Chapter 11 Chance
Chance
There are days when ticking off a mindless errand is the only thing that soothes an upset dragon. The bread run to Morning Bean Café was exactly that. Maeve had boxed up rye loaves and her orange-cardamom breakfast rolls before sunrise, stacked them near the door with a sticky note.
"Don't forget the scones!"
I'd loaded everything into the truck while my brain was still running yesterday's arguments on a loop. If I kept my hands busy, maybe Caden would stop brawling in my skull for five damn minutes.
No.
I snorted. Who said dragons didn't have a sense of humor?
The drive over felt like autopilot. Laurel Gap's old main drag was quiet at this hour.
Just me, a couple of sleepy delivery vans, and the smell of burned coffee drifting out from the gas station.
I parked behind the café, hefted the bread crates inside, and dropped them on the counter for Ellie, the manager.
"Bright and early, Meyer," she croaked, scrawling her initials on the delivery sheet. She looked half-awake, hair bundled in a net and eyes half lidded. "You want a coffee? We got a new dark roast."
"Nah, I'm good," I said, mostly because I wanted to get back in the truck before the argument started again. "Catch you tomorrow."
She waved me off, already back to checking inventory. I didn't mind. I liked the routine. There was zero drama in a bread delivery, and I'd take that over a blow-up with Caden any day.
The return leg was just as uneventful. I cranked the window to let in the cool, damp air. Downshifted on the slope where the old orchard used to be. Let the world stay boring for one more hour, let Caden decide to nap.
No such luck.
As soon as I rounded the bend by Laurel Creek, I braked.
There was a pickup jammed half off the pavement, rear tires sunk in the mud.
The bridge was barely wide enough for one lane, and the truck completely blocked it.
The hazard lights blinked, and there, standing right in the middle, was William Hanlon, waving both arms like he was directing traffic in a hurricane.
He was a SkyArc rep and worked with their construction crews. I'd met him once before at a meet and greet SkyArc had hosted for local businesses.
Caden perked up inside me, immediately suspicious. I coasted up slowly, engine rumbling, and rolled down the window.
"You good?" I called.
He called back, "Sorry, man, didn't mean to block the whole bridge. The dog came outta nowhere. Big black mutt, maybe a stray. I swerved and caught the rail."
His voice was smooth as butter, all business-leader, nothing ruffled. I cut the engine and got out.
"Dog okay?"
He shrugged, rubbed the back of his neck. "Ran off. I didn't see any blood, but I'm worried it's hurt. Don't know if it belonged to anyone around here."
He looked frazzled, but not panicked. The kind of guy who's used to taking charge in a crisis, but right now, the only crisis was the mud sucking at his tires.
I glanced at the brand-new truck, SkyArc logo on the side.
The front fender was crumpled, and a streak of black fur was still tangled in the bumper.
Yep, the dog needed to be found. When I approached and crouched by the bumper, getting the scent of the dog, a wave of chemical mint crashed over me, so sharp I nearly took a step back.
This is a trap! Caden reared up, baring teeth inside my skull.
No, just a really horrible aftershave or mouthwash, I answered.
The smell was off, sure. Off in a way that made every muscle in my shoulders draw tight, but the smell of mint did that anyway.
"Wow," I managed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "That's some strong aftershave, Will."
He laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, man. My kid gave me this hand lotion. Mint and some kind of eucalyptus, I think. Supposed to help with eczema. Guess I overdid it this morning."
He shoved his hands in his pockets, but the smell got worse as he moved. Definitely lotion. It clung to him, a cloud of odor that burned all the way through my sinuses.
Drop him in the river? Caden suggested.
Not today, I answered, and focused on the problem.
"You called a tow yet?" I asked, keeping it casual.
"Nah. My phone's dead." He held up the brick to prove it. "Was about to hike up to the station, but then you showed up. Lucky me."
I pulled out my phone, thumbed the tow company's number from my contacts. "I'll get them out here. They owe me after last month's emergency bagel delivery." I let it ring while William paced near the side rail, peering down into the creek for signs of the dog.
The dispatcher picked up quickly. "This is Lenny. What's up, Chance?"
"A SkyArc truck on the Maple Bridge. Front's in the ditch. Can you get here soon?"
"Fifteen minutes, if Rod's on time."
I rattled off the details and hung up.
William was still at the rail, scanning the brush. "Are you sure you're not hurt?" I asked, coming up beside him. The lotion's smell was suffocating this close. It coated the back of my throat and made my ears ring.
"Nah. Barely felt a thing." He flexed his hands. Big, workman's hands, despite the management job. "I'm madder about maybe hurting the mutt than anything else. Thanks for calling a tow."
He reached out, offering his hand for a shake. I gripped it automatically.
The burn hit instantly. A chemical tingle, cold and sharp at the same time. The mint felt like it had acid behind it, and my skin almost went numb where our palms touched.
Caden recoiled, then snapped right back, hungry and pissed off. HUNTER.
Mint is common, you know that.
Outwardly, nothing about William was off. He was sweaty, sure, maybe a little too eager to make friends. But his grip was normal, and he let go fast.
I wiped my hand on my jeans, trying to erase the stinging sensation. "That stuff is potent," I said, trying to keep it light.
William actually grimaced. "Tell me about it. It stings going on. But it does help."
It was a joke, but Caden was still prowling under my skin, digging claws into my ribs. I scanned William again. No hunter's talismans, no silver jewelry, not a hint of blood on his scent. Just too much mint scent and a handshake that made my knuckles burn for a full minute after he let go.
"You got someone who can pick you up?" I asked, opening my truck door. I needed distance.
"I'll just wait here. Tow won't take long, and I got emails to answer if the battery comes back. Sorry again for the trouble."
He didn't look sorry, but he didn't look dangerous, either. Not to a regular human, at least. Caden hissed in disagreement.
I kept my poker face. "All good. See you around."
He went back to poking around the crash site for clues about the missing dog.
I slid behind my wheel and cranked the engine. The minute the window went up, the mint poison started to fade. My hands shook on the wheel.
Not normal. Too close. Not safe.
He's just a weirdo with a nasty lotion. The accident looked real.
I wanted to find the dog, but I'd have to wait until the coast was clear. I couldn't fly over in broad daylight.
Hunter, Caden insisted. Dragons hated mint. Caden despised it. But I'd never run into a person who practically bathed in the stuff.
I'd seen hunters before. Broken a few bones in the process. They never showed up without a plan, or without trying to draw blood right out of the gate. Nothing this guy had done was like that.
I pulled away from the bridge as the tow truck rumbled into view, sun glinting off the flatbed. William flagged the driver down, all business again.
I didn't look back. My brain wouldn't let go of the unease, though. By the time the bakery's sign came into view, I realized I'd barely registered the last three miles.
The smell of cinnamon and yeast was still heavy in the air as I parked behind the shop.
Maeve's car was there, and I could see her through the back window, pacing near the oven with her phone pressed to her chin.
The world felt normal again. Almost boring, if I ignored Caden's grumbles.
Normal never lasted long these days, not with the memory of her face in the water still burned behind my eyelids.
Maeve caught the energy the second I crossed into the kitchen. She was checking a tray of muffins, but her eyes darted up. "Everything okay? Why do you reek of mint?"
"Yeah, just tired. The bridge was blocked. Some SkyArc suit wrecked his truck while dodging a dog. He was wearing some kind of lotion with a strong mint odor."
She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh. I'm heading out, unless you need me?"
I waved her off. "Go. I've got the place. It's slow anyway."
She didn't argue. She shed her apron, grabbed her purse, and slipped out the back, moving quickly. I caught the bakery door swinging shut behind her.
Silence. Real silence. Finally.
I double-checked the displays, wiped the counter and then headed to the back. I'd barely dropped onto the office chair when my phone lit up. Unknown number. Knoxville area code. I recognized it instantly. My pulse spiked so hard I nearly dropped the phone.
"Hey," I answered, trying to keep my voice steady. "Sweet Dragon Bakery, this is Chance. How can I help?"
She hesitated, just a second. "Um. Hi, this is Tash Winters. I… Do you have a minute?"
Her voice hit me so hard my pulse kicked like I'd been punched from the inside. "Yeah," I said, too fast. "Yeah, come by. Meet me in the back. The doors open, just head straight through."
"Thanks," she said softly, and hung up.
I sat there, every muscle braced for impact. Caden ramped up again, crowding every thought. He didn't want patience. He wanted truth and more than that, he wanted Tash and the girls.
Don't blow it, I told myself. Keep it together. Just be honest.
I heard her footsteps on the side gravel a minute later. She hesitated at the threshold, then slipped inside. I didn't breathe for a full second, too busy cataloging every detail of her like my body thought she might vanish again.