Killian: A West Bend Saints Romance Read Online Free

She arches an eyebrow. "You are?”
    “Going to grab a cup of coffee before I take off.”
    “I think you might be the most irritating person I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.” She exhales heavily as she gestures to the older woman behind the counter. "Opal, please give Caveman a cup of coffee. To go ."

5
    Lily
    “ A fter Princess Chloe defeated the fire-breathing dragon she asked him, ‘Would you like to come to the palace with me? We could even have cake if you like, although I’m not sure I have a big enough chair for you.’ The fire-breathing dragon burped, and a little puff of smoke escaped from his mouth.”
    Chloe giggles. “He only breathed smoke because he’s trying to be nice.”
    “It’s true. Princess Chloe decided it might be fun to have a dragon around the house…if he could avoid setting anything on fire.”
    “How is he going to not set things on fire?” Chloe asks. “That’s what dragons do.”
    “I don’t know.” I pretend to mull it over. “Do you have any ideas?”
    “The dragon could help her cook.”
    “That’s a good idea,” I agree. “He’d be a natural at barbecuing.”
    “But dragons can’t wear chef hats.”
    “Of course they can,” I tell her. “Princess Chloe would have to send away for a special dragon size, though. With a matching apron.”
    “This story is not about me.” Chloe looks at me, a stern expression on her face. “And you know that dragons aren’t real.”
    I feign shock. “What makes you think this story is about you? This is an entirely fictional story about a completely made-up girl and her pet dragon. And how do you know dragons aren’t real, anyway?”
    “Mom.” She cocks her head to the side. “Of course they’re not. That’s why this story is fictional, because fictional means that it’s a lie. But you can keep telling it anyway, I like pretending.”
    “Fiction isn’t exactly the same thing as lying.”
    “Yes it is,” she protests. “It’s like when Hannah says that we’re hiding in this town because you’re supposed to be in jail. That’s fiction.”
    “Wait a second. This is what the kids in your class are saying?”
    “Yeah,” Chloe shrugs nonchalantly and averts her eyes and I know from the look on her face that they hurt her feelings. “I mean, they say all kinds of things. I know that it’s lies, but they won’t listen.”
    I exhale heavily. “I’ll have a talk with your teachers.”
    “Mo- om ,” she protests. “Don’t do that. I know it’s not true anyway.”
    “They still shouldn’t be saying stuff like that.” Those stupid little shits.
    “It’s okay. I told them we were spies.”
    “You did?”
    “Nana said it was okay sometimes to tell white lies. I don’t think this was a bad lie.”
    “You told Nana what the kids at school were saying?”
    Chloe shrugs. “Nana said my white lie was clever.”
    I draw her against me and kiss the top of her head. Gone are the days of preschool and arguing with her classmates about whose turn it was to use a toy. Now it’s teasing and bullying. “Nana is right. You are clever.”
    “What does clever mean?”
    “It means that you’re smart. Spies, huh?”
    “Yeah. Secret agents."
    "Do we have trench coats and sunglasses?"
    “You know that spies don’t really wear trench coats and sunglasses. If they did, everyone would know they were spies.”
    “When did you become so jaded?”
    “I don’t know what that means,” she says.
    “It means…” I sigh, searching for the word. “Realistic. You used to believe in fairy tales.”
    “I’m growing up.” Her voice is somber. A pang of nostalgia for when she was younger goes straight through my heart.
    “I don’t need to be reminded of that fact, kiddo.” I hug her tight to me.
    I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago.

    * * *
    A fter Chloe is asleep , I lie awake in bed unable to sleep, a million thoughts racing through my head. I fell in love with this small town out in the