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“Mack!” Wendy called, but Mack was already right there.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. You’re wonderful, Bloom, and I just…” Wendy was saying.
“It’s okay, Wendy,” Mack said, embracing Bloom. “Shhh. It’s okay,” he said, as he led her into the little back office and breakroom behind the bar.
He just sat with her for a minute while her breathing normalized.
“Hey, you okay, kiddo?”
“Yeah, Mack. Sorry, I’m just embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed? You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Tell you the truth, I’m relieved to see you let it out a little. It’s not healthy to hold all that in.”
He gave her a hug.
“If you say so,” she sighed.
“I do. You want to relax a bit here? I can cover the bar for a bit?”
“No, I’m okay. I was just having a moment,” she said, dabbling at what was left of her tears.
A moment in a long string of moments.
“Okay, darling. Your call. But you can come back here any time, and I’ll let you be,” Mack said as they both walked back out behind the bar.
Just then the sound of wind chimes caught her ears, indicating The Tree had allowed some new customers in.
Looking up, she felt her whole body flush as she locked eyes with the newly arrived lawman.
There he was, almost as if she had summoned him with her tears.
Really? Like, seriously. Couldn’t have come at a better time.
There he stood, Dax Carlyle, in the flesh.
CHAPTER6
“Bloom,” he said in greeting, in as businesslike and neutral manner as he could muster.
“What the hell did you let him in here for?” she muttered to no one in particular. He only caught it because of his high-sensitive hearing.
She’s talking to The Tree, isn’t she?Well, this was going to be fun.
The inside of the Fair Folk was impossibly big. That, of course, was because it was enchanted. The main room was roughly still bordered by squared-off walls, but in places it pressed right up against the rounded inner walls of what just seemed to be an incredibly huge tree trunk. Where the walls and rooms and floor seemed to have been hewn by hand, everything was thick beams and wide planks, well-worn with time. They appeared ancient, in fact. In a few places, vines hung down and leaves and a few branches grew implausibly, with a few massive round windows high on the walls. The main room had at least a twenty-foot ceiling and was largely dominated by the bar running down one side. There was no doubt about it, the place was impressive.
But then so was Bloom.
Dax just stood there taking it all in for a moment more.Dammit but she looks good.
She had taken to checking in with Rollo or Jack for any updates on the case, so he hadn’t seen her in at least four months. Obviously that was four months too long for his dragon, though, as it was standing bolt upright, ready to spring, it seemed.
Knock it off. Not happening. For about ten different reasons. This is strictly business.
“Well, what a surprise. Officer Carlyle.”
“Yes, hello… uh, Miss Havenshaw.”
“I suppose you are here to tell me about your complete lack of progress on my father’s case?”
