“I couldn’t stop screaming, which wasn’t helpful.”
Angel had already endured far too many hugs and pats since showing up at the Grove Keeper meeting. Everyone wanted to know if Taryn and the Acorns were okay. Then it seemed there was going to be a real-time recounting of the night’s events.
Denise finally got them all to sit down.
“We have a lot of end-of-year business to discuss,” she said. “Next Saturday is the parade. All the groves will be marching together. Once again Plants for the Planet is kind enough to donate the wreaths for everyone to wear. So if you need a new plant or want to take someone flowers, please give them your business and tell them how much we all appreciate their support.”
“Wreaths?” Angel asked the Grove Keeper sitting next to him.
“Like little crowns,” the woman told him. “They have ribbons flowing down the back. They’re completely adorable. Each grove has its own color. The girls love being in the parade. At the end, they get their family bead and then move up to the next level of FWM. Later, there’s a graduation ceremony for the girls who are now leaving the organization.”
“Thanks,” Angel said, thinking he really had to read the entire Grove Keeper Handbook. But every time he went past the Acorn pages, he found something that made him uncomfortable. Like lessons on the feminine cycle.
Thinking about that reminded him of how Taryn had laughed when he’d first mentioned it. She’d pointed out he wouldn’t have to deal with any cycles for a while and that if it came up, she would handle it. Only that wasn’t going to happen now. She wouldn’t be around. Not in the FWM. He’d made sure of that.
It had been over a week, he thought grimly. He’d caught sight of her twice but was pretty sure she hadn’t seen him. Which was how he wanted things. Fool’s Gold was small enough that eventually they would run into each other, but he would prefer that to be later rather than sooner.
Thinking about her made him wonder how she was. If she was doing okay. He hoped so. He wanted her to be happy. There was a part of him that wanted her to be happy with him. Only he knew...
His gut twisted as longing washed over him. He missed her more than he would have thought possible. He missed her laugh, her humor, her shrewd intelligence. He missed how she loved her “boys” and terrorized them at the same time. Probably because that reminded him of Consuelo, who was like family to him. He missed her sassy walk, her ridiculous shoes and the way she smelled. He wanted her in his arms and his bed and he wanted to be able to tell her that, yes, he loved her, too.
Only he couldn’t. He got it—the irony. That he could save her from a flood only to dump her because she’d been stupid enough to fall for him. Talk about a hero. He’d gotten her to trust him, then punished her for doing just that.
He wanted to tell her that he’d done it for her own good. That he wasn’t anyone she should count on. He hadn’t been able to protect Marie and Marcus and he sure as hell couldn’t protect her.
Only this was Taryn and he knew that she would tell him she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She didn’t want a knight in shining armor; she wanted a partner. Someone she could count on. She would say she believed in him.
The problem was, he couldn’t believe in himself. Not enough to risk her.
Mayor Marsha walked into the meeting. She spoke to Denise before addressing the Grove Keepers.
“I’ve talked to all the parents,” the mayor said. “Everyone appreciates how well the unexpected flash flood was handled. You especially, Angel.”
All the Grove Keepers turned to look at him. Denise smiled as if he’d just done something brilliant.
“You went back into danger,” the mayor continued. “Risking your own life to save our girls.” Her expression shifted to stern. “I hope you’ll be talking to Chloe and Regan about following instructions.”
“I already have,” he assured her. “We’re also discussing it at the grove meeting.”
“Good.” Mayor Marsha shook her head. “The flash flood surprised everyone. The storm wasn’t supposed to park over the mountains. We were very fortunate. The situation could have been much worse.” She sighed wearily. “I don’t like to think about how bad it could have been. We really need to get serious about a search-and-rescue group in town.” She smiled at them. “But that is not for you to worry about. Thank you, everyone. You handled our emergency extremely well.”
With that, she nodded and left.