Page 23 of Resisting the Alien Rider

I let out a small breath in relief.

I was too cold and focused on Killian to fully examine that relief. The relief of not being disappointed in Garrek.

Why should it matter if I were disappointed in him? Why should it matter if the image of Garrek I was slowly putting together – one of a gruff male who was more stressed-out than simply grumpy, a male who cared more than he realized that he let on – was ruined the way Killian had ruined his reflection in the creek?

But that image hadn’t been ruined. In fact, little bits of it had been confirmed. Garrek wasn’t the sort of man to tell a child that he was bad. Even if that child did burn down half his ranch.

“He doesn’t need to tell me,” Killian went on. “I always cause him problems.”

“Hey, now,” I said firmly, using my big-sister voice. The one that always got my five younger siblings to stop what they were doing and listen up. “None of that now, you hear me? You are an awesome kid, Killian. You know how to do so many things! Things I don’t even know how to do! You helped me set up my tent, didn’t you?”

He reluctantly agreed, his tail slapping the water in agitation.

“And I see how much you help the animals, too. Youtake such good care of the shuldu and the bracku! I bet they’re very happy to have you!”

He didn’t say anything in response to that, but his expression did soften a touch from its unhappy pout. I was getting through to him, at least a little bit.

“And you’re so brave! You’ve already dunked your head in the water, meanwhile here I am, a fully-grown adult, and I haven’t even mustered the courage to do that, yet!” I waved my soap and shampoo bar at him. “I can’t wash my hair if I don’t get it wet!”

Killian hesitated for a moment. Then, he cupped his hands and gathered some water in them. He lifted them together, his brow crinkled with concentration, and then gingerly let the water dribble from his hands onto my hair.

“You don’t have to dunk down if you’re afraid,” he told me, repeating the motion. “I can help you get your hair wet first.”

Luckily, the next handful of water dripped into my eyes, so I could pretend I wasn’t crying.

But I was. I was about to fall apart and sob at the little act of kindness this hurting child had shown me. The way he didn’t want me to be afraid.

“Thank you, sweet pea,” I choked out through a tight throat. I swiped at my eyes. “Someone who was truly bad would never do what you just did. Besides,” I said, sniffing hard and gaining a little control over my sudden urge to weep. “I see Garrek’s eyes go white all the time, too.”

“Notallthe time,” Killian grumbled as he spooned more water onto my head with his scoop-like hands.

“But a lot of the time,” I countered. “Would you say he’s a bad man?”

“No!” Killian’s reply was instant and steely with certainty. And then I wanted to cry all over again, thinking about the way these two males had found their way to each other and maybe, just maybe, had found a little bit of healing in the process. Even if they didn’t want to admit it.

“Well, there you go,” I said succinctly. “Thank you for helping me with my hair, Killian. But I think you’ve also helped me to be brave enough to dunk now.”

It would take all night to soak my hair the way Killian was doing it. Time to bite the bullet.

“Here,” Killian said, lowering one of his hands but letting the other hover above the water. “You can hold it, if you want.”

I smiled, remembering how Killian hadn’t wanted to come down off his shuldu and enter Fallon and Darcy’s house when we’d first met. It was only the promise of me holding his hand that had lured him.

And now here he was, offering me that very same thing.

The compassion inside him nearly toppled me. The pure, unselfconscious generosity of it.

He had so, so much to give.

I only wished that he could see it.

I took Killian’s hand, sucked in a breath, and plunged down into the water.

10

GARREK

Iwasn’t spying. I was supervising. That’s what I told myself as I lurked between the shadowy shields of two conveniently-placed trees. Magnolia and Killian had taken longer than expected and so, after filling and refilling the troughs three times over, I’d come back to this spot.

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