Chapter 3
The Present
“No, I’m sure we haven’t,” Tamsyn responded, gently removing her hand from his.
Chuckling to distract from her obvious unease, she added, “I remember every Dragon I’ve ever met.
” She crinkled her nose and winked, yet another attempt to lower the tension in the room.
“’Cause on account of, y’all don’t let yourselves get met very often.
” Laughing at her overexaggerated southern accent with a side of self-deprecation, she kept right on going.
“So, I can honestly say I would most definitely have not forgotten meeting one of the most renowned Guardsmen in history. Hell, I would’ve put a big gold star on my calendar. ”
“Okay, Girlie,” Bridgette sarcastically snorted. “Pull back on the nervous chatter. Your mouth’s about to write a big fat check your cute little booty can’t cash.”
Trying with all her might to follow the advice of the Bobcat Queen, Tamsyn literally bit the tip of her tongue to keep from putting the other foot in her mouth.
Unable to look away, she watched the pupil of the most wellknown Dragon Guardsman in her lifetime elongate, stop for a split second, then return to its normal circular shape.
“His Dragon King was testing your honesty,” Bridgette explained. “So, you don’t need…” “Testing my honesty?” Tamsyn mentally snapped.
“…lose your mind.”
But Bridgette’s words fell on deaf ears.
“Who the hell does he think…?
Thankfully, that was as far as Tamsyn got before Carrick completely took her off guard with a crooked, yet endearing smile.
Sure, it was forced. Absolutely, the sentiment of the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes, but he’d tried, and something about that single, simple gesture threw a bucket of cold water on Tamsyn’s irritation.
But that didn’t mean she was going to back down.
It didn’t matter that the man, the Dragon, the Elder, one of the Universe’s Chosen Warriors, was an actual living legend.
Nor did she give a good gosh darn that he could probably turn her into a greasy spot on the ceramic tile floor with little more than a thought. He was on her turf. This was her Pride.
And he had better never question her integrity again.
“Simmer down, Hot Stuff,” Bridgette half-heartedly chuckled. “This is the way of Dragons, especially the old ones.”
“Yeah, well, he'd better get with the times and remember who’s the head bitch in charge around here.”
“Oh, he knows I’m here.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha. You are so not funny.”
Eyes glued to the infamous Dragon, Tamsyn tuned out Bridgette’s running commentary as Carrick inhaled deeply, rubbed the salt and pepper stubble on his chin with the side of his index finger, and actually bowed his head.
She felt his embarrassment, and more than a little of her own.
He’d obviously picked up on her conversation with the Bobcat Queen and felt bad.
Opening her mouth to explain, he beat her to the punch. “My mistake.” Nodding, he raised his head as his smile widened, and his blue eyes twinkled. “It’s just that you seem so familiar.”
“Well, it might be because the dude that keeps appearing in her dreams, the one that I just know is her Mate, is somehow related to you, and I think she should…”
“I think you should hush.”
“Well, I never.”
“You did, and you will again. So, just hush. I think he can hear us.”
Ignoring the Bobcat Queen’s continuing rant, Tamsyn smiled brighter and asked, “Can I get you some water?
Coffee? A cup of tea?”
“No, thank you,” Carrick shook his head. “I’m good for the moment.”
“Well, then, we might as well go ahead and get to the conference room,” Luke finally interjected.
“Where was he when I needed him?”
“Looking at you like you had three heads because one of the most famous Dragons of all time thought he knew you and you went from shock and awe to Miss Kitty’s got claws in the blink of an eye.”
“Didn’t I tell you to hush, Bridgette?”
“You did, and I chose to ignore you,” the Bobcat Queen huffed. “Kinda like you chose to ignore me when I was tryin’ to tell you…”
“And I am ignoring you again.”
“Lead the way.” It was Tamsyn’s turn to force a smile as she motioned toward the door they’d just entered.
Bringing up the rear, she took a deep cleansing breath and tried to clear her mind.
She had to focus. Had to be on her A-game.
Had to have all the answers and be ready to lead the most important meeting of her life.
It was time to put the last three minutes, hell, the last three weeks out of her mind.
With one foot over the threshold and the other on its way, she plastered on a smile, stood tall, and greeted one of her oldest and dearest friends.
Walking into the outstretched arms of Bonnie Sampson, she felt as if at least a ton of weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
Filled with a warm, glowing, soothing love that only came from someone who knew all your faults and loved all the more because of them, Tamsyn let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“Wow! That was a big one.” Bonnie’s sweet, smoky Texas twang floated through her mind. “How long has it been since you had a good night’s sleep?”
“How did you…?” Stopping with a snorted chuckle, she quickly picked up a few ticks ahead of where she’d left off. “I’m not even gonna ask. I know better. Your abilities are even stronger than mine.”
“And let’s not forget I know you just as well as you know me, Girlie.”
Stepping back as the She-Wolf’s hug loosened, she winked and smiled, “Damn, it’s good to see you.”
“Right back atcha, Hot Stuff.” Letting her hands slide down her arms, Bonnie added, “We’ll talk about what’s keepin’ you up at night just as soon as this meeting’s over.
” Dropping her chin just enough to level her gaze, the She-Wolf added, “And don’t even think about puttin’ it off.
We can work and talk at the same time. Done it before. ”
Without waiting for an answer, Bonnie leaned, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and whispered, “Handsome strangers covered in mud can sometimes be just what we need.”
Mouth dropping open, Tamsyn was so caught off guard by the She-Wolf’s words that she could only nod as Bonnie gave her another wink and added, “Now, come on and snap out of it. You had to know that I was gonna take a peek in that old noggin of yours. Hell, you left the door wide open for me.”
“Well, shit,” Tamsyn snorted. “You’re right. I never even think about closing or blocking our connection.”
“Good,” Bonnie quickly cheered. “'Cause I always keep it open too. It’s good to know you’re there.”
“Damn sure is.” Reaching forward, she gave the She-Wolf’s hand a squeeze. “Till we’re old and gray.”
“And beyond,” Bonnie answered with the saying they, along with Bonnie’s twin, Maggie Mae, had made up all those years ago. “Now, go be all important and shit, and let me know what I can do to help. Ya’ know, I always got your back.”
“Thank the Heavens.”
“Amen.”
Watching one of her dearest friends walk straight over to the renowned Guardsman, give the stoic Warrior a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, Tamsyn sighed, “That girl knows everybody.”
“She damned sure does.”
“What the…?” Jumping back at least a step, Tamsyn swatted the Black Bear’s arm and huffed, “Damn, Luke. Give a girl a warning.”
“Dude, you need to switch to decaffeinated. You’re …” Waving his hands and shaking his head as if he had a serious case of the jitters, he added with a. chuckle, “…wound up tighter than an eight-day clock.”
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t help when you sneak up on me.”
Holding up his hands in mock surrender, Luke acquiesced, “Okay, okay, I won’t remind you how difficult it is for a six-foot-eight, three-hundred-and-thirteen-pound specimen of perfection such as myself to ‘sneak’ anywhere.
I’ll just say I’m sorry and mention that everybody’s here and Amethyst just showed up with refreshments, and… ”
“And you wanted to know if it was okay to start eatin’?”
“I did!” Luke’s smile was brilliant, and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes was one of the many reasons they’d been friends for so very long.
“Let me say, hey, then everybody can get some munchies, and I’ll get this meeting started. Sound good?”
“Oh, yeah.” The Black Bear waggled his eyebrows, clapped his hands together, then rubbed them loudly as he added, “Amethyst brought those little quiches I love so much, and you know…”
“They’re always the first thing to go? Yes, I know she would make them anytime I asked–and she has, but they’re so much better when it’s a surprise. Ya know what I mean?”
“Sure, whatever you say.”
“I do so love it when you agree with me.”
Laughing at her friend for what seemed like the umpteenth time in their lives, Tamsyn patted Luke on the back as he suspiciously walked toward the table of food at the back of the room.
Stepping up to what had always been her dad’s place at the head of the hug, oblong, handcrafted, walnut table, she looked each person in the eye and smiled, ending with the renowned Guardsman, Carrick.
Shaking off the shudder that ran down her spine, she kept her shoulders loose and the smile on her face as the conversation dulled.
Opening her hands outward, she started, “Thank y’all so very much for being here.
I can’t tell you how much it means to me that each of you cares about this mountain every bit as much as I do. ”
Clapping along with everyone else, she continued over the happy sound.
“Now, most of all, you have known me for more years than I care to admit, and for those of you who don’t know him…
.”Motioning with her left hand, she looked everywhere but into his swirling, crystal blue eyes and happily announced, “Let me introduce, Carrick, Head Elder of the Golden Fire Clan of Dragons.”