Page 39 of Cruel Daddy Dragon

“What’s up?” I ask.

“Something in my pants pocket jabbed my thigh,” she grunts, rooting around in the pocket.

Sarah spends a second ferreting around in her pocket but then pulls it out and barks a laugh. Before I can question anything, she hands me something.

“Here,” she says.

“What’s this?”

“It was what was sticking me in my leg,” she says, “It’s the ring. I don’t know if it’s yours or if it’s a relic, but here you go.”

She presses it into my hand. A deep shiver runs through me.

“Thanks,” I answer.

“I need to get to work,” she says, then looks at me and pauses.

I wait for a second, and she keeps staring at me, thinking. She makes her decision and leans forward. I wait for her, and her lips touch mine for a second.

After the kiss, she leans back.

“See you later,” she says.

“Yeah. See you later,” I say back.

With that, Sarah leaves the house. That last part… it really felt like a proper marriage for a second there.

I look down at the ring in my hand—the one she found in the cave. My heart drops when I look down at it.

It’s not my ring—I can tell that right now. But it shines in my hand, a dull copper, sending shivers through me the longer I look at it.

Oh, my god. It’s a relic. She actually found a relic! I have to tell everyone right now!

I’m sure the relic will soften the blow of my turning up so late…

Chapter 14 - Sarah

My heart is in the pit of my stomach when I show up so late to work—it’s the first time it’s ever happened. But it all goes better than expected, probably because itisthe first time it’s ever happened. There is one thing that seems to distract everyone more than my being late:

“I can’t believe the sheriff has shown up with ahickey!” Ben cackles.

“I know!” Will answers back, “Who do you think it could be?”

“It has to be one of the boys at Miller Mansion,” Ben says, “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Officers!”I call from my desk, “I can hear you! If you’re going to gossip about your boss, you might want to think about keeping it down!”

Both their heads drop down, and they look back to their computers.

“Sorry, Sheriff,” Will says meekly.

“Yeah. Sorry,” Ben adds.

I try to look back to my own monitor, looking at the report I’m typing up. But I know those two aren’t the only ones who noticed the hickey Rufus left on my neck—and yes, they make a good point; the culprit being one of the newer residents at the Miller Mansion is the only thing that makes sense.

I suppose I didn’t think I’d be able to hide this relationship forever—but I didn’t think at all about it. I was trying to deny it to myself the day before yesterday. What do I do now? There’s no way the news of the hickey isn’t going to become town gossip. But… I suppose at least I’m not the firstsingle lady to get together with the strangers (as far as the town is concerned) at the Miller Mansion. Lena was the first, so she probably bore the brunt of the town’s curiosity and gossip. Julie was the next one, and now me. I should definitely ask those two how they dealt with that.

Hell, I should ask them how they dealt withall of this.This sudden love that’s just overwhelmed me, being independent and uninterested one moment, and crazy in love the next. They’re the only ones who will truly understand, I’m sure.

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