“Go away, dragon!” screamed Daisy.
I had to smother a laugh when I saw Parker’s shocked expression. He even took a slight step back as my sisters growled and glared at him.
“It’s okay,” I said, turning to the girls. “You guys go and play. I’ll get rid of the evil dragon.”
Daisy and Skye both gave Parker one more stern look before they turned and ran off down the hallway, giggling as they went.
“Does yourwholefamily hate me?” he asked, once I’d closed the door.
“I mean, you haven’t met my stepmom or my cat yet, but Tessa’s a softy, so she doesn’t count, and Mitts hates everyone,so I wouldn’t take that personally.”
“I take it Mitts is the cat?” he asked.
“Of course she’s the cat.”
“Why am I not surprised you have a cat that hates every—”
“A dragon?” My dad’s voice sounded in the corridor making my heart all but stop.
“Yes!” my sisters cried together. “In Kenzie’s room! Come and see, Daddy.”
There was a firm knock at the door and Parker’s eyes widened when my dad’s voice called from the other side. “Uh, Mackenzie, can we come in?”
Parker didn’t hesitate as he dove toward my closet, tore open the door and leaped inside. It might have been funny to watch him cram his huge frame inside the tiny space and try to squeeze the door shut if we weren’t both totally screwed if we got caught. I motioned for him to hurry, but I’d only recently filled the closet with clothes, and he could barely fit.
“Just a minute,” I called to my dad, desperately trying to think of a way to stall him. “I’m, uh, I’m naked.”
Parker was still doing his best to disappear amongst my coats and dresses, but he instantly stopped and turned to me. A smirk pulled at his lips and a familiar twinkle returned to his gaze. “Naked?”
I stepped toward the closet and gave him a hard shove, pushing him far enough inside that I could force the door closed. Was this boy capable of takinganythingseriously?
“Kenzie?” Dad called. “You all good?”
I grabbed my bathrobe from the bed and quickly wrapped myself in it to keep up the ruse. “Uh, yep, I’m decent. You cancome in.”
My bedroom door opened, and my dad peeked his head through the gap with an awkward smile. “I hear you’ve got a dragon problem.”
My sisters burst into the room from behind him.
“He was right there, Daddy.” Skye pointed to the empty space beside me.
“Where did he go?” Daisy asked, her eyes a little more calculating as she scanned the room. I swallowed nervously as her gaze drifted past the closet that contained the missing dragon.
Dad chuckled to himself. “Should we try to find him?”
“No!” I shouted, my heart racing. “Uh, I mean, no need. The dragon is gone now. I think he realized he should never have come here in the first place.”
“Because we’re so scary?” Daisy asked.
“Yep, that’s right, terrifying.”
My sister nodded firmly. “Good. I didn’t like the Parker dragon.”
“The what dragon?” My dad let out an uncertain laugh.
I shrugged at him, as though I was just as confused as he was.
“I should probably get started on my homework,” I said, hoping my dad would get the hint.
