told their children and grandchildren their story, they would talk about how Theo first confessed his love for her atop Reunion Tower on a chilly December night. Maddie closed her eyes momentarily, wanting to freeze this moment in her memory, so she could keep it safe forever.
But when Theo started speaking, Maddie suddenly realized that he wasn’t about to make some grand confession of love. He was obviously uncomfortable with whatever he had to say, and Maddie’s heart rate increased for a different reason. Did he have some deep dark secret that he was hiding from her? Why would he go through all of the trouble to bring her here, and to help her find a solution to her job dilemma, only to dash her hopes? What was he about to tell her?
“Look, this isn’t easy for me to say,” Theo said. “It’s funny, actually. I always encourage my boys on the team to be honest, and to never show up in the world as anything other than who they are. But me…I’ve struggled a little bit with having that level of honesty. Sometimes, to tell you the truth, I feel like a little bit of a fraud. I’m sitting here on this high horse, preaching authenticity and transparency, but I’m hiding a big part of myself.”
“What do you mean?” Maddie asked. Her heart was pounding like crazy now. What was he about to tell her? Did he have some sort of shady past? A background of violent crime? Maybe a secret wife? What could he possibly be talking about? He sounded so serious. When he reached over to hold her hand in his, she both reveled in the warmth of it and also feared that the gesture meant that whatever he was going to tell her was going to be a dealbreaker.
“Maddie, there isn’t really a great way to explain this, so I’m just going to say it outright and hope that you’ll still give me a chance after you know the truth. I’m a dragon.”
Theo paused after these words and waited for Maddie to react. She blinked a few times, looking at him in utter confusion. Was that supposed to be some sort of joke? Because if so, she didn’t understand the punch line at all. Or maybe he was a little bit drunk? They had polished off several glasses of wine at dinner. But no, he seemed to be acting normally. He wasn’t drunk. This was some sort of joke, and Maddie just wasn’t getting it.
“I don’t understand,” she said. “Are you trying to be funny? Is this maybe some sort of small town humor that I just don’t get?”
Theo took a deep breath and sighed before continuing.
“No, Maddie. It’s not a joke. I’m a dragon shifter. I know you’re going to think I’m insane, but please bear with me. I was born with the ability to switch between human form and dragon form. My mom is fully human, but my dad, who unfortunately passed away when I was small, was a dragon as well. He passed his dragon genes on to my brothers and me. Zane and Drake can shift into dragons too.”
Maddie blinked again, unsure of what to say. Theo had seemed so normal, but he sounded completely off his rocker right now. He looked so serious, but what he was saying was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard.
“Come on,” Maddie said, poking him playfully in the ribs. “Stop trying to be funny. People can’t just turn into dragons. How gullible do you think I am?”
Theo didn’t laugh. Instead, he stretched out his arm in front of his body and looked at her with a somber expression.
“Watch my arm,” he said.
Maddie watched, humoring him. This whole evening was getting a bit weird. And then, right in front of her eyes, Theo’s arm changed. Where his human skin had been moments before, thick scales suddenly appeared. His fingers turned into lizard-like claws, which ended in fierce, sharp talons. In the dim light from the city, his arm shimmered with hues of emerald green, gold, and royal purple.
Maddie took a step backward, shock covering her face. Now she was wondering if she was the one who was drunk. Humans don’t just turn into animals right in front of your eyes. Especially animals that don’t really exist, like dragons.
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Theo said gently. “But I wanted you to see the truth about me before things between us went any further. I’m putting a lot on the line right now
by showing you this. If word got out in Persimmon Springs that I’m a dragon, there would be an uproar. I’m sure Steve would take great pleasure in writing a scathing article about how it’s not safe to have a dragon roaming free and coaching the high schoolers.”
Maddie just stared at him. Never in a million years could she have imagined that this would be his big secret. She was completely unprepared for a revelation like this, and had no idea how to react. Her heart beat faster as she stared down at Theo’s dragon arm, trying to make sense of a situation that made no sense at all.
“How is this possible?” Maddie finally managed to squeak out.
Theo smiled as his arm morphed back into human form. “It’s not that crazy when you think about it. It’s just a genetic mutation. There are actually quite a few different kinds of shifters. I know a few others in Persimmon Springs, but I’ll leave it up to them whether they want to out themselves. I know some tigers, bears, leopards, and even unicorns. Basically, there’s a group of humans that never fully lost their animal DNA during evolution. At least that’s how it’s been explained to me. These humans retained the ability to switch back and forth from animal to human form. We just don’t display our abilities very often because it tends to freak full humans out.”
“It is a little, uh, unnerving to watch a human turn into an animal. But dragons aren’t even real. Neither are unicorns, for that matter,” Maddie said. She was still staring at Theo’s arm in wonder, even though it was human flesh again. She couldn’t believe that she had just seen it transform into a dragon arm and back again.
“Au contraire, my darling,” Theo said, waving his hand dramatically. “Dragons and unicorns are real. They used to roam the earth in large numbers, but over the centuries natural disasters and expanding human civilization caused their numbers to dwindle. Now, they only survive in shifter form.”
Maddie took a deep breath, trying to decide if this was really happening. She had known life would be different in a small Texas town, but she had never expected it to be this kind of different. Somehow, deep down, she knew that Theo was telling the truth. There was a sincerity in his eyes like nothing she had ever seen before. He was a dragon. As ridiculously impossible as that was, it was somehow true.
Lone Star Dragon (Shifters in the Heart of Texas Book 1) Page 5