Page 9 of Heart of a Hero

“Akira called.”

And there it was. My two “girl” friends had been chatting behind my back. I should have known. “She talks too much.”

“She’s excited. Can you blame her? I can’t remember the last time you dated someone and now you have a woman and her kid in your apartment? This is huge, Dawson.”

I rubbed my eyes. “Isy, I’m just helping them out. They lost everything tonight, and didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Uh-huh. Look, Dawson, you may not be an official Dixie Reaper, but it’s in your blood.”

I sighed. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look at all our parents. Well, maybe not Akira’s. Wraith didn’t pull his head out of his ass until it was nearly too late. Then again, use him as an example. Do you want this woman to slip through your fingers?”

“Would you stop playing matchmaker? Don’t you have better things to do with your time? In fact, what does Rebel think of you calling me this damn late?” I asked.

I heard her snort. “He’ll deal. Besides, he’s in the doghouse.”

“I hope you don’t mean a literal one.” With her, anything was possible. “What did he do this time?”

“Told me I couldn’t have the most adorable little tortoise at the pet store.”

I stared out the living room window as I tried to process her words. “As in something that’s probably the size of your hand now, but will need a barn and acre of fenced yard later?”

“It wouldn’t getthatbig. About the size of a house cat. Just wider.” I heard the defensiveness in her voice and knew Rebel had already pointed out the potential issues with getting something that could be a large pet later. Never mind their long lifespans.

“Give the guy a break, Isy. He’s thinking long-term. Something you can’t seem to do when it comes to anything you want.”

“Fine. You may have a point. But stop changing the subject! About this woman…”

“Goodnight, Isy.” I didn’t give her a chance to say anything else before I hung up.

I had no idea what tomorrow would bring, much less the days following. I’d meant it when I told Nora she could stay here as long as she needed to. Besides, the way I was drawn to Nora sounded like the same thing my parents had been through, and my grandfather, Bull, with his wife Darian -- who refused to let us call her Grandma. They were also Isy’s parents, which technically made her my aunt, but it had been too fucking weird to call her that. Instead, I just considered her my best friend, and my family.

Jesus. I’d never be able to explain all this to anyone. How the hell was I going to get married and have a family when mine was so screwed up? The average person would take one look at the Dixie Reapers and run the other way.

But that was a problem for another day. For now, I just needed to get through tonight and the next few days. With my thoughts racing about what life could be like with Nora and Taylor living here permanently, and being mine, I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me.

Chapter Three

Nora

I let out a long sigh as Dawson closed the apartment door behind him. The tension drained from my shoulders and a wave of relief washed over me. With Dawson home, I felt safer. He’d left early this morning to pick up some groceries, insisting he needed more food in the apartment with a growing girl staying here. Personally, I thought he’d only gone out after he’d heard Taylor ask about her favorite cereal and snacks. I spied both in the sacks he carried in.

Dawson touched my arm. “Hey, you okay?”

His blue eyes searched mine with concern. How could he be so damn nice? I’d never met anyone like him before. I nodded, mustering a small smile.

“Yeah. It’s just… I guess I’m still processing everything from last night.”

Dawson guided me over to the couch. “Why don’t you sit and rest for a bit? I’ll put the groceries away and get us something to drink. Where’s Taylor?”

“She fell asleep again. I think she was exhausted from escaping the fire last night.”

As he headed to the small kitchen, I sank onto the cushions and tucked my legs up, wrapping my arms around them. For the first time in longer than I could remember, the knot of anxiety in my chest began to loosen.

My hand drifted to my belly, cradling the small bump. “It’s going to be okay,” I whispered to the tiny life inside me. “We’re going to be okay.”

For once, I actually started to believe it. I hadn’t even told Dawson about the baby yet, but I knew I needed to. It was only right he understood he hadn’t just taken in two people, but three. Although, I was barely pregnant. We’d probably be long gone before I even started to show. I should be grateful we had a place to sleep for now. I’d most likely need to figure out something soon. Even if he said it wasn’t a rush for us to leave, I didn’t want to take advantage of him. Just the same, what if something went wrong with my pregnancy? If he didn’t know about it, then he wouldn’t know what type of help I might need.

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