Page 20 of A First for the Playboy Dragon (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #7)

CHAPTER 19

***HARRISON***

H arrison held Juliet’s hand as they walked along the trail leading to the staff housing that Keith, Stella, and a small crew had been building for a little over a month. It was a beautiful location with a pristine sandy beach and beautiful palm trees, but that wasn’t the only thing that made it special. He watched her out of the corner of his eye not wanting to miss the moment she realized what it was, and was rewarded by her eyes going wide.

“Harrison, are those tree houses?” she asked, looking over at him, then back at the trees. “They’re so adorable.”

“They’re not just adorable, they’re functional, just like the cabins we stay in, and they don’t leave much of a footprint on the island,” he said, smiling at her enthusiasm. “It was Stella’s brainchild; she’s an architect, and Keith is a contractor, so what you see is their work; together, they make a formidable pair.”

“Great, now I’m nervous,” she said. “They both sound amazing; I mean, look at this, who wouldn’t want to live here?”

“It’s not quite as perfect as it looks. There are no bathrooms in the treehouses, no running water, and all their power comes from solar panels,” he said. “But Stella and Keith seem to be coping just fine.”

They’d reached the largest of the structures, and he led Juliet to the bottom of a set of retractable steps. “Anyone home up there?” he called. “I’ve brought someone for you to meet.”

A pretty woman poked her head over the top of the stairs. “Harrison, what a surprise,” she said. “Come on up, we were just cleaning the lunch dishes.”

He guided Juliet up the stairs, feeling her tension as they got closer, but Stella gave her a big hug as soon as they got to the top. “Welcome to the family,” she said, smiling at her. “We’re almost complete now that you’ve joined us. I’m Stella, by the way, and this is Keith. That little scamp over there is our son, Jordan.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” she said. “This place is wonderful, I’m completely enchanted by it all.”

Stella beamed at her. “We’re very proud of it,” she said, then looked over at Keith. “I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to leave.”

“Now, Stella, don’t start in again,” Keith said, shaking his head. “Maybe we should offer our guests something to drink; then we might be able to convince them to tell us about the earthquakes.”

“Keith, don’t be so snoopy; Juliet may not feel comfortable discussing her life and love with two total strangers,” Stella said. “How about we take a tour of the grounds instead?”

A look of relief spread across Juliet’s face, “I would love to see everything,” she said. “How many people live here?”

“Just a handful right now, but we’re almost done with six more cabins,” Keith said. “That should have been the end of the project, but Max keeps adding cabins. At this rate, we’ll never get finished.”

“Which is fine with me,” Stella piped up from across the room where she was pulling Jordan out of his highchair. “The longer it takes, the better.”

“Stella wants the baby to be born here,” Keith explained. “She’s bound and determined to make it happen, so I don’t know why I’m fighting it.”

“That’s sweet,” Juliet said. “When is the baby due?”

“I’m only six weeks, so we’ve got a long way to go,” Stella said, rubbing the tiny baby bump under her shirt. “But enough about us, I want to hear all about you, Juliet.”

They chatted easily as they walked around looking at the grounds and the treehouses spaced out in the forest around them, then made their way down to the beach and found some shade. Jordan fussed about getting in the water but eventually settled down in Juliet’s lap while she told him a story, entertaining them all in the process. It was a relaxing few hours, and it was exactly what Juliet needed; some of the strain had disappeared from her face, and her cheeks were a healthy shade of pink.

“It looks like someone is ready for his nap,” Stella said, nodding at the baby, who was almost asleep in Juliet’s arms. “And I have to run into the village to pick up a few supplies.”

“I was just getting comfortable,” Keith complained. “Let’s just take a nap here instead.”

“If you want dinner tonight, a nap is out,” Stella said, nudging him. “Get moving mister, your son needs his bed.”

“We should probably get back too. I need to be down at the dock in a few hours, and Max is waiting for me so we can come up with a plan,” Harrison said. “Keith when the baby wakes up, you should join us.”

“Why don’t you come with me, Juliet,” Stella said. “We can poke around in the shops, then meet the guys later.”

“That sounds like fun,” Juliet said, then looked over at him. “Unless you want me to go with you.”

“You should be safe enough with Stella, but if you see your brother, I want you to come straight to the community center,” he said. “I don’t think they’ll figure out what we’ve done this quickly, but I want you to be on your toes.”

“I will,” she said. “I hope he doesn’t come back. I don’t ever want to see him again.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I know sweetheart,” he said. “I promise this will be over soon.”

***Juliet***

Juliet kissed Harrison goodbye on the edge of the village, then he went one way and she went the other with Stella. “Have you had a chance to check out the shops?” Stella asked. “I have to stop by the grocery store, but then we could look around.”

“I haven’t really had a chance. There’s been so much going on,” she said, feeling a blush rising on her cheeks. “I’m not much of a shopper anyway. Clothes don’t matter to me that much.”

“That’s too bad with a figure like yours, you could pull just about anything off,” Stella said, shaking her head. “Not that I’m complaining. Keith is happy with my curves, and so am I.”

She laughed, then looked over at Stella. “The thing is, I’ve been hiding my body for a long time,” she confessed. “I learned that the best way to stay safe was to blend in, so I tried to attract as little attention to myself as possible; after a while, it just became a habit. I think I’d like to change that. It’s time for me to stop hiding behind baggy clothes and a terrible hairstyle.”

“No one is going to harm a hair on your head with Harrison around,” Stella said, then looked over at her. “Umm…you know about…well…”

“I know,” she said, then leaned in closer. “Harrison had to shift to save me during the earthquake. He’s covered in dark green feathers.”

It felt wrong to talk about it, but Stella just nodded. “Keith is a water dragon,” she whispered. Jordan is, too. That’s why he wanted to go into the water so badly today; he can’t help himself.”

She fell silent, trying to absorb it all. “I know it’s a lot to take in all at once, but it will get easier with time,” Stella said, patting her arm. And I’m always here for you if you need to talk. The same goes for the others. I know you haven’t met them all yet, but we’re all good friends, and you’re going to fit right in.”

“I hope so,” she said, smiling at Stella. “I have a closet full of clothes back in my cabin, but I don’t like any of them. Would you help me pick out a few new things?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Stella said, beaming at her. “And I know the best person to help us out. Come on, I can’t wait for you to meet her. Marie has been in the boys’ lives since they were just kids. She’s like a second mother to them and the wisest woman I’ve ever met; you’re going to love her.”

When they walked into the little shop, she hung back a little, feeling out of place, but a second later, an older woman came out of the back, took one look at her, and let out a cry of excitement. “Oh, you’re finally here, I’ve been waiting and waiting,” Marie said, rushing over to her. “Let me look at you. I always wondered what the woman who finally captured Harrison’s heart would look like.”

She blushed under the older woman’s scrutiny. “Beautiful on the inside and the outside just like all the rest. My boys, they have good taste in women,” Marie finally said, grinning at her. “Now come with me. You need some new clothes. It’s time for you to come out of your shell, my little turtle.”

Juliet looked over at Stella for help, but she just shrugged her shoulders and gestured for her to follow Marie into the back. “I was thinking about changing my look, a little,” she said. “I don’t know about coming out of my shell.”

Marie made a dismissive noise. “You are a very beautiful woman. It’s time you let the world see the real you,” she said. “We’ll start with regular clothes first, and then I have a few ideas for your wedding dress.”

“Wedding dress?” she squeaked. “Marie, I’m not getting married, Harrison and I…well, this is all so new, marriage hasn’t even come up. The idea would probably scare him off.”

“Harrison is anything but a coward,” Marie said, smiling at her patiently. “When he finds out about the baby, he will want to marry you.”

“Baby, what baby?” she asked, shaking her head. “There’s no baby.”

Marie walked over to her. “I’m sorry, I spoiled the surprise. I’m always doing that,” she said, cupping Juliet’s face in her hand. But there is a baby. I saw it in my dreams. It’s one of my gifts.”

“Right now?” she whispered. “I’m pregnant right now?”

“Yes, little one, you’re carrying Harrison’s child,” Marie said. “Do you need to sit down?”

“I think so,” she said, looking over at Stella, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“I’ll get you something cold to drink,” Marie said, guiding her over to a couch. “You sit here and catch your breath. I really have to stop doing this.”

Stella came over and sat beside her. “Are you okay?” she asked. “That must have been quite a shock.”

“Do you think she’s right?” she asked, then groaned when Stella nodded. “What am I going to do? I don’t think Harrison is going to be happy about this.”

“Of course he will be, he loves you,” Stella said. “He might be shocked at first, but after it wears off, he’ll be thrilled, just wait and see. Besides, it gives you one more thing in common with the rest of us.”

She looked over at Stella. “You mean…all of you…” she stammered. “You’re all pregnant?”

Stella nodded, “I guess I should have thought about warning you,” she said, then grinning. “But I think it would have been too late.”

“How am I going to tell him?” she asked. “There’s so much else going on, I don’t want to distract him.”

“You’ll find the right time,” Stella said, patting her hand. “It will all work out, you’ll see.”

Marie came back in and handed her a cold glass of juice. “Drink that, you’ll feel better, and then it’s makeover time,” she said. “We’re going to dazzle that man of yours so much it won’t matter what you say to him.”

An hour later, she was sitting in a chair, a towel draped around her neck, her hair falling down her back as Marie slowly brushed it out. “We’re just going to take off some length and put a few layers in,” she said, holding the scissors up. “Frame your face with some bangs, maybe; you’ll love it.”

“Okay, I’m ready,” she said, closing her eyes. “Go for it.”

When she was finished, Marie let out a grunt of satisfaction. “You’re perfect,” she said, pulling Juliet up out of the chair and over to a mirror. “Look at the beautiful woman we found under all that.”

In her new clothes, her hair falling in waves over her shoulders and down her back, she almost didn’t recognize herself. “Oh, is that really me?” she asked, turning her head back and forth. “I look so different.”

Both women laughed. “You look beautiful,” Stella said. “Harrison is going to lose it when he sees you.”

When they walked into the community center, Max, Harrison, and Keith were waiting for them in the lobby, lounging on the couches and watching Jordan playing with a pile of toys. At first none of them looked over at the two women, but then Harrison picked up his head, his eyes widened with surprise, then quickly filled with desire. The other men noticed his reaction and turned around, then looked back over at Harrison, a smile on their faces.

Harrison slowly got to his feet, an uncomfortable look on his face. He marched over to her, grabbed her by the hand, and started dragging her down the hallway. “Excuse us for a second,” he barked. I need to talk to Juliet.”