Page 109 of Dream Weaver

Rough, tough, but with a heart for the people he loved. I could tell by the way he prowled over to Abby.

“She’s fine.”

She, I gathered, was Claire, and judging by the time, she’d just had recess. I had the impression Mike would have preferred to stake out the school parking lot all day, but that kick-ass principal had probably chased him away until the end of the school day.

Mike didn’t add,No sign of Jay,but I figured that was who he’d been watching for.

Abby nodded and went back to hammering the last ax head. The very last one. One we ought to have sweated — and triumphed — over together. But all I heard was a solitarybang…bang…bang.

The tension between us must have been palpable, because Matt came over to whisper, “Damn. What did you do to piss her off?”

I glared him away.

Even Bob wandered over to whisper his own two cents. “Just give her time, son.”

I’d come to the same conclusion. Sadly, that probably exceeded my life-span.

Destiny had either made a huge mistake, or it was out to punish me.

Abby worked through lunch, as I’d intended to. I had to finish those handles — but I needed something from the supermarket too. So I made a quick run there, forcing down a sandwich on my way back.

The moment I turned the corner to the back lot of the metal shop, Mike stepped out, casting a dark shadow.

“Not so fast, kid.”

I stopped, meeting his glare. If a lightning bolt flashed out of the sky to fry me, so be it.

My inner grizzly growled, and for once, I didn’t try to muffle the sound.

His eyes glowed, and he leaned in. “Let me make a few things clear to you. If you hurt Abby, I will hurt you twice as bad. I will draw it out slowly, and you will be screaming for your mother before I’m done.”

I heard him out, because I’d been raised to respect my elders. Even elders who wanted to crush my bones.

“You got that?” he finished.

A cloud passed over the sun, casting a bigger, even more menacing shadow over the entire area.

“Yes, sir.”

He frowned. “You think I’m messing with you, kid? Because I swear, I’m not.”

Thunder rolled, emphasizing his point.

I shook my head, “No, sir.”

His nod said,Damn right, I’m not.

“I would never hurt her,” I said, because now it was his turn to hear me out.

I love her,my bear declared, though I managed to suppress that part.

“I would never hurt her. Not Abby, not Claire. Never,” I swore so fiercely, my voice cracked. “There’s just one thing I can’t figure out.”

He crossed his arms. “And what’s that?”

“How to keep her from hurting herself.”

The corner of his eye twitched, and he didn’t say a word. But I could tell I’d struck a chord.

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