Finding Faith (Return of the Dragons)

Cody’s grandfather, on the other hand, was a different story—one she hadn’t felt the need to share with the others. She had Cody’s promise that the old man wouldn’t be coming to the house, and she just had to hope he kept it.

“Why are you still wearing your glasses?”

Surprised, she reached up and touched the frames with her fingers. “I hadn’t even realized I put them on this morning. I guess I just got used to putting them on every morning and now it’s an automatic thing.”

“Makes sense. Thought maybe you kept wearing them because they look sexy on you.” Carlie winked. “Okay, I’m gonna head upstairs with Paisley. We’ll be around if you need us, and when he comes into the parlor, I promise we’ll act normal. Maybe we’ll be braiding each other’s hair or some shit.”

Carlie rolled her eyes as she walked away, and Olivia chuckled. Brow furrowed in thought, she plucked the glasses from her face and studied the black frames.

Sexy? Hardly. But she was obviously going to have to train herself to stop wearing them just as she’d had to when she started. They’d all ditched their disguises within a day of their decision, and she had to admit, she liked seeing herself with blonde hair again.

It made her feel more like herself and less like the scared shell she’d turned into for so long. And that felt amazing.

Which was why she couldn’t figure out why she kept forgetting about the glasses. It was the same the morning before, too. She’d only remembered when she was standing in Aaron Construction and happened to touch them. She guessed she’d gotten just as used to wearing them all day as she had to putting them on every morning.

Setting them on the counter, she stared down at the unassuming frames. Frowning, she wondered why she didn’t feel any differently, but then she shook her head at herself. She didn’t know what she expected. That taking them off would make her feel like she was truly healed from the past?

It would take a lot more than a removing a pair of glasses for her to come close to feeling that way.

The sound of tires turning onto the long gravel driveway hit her sensitive hearing, and a bundle of nerves immediately started churning in her belly.

Cody was here.

Inhaling deeply, she walked to the front of the house and spotted a big truck going slowly up the drive. The churning in her belly intensified, but she honestly wasn’t sure what the cause of it was.

Was it because she was scared of someone who was essentially a stranger coming into the house? Or was it because she’d felt that unexpected attraction to him so strongly?

He pulled to a stop, and she pressed her hand to her belly, trying to quell the rioting butterflies. Opening his truck door, he stuck a leg out, and just that simple action made her feel overwhelmingly vulnerable.

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“Shit,” she muttered, whirling around and sprinting to the kitchen. Snatching up her glasses, she shoved them onto her face and jetted back up the hall to the front door. Pausing, she inhaled, hoping she didn’t look disheveled from her sudden flurry of activity.

Dammit. Why did she feel like she needed the glasses? And why the hell was she worried about what she looked like when she opened the door for him?

The answer to your first question is fairly simple, her dragon said. You feel a little less vulnerable when you wear them, like they’re a shield. And the answer to your second question is even simpler.

Irritated when her animal didn’t continue, she practically growled out her response. And that is?

Hello? Unbelievably gorgeous man you just admitted you’re attracted to? Hey, I’m not judging. Not at all. I’ve already told you I think you’d be crazy to not react to all that hotness. Just try not to be too weird today, okay?

You mean, try not to stare at him mutely when I’m lost in my thoughts, hold onto his hand far longer that is polite, or just ramble on with information he doesn’t need when he asks a simple question?

You just about summed it up. Don’t do any of that again—unless it’s the touching part, so long as he’s not trying to get away from you—and for the love of all that’s holy, don’t add to the list.

A smile curled her lips. I make no promises.

Her dragon growled with annoyance, but before she could reply, Cody knocked on the door. Inhaling deeply, she rubbed her hands on her jeans as she walked over to open it.

Despite her smartass reply to her dragon, she desperately wanted to act normal with him today. She probably shouldn’t care, but she did.

Too bad asking her not to act weird was like asking a fish not to swim.

Her first sight of him as the door swung open nearly sucked the breath clean out of her lungs. The corner of his lips turned up in that endearing little half smile, knocking her even more off kilter.

How was it possible that he’d grown even more gorgeous overnight?

“Olivia. Good to see you again.”