Page 7 of The Last Bachelor Dragon

She was already shivering as she washed her hair, then soaped up, cursing Max the entire time, even more determined to do everything she could to stand up to him. By the time she rinsed off, not only was she shivering violently, her teeth were chattering, and she was sure that she’d never been that cold in her entire life. Shutting off the water with trembling hands, she stepped out of the shower, only realizing as she stood there dripping onto the dusty floor that she didn’t have a towel.

Letting out a string of curses that didn’t sound very convincing thanks to her teeth knocking together, she grabbed a sheet off the pile of bedding still stacked on the table and wrapped it around her shoulders. Looking up, she saw the bright sunlight out on the porch, headed for the door, and threw it open. Her only thought was to get warm. It barely registered that Stella was standing on the porch getting ready to knock on her door as she ran by, heading straight for the sunlight.

She instantly felt warmer when she stepped out of theshadows and she sighed with relief, then stood with her eyes closed, letting the heat soak into her before turning around to warm her back. Stella’s shocked face finally registered, but her teeth were still chattering, and all she could do was shake her head and close her eyes again.

A second later, she felt the blanket she’d slept wrapped up in the night before fall over her shoulders. She opened her eyes to find Stella standing next to her, with a look of amusement on her face. Pulling the blanket tighter, she let out a long sigh of relief when she stopped shivering, but felt her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

“I wanted a shower,” she finally said. “The water was freezing and then when I got out, I realized I didn’t have a towel.”

“Nora, you could have come over to our house for a shower,” she said, shaking her head. “All you had to do was ask.”

“I was being stubborn,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I guess it was kind of stupid, but I wanted to prove to Max that I could live here. It was such a dirty trick to play, I didn’t want him to know that he got to me.”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into him, this isn’t like him at all,” Stella said. “He’s usually so kind and compassionate, but with you he’s like a different person.”

“We can’t be talking about the same person,” she said, shaking her head. “Kind and compassionate are not words I would use to describe him.”

“I’m not about to defend him, that’s for sure. In fact, he and I had words about you,” Stella said. “Then I found out what he did last night, moving you up here like this, and I decided this isn’t a battle you should be fighting alone. Keith agreed, so here I am.”

“You’re going to help me?” she asked, a bit overwhelmedby her kindness. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough.”

Stella gave her a hug. “No thanks are necessary, we all need a little help sometimes,” she said, then pulled back. “You might want to go inside and get dressed. Keith and some of the crew will be here any minute to give the cabin a little makeover.”

The sound of voices coming up the path had her diving for the door of the cabin. “Don’t let them inside yet,” she called. “I’ll be right back.”

CHAPTER 5

***MAX***

It was already dark when Max finally came out of his office and made his way to the lobby of the community center, his head throbbing from the hours of paperwork he’d just done. He should have been proud of what he’d accomplished, but deep down he knew that the only reason he’d stayed locked up in his office all day was because he couldn’t handle another interaction with someone mad about the way he was treating Nora. The worst part was that a part of him knew everyone was right, and he did feel guilty for what he’d done, but the woman just had a way of pushing his buttons. It wasn’t his fault she pushed him too far.

Ignoring the guilt that had been lurking in the background all day, he headed for the village, in no mood to cook for himself. It was a beautiful night with a sky full of stars overhead and a warm breeze coming in off the ocean, and he took several deep breaths, hoping it would restore him like it always did. But the guilt still hovered in the back of his mind, and when he got to the village he made a decision. Heordered enough food for both of them, then set out for the cabin.

It was a dirty trick he’d played on Nora. Taking her dinner was the least he could do, and as he made his way along the trail, the smell of food making his stomach growl, he began to feel better. When the cabin came into view, he was relieved to see a flickering light in the window and he began to rehearse in his head what he would say, hoping she wouldn’t force him to apologize.

Putting a smile on his face, but bracing himself for Nora’s anger, he knocked on the door, then stepped back. Nora was smiling when she opened the door, but it disappeared as soon as she saw him. His heart sank, even though he knew he shouldn’t be surprised that she wasn’t happy to see him.

“You better not be here to kick me out of here, too,” she said, peering through a crack in the door. “I haven’t even had time to unpack.”

“I felt bad about last night, so I brought you dinner,” he said, holding out the bag of food in his hand. “I thought maybe I could join you.”

“You want to have dinner with me?” Nora asked, her face full of suspicion. “I got the distinct impression that you don’t like me. Oh wait, I forgot, you don’t trust me, I guess there’s a difference.”

“Nora, I’m trying here, okay,” he said, then sighed. “I shouldn’t have dumped you up here last night, that wasn’t a very nice thing to do. I’ve been feeling bad about it all day.”

“You’re right, that was a mean thing to do,” she said. “And bringing me food isn’t going to fix it, but I guess you can come in. I haven’t eaten yet either.”

She stepped back, opened the door wider for him, and he stepped inside, but paused inside the threshold, unsure he was in the right place. “What the hell?” he asked, turningaround to look at Nora, anger flaring to life when he saw the pleased look on her face. “How did you do all this?”

“It wasn’t that hard once I put my mind to it,” she said, giving him a shove. “The bugs are getting inside, I need to shut the door.”

Frozen in place, his eyes scanning the room, he took in the freshly painted walls, the gleaming furniture, and the welcoming light of several hurricane lamps. “Looks like a completely different place, doesn’t it?” Nora asked, plucking the food out of his hand. “I’ll set us up at the table. Do you want something to drink?”

“Something to drink…” he sputtered, still shocked by the transformation. “You didn’t do all this yourself.”

Nora shook her head, “No, I had a little help,” she said. “Keith and Stella came over this morning, and he brought some of the crew. It didn’t take them long to get everything ship shape. Stella and a few other people helped me get everything clean, and then we painted. Isn’t it amazing what a little elbow grease can do?”

Anger began to burn away the guilt; his plan had been disrupted again, and by the people he called his friends. “I didn’t give you permission to do any of this,” he said, turning to look at her. “In case you’ve forgotten, this is my island, and this is my cabin. Nothing happens around here without my okay.”

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