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He was getting his tie straightened out when Tabby called him.

“I won’t keep you long, but I have two questions.

What do you know about the Walsh family, and how much do you know about dragon shifters?

” Earl answered both questions with a short I don’t know to both.

“Yeah, I have a rundown on their background from the check we did on them, but nothing personal. I like them all, but Edgar says that he’s my mate, that he belongs to me, or something along those lines. ”

“That’s the way it should be. That he belongs to you.

” She asked him why. “Did he say that he owns you? No, he didn’t.

That sounds to me like he’s telling you that he’s not going to be ruling you around or anything like that.

You also don’t have to worry about him, just being out for your money.

He has a great deal more than we’ll ever have. Why? Did something happen?”

“I’m having dinner with him tonight if I can find my clothes so that we can talk and get to know one another.

Mandy is staying with Mom and Dad tonight.

I’m all for it, but I got to thinking. I don’t even know what sort of questions to ask him about being a wealthy man/dragon.

Would you?” He was in his car when he told her that he’d just let things flow.

“Yeah, I figured that if he didn’t tell me something that I want to know, I can just keep at him until he does. Dad doesn’t believe he’s a dragon.”

“He told me.” Starting his car, he sat there thinking for a minute. “Dad wants to see his dragon. I’m assuming that at some point, you’ll see him, too. Just tell Dad what you’ve seen, and he’ll be thrilled. But I have a date.”

“Good for you. I’m happy for you. All right, I’ll get off here with you.

Tomorrow, we’ll compare notes on how our dates go.

But you sound less than thrilled about yours, and I’m excited and nervous about mine.

I love you, Earl.” He told her that he loved her as well.

“Really, you have fun tonight, and I’ll try very hard not to piss off my dragon. ”

He was still laughing when he finally put the car into drive and headed to Donna’s home. He’d bet anything that Tabby’s date would be more fun, so he decided to have as much fun as he could as well. He didn’t want his little sister to have more fun than him on a stupid date.

As soon as she opened her door, he knew that it wasn’t going to work out.

He wasn’t looking for long-term, but he was looking for someone to be able to have a nice dinner with or go to the movies with.

Donna was dressed in a dress that was fit for high society, and he was in jeans, a shirt, and tie.

“I thought that you’d be more dressed up.” He asked her why they were just having dinner. “You said that we were going to dinner, and I thought that we’d try one of the nicer restaurants in town. Someplace that we can be seen.”

“I don’t understand.” But he did. She wanted to be seen with him as a potential mate or whatever she was calling them. “I’m pretty sure that people will see us at Hudson’s. You might be slightly overdressed, but we can still have fun. I think that Friday nights are line dancing night.”

“I don’t know how to line dance. Do you?

” He didn’t but nodded at her anyway. It didn’t seem that hard, and he figured he’d give it a shot just to have a bit of fun with her.

“Well, I don’t want to go there. As I said, I wanted to go someplace special.

Like with a wine list and cloth napkins. Hudson’s is mostly a bar, isn’t it?”

“They have one, yes. But I think their menu is pretty extensive, too. I’ve been there a few times.

” And while he did enjoy himself. He’d only been with his sister and brother, and Tabby could make anything fun.

“If you don’t want to go out, that’s all right too.

I think that we had a miscommunication about this date all the way around, don’t you? ”

“You had a miscommunication. I knew what I wanted when you asked me out.” She still hadn’t come out of her house, and he was getting bored with standing on her porch. “I want to go someplace nicer than Hudson’s. If you want to go home and change, we can start over.”

“I don’t have reservations anywhere.” She huffed at him. “I don’t know why you thought that we’d be going someplace nicer than Hudson’s when this is our first date.”

“Because you have money.” And there it was.

The tell all of dates, he has money, and she wanted a bit of it.

Even if it was on a date. “I’m not going to Hudson’s with you.

In fact, I think this whole dating thing isn’t going to work out for either of us.

Unless you go home and change into something better, I’m going to go inside and be pissy with you until you make things right for us. ”

“Okay, first of all, there is no us. I asked you out because I thought you’d be fun. Secondly, just because I asked you out doesn’t mean that I’m going to be spending hundreds of dollars on you on a first date. This is for us to get to know one another to see if there is another date.”

“Well. I never.” He was actually happy that she was showing her true colors now instead of during dinner.

“I’m going to let it be known to all my friends that you’re a cheapskate when it comes to having a date with.

To think that I got all dressed up for you only to be disappointed.

Well, go home. I’m going to make it so you never find another date so long as you’re alive.

” He couldn’t help himself. He asked her if that meant that he wasn’t going to get a good night kiss.

She slammed the door in his face for an answer.

~*~

Tabby met him at the door when he rang her doorbell.

“I’ve only just moved into my house, and I can’t find any of my dress-up clothing.

So I thought that we’d just eat here. I made pasta.

Is that all right?” He grinned at her, and she smiled back.

“I guess I could have been nicer in the way I answered the door. But I really have been living out of boxes for the last two days, and it’s not going as well as one might think. ”

“It’s fine. I think it would be a lot less chaotic if we just ate here. And I love pasta.” She allowed him to come in and took his jacket. “It’s supposed to rain later tonight, so I brought a jacket to wear.” He shook his head. “I’m nervous, too, if you can’t tell.”

“I’ve been on pins and needles all day. Thank you for putting me at ease.” She asked him to sit in the living room. “The plant is coming along nicely. I was there most of the day. I would have come home earlier, but I got caught up in the shelves going up and forgot the time.”

“I’ve been working on several projects for my parents.

They’re the ones that are working with Amy and my brother in the food distribution.

They were inspected this morning, and they got an ‘a’ reading, so that’s all good.

How was your day otherwise getting caught up in the day?

” She told him how she’d been in touch with her family now that they’d all gone home.

“I bet you already miss them. I know I would my family if we were that far apart.”

“I do miss having them around so that I can talk to them when I want. I bet that you guys are forever in touch with each other with that shifter thing.” He told her that they use it a great deal. “Is there any kind of limit on how far away you can be when you talk to them?”

“No. My mom is the queen of the land and in another realm. I can talk to her, and I do talk to her anytime that I want. We’re a very close family.

” She asked him about his mom being the queen of the other land.

Her fear hiked up a bit. She didn’t need a madman in her life again.

She was still getting over what Levi did to her.

“I want you to meet them all. I know that you think I’m a little off, but I assure you that I am a dragon and that my mother is the queen of faeries and other creatures.

In fact, I have one of them for you. Here.

This is Punch. He’s been able to pick his name because he’s going to hang out with you to keep you safe. ”

There was nothing in his hand, and she was getting more nervous by the second.

She liked him and didn’t want him to be off his meds.

Standing up when the timer went off, she was moving toward the kitchen when she saw a flash of something go by her.

Before she could get her bearings, something flashed by her once again.

“He’s working to get you to see him. His name is Punch, and if you’d have a seat, I’ll check on dinner for you.

” When he stood up, he took her hand into his and put it out like something was going to be put into it.

Watching her hand, fearful of him hurting her, she looked up at Edgar when he said her name.

“He’s yellow and blue. He’ll protect you from any harm that comes your way by just being with you.

Look at him. He’s right there in the palm of your hand, Tabby. I promise you, I’m not crazy.”

“I don’t know what to do.” She looked at her hand and saw something that was blue and sparkling. “Edgar, there is glitter in my hand. Did you do that?”

“I didn’t. You’re beginning to see him now. He’s very sparkly. Punch has blue and yellow wings, too, that are fluttering quickly on his back. He’s about four inches tall and very nice. I promise you, he’s as real as I am. As real as you are, too.”

She saw him then, a little man was standing on her hand and smiling at her. When her knees got weaker, she felt rather than saw Edgar move to help her be seated. He was telling her that he had her while this little person stood on her hand and watched her.

“I can see him,” she whispered to Edgar. “He’s right here in my hand. And he’s very blue and yellow. Like neon blue and yellow.”