Page 8 of The Dragon’s Surprise (Tahoe Dragon Mates #7)
Chapter Six
T hree days later, Lexi wanted to storm into the clinic, find Kyle Baker, and scold him for avoiding Ethan.
The first day they’d arrived, he’d spent nearly the entire day with the boy, making a big impression. To the point Ethan kept asking after him. Every time Lexi had to gently say Kyle must be busy at the clinic, the boy had wilted a little.
Since she didn’t have a phone number and she’d been busy with both Ethan and checking in with the clan leader and the Protectors, Lexi hadn’t had a chance to try and see the dragon doctor in person.
What she couldn’t understand was the radio silence. As a doctor, Kyle should understand how important stability was to a child who’d recently been abandoned. If the dragonman hadn’t wanted to be a part of his son’s life, he should’ve started as he meant to go on.
Because now, it would make everything that much harder if Kyle decided he was too busy to spend time with Ethan. She knew a little something about that.
After all, Lexi still remembered her first birthday after her mother had left her and Jennifer at their grandmother’s house, when she’d gotten a birthday card.
It’d given her hope that her mom would return.
And yet, as each birthday passed without another word, it only reminded her of how much she was unwanted.
It was something she didn’t want any of her charges to feel. Well, more than they already did, if they were given up at a later age.
The one good thing from the past few days was Ethan and Jackson had become fast friends, to the point she’d left Ethan with Jackson and his grandmother for a few hours.
Lexi had liked the older dragonwoman the first day, with her no-nonsense attitude and secret stash of candies she gave out when she thought no one was looking.
With her free time, Lexi intended to finally hunt down Kyle and tell him he needed to make up his mind about Ethan. Maybe not about parenthood just yet, but if he was going to be a part of the boy’s life, he needed to be consistent.
She reached the clinic, took a deep breath, and willed her temper to cool. Shouting didn’t accomplish anything, especially with those who weren’t at fault and merely worked at the clinic.
After asking to speak with Dr. Baker at the front desk, she resisted pacing as the dragonman called someone. A few minutes later, a woman in her early 30s, with black hair and light brown skin, walked up to her. She had the white lab coat of a doctor, but before she could ask, the woman spoke up.
“Dr. Baker is getting some much needed rest. What can I help you with? Is the boy okay?”
“Er, who are you?”
The dragonwoman didn’t so much as smile. “I’m Dr. Alvaro.”
“Alvaro? Wait…”
“Yes, Rio and Solana are my cousins. I live with a different clan, but I’m here temporarily. Are you here about the boy?”
“No. I mean, yes.” She glanced around. “Can we talk in private?”
“I have a few minutes, nothing more. Follow me.”
Lexi followed the dragonwoman, more than curious about Kyle needing rest. Had there been an emergency? If so, she hadn’t heard anything.
Once they entered a small office, Dr. Alvaro leaned against the desk and quirked a dark eyebrow in question. Lexi resisted clearing her throat and asked, “Did something happen?”
For a few beats, the dragonwoman said nothing as her pupils flashed to slits and back. Eventually she replied, “It’s been hectic, is all you need to know.”
“Wait, you do know who I am, who I brought, and why I need to talk with Kyle?”
“I may be a guest here, but yes, I know the boy is his biological son. Regardless, Dr. Baker finished a twelve-hour surgery only a few hours ago, the second surgery in as many days, and desperately needs to rest. He’ll contact you when he can. That’s all I can share.”
Part of her admired the dragon doctor for protecting her patients and what happened inside the surgery. And yet, another part of her wanted to know if Kyle had saved his patient or not. If not, then she could only imagine how he felt, and he wouldn’t be in the mood to try and charm a little boy.
Lexi’s lingering anger and irritation faded away. Why hadn’t anyone told her Kyle had been busy trying to save someone’s life?
Then she realized the answer: she was a human, the outsider. It shouldn’t sting, and yet it did, because it meant all the years she’d spent trying to help the dragon orphans didn’t count for much.
Stop it, Lexi. Now’s not the time. She focused on Dr. Alvaro and nodded. “I understand you can’t tell me the specifics. However, can you tell me if Kyle went home or not? That way, I know where to check in with him later.”
The dragonwoman tilted her head, her pupils flashing, and studied her. Why, Lexi didn’t know, but she eventually nodded. “Yes, he’s at home. Now, excuse me. I have a patient that needs me.”
Dr. Alvaro gestured, and Lexi took her cue, exiting the room and heading back toward the entrance. Once she was outside, she hesitated. Would Kyle mind her checking in on him? If he didn’t answer the door, she could just go back to Ethan and wait until he was rested.
She shouldn’t care, she really shouldn’t. And yet, she’d learned over the last few days that Kyle kept himself apart from most of the clan. Partly because he needed to, in order to treat them effectively. But partly for another reason, something no one would share.
As she dithered in front of the clinic, an older dragonwoman in her sixties stopped in front of her. Her eyes were the same green as Kyle’s, although her hair was a light blonde to his light brown.
She spoke before Lexi could even say hello. “You’re Lexi Sakamoto, aren’t you?”
“Er, yes.”
“I’m Rita Gibson, Kyle’s aunt. He’s not here, my dear. But I’m on my way to see him, if you want to come with?”
“Is he okay?” she blurted before she could think better of it.
Rita nodded. “For the most part, yes. Just tired and stressed.” She lowered her voice.
“He’s had a difficult case lately, which is why I’m on my way to cheer him up a bit.
” She raised the tote bag in her hand. “I made all his favorite cookies and some brownies, too. He tries to hide it, but my nephew has a huge sweet tooth. I made way too many, though, so there’s plenty for you too. Do say you’ll come.”
She should leave him alone. And yet, at the expression in the dragonwoman’s eyes, she didn’t think so she could say no. “If you think he won’t mind.”
“Not at all, I promise you.” Rita looped her arm around Lexi’s and tugged gently. As they walked, the dragonwoman added, “I know the truth about Ethan, and I think Kyle will want to raise him. He’s just getting used to the idea.”
Lexi blinked, glad no one was around to hear them. “I’m not here to force him to do anything, one way or the other. Besides, Rio said there are a few couples who might take Ethan in, and he’s setting up some meet-ups for next week, if Kyle decides he can’t do it.”
Rita glanced at her. “What do you think of my nephew?”
It wasn’t as if she could say one minute she wanted to scold him and in the next she wanted to lean closer as he whispered in her ear, surrounding her with his heat and scent, before pulling her into his lap and holding her close.
She still hadn’t forgotten her dream last night, which ended up with Kyle’s fingers doing amazing things between her thighs.
Stop it, Lexi. She’d barely known the guy a day, and it was getting ridiculous.
Rita snorted. “That complicated, is it?”
“No. Yes. No, I definitely mean no. It’s just as a DOCS employee, I have to watch and document everything, so it’s not as simple as someone being nice or not.”
“I understand that better than you think, dear. I used to work the front desk inside the Protector building, and I had to learn to judge someone’s character and determine if they were a threat or not.
Things are much better these days, albeit not perfect.
Still, at least the clans talk to each other now.
I had to move heaven and earth to mate my Johnny back in the day, since he was from Clan SkyFalls. ”
As Lexi listened to Rita tell the story about meeting her true mate, she couldn’t help smiling. No doubt the young dragonman had been surprised, to say the least.
Once Rita finished, Lexi said, “That’s quite the story, for sure. Almost like something out of a book.”
Lexi also read between the lines—with a true mate, Rita should’ve had at least one child. But the dragonwoman hadn’t mentioned any, only Kyle.
Just thinking about how this woman might’ve lost her baby made Lexi’s heart squeeze.
However, they approached a dark blue house and Rita’s voice garnered her attention again, “This is Kyle’s place. He might be asleep, but you can wait on the porch while I check.”
As Lexi sat on the porch swing, she rocked gently, admiring the view of the trees and the mostly clear skies above. A few dragons flew overhead, and she wondered what it might be like to fly somewhere with her own wings.
She’d spent so many years living close to Stockton in California and Reno in Nevada for her DOCS jobs that she’d forgotten what the mountains could be like—peaceful with clean air, dragons overhead, and birds chirping.
Rita came back out and gestured. “He’s awake, as I’d thought.” She lowered her voice. “He rarely sleeps much after long surgeries. Probably because he has no one to talk to or share his troubles, so he overanalyzes everything in his head. Not that I should mention that. At any rate, come on.”
Lexi resisted a frown and entered the house before following Rita down the hall.
Since the house was older—probably about fifty years—it wasn’t an open plan like most new houses, so the kitchen and dining nook were behind a door.
Inside, Kyle sat at the kitchen table, a closed book in front of him, sipping from a mug when he spotted her. “What is she doing here?”
Rita opened her mouth to answer, but Lexi beat her to it. “And to think I was worried after visiting the clinic.”
“I didn’t ask you to worry.”