sorry.”
“You saw the paintings of Feyadine?”
Diem nodded once. “I grew up on stories of the dragon wars, but I thought they were all pretend. In my father’s bedtime stories, Feyadine was the dragon queen who didn’t deserve her crown.”
“Okay, it feels so weird when you call Damon Father. We look the same age!”
Diem giggled. “Strange, right? Have you met Creed?”
“Yeah, I met all of his Gray Backs, too.”
“He’s Damon’s grandson, and Rowan is his great-granddaughter.”
“Stop it.”
“I’m serious. Creed is my—he’s my nephew!” Diem had the case of the giggles right along with Clara now.
“Wait, did he tell you why I’m here?”
“No, but I can guess. Did you sign a certain contract?”
“God no, but I saw it. I negotiated everything. And then I ripped it up.”
“Good for you.”
“We are trying for a baby, though. I hope that’s not weird for you.”
“It would’ve been weird for me if you were just a breeder like my mother had been. Father is still working on payroll, but I cut out early just to meet the woman who has him in such a mood.”
“What kind of mood?”
“He’s smiled and laughed more than I’ve ever seen him do in the span of a few hours. And he’s got his jacket draped over the chair with his shirt sleeves rolled up like a total slouch.”
“Ha!” Clara clapped her hand over her mouth to soften her laughter. “You just wait, Diem. I’ll have him looking like a right proper slob in no time.”
“I heard a rumor,” Diem said low, her words dotted with giggles. “You got him to shotgun a beer? Please tell me that’s true.”
“I totally did!”
“What’s shotgunning a beer?” Harper asked from behind a sandwich she’d stacked a wobbly foot high.
“It’s the game Uncy Denison is always making the boys play when anyone uses the word ‘pivot.’”
“Oh, when they drink out of the bottom?”
“Yeeep,” Diem drawled. She turned to Clara with a wink and murmured, “We’re raising her up real classy.”
“I can see that, and I approve.” Clara studied Harper for a moment, then let her curiosity get the best of her. “Damon told me you’re a hybrid dragon. But he said dragon females…you know…”
“Don’t survive childbirth? We don’t. It’s not like with the bears who stop Changing into their animals during pregnancy. We have to force ourselves not to shift and grow weaker and weaker. I wouldn’t survive carrying a baby to term.”
“I grew in Riley’s tummy,” Harper said matter-of-factly. “I use ta be this big.” She squished her finger and thumb together.
“Oh. Maybe I should ask you about all of this some other time, in private.”
“No, don’t worry about it. We’re very open with Harper. Riley was our surrogate. She is human and had Harper without any problems, and through all of that, she became my best friend and Drew’s mate. She kind of just came in and fit right in with the rest of the Ashe Crew, and now life is unimaginable without her.”
“I get to spend the night with Riley and Drew and their new baby on Friday nights so daddy can take mommy to the movies. I give baby Bethany bottles and help Riley change her diapers.” The mayonnaise she was squirting on top of her towering sandwich made a farting sound. “She has big, smeary poops sometimes.”
“Nice,” Clara said.
“So, I was kind of nervous about meeting you, and now I super like you,” Diem admitted. She pulled a cell phone from her back pocket. “What’s your number? The crews hang out, sometimes for barbecues, sometimes down at Sammy’s Bar in Saratoga. We celebrate birthdays and holidays and all that. Usually, Father declines invitations, but I have a feeling you’ll be shaking things up around here. I’m going to call you with the invites from here on out if that’s okay.”
“Uuum, I would love that. Please do. I had so much fun meeting the Gray Backs the other night.”
“Oh, God, I don’t doubt it.
“You saw the paintings of Feyadine?”
Diem nodded once. “I grew up on stories of the dragon wars, but I thought they were all pretend. In my father’s bedtime stories, Feyadine was the dragon queen who didn’t deserve her crown.”
“Okay, it feels so weird when you call Damon Father. We look the same age!”
Diem giggled. “Strange, right? Have you met Creed?”
“Yeah, I met all of his Gray Backs, too.”
“He’s Damon’s grandson, and Rowan is his great-granddaughter.”
“Stop it.”
“I’m serious. Creed is my—he’s my nephew!” Diem had the case of the giggles right along with Clara now.
“Wait, did he tell you why I’m here?”
“No, but I can guess. Did you sign a certain contract?”
“God no, but I saw it. I negotiated everything. And then I ripped it up.”
“Good for you.”
“We are trying for a baby, though. I hope that’s not weird for you.”
“It would’ve been weird for me if you were just a breeder like my mother had been. Father is still working on payroll, but I cut out early just to meet the woman who has him in such a mood.”
“What kind of mood?”
“He’s smiled and laughed more than I’ve ever seen him do in the span of a few hours. And he’s got his jacket draped over the chair with his shirt sleeves rolled up like a total slouch.”
“Ha!” Clara clapped her hand over her mouth to soften her laughter. “You just wait, Diem. I’ll have him looking like a right proper slob in no time.”
“I heard a rumor,” Diem said low, her words dotted with giggles. “You got him to shotgun a beer? Please tell me that’s true.”
“I totally did!”
“What’s shotgunning a beer?” Harper asked from behind a sandwich she’d stacked a wobbly foot high.
“It’s the game Uncy Denison is always making the boys play when anyone uses the word ‘pivot.’”
“Oh, when they drink out of the bottom?”
“Yeeep,” Diem drawled. She turned to Clara with a wink and murmured, “We’re raising her up real classy.”
“I can see that, and I approve.” Clara studied Harper for a moment, then let her curiosity get the best of her. “Damon told me you’re a hybrid dragon. But he said dragon females…you know…”
“Don’t survive childbirth? We don’t. It’s not like with the bears who stop Changing into their animals during pregnancy. We have to force ourselves not to shift and grow weaker and weaker. I wouldn’t survive carrying a baby to term.”
“I grew in Riley’s tummy,” Harper said matter-of-factly. “I use ta be this big.” She squished her finger and thumb together.
“Oh. Maybe I should ask you about all of this some other time, in private.”
“No, don’t worry about it. We’re very open with Harper. Riley was our surrogate. She is human and had Harper without any problems, and through all of that, she became my best friend and Drew’s mate. She kind of just came in and fit right in with the rest of the Ashe Crew, and now life is unimaginable without her.”
“I get to spend the night with Riley and Drew and their new baby on Friday nights so daddy can take mommy to the movies. I give baby Bethany bottles and help Riley change her diapers.” The mayonnaise she was squirting on top of her towering sandwich made a farting sound. “She has big, smeary poops sometimes.”
“Nice,” Clara said.
“So, I was kind of nervous about meeting you, and now I super like you,” Diem admitted. She pulled a cell phone from her back pocket. “What’s your number? The crews hang out, sometimes for barbecues, sometimes down at Sammy’s Bar in Saratoga. We celebrate birthdays and holidays and all that. Usually, Father declines invitations, but I have a feeling you’ll be shaking things up around here. I’m going to call you with the invites from here on out if that’s okay.”
“Uuum, I would love that. Please do. I had so much fun meeting the Gray Backs the other night.”
“Oh, God, I don’t doubt it.
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