“No.” Laughing, Sacha shook her head. “It’s not like that.” She smoothed the satiny material. “I, uh, decided on a different course of action.”
“Good for you.” The woman leaned in. “It’s so nice seeing the younger generation wise up and know what they want.”
“Mommy.” From behind, a small blonde-headed girl leaned between the two seats. “I gotta go pee.”
She rolled her eyes at Sacha. “Wish I’d went with my gut when I was your age. Maybe I wouldn’t be a thirty-five-year-old divorcee heading back to live with her parents.” A shudder traveled her shoulders. “Oh well, live and learn.”
Hauling both the boy and girl, the frazzled mom shuffled down the narrow corridor to the back of the bus.
Sacha settled in and hoped sleep would make the long ride seem shorter.
Chapter 30
Fin
Finarrivedatthetower and nearly ripped the door off its hinges.
When he shut it and turned, Margaret’s smile disappeared. “Where’s Sacha?”
“Gone.” He stilled and didn’t meet her gaze.
“What?” Her pudgy form stalked next to his, and she pushed a finger into his chest. “Gone? You let her stay with that brute of a father?”
Annoyed at her tone, he pushed her hand away. “Of course not. How cruel do you think I am?”
“Finley Marin.” She drew her eyebrows inward, and the gray irises turned the color of hardened steel. “If you let that sweet girl walk out of your life, then you’re an even bigger fool than I thought.”
Cyan flew from the staircase to land on his shoulder. He squawked into an ear and then dug his claws into Fin’s flesh.
“Don’t get your knickers in a knot, woman.” He tried to shrug the dragon away. “I’m not her keeper. If she’d wanted to stay, she would’ve.”
Ripping a tuft of Fin’s hair from the scalp, Cyan lifted his body away before the sorcerer could make a grab.
“Fucking little monster.” He rubbed his head. How in the world did Sacha entice him to lie in her arms, like a sweet, cuddly puppy?
Hell, it wasn’t just his dragon who’d lain in her arms, content and subdued.
Disgusted with today’s events, he wanted to close himself in the study and not come out for a week.
“Hmm.” Margaret’s gaze narrowed on his face. “I think there’s more to this story than you want to tell. Knowing you, something rude and stupid fell out of your mouth and pushed her away.” She stiffened her spine. “Good job, Fin. You managed to drive away the only woman—besides me and your mother—who tolerated your miserable backside.”
With that, the old woman turned on her heel and marched to the kitchen.
Her words rang with truth, and his heart ached.
Why didn’t I swallow my pride and apologize?
Out of anger and pain, he’d claimed he didn’t want or need her, and every word of that sentence had been a terrible lie. Hedidneed her—not to get home, but to make his heart happy. Those hateful, hurtful words were the biggest mistake of his life.
Chapter 31
Sacha
Sachabreathedinthescent of dust and cow manure.
This is what liberation smells like.
She chuckled, lifting some of the sadness from her soul.
