Page 37 of Ancient Promises
“Why didn’t you want your dad to come with you? Weren’t you worried about being on your own?”
“I told him not to. He has a business and I didn’t want to take that from him since he gets such joy from it. I was nervous, but I also just felt in my bones that Cider Falls was the right place for me. Speaking of my dad, we can video chat with him soon so I can introduce you two.”
“I’d love to speak with him.”
When they’d finished eating, he paid the bill and held her hand as they walked outside. He couldn’t touch her enough, couldn’t get close enough to her. She was addictive on a hundred different levels.
He opened her car door and helped her inside, then went around to the other side.
“Can I ask you something?” he asked.
“You can ask me anything.”
He backed out of the parking spot and turned toward Cider Falls. “I was wondering if the reason you thought I was going to leave is because of what happened with your mom.”
She hummed. “Yeah. Even though my dad never left me, I’ve battled with being left behind all my life. It’s a special kind of hell to know your mother doesn’t want you, and I grew up not trusting that anyone would stay with me. Even what happened with my dad fed into that fear, like he said he’d come with me, and I didn’t truly want him to, but it was a reinforcement ofI don’t get to stay with people I love.”
“I’m sorry I caused you so much pain,” he said.
He’d like to go back in time and kick his own ass.
“It’s really okay, Eivross,” she said. “I know that you were trying to keep me safe.”
“And I promise to do my best.”
“I think too, that I need to promise that I’m not going to think you’re leaving.”
“You don’t think I will still, right? We’re marked and fully mated.”
She touched the mark his claws had made on her upper arm. It had scarred as it healed and left three thin stripes. She loved it. “No, I know you’re with me for good.”
“Definitely. You’re well and truly stuck with me.”
“Good. That’s just how I want it,” she said.
They returned to her home, and while she found Arely doing laundry in the little closet off the kitchen and wanted to speak with her, he headed down to the bookstore, which now had an installed front door.
He thought about his hoard of books in the storage unit as he wandered the rows between shelves, and the kids at the town school with the outdated library and no one to run it. It was wonderful that his sweetheart was there a few days a week, but it wasn’t the same as having someone knowledgeable about books there full time.
He wasn’t a librarian, but he did know books. And he could always pursue a degree.
His dragon let out a satisfied rumble at the thought of being surrounded by books all the time and helping others find treasures.
But first he needed to talk to Diem. And also Rehlik.
Because he couldn’t just quit his security job and take another, even if it was the best idea he’d ever had.
Well, the second best.
The first best idea ever was coming to Cider Falls and finding Diem. That was hands down the best idea of his life.
Chapter Fifteen
Diem lifted her slice of pizza and took a bite. She couldn’t get over how good woodfired pizza was.
“Imagine dragon fire woodfired pizza,” she said. “That would be a pretty good marketing gimmick.”
Eivross’s eyes glinted with humor as he finished his slice. “It would definitely be, but I’d be more worried about setting the building on fire. It’s hard to pinpoint flames like that.”