Page 35 of Dragon Daddy's Second Chance

He looked over at Wren and she raised her eyebrows at him. “Well, then we’ll look forward to a more private conversation about it,” she said. “I’m very curious about these other things.”

The food arrived just then and Max slipped away to take his seat on the other side of the table, and he turned his focus on the rest of the little group he’d assembled. They passed the food around, and then everyone settled down to eat while discussing wedding plans. Then, they moved on to other topics. Theo was beginning to get bored, the food was all gone, and Blake was just thinking about wrapping up lunch when a voice he thought he’d never hear again called his name.

“Blake, look over here,” his mother called, running across the food court toward them. “We’ve come to surprise you, isn’t that wonderful?”

His mother was beaming at him as she made her way over to the table, his father following behind, an embarrassed look on his face. “Oh, darling, look at you,” his mother gushed, giving him a big hug. “I’ve never seen you so happy.”

Alarmed by his parents' appearance and his mother’s uncharacteristic behavior, he jumped to his feet. “What are you doing here?” he asked, glancing over at his father, who looked uncomfortable. “I thought I made it very clear that we were done.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I know you didn’t mean that,” his mother said, patting him on the cheek. “I’m sorry about our little talk the other day. I’m happy for you, I really am.”

He studied her for a second, noticing that the smile on her face didn’t reach her eyes and he was instantly wary. “If you’re here to cause trouble, it’s not going to work,” he said. “Wren and I are getting married in two days, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us. In fact, I think it would bebest if you just went back home now. We don’t want you here.”

“I would never dream of missing your wedding. I’m sure that it will be lovely,” his mother said, then looked around. “Now, where is my soon-to-be daughter-in-law? It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, I’m not sure I’ll recognize her.”

“She’s right here,” he said, pulling Wren to her feet and putting his arm around her. “And I think you knew that.”

“Nonsense, look at her; that little girl I remember has turned into a beautiful woman,” his mother said, smiling at Wren. “No wonder you’ve chosen her over all your other women.”

He glanced over at Wren, who just smiled at him and rolled her eyes, then back at his mother, wondering how he was going to get rid of her. “Well, now that we’ve said our hellos, I think your father and I should get settled in,” his mother said. “I do hope there’s a room here for us, I tried to call and make a reservation but no one answered the phone, terrible service if you ask me. Doesn’t your friend own this place?”

“Yes, Mother, and he’s right there,” he said, nodding at Max, who was slowly getting to his feet. “This isn’t the kind of place where you can just show up and expect a room. You shouldn’t have come.”

“But darling, after our last conversation, I had no choice,” his mother said. “And now that I’m here, I’m staying. I’ll sleep on the beach if I have to.”

“That won’t be necessary, I’m sure I can find a place for you to stay,” Max said, walking over to Blake’s parents. “But I’m afraid you won’t be getting the kind of service that you’re used to. Our guests are on their own here, and there’s no staff to take care of them.”

His mother scrunched up her face. “Oh, very well,” shesaid. “But I won’t be recommending this place to any of my friends.”

“I would appreciate that,” Max said with a smile, but his eyes said that Blake owed him. “Come with me, I’ll take you to your cabin so you can get settled in, and we’ll need to discuss how you’d like to pay your bill.”

When they were gone, he pulled Wren into his arms. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart, I never dreamed that she’d show up here,” he said. “I’m sure she’s up to something, she’s never that nice except when she’s showing off for her friends. We’re going to have to keep an eye on her.”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” she said. “Not that I trust her either, but what can she do now? We’re getting married in a matter of days.”

“You don’t know my mother,” he said. “I wouldn’t put anything past her, so I want you to be extra careful for the next few days.”

“Do you think she’d hurt me?” Wren asked, eyes wide. “I can’t believe she’d do that. What about Theo? What’s going to happen when she finds out about him?”

“I’ll handle that,” he said. “I guess our last little talk didn’t quite get through. Maybe I can get rid of her before the wedding.”

Wren let out a long sigh. “I thought this was all over,” she said, then buried her face in his chest. “Just make her go away.”

“I will, sweetheart, I will,” he said, pulling her closer. “We’ll have the wedding of our dreams, I promise.”

***Wren***

Wren pulled Susan to a stop in front of the clothing boutique. “I don’t think this is a good idea, I can’t affordanything in there,” she said, peering through the door at the clothing racks. “It’s all handmade, and I’m sure it costs a fortune. I’m sure there’s something back at the cabin that I can wear.”

“You are not wearing something you brought from home to your wedding,” Susan said, pushing her into the store. “And Max is paying for everything, so stop worrying. He said Vivian would take care of you. Now get in there before I carry you in.”

Giving Susan a dirty look, she stepped inside the hut and looked nervously around. “Good afternoon, and I hear congratulations are in order,” a woman said, stepping from behind a little table. “I’m Vivian, and you must be Wren. You look just like Max described you.”

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you,” she said, a bit flustered. “I guess he told you that I’m looking for a wedding dress.”

“This is the third wedding we’ve had on the island. It’s always so exciting. Another one of Max’s friends is getting married here,” Vivian said, shaking her head. “Ever since the first one, I’ve been keeping a few things in the back room for just such an emergency. I’ve several things that would be perfect for you if you want to go on back to the dressing room. I’ll bring them out.”

Half an hour later, Wren stood looking at herself in the mirror in the perfect dress for a beach wedding, a huge smile on her face. “Oh, this one is perfect,” she said, swiveling her hips so the skirt flared out, then fell against her legs again. “I feel like a princess and a fairy all at once.”

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