Chapter 11 #2
“Good, good. Tired. Had to come home this weekend and wasn’t ready for it.” He leaned a little closer to Remi and lowered his voice. “Partied a little too much after the game last night, you know what I mean?” he asked, nudging Remi and waggling his eyebrows.
“You party too much every night,” Clay said.
“You’re right there with me,” Bastian said.
“Doesn’t mean I’m partying as hard as you,” Clay answered.
“You must be related to Richie,” Remi said.
“Yeah, he’s my dad. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Clay.”
“Heard a lot about you, too. It’s good to put a face with the stories.”
“Oh, Lord. If there are stories, they’re most likely not true. Just remember that and everything will be fine,” Clay said.
Remi laughed. “They’re good, though.”
“You sure?” Clay asked doubtfully.
“Absolutely.”
“Okay, well, maybe they’re true, then,” he said.
Remi looked over at the third of their group. “And you’re Cruz, I remember you from the wedding, too. But I’d know you anywhere even if I hadn’t met you.”
“Dad’s genes are a little strong, for sure,” Cruz said, extending a hand and actually shaking Remi’s hand. “Glad to meet you.”
“You, too, Cruz,” Remi said.
“Remi!” Lucas called from the other side of the yard where his family had joined him.
Remi turned toward him and waved.
“Come meet my family!”
“I’m coming,” Remi said. “Be right back,” he said to the guys, then made his way over to Lucas where he stood beside two lounge chairs and a folding chair where an exotic looking female sat in the folding chair and two beautiful teenage girls reclined in the lounge chairs.
He approached with a smile. “Hey, Lucas,” he said, shaking his hand.
Lucas gave him one of the side-man-hugs he was known for and patted his shoulder. “Guys, this is my friend, and Cristie’s mate, Remi. He’s a Dragon. His dad is Daniel. Remi, this is my mate, Anahla. She’s got a Dragon, too.”
“My dad told me about you. He said he was very impressed with your strength and thought very highly of you,” Remi said.
Anahla smiled at him and stood up to hug him. “Thank you so much for saying that. I feel the same way about him. He’s a very kind male, and so thoughtful. And welcome to the family.”
“Thank you. I’m working on it.”
“No, you’re one of us. Nothing worth having ever came easy. Remember that,” Anahla said. She turned to look at her girls. “These are our daughters. Tia and Keegan.”
“I’m Tia,” the younger of the two said, her energy and personality practically blinding.
“I’m Keegan,” the older daughter said. She was a little more reserved, but there was something about her that sucked you in. She had a touch of the exoticness that her mother carried so confidently inside her.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you both. Your dad brags about you all the time,” Remi said. Then he switched his attention to Anahla and smiled at her again. “And he is especially proud of you. I have to say, he certainly didn’t exaggerate about how beautiful you are.”
Anahla blushed and leaned into Lucas, her hand naturally resting against his stomach and she shyly cast her gaze down at the ground. “Thank you,” she said.
“Hey, let me tell you something before the rest of our people get here,” Bastian said, having approached and draped an arm over Remi’s shoulder.
“Okay,” Remi said.
Sebastian kept his arm around Remi’s shoulder and guided him away from everybody else. When they were far enough away from the others, he stopped and faced Remi with a very serious expression. “I’m not sure you know. But, Cristie is a bitch.”
Remi burst out laughing. After a few seconds he recovered and looked at Bastian who was wearing a smirk.
“Now, I’m not going to let you talk about her like that, but for the record, I’ve been told that if a female is a bitch, she is a strong female and one you want on your side. They’re worth fighting for.”
“Meh,” Sebastian said.
“But you’re funny,” Remi said, grinning at him.
“You’re not going to think this is so funny,” Bastian said.
“What’s that?” Remi asked.
“She’s driving Kaiser’s car around.”
“I know.”
“And she was in there on the phone when I got here, asking him how much longer he was going to be.”
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Remi said.
Sebastian leaned back and looked him up and down. “Aren’t you her mate?”
“Supposed to be. Hoping to make it right.”
“Then make her ass see you.”
Remi shook his head. “Believe me, she knows I’m here. In fact, she was angry as hell about it. It’s better now.”
Sebastian chuckled. “You’re brave.”
A pretty girl with big bright green eyes and thick auburn hair came outside chatting with another girl who was tall, with long black hair and eyes so dark they were almost black.
Both girls were stunning. They walked so close together their shoulders were touching and they were talking softly, almost as though they weren’t aware anyone else was around them.
“So, that’s him, then,” the dark haired girl whispered.
“I guess. I haven’t met him yet, but he’s the only one I don’t know,” the auburn haired girl whispered back.
“He’s definitely hot. I’d do him.”
“Summer!”
“What? I would. I mean, not right away, but after a suitable amount of time. I definitely probably would.”
“He is pretty,” the auburn haired girl said, as she glanced surreptitiously at Remi.
“Very. He’s a Dragon, you know,” Summer said. “My dad was having a fit because Kaiser is pretending to be Cristie’s boyfriend so the Dragon keeps his distance. Dad’s afraid that if Kaiser meddles too much, the Dragon might get irritated and fry him.”
“Doesn’t sound fair to play with his emotions like that,” the auburn haired girl said.
“No, it doesn’t. Maybe I could pretend to be the Dragon’s girlfriend and really make them both angry,” Summer said.
“If Kaiser doesn’t really like Cristie, I don’t think he’d get mad.”
“Sure he would, just because I got involved and complicated things.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. You do like to complicate things, though. You have to admit.”
“I’m not denying it. Besides, I really need something to distract me. I’m so bored. And I’m lonely, Harper. I mean, if Cristie really doesn’t want him, what could it hurt? And if she does, it would only help her figure it out.”
Harper looked at her best friend, really looked at her. “You’re not half as wild as you like to think you are.”
“I might be. I could love a Dragon,” Summer said.
Harper rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You need to stay out of it. You don’t want Cristie mad at you.”
“Maybe not, but I wouldn’t be doing anything she’s not doing. Let me fantasize a little, Harper.”
“Fantasizing is one thing. But fantasize about something safe,” Harper said. “Besides, like we both already know, he’s Cristie’s.”
Summer looked at Harper skeptically. “Do you even understand fantasies? They’re not meant to be safe.
They’re meant to be an adventure and nearly impossible, hence fantasies.
I think you just don’t get it. Maybe it’s because you have a ready-made future waiting for you — a fun one, helping run your family’s farm.
Me? I’m bouncing from one thing to another not fitting in anywhere at all, so let me have my fantasies,” Summer complained.
“Having a ready made future isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be,” Harper said.
“What do you mean? You’ve got a job just waiting for you to decide you’re ready.
You can’t be fired, and anytime you decide you’re tired of playing with the horses at the Frierson Stables, it’ll still be waiting for you.
And if you decide you want to go play with the horses again, you can just tell your employees to keep an eye on things for you. You can’t lose.”
Harper shook her head tiredly. “I’m not playing with the horses. I’m helping train them, and I’m good at it. They respond to me.”
“I know, and I’m glad you’re happy working with them, but your real way to support yourself is in your family business. And it’s a guaranteed in. You’ve got it made.”
Harper didn’t bother trying to explain her lack of enthusiasm to Summer.
She’d explained until she was blue in the face and Summer just didn’t care to hear her.
So instead, she changed the subject from herself to Summer.
“You know you’ve got an in where you want, too.
You could work at any of the businesses the Pride is involved with.
You could even work for my family at the tree farm.
You could go to school and find something else that calls to you.
You’ll find your place, Summer. You’re smart, and strong, and beautiful. Whatever you do you’ll do well.”
“Sure I will. Like when Richie asked me to work in the store instead of the restaurant,” Summer said.
“He asked nicely because he needed help in the store instead of the restaurant,” Harper said.
“No! It was because I’d ruined so many meals both cooking, and dropping them, that he had to finally get me out of there. Or when he reminded me that school was starting so he’d hired someone part time to cover my shift at the store so I could go to school like the boys were.”
“Yeah, that was unfortunate. But he really just wants the best for you.”
“Unfortunate? No. It wasn’t unfortunate that he wanted me gone. It was a necessary tactic to keep me from destroying both buildings.”
“You didn’t mean to cause a chemical spill.
All you did was decide to fill up your car real quick when there were no customers around.
You didn’t know the gas pump wouldn’t shut off if you just left the nozzle in the gas tank and ran to check out the couple of customers who showed up while you were pumping gas. ”
“I had to go check them out! It was supposed to stop when the tank got full! It’s got an automatic shut off. It malfunctioned!” Summer said defensively.
“Exactly! Wasn't your fault. Besides, Lazarus saved you. He happened to see the gas still pouring out of the pump when he left the store that morning. He caught it before it was too big of a mess,” Harper said.