Page 38 of Perfectly Petite Shorts (Perfect Pixie)

“I know.” The wind hid my heavy sigh. “I cannot allow Jamila’s land—her heart and soul—to be destroyed.

Apartments,” I huffed. “As if there aren’t enough places for others to live.

” I honestly didn’t know if that was true or not.

My very nature made understanding such things impossible.

Why did anyone need a solid structure to call home when sleeping under the stars was so much better?

“It’ll be a tough fight.” Lilibeth stroked her hand down my bark.

“I’m not saying that to be discouraging.

But facts are facts. Jamila left the land to her children, so by all rights, it’s up to them to decide what to do with it.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t fight tooth and nail to stop them.

Ungrateful little shits.” Lilibeth muttered the last under her breath.

A gentle rain pattered against my leaves, and I twisted my branches, offering increased cover for my guest. “The air is heavy with rain, Lilibeth. You should head home soon.”

Lilibeth waved off my concern. “A little rain never hurt anyone. If it gets too heavy or uncomfortable I can be home with a thought.”

Brownies were like that. There one second and gone within the blink of an eye.

“I’ll stick around a bit longer. Magic knows this view may not always be here.”

“It will if I have a say.”

“Then let’s hope that fairy lawyer takes your case and kicks Jamila’s kids’ asses in court. If you make it that far, I’ll be sitting behind you, cheering on your cause.”

“Thank you, Lilibeth. You are a good friend.”

“Jamila was a better one,” Lilibeth argued. Her voice was heavier than the rain when she sadly said, “I miss her.”

“So do I.” Wrapping my limbs around her, I scooped Lilibeth up, holding her off the ground and nestling her against my trunk. Lilibeth’s small arms wrapped around me as her cheek nestled into my bark.

“I wish she could have seen what you became. Jamila would have loved you all the more. ”

My heart ached and my branches dipped even further. Had anyone ventured upon us, they would have assumed I was a weeping cherry tree. At that moment, they wouldn’t have been wrong.

T his time, I didn’t hesitate when I walked through Hamish McIntyre’s office door.

The entrance was just as drab and empty as the day before.

No one sat behind the reception desk, making me wonder what the point of it was.

I mean, if one were simply supposed to ring the bell, a small side table would work just fine.

Arm raised, I held my finger above the bell, ready to tap the damn thing again. I’d do it a hundred and one times if that was the way to summon Hamish.

“Do not touch that bell.”

I jerked my hand back, fisting my fingers, my heart racing and my eyes wide.

“I…I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” Hamish stood just in front of his office door.

His darkened eyes and pinched eyebrows threatened imminent death if I so much as nudged the bell on the counter.

“How long have you been here? Am I late?” I couldn’t remember us settling on an exact time.

Come back tomorrow morning really wasn’t all that specific.

Hamish’s cocked eyebrow twitched. Ignoring my question, he turned on his heel and ordered, “Come.”

I bristled. He’d spoken to me as if I were little more than a pet. While I was generally fond of such creatures, I most certainly wasn’t one. “Rude,” I whispered under my breath. Fairies didn’t have enhanced hearing, so I felt fairly safe grumbling my dissatisfaction.

Just like the reception area, nothing in Hamish’s office had changed since the day before. Well, except for the fairy himself sitting behind the intimidating desk.

“Have a seat.” Hamish held out an elegant hand, his slender fingers indicating the chair opposite his own. Again, there was no please attached to that phrase. I suppose beggars couldn’t be choosers, and I’d certainly shown up, proverbial hat in hand.

Perching my ass on the indicated chair, I sat ramrod straight, my hands futilely twisting in my lap.

Nerves ate at me, heightening my anxiety.

It wasn’t fear of the fairy sitting across from me that sparked my unease.

That probably made me an idiot, but right now, I didn’t care.

My true fear came from the knowledge that this fairy could deny me.

That Hamish McIntyre would decline my case.

If I were being totally honest, if I were in his shoes, I’d deny me.

That thought wasn’t terribly awe-inspiring. In fact, it was downright depressing.

Elbows on his desk and fingers steeple, Hamish said, “So, here I am, as promised. Now, tell me why I shouldn’t throw you right back out the door. Tell me why you felt the need to ring that damn bell to the point of murderous justification.”

Ouch . I internally flinched while trying to maintain my falsely calm facade. “The sign said to ring the bell. You should change your summoning device if you don’t like the bell.”

“The sign says to ‘ring the bell.’ It does not say to ring it fifty times if the first ring doesn’t immediately produce results.”

Irritation overtook my anxiety. Crossing my arms over my chest, I took a deep breath and held it, puffing out my cheeks.

“How was I supposed to know you heard the first ring? Maybe you were in the shower or something and missed the first time. If you think about it, it’s really not the best system. I’m sure there has to be—”

“Enough!”

My shoulders hunched as I flinched. Hamish’s eyes were dark, swirly pools of shifting shades of green. I didn’t need to be a witch, warlock, or brownie to be able to feel the waves of power radiating off him.

Quietly sitting there, I watched as a myriad of emotions flew across Hamish’s face as he tried to reign in his apparent annoyance.

I’d always heard that fairies were hard to read, that they kept their feelings close to the vest. I wasn’t sure Hamish McIntyre had gotten the memo.

And if that were the case, then why was he considered such a good lawyer?

Eyes slipping closed, Hamish inhaled deeply. Unlike me, his cheeks didn’t expand. After another two deep inhales and exhales, Hamish reopened his eyes. The swirling greens were now rolling hills of emerald.

“Now, let us try this again. You said you had a case I might be interested in. I believe you indicated it would be difficult, but there was a loophole.”

I cocked my head to the side. I’d already explained all this yesterday.

I’d gotten the feeling he wasn’t listening and even called him out on it.

Looks like I’d been right. Considering my loophole was more of a minuscule opening no larger than the size of the eye of a needle, I’d kind of hoped we could sort of bypass this part.

So much for hope.

Clearing my throat, I laced my fingers together and tapped the pads of my thumbs against each other. “Well…you see…the loophole is kind of, sort of, more of a theory… Kind of.”

Hamish’s eyebrows rose. “A theory? Whose theory?”

“Mine?”

Hamish didn’t appear impressed. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

I bit down on my bottom lip while pulling together my self-confidence. “Mine. Definitely mine.” There, that sounded much better .

“Oh? I wasn’t aware you were a lawyer. Pray tell, where did you get your degree?”

Did all fairies graduate with honors in Mocking 101, or was Hamish exceptionally gifted? “Obviously, I’m not a lawyer. I just thought—”

“Your first folly.”

My mouth snapped closed so fast my teeth rattled. A thousand words flew through my mind, none of them complimentary and a few might even end my short dryad life. Attempting to be smart, I kept my mouth closed. I sat there, gaze murderous.

Silence and tension competed for dominance as the air filled with both. An eternity seemed to pass, and I wondered which one of us would break first. Hamish surprised me when his lips twitched, the corners lifting as he fought either a smirk or frown. Honestly, I couldn’t tell which.

“Something funny?” I asked, my words clipped.

Hamish shrugged. “More amusing than funny.”

I wasn’t sure I understood the difference but didn’t want to sound stupid, so I simply cocked my head to the side. My actions made Hamish’s lips twitch even more. Why in Gaia’s name did he have to look so incredibly handsome while mocking me?

“As you were saying, you believe there might be a loophole. Kind of. Sort of.”

My teeth ground so hard I’m surprised they didn’t fracture. I considered throwing out a biting response but remembered why I was here, and that wasn’t to get into an unwinnable pissing match with a fairy. I was here to try and save Jamila’s land.

Channeling Jamila’s memory, I laid out my case. “You remember what I said about Jamila’s ungrateful children selling her land?”

“I do. I also remember telling you that, assuming the will is binding and lawful, there isn’t anything you can do. Is there a problem with the will?”

I wished . “No. I haven’t seen it, but Jamila used a fairy-run company to write and authorize her will.” I didn’t tell Hamish that Lilibeth had “popped” into the office Jamila’s will was stashed in and taken a look herself.

Hamish held up his hands and shrugged. “That doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room, even for me.”

“I know. But the will was written before Jamila knew about me, about what I would become. I was born on that land. Dryads need their land. I’ll wither and die if I can’t bury my roots within the soil I was born into.”

Hamish grew quiet and his gaze distant. Stillness overtook him. I had the distinct feeling he was thinking and shouldn’t be disturbed. It was the most serious I’d seen him, and it gave me a shimmer of hope.

“How much land are we talking about?” Hamish asked.

“Over a hundred acres.”

“And how much are you arguing to save ?”

“All of it,” I immediately answered. It was beyond important that all the land remain intact.