“Is gone, right?” Katie asked, rubbing her arm.
“Yes. I . . .”
Katie cocked her head, her eyes connecting with Tessa’s. “We’ll help you, Tessa. We’re not your mother, and no one can replace her kind of wisdom. But I’m willing to fumble through it if Nina, Marty, and Wanda will help.”
Wanda pulled Tessa into a hug, surrounding her with the sweet scent of lavender. “Of course we’ll help you. You’re part of the crazy now. There’s no running away from that, so don’t even try,” she teased. “We can be here in the blink of an eye if you need us. Right, Marty?”
“Like you could stop us from sticking our noses in baby dragon’s life even if you wanted to? Don’t be ridiculous. We’re nosy, opinionated bitches. The lot of us, and all you have to do is send us a text. We’ll be here faster than Nina can suck your soul right out from under you.”
Tessa giggled, still overwhelmed by their generosity. Pulling out of Wanda’s embrace, she said, “Thank you.”
Marty pulled her in tight to her side, her perfume lingering in Tessa’s nose, soft and pretty just like Marty. She reached for a tissue and handed it to Tessa. “So, seeing as baby dragon’s in a rush to get here, you know what this means, don’t you, girls?”
Tessa wiped her eyes. “What?”
“Online shopping!” Wanda said, flipping open her laptop with a grin.
Katie peered over Wanda’s shoulder. “Oh, my God—did I tell you girls about the cutest outfits I found for Alistair and Daniel? They’re my twins,” she said over her shoulder to Tessa. “It’s the most adorable online store ever.”
Tessa’s kitchen filled up with laughter, with women who supported one another—with perfume and hair spray and varying shades of the very definition of beautiful.
“Well, get over here,” Wanda said to Tessa with a grin.
“Yeah. We can’t shop without the new mom telling us what she likes,” Marty added, waving her over.
As Tessa joined the cluster of women, she knew, no matter what, she wanted them to somehow be involved in her future. Carl, Nina, Arch, all of them.
* * *
“A’IGHT now, Mick, it’s time to get mad, brother!” Darnell shouted from the field behind Tessa’s cottage. For the most part, it was deserted—a good place to test these wings of his.
He was damned well going to learn how to fly if it was the last thing he did. Whatever it was that set him and Tessa off and made their wings sprout needed to be under control.
He’d begun to find it by taking deep breaths when his wings had bloomed from his back yesterday, but settling down enough to get them to disappear wasn’t the same as flying.
Darnell came running at him from across the field, a look of concern on his face. He stopped short in front of Mick. “No go, man?”
Mick scraped his hand over his head, tossing his hat on the ground. “Fuck!”
Darnell held up a big paw. “Don’t get frustrated. Get downright pissed off. What makes Mick madder ’n a hornet?”
“I dunno.”
Darnell flattened his palm against Mick’s shoulder and shoved him hard, almost knocking him down. “Yeah, you do, brother. Whatever’s goin’ on between you and Miss Tessa makes you mad. What is it?”
He couldn’t talk about it with someone he hardly knew. He clamped his lips shut.
Darnell spread his arms wide, backing away from Mick, and yelled, “What’s keepin’ yo’ chicken ass from telling her what the what, dude? Is it because you’re a big ol’ pussy? Afraid to tell her how you feel? Why didn’t you stand up like a man when she was datin’ other guys? You too afraid of a little competition? What made you let her warm another brother’s bed? She sho’ is fine. Hmm-mm. Got that nice, tight—”
Mick lost it then, saw red, felt a rage so keen it knocked him to his knees. He opened his mouth, letting out a roar, and along with it came a stream of fire, burning the interior of his mouth.
His vision blurred as his wings tore from his back, flying open like one of those fans you got at the county fair. And then he was on his feet, running at Darnell, charging him, wanting him dead for even thinking those things about Tessa.
He didn’t even feel his feet lift off the ground until he realized his target was beneath him and he was actually airborne.
Holy shit.
Focusing the way Tessa had explained the night before, he put all his attention on these new appendages on his back, arching his spine to make them move, catching the freezing air beneath them.
Mick almost forgot to look up, he was so intent on looking down, until he caught sight of Darnell waving his big hands in the air and yelling something he couldn’t quite make out.
His head snapped up just in time to see the enormous bare oak tree headed straight for his face.
“Pull up!” Darnell screamed, running along the ground, his thick legs pumping, the thump of his sneakers a distant but clear thunk in the snow.
Pull up how? Instinct took over when he arched his neck upward, the sun glazing his eyes with its sharp glare as his wings took over and began to furiously flap.
And then he was truly flying, soaring over the landscape dotted with rooftops and smoke coming from chimneys, swooping, swerving, circling until he understood the mechanics of his new appendages.
Jesus Christ. He was flying.
By hell, he was flying.
Pressing his arms tight to his sides, he ignored the freezing temperatures, the way his perspiration iced on his forehead, and just let go, rolling with the wind, catching it, commanding it, surfing through puffy clouds, exhilarated. He found keeping his arms close to his sides streamlined him, gave him speed.
Maybe more speed than he could handle at this point, he noted as he realized he’d lost sight of Darnell, and if anyone caught him up in the air, just the sheer size of him would send people into a frenzy.
So he circled back, finally seeing the top of Tessa’s cottage and the small figure of Darnell by the old woodshed.
And then he realized something else. How the hell did he land?
Slowly, carefully, something told him. Mick rolled his shoulders, visualizing his wings, making them slow their movement in his mind until he began to descend.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t given himself enough lead time as he slowed, and he hit the ground hard, knocking Darnell over like a bowling pin and sending the stacks of wood flying.
The crash tangled up his wings, wrapping Darnell in the cocoon of their glossy web.
Darnell began to laugh, his belly rippling, the thick chains on his chest clashing together. “Aw, man, that was somethin’ to see!”
Mick eyeballed him, still a little angry. “I should smother you with these damn things, Darnell.”
Darnell punched him in the arm. “C’mon, now. I didn’t really mean any of it. Nina told me what to say to rile you up is all. I was doin’ it so we can fight the good fight to save yo’ baby, brother. Side by side.”
Mick chuckled, spitting splinters of wood from his mouth. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known.”
Darnell began to untangle himself, peeling a flap of Mick’s wing up so he could duck out from under it. “Still don’t mean you don’t gotta talk to her. ’Cus you do. I ain’t much for interferin’ with matters of the heart, but I do know women need all of you. Not just some parts.”
He liked Darnell. He liked him a lot. His advice was sound. “Do you have anyone special, Darnell?”
Darnell grinned. “Nope. I’m a free bird right now. Too busy worryin’ all the time about this bunch.”
“They’re good people.”
Darnell nodded. “You bet they are. They sacrifice a lot. Can’t say I knew many like ’em when I was alive, but I’m sho’ glad I found ’em when I got dead.” He offered his hand to Mick to help hoist him up.
Mick gladly took it. “You ever wish you could go back?”
Darnell shook his head. “Not so much anymore. Not since I found the girls, their husbands, and Arch and Carl, too. We
’re like a family. Kinda jacked up. Kinda kooky, but ain’t nobody better ’n those three in there when you’re goin’ into battle.”
“So you’ve had to do this before?”
“Aw, yeah. It ain’t always pretty, what we’ve had to do, but won’t no one fight harder for you than my girls.”
“Why do you do this? Give so selflessly? Put yourself in such danger for complete strangers?”
“Why do you do it? A fireman ain’t exactly a desk job. You gotta care about people to wanna rush into a burnin’ building, don’t ya?”
Mick looked down at the ground. “I guess you do, but it’s not like I’m facing demons and evil vampires. It’s a little different.”
“It ain’t so different, Mick. They do it for the same reason you do it. It’s why I do it. They don’t seem like much on the outside, with Nina always growlin’, and the other two fashion queens would have you thinkin’ they don’t care about nothin’ but shoes and purses. But they got hearts bigger ’n your whole daggone state. They know what it’s like to be afraid of the unknown. They know what it’s like to face this world with a monkey on your back. Bein’ different and all. So they invite you in. I don’t take that invitation lightly or for granted.”
Darnell’s words, his conviction, his genuine love for this group of people hit Mick square in the gut—explained why he trusted them and their instincts.
Not just because they’d been living this paranormal lifestyle longer than he had, but because they asked for nothing in return.
They moved into your life like they’d always been there. Cooked, cleaned, nursed your wounds, stuck around while demons tried to kill you, helped birth unknown entities, were willing to protect you from what you didn’t understand, and offered you shelter from your fears.
And there was no price attached.
It wasn’t often you met people like that.
Which made him determined to cherish their invasion of his life. To listen and learn from them.
“You ready to head back now, or you want another go?”
Mick slapped Darnell on his shoulder. “Nah. I’m pretty cold, and the sun’s about to set. Let’s go back and see if we can bribe Nina into making us some hot chocolate, then tease her because she can’t drink it.”
Darnell’s laughter rang out across the wide-open field, rich and hearty. “I dig a dude who likes livin’ on the edge.”
As they made their way back to the cottage, Mick took in a deep breath of the cold air, smiling as the sun began to fade and enjoying the company of a demon named Darnell.
“Tessa, honey. Wake up,” someone called, running a gentle hand over her arm.
She didn’t want to wake up from this state of contentment. After an amazing meal of pork tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, and tomato salad, all made by Darnell, they’d sat around her living room, laughing, playing Trivial Pursuit, and just enjoying one another’s company.
As she’d watched Mick team up with Nina, as he’d laughed, really laughed, smiled, and joked with everyone¸ she’d decided that if it all ended tonight, it would be on one of the best notes she’d experienced in the years since she’d lost her parents and her brother. This was the happiest she’d been in a very long time.
Most of her nights were spent eating a bowl of oatmeal or canned soup, catching up on TV—alone. Almost all of her time was devoted to the store because there was nothing else outside the store but her cottage and Joe-Joe. She’d conned herself into believing it was enough—until tonight.
She’d forgotten how much she missed being a part of something. Being a part of a group of people who loved one another, who had weekly meals together, who played touch football, had family picnics, gathered because they wanted to.
She’d shut all that out because it was too painful to wish for what was, and now she recognized how lonely she’d been since Noah’s death.
“Tessa, sugarsnap. Wake up,” the soft voice, floaty and surreal, called again.
Her brain began to surface, fuzzy and muted. Her mother had called her sugarsnap right up until the day she’d died.
Tessa snuggled deeper into the comforter, automatically reaching for the warmth and security of Mick, sure she was dreaming.
“Tessa. You heard your mother. Wake up, buttercup.”
Dad? Her eyes flew open, blurry from sleep. She rubbed at them, trying to focus.
And then she felt it, the sag in the bed, just like when she was ten and afraid of thunderstorms and her mother would come in to comfort her. Someone was rubbing her arm, soothing her.
“Tessaaaa,” the voice sang out.
She was afraid to believe it was true—afraid to look at her arm. “Mom?” she croaked, swallowing hard, her mouth dry.
“It’s me, honey. Look at me, sweetie.”
Oh, God. Please don’t let this be a dream. Please don’t let this be something I hatched from my brain because I was missing my own family. Please let this be real. If she could be a dragon, why couldn’t her parents be alive again?
“Tessa, honey. Look at me.”
Tessa forced her gaze upward along her arm, seeing the familiar hands that had once soothed her pains, kissed her boo-boos. As her eyes traveled upward, her breath caught in her throat. “Mom? Oh, my God, Mom?”
Her mother’s eyes met hers, soft, loving, kind, their deep brown still only lightly lined around the corners. “It’s me, sweetie. How are you, Tessa? It’s so good to see you.” She brushed Tessa’s hair from her face, making her reach up and capture her hand, cupping it to her cheek.
This couldn’t be real—could it?
Why can’t it, Tessa? Vampires and werewolves are real.
Her father stood behind her mother, his hand on her shoulder. “Hi, pussycat. How’s my girl?”
“Dad?” Her throat started to close, choking with emotion. Her father, Jack, stood tall and lean, his face as handsome as the last time she’d seen him.
In fact, he looked exactly like he did the day he and her mother had left for what they’d called their newest adventure—camping. They’d bought a house on wheels and they were going to travel the country, they’d told her over one of the family meals she missed so much.
And she’d sent them off with hugs and kisses and promises to call at each stop. But they’d only called twice before a tractor-trailer T-boned them, effectively wiping out their cute mobile home and her parents’ lives.
Tears slipped from her eyes. “Is it really you, Dad?”
He smiled wide, the distinct dimple in his chin widening. “Tell her it’s really me, Genevieve,” he teased his wife good-naturedly.
Her mother nodded, squeezing her arm again. “It’s really us, sweetheart. We’ve come to see our grandbaby. We’re so excited for you.”
Tessa tried to sit up, but her mother placed a hand on her shoulder, soothing her back into the bed. “You’re tired, honey. I can see it in your eyes. Rest. We’ll help you with the baby.”
“It’s an egg,” she murmured, unsure how to tell them the crazy things that had happened.
“We know, Tessa. We know all about it. We know about you and Mick and those women. We know it all. We’re so happy you found Mick.”
A small thread of panic began weaving fear in her. “How? How can you know?”
“Where we are, we can see everything,” her father said, pointing upward.
Oh. Of course. That explained everything. If Darnell could pop in and out of Hell, her parents could certainly drop in from Heaven. Right? “Noah. Where’s Noah? Are you all together?” She swallowed her sadness. “Up there, I mean?”
Her mother’s smile lit up her eyes. “We are, honey. He couldn’t come this trip, but he sent his love.”
Tessa’s fear was swept away by the complete joy she experienced seeing them, hearing that Noah was with them. But then suspicion reared its ugly head. “Why didn’t you come sooner? If you were able to now, why didn’t you come see me before this?” she asked, swiping at the tears falling from her eyes.
> “It’s not an easy trip, Tessa. It’s not like we can just get in the car and drop by. We had to get special permission. But we told them seeing you now, when you need us the most to protect you, was very important,” her mother reassured her, stroking her cheek.
Tessa closed her eyes for a moment, savoring her mother’s touch. “I’ve missed you both so much. I’m afraid, Mom. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen to the baby.”
Her father ran his finger down the line of her nose, just like he’d always done. “That’s why we’re here, pussycat. To keep the baby safe.”
Relief flooded her veins, warming her from the inside out. “You can do that?”
Her mother nodded, the moonlight from the window shining across her pale skin. “We can, honey. We will. Until this is over. I promise you. Now you rest, and your father and I will take care of everything else.”
She’d trust her parents with her life; there was no doubt in her mind they’d take care of the baby. But how would Mick feel about it? “Wait. Let me ask Mick. He’s part of this, too. I want him to be involved.”
But both her mother and her father shook their heads. “No, sweetie. Don’t wake him. Look how tired he is. Besides, it’s us, sugarsnap. We loved Mick, and he loved us. He trusts us, just like we trust him with you.”
She glanced over at Mick, the rise and fall of his chest steady and slow. It was true. He was exhausted from the events of the past three days. Would he really mind if her parents took the baby until this was over? If it meant the baby would be safe?
Knowing Mick the way she did, knowing now how he felt about the baby, she knew if there was a way to keep the baby from harm, he’d be on board.
“Where will you take it?”
She ran her fingers over Tessa’s eyes, closing them, whispering, “Somewhere safe, honey. But we can’t tell you. If you know, they might try to get the information from you. It’s safer this way. You understand, don’t you, Tessa?”
“But you’ll come back as soon as this is over, right? Please say you’ll come back. I miss you both so much,” she murmured, her eyelids so heavy, her heart tight with longing.
The Accidental Dragon Page 18