Page 84 of To Spark a Dragon's Love
“Now you wait a minute.” His desperation filled my ear. “We had a deal. I’m going to need you to man up and go back to whatever it was you’ve been doing these past few weeks.”
“I don’t decide the fate of the world. Earth has made Her choice.” With a shaking hand, I placed the phone on the desk, and turned to the sound of Willow’s voice to drown out the rage of my beast.
She smiled a real smile saved just for me. “Are you ready?”
Cracks lined the plaster in the halls from the earthquake the other day. The rec room television still played the news stations as it counted death tolls and mapped rising tectonic plates. The general mood of the staff—that seemed like a lot more peoplethan I’d hired—was glum and hurried as they moved to avoid me, giving Willow respectful nods instead.
“What is it you wanted to show me?” I asked as I walked beside her, careful not to drag my feet. I’d upset her enough for one lifetime. Honestly, I was still shocked that she’d made her frustration known that loud and clear.
“It’s more like something I wanted to talk to you about…” Her voice trailed off as we picked up the sound of little feet pounding down the hall.
“Malachy!” Harper launched herself into the air.
I caught the tornado with anoomph.
The spider monkey crawled up my chest and latched her hands onto either side of my face.
“You’re prickly,” she said. Her eyes were so much like her mother’s as they searched mine.
“I am.” I nodded as best I could while she gripped my cheeks. I should’ve shaved.
“You’re mad.” She frowned, jutting out her bottom lip.
“Not at you,” I explained. “Never at you or your mother.”
“I know.” Harper blinked. “You’re mad that you’re sad.”
“Come on, Harp,” Willow said. “Not everyone wants to be psychoanalyzed by a six-year-old.”
Harper clung to me tighter, peering into my soul. I swallowed down the lump of emotions building.
“Don’t worry.” The girl suddenly brightened. “Mommy will fix it. We can sing the song.”
“What song?” I asked, but Harper was already jumping from my arms and racing out the back door.
“Sorry about that. She’s been spending all her time with bears.” Willow sighed.
“What song is she talking about?”
Willows cheeks flushed as she looked away. “Ah, it’s nothing. Just a simple song we sing.”
“How does it go?” I’d heard Willow hum a bunch of times when she didn’t realize I was looking, but I didn’t think I’d ever heard her sing.
“Don’t worry, about a thing…” Her voice was soft and delicate, a wisp on the breeze as light as her namesake. “Never mind. It’ll get stuck in your head.”
I welcomed it, preferring to have her voice in my head than my own. She seemed to sense my needs because she hummed a few more bars before wrapping her hands around my waist.
I rubbed her arms, smiling. “Very catchy. Now what did you want to talk about?”
Her grin widened as she looked up at me. “So… I have an idea.”
31
Willow
Shiny Things
It all made perfect sense.
