Right now, I’ve got Coco, and she feels like an anchor, like a way to ground myself, and more than anything, I need grounding.
But back to the ley lines.
They’re so obviously present. How could I have ignored them before? The glowing, milky-white streams run right under the site, and when they come out the other side, their pulse is nearly obliterated.
Coco said this ismyconstruction. Well, what kind of man am I to see something so beautiful and pretend it doesn’t matter? Minimize it, ignore it, walk all over it, even when it’s staring me in the face?
My actions were on a path to destroy this town, and I feel awful about it, like I don’t belong here.
Coco moves to pick up Hercules. The lambicorn scampers away, hiding behind my leg. “He’s just shy,” I explain.
I pick up the baby and hand him to her. Our fingers brush, and my lungs do this very strange tightening thing.
“Thank you,” she says, her lips tipping up timidly.
“You are very welcome.”
She coos in the lambi’s ear, “Let’s wave to the town.” She lifts his hoof and the lambicorn bleats before it squirms, wanting down.
Watching her, I realize Coco belongs here. She didn’t ruin anything. She didn’t wreck ley lines. But I did.
WhowasI this morning?
A feeling falls on me, dropping like a thousand gallons of water: Am I even likable?
I am now—I think.Maybe that’s all that matters.
Coco puts Hercules down, brushes her hands on her skirt, and walks over. “Everything okay?”
“No. I don’t recognize the man who okayed these plans.” My gaze sweeps over her, and her presence feels familiar. Her smile is warm. Her eyes are, too. So it feels right to say, “But I recognize something about you.”
Coco blinks. Her cheeks turn red.
“I mean, it’s very easy to be around you. Must be because we work well together,” I clarify.
She clears her throat and nods to the hideous monstrosity that’s supposed to be the beginnings of a resort. “It’s the materials.”
She’s so pretty. Yeah, I know. I’m supposed to focus on what she’s saying, but I can’t. Correction: Iwillfocus in a moment.
For now, I drink her in. Coco’s got really dark hair and hazel eyes—green and brown rimmed in gold. She’s also got this adorable nose with a little bump on the bridge. And her curves are spectacular—she’s round and soft in all the right places. Just looking at her makes my chest seize.
Not to mention what another body part of mine does.
Are we more than two people working together? Whatever we are, I can’t mess this up like I nearly messed up the resort.
She nods to the foundation. “The materials,” she tells me again.
“What was that?”
She sidles up beside me, and I get a whiff of her scent. She smells so good, like lavender and cedarwood. Like a scent I should remember.
“The foundation is hampering the lines. Limecrete would be a better choice than concrete, and other materials can be used instead of the steel beams.” She wrinkles her nose. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Was I looking at you in some way?”
“Yeah.”
I cock my chin. “How? Do I have resting dickface or something?”
