Dragon Protector (Dragon Dreams)

by Tabitha St. George

  Willow walked over and pressed her hands down on the counter top and Poppy had to resist every pull that was screaming inside of her to turn and look at them both head on. She continued to look down at the ground and sip her wine slowly, her eyes flitting every so often to the very corners to try and catch a glimpse of him again.

  “Thanks, Boss,” Willow said. “Maybe Jimmy can come by and set it up next week.” She wiped her hands on an old dishcloth and threw it down behind the bar.

  Boss…

  The word reverberated around Poppy’s mind and she felt herself sighing with relief as the tension left her body. Willow knew him because she worked for him… Now this was getting interesting.

  Poppy still resisted the urge to turn and smile, but she could feel the man’s eyes on her and now Willow’s too.

  “Something caught your eye, Arlo?” Willow said teasingly, and finally Poppy had to give in and turn her eyes up to meet them.

  He was stood with his arm against the rough wood of the counter top and he was leaning casually and effortlessly. He looked so cool and at ease, it was as if he knew the place inside out, and with what Willow had just alluded to, it made perfect sense why.

  Arlo… He wasn’t just the manager, the diner was his.

  Poppy smiled sheepishly and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. After being so confident when she had seen him in the gas station earlier that day, she suddenly felt exposed, on show, and desperately self-conscious.

  “I saw you before,” he said with his deep, smooth voice.

  And Poppy nodded and bit her bottom lip.

  “Oh, you two have met?” Willow chipped in as she leaned in between them with a big smile on her face. “Well, that’s cute! This here is Poppy, she’s in Lost Creek on vacation and just arrived today.”

  “Poppy…” he smiled and whispered her name.

  As the words left his lips, they sent shivers down her spine and she had to look down to compose herself.

  “This is Arlo,” Willow said, “and as you can probably guess by the name of this joint, he is the man in charge.”

  He shrugged and scratched behind his ear.

  “Yes, that’s me…large and in charge,” he joked and Willow let out a loud, hearty laugh.

  Poppy giggled and brushed her hair behind her other ear nervously. She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to fidget, and she didn’t know what to do with her hands. To compensate, she reached for her wine glass again and took another sip.

  Arlo’s eyes were heavy and on her. His whole presence was strong and intense and it shook her to the bone. In almost perfect timing, the trucker on the other side of him paid up and got to his feet before tilting his cap, and as he walked away, Arlo reached out and grabbed the high stool he had been sitting on, and pulled it down beneath him. He sat there and nodded to behind the counter.

  “I could do with a beer,” he said. “It’s been a long day so far.”

  Willow smiled and reached down into one of the refrigerators and when she passed him back the bottle, Poppy watched with half awe and half complete lust as he ripped the top from it with his teeth. He licked his lips and took a long, drawn out swig and then rested the bottle back down between his hands.

  Willow moved away and began to serve a new set of customers and Poppy felt as if she and he were the only two people in the room. Everything else around them seemed to evaporate, the noise and movement around them blurred into obscurity.

  “So you’re here with your family?” he asked her as he looked down at her with those deep, brown eyes.

  “Yes, my parents and my kid brother,” Poppy said with a nod. “I agreed to come just for the break, but as soon as I got into the car with them, I realized it was likely a mistake…”

  He laughed, “Does that explain the daytime drinking?”

  Poppy smiled and nodded. “It sure does,” she said. “I just had to get out of there for a bit, and I guess it’s always good to get an idea of where you are.”

  “I’m the same,” he agreed. “Whenever I travel, the first thing I do is get a lay of the land.”

  Poppy had never thought of it like that before, but she knew exactly what he meant. It was good to scope out new surroundings and to know as much as possible. Knowledge was always power.

  “And how long are you in town for?” he asked as he took another drink.

  “Just for a week,” she said. “I’m sure I could do with a longer break, but when it comes down to it, I’ll probably be more than ready to get away from the family by then.”

  Arlo laughed and looked at her warmly.

  “I’m sure they’re not all that bad,” he said.

  “Hmm,” Poppy smiled thoughtfully. “I guess not, they just have their moments.”

  He nodded and looked behind him as the door opened and let in a bright stream of light from outside. In the doorway stood three big shadows and Arlo smiled and nodded in their direction. Poppy squinted as she tried to see their faces, but they were silhouetted and all she could make out was that they all looked big and burly just like him. They were so similar, in fact, it was as if they could be brothers.

  Arlo looked back to Poppy, downed the last of his beer and then rose to his feet.

  “It was great to meet you, Poppy,” he smiled as he touched her hand lightly. “I hope I see you in here again later…” His fingers were lingering on top of her hand and his touch was electric. His skin against hers felt like it was on fire and she swallowed hard to stop herself from shaking and stammering over her words. This moment of first touch felt different to anything she had ever know. Her eyes met his again and she felt something strong forge between them. Something binding and something very real.

  When she couldn’t think of anything to say, because she was so taken aback, he smiled at her again and winked.

  “I’ll be back in here all evening, call in if you can…” He trailed his fingertips away and turned to walk toward the three big men who had now moved into the bar area of the diner and were all in deep conversation. Poppy looked down again and breathed out deeply, her heart was racing and even though there was no reason for her to feel nervous, she felt as if she were walking along a cliff edge.

  There was something about him that was unnerving, even though she could tell deep down he was nothing but good. There was a danger to him, an edge that was mysterious and wild, but she couldn’t place it. Around the edge of her consciousness, the words feral and predatory played around… but in a good way. In a very good way indeed. She chewed the inside of her mouth as she watched him shake hands with the other men who seemed so like him, and then they all turned and walked to a door at the very back of the room, almost hidden behind the bar, and disappeared out of sight.

  Poppy picked up her glass and drank the remainder of her wine and then she waved toward Willow. She smiled back at her and made her way over and leaned across with her arms on the counter.

  “You want another or are you done?” she asked warmly.

  “I think I’m done, for now, anyway,” Poppy trailed off.

  “Want me to cork it for you?” Willow asked as she picked up the bottle and held it up between them.

  Poppy shook her head. She didn’t want to go back to the cabin with a half empty bottle of wine. She had the feeling her parents would be pissed enough as it was seeing as she had pretty much ditched them the second they had got to town. “No thanks,” she sighed. “But what time do you guys close?”

  Willow grinned and shrugged, “Whenever we feel like it really. Depends how the crowd is, what else is happening in town… If Arlo fancies locking in and letting his friends have a private party…” She wiggled her eyebrows mischievously and Poppy smiled, she liked the sound of that.

  “Well, I’ll come back later,” she said as she got to her feet. “I like it in here…”

  “And he likes you…” Willow said.

  Poppy stopped in her tracks and turned back around. Willow’s eyes were bright and glinting underneath the low light
s, they seemed full of mischief and games.

  “You think?” Poppy asked.

  “I know…” Willow confirmed.

  Poppy was speechless for a moment. She had no idea if this girl was anything more to Arlo than a treasured employee, but she didn’t want to risk saying anything that may dampen her chances, she knew how bitchy girls could be.

  “Well, I’ll see you later,” Poppy smiled, trying to brush off what had just been said between them. “So lovely to meet you, Willow.”

  Willow smiled back and waved.

  “And you,” she nodded. “Hope to see you later!”

  Poppy nodded and headed for the door. As she pushed it open and stepped out into the daylight, she shielded her eyes and blinked. She hadn’t realized how dark it had been in there, but now that she was back out in the open and she could see the town in all of its glory again, she realized what an idyllic place it must be to live. She felt on edge and unnerved by Willow’s assured attitude, but Poppy had to remind herself that she wasn’t at college anymore, and not all girls wanted to stab you in the back.

  “Some people are just genuinely nice,” she whispered to herself as she started to walk back down Main Street and head toward the road that took her up to her cabin. “And it’s about time you stopped being so wary of every single person you come into contact with.”

  It was a habit that was going to be hard to break, but she knew, for her own sanity, she was going to have to give it all she had.

  She walked back to the cabin feeling slightly merrier than she had been when she had left earlier in the day, but a heavy tiredness was also creeping through her and pulling her down. She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. It was almost six p.m. and she could hear some of the cabins all around the mountain livening up. Music drifted out across the woodland, along with the sounds of cheers and laughter.

  Poppy couldn’t help but think of the big, comfortable bed waiting for her back at her own cabin, but she didn’t want to climb into bed and miss a potentially rocking night at Arlo’s. The man himself had said that he hoped he would see her again, and she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn’t go along and see what Main Street was like at night.

  She rounded a corner and she could see her cabin ahead. Her mom and dad were out on the veranda, sat at a table and uncorking a bottle of wine of their own. She could also see James right at the other end of the deck, past the hot tub, lying on a sun lounger with his headphones on, tapping his feet along to the beat. They all looked relaxed and calm, without a care in the world, and it made Poppy feel even better.

  Maybe this vacation is all we need to get along again, she thought as she waved up to them and then approached the main door and pushed it open. Maybe we’ll bond and go back home with a clean slate… And although she didn’t quite believe it, she couldn’t help but hope.

  “How was town?” James asked as Poppy stepped out onto the veranda, pulling off his headphones.

  “Good,” she beamed. “It’s such a gorgeous little place. Really picturesque and by the looks of things, lots to do.”

  “Where did you go?” her dad asked from the other end of the deck.

  “Just a little place called Arlo’s… It was half diner and half bar… Quite cool, really.”

  “Sounds… charming…” her mom said waspishly.

  Poppy fought back the urge to roll her eyes.

  “Well, whilst you were off gallivanting we’ve all eaten and unpacked,” her mother continued. “So whenever you’re ready to move your mess… Your case is still in the hallway.” She didn’t look up to Poppy, she kept her eyes fixed on the magazine that she was reading and with a pang of annoyance, Poppy realized it was the copy of Cosmo that she had bought back at the gas station.

  She wanted to stay and fight, she wanted to snatch the magazine right out of her cold, rigid hands, but she wouldn’t. She would rise above it and would never be the reason that a big family feud broke out on their first day in Lost Creek.

  “Well, I’ll get sorted now then,” Poppy said instead, her voice sickly sweet. And then she turned on her heel and stormed back into the house. She grabbed her suitcase from the middle of the living room and started to drag it behind her.

  She walked along the long wooden hallways and listened to her heels clicking along the pine. She was raging with anger, but she was determined not to rise to the bait. She and her mother hadn’t always been this way, Poppy could still remember a time when they had gotten along and it made her sad to rake over the memories. So much had changed, and she didn’t even know why.

  When she got to her room at the end of the corridor, she pushed open the door and closed it behind her. She heaved the case inside and up onto the bed and unzipped it. As it pinged open and she looked at all of her clothes inside, she knew that it would take her a while to organize everything but that it would be worth it. She thought back to Arlo, and to his big, brown eyes, his broad shoulders, his stubbly chin and the way he was so tall and muscular, it was almost as if he were a giant. Back at home, she never saw men like him and was surprised at how fast her attraction had grown for him. He was all she could think about and already, the features of his face were slipping away, so much so that she was desperate to see him again.

  She pulled all of her clothes out of the case and dashed over to the closet. As she hung them up, she eyed each and every piece she had with her and mentally tried to put together outfits for the entire week ahead, for each and every occasion. When it came to that evening, she was going to have to pick wisely. She wanted to look drop dead gorgeous, and yet, like she had made little to no effort. She chewed the inside of her cheek with nerves and raked the hangers back and looked at a long black skirt that she had with her. She hadn’t thought that when she had come to the mountains that she would need something like that, but maybe it would come in handy after all. With a black crop top and a crocheted cardigan, she was bound to look incredibly boho and free-spirited and nothing at all like the mountain girls that wandered around Lost Creek. And if there was anything Poppy knew, it was that she needed to stand out and be different if she wanted to reel in her man.

  Lost Creek was a small town, and although she was still battling to get back her confidence, Poppy knew that Arlo had seen something in her that he liked, and that she could win him if she wanted him.

  She held the outfit up against her again and smiled in the mirror. She could do this, she knew she could… It was time for her to shine.

  5.

  The sun had set whilst Poppy sat out on the veranda on the side of the hot tub, with her feet dangling in the warm water. She looked out at all of the twinkling lights of Lost Creek and smiled. It really was a lovely little town, and its warm buzz was pulling her back down and into its folds.

  The noise from revelers down on Main Street drifted up the mountain to meet her and she tried to subdue the butterflies that were ferociously fluttering inside of her belly.

  Come on Poppy, she coached herself, you’ve got nothing to be nervous of…

  Behind her, she heard the sound of her mother storming down the hallway, calling for her father and for James to hurry and get ready for dinner. It was late for them to be leaving and going out to find a restaurant, but Poppy didn’t mind. She had no intention of joining them anyway.

  She rose to her feet and felt the long skirt swish down around her ankles. She ran her hand through her hair to fluff it up slightly and took a deep breath. Now that she was up and moving, she didn’t feel so apprehensive anymore. She looked through the tall windows and at her mother stood beyond them and their glare in the kitchen. The way the lights were so bright in there meant that it was probably impossible for her to see Poppy, and yet, it gave Poppy herself a rare moment of observing the woman who had brought her into the world, without all of the snarls and aggression that had been spewing from her as of late. She looked almost innocent in there on her own, but with a strange pull that was as if she had some kind of sixth sense, her
eyes suddenly rose and fixed on Poppy. Whether her mother could see her or not, she knew that she was there, and the cold, hardness returned to her eyes and it made Poppy shiver. Whatever had happened to her mom, there was no love for her there anymore. And although it made Poppy desperately sad, she was determined that it wasn’t going to affect her confidence anymore.

  Just being away from home, in a new environment was already having a positive effect, and she was feeling much brighter and enthusiastic for the future. Without telling her mom, brother, or dad where she was going, she turned on her heel and walked off and out into the night.

  Main Street was heaving when she reached the end and started on her slow walk down toward the diner. All of the lights twinkled and made the town look even more like a winter wonderland fairy tale, and it reminded Poppy of something she had once seen in a Disney film. For all that it was a brisk night, she felt warm inside and the slight chill in the air didn’t bother her in the slightest. She walked with her arms swinging free and a confidence that she hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

  When she reached the middle of Main Street and saw the warm, red glow of the neon sign of Arlo’s, she felt the butterflies reawaken inside her belly. She bit her lip and suppressed a grin as she approached and stood outside the door.

  Men and women were hanging around on the stoop, some were smoking and all of them were drinking. From their accents, and what she had heard from both Willow and Arlo, they sounded local. But there was also a smattering of people walking around the streets and some outside the diner that were definitely from elsewhere, no doubt in town on vacation just like her. She made her way through them slowly and smiled shyly. As she reached the door and pushed it open, a blast of music hit her straight away and she could see a band playing in one of the corners and people jumping up and dancing around them.

  Poppy looked toward the bar and was relieved to see Willow was still behind it. The crowd was busy and she was in the middle of a ton of people all barking orders at her for both food and drinks.