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Rider in an apparent peace offering.
He reached out for the offered hand and shook it, tapping
Bartholomew s shoulder at the same time in a forgiving gesture.
Relieved to be out of this mess, he now wanted to help his friend out.
I ve known Caldwell for a very long time. He ll treat Jasmine and
their baby right. You won t be disappointed in him as a son-in-law.
Aren t you mad about him lying with Jasmine while you two
were engaged? Bartholomew questioned.
May I speak? Caldwell interjected.
Yes, please do, Eagon said with his arms crossed.
When Rider ended his relationship with Jasmine, she turned to
me for answers since I m close friends with Rider. I could give her
nothing but comfort, as I didn t know why Rider would let go of this
incredible woman. However, with my love for her, I soon found
myself fighting my conscience to remain a faithful friend to Rider. I
lost the battle and gave in to my feelings, but only after Rider had
already ended the engagement. I love Jasmine dearly and would do
anything for her.
I do care for Jasmine, Rider said to the group. However, I
found our relationship wrong from the start, and I didn t act like the
loving man maybe I should have been. I give my blessings to them
and hope they will be happy together.
Caldwell stepped forward and held out his hand to Bartholomew.
I will do everything in my power to make Jasmine and our baby
happy, I promise you.
Reluctantly, Bartholomew shook hands with Caldwell and tapped
him on the shoulder. Well, I guess we have a wedding to plan right
away.
Jasmine looked at her parents and asked, Would it be all right if I
spoke with the woodsman for a while?
Red Rider and the Big Bad Werewolf 59
Her parents looked at each other and nodded in hesitant
agreement. Yes, go and speak with him. You have our blessing.
The two walked off to a corner of the church to talk, nervous
laughter coming from both of them. I think I ve become a
matchmaker. If only I could be this successful with my personal life.
Well, Rider, I don t know what to say other than I m sorry. Is
there anything I can do to make this up to you?
You know, you can invite me to the wedding, Rider said as he
pointed to a smiling Jasmine and Caldwell. Now, I m sorry I have to
rush off, but I have a pressing matter to attend to.
Thank you for coming, Rider, and dealing with this
uncomfortable circumstance. I do appreciate everything you do for
this town, Eagon said as he shook Rider s hand.
This is my home, and I consider everyone here my family. I will
always help if I can. With a quick wave to the group, Rider turned
and ran out of the chapel, feeling a great burden had been lifted off his
shoulders. He pulled out his dragon claw and began blowing into the
whistle, calling Red to him. Within a few minutes, she landed in a
clearing close to Rider inside the village walls. Hopping onto her
back, he urged her forward to fly over the forest flanking Grandma s
cottage. He hoped the bird s-eye view might help to find Drake.
* * * *
We don t allow strangers in our midst. What are you doing
here? Harding s voice bellowed through the quiet camp.
I happened to be visiting an old friend. Now, if you will excuse
me, I ll be on my way. Drake took a couple steps forward, but
Harding stopped his progress by putting a strong hand on his chest.
You look familiar. Do I know you?
I should think not. Besides, I only associate with people who
have manners and you, sir, are quite rude. Good day. With a show of
strength, he forcefully shoved off Harding s hand from his chest and
60 Hanna Hart
pushed passed him. His werewolf wanted to sink his fangs and claws
into him, but Drake continued walking, trying to keep his fury at bay.
He had no fear of Harding, not like when he was a boy. Their sizes
appeared to be a match, but not only did Drake have youth on his
side, he also carried the strength of his werewolf. He continued to
walk forward as he heard Harding grumbling to himself. He couldn t
help but smile as he left the camp.
I think I ll head back to the Hood cottage, and maybe I can talk to
Rider. I hope he ll still speak with me after the way I acted this
morning. With the excitement bubbling over of seeing Rider again, he
started to run through the forest quickly.
He reached the cottage a few minutes later and rested at the
beginning of the trail to the front door to catch his breath. Also, he
needed to think of an explanation for his atrocious behavior earlier. I
think the truth would probably be best. Rider deserves honesty from
me.
Starting up the pathway to the little home, he stopped when the
door opened and an old lady came walking out. She was petite,
standing about five feet tall with her silver hair pulled into a soft bun.
Her smile appeared warm and inviting as she waved Drake to come to
her.
He looked behind him and saw no one else. She s waving me
toward her. Surprised by her friendliness, he hustled to her side. As
he took a breath to introduce himself, she began to talk first.
Drake, I m so glad you came back.
Taken aback by her knowledge of him, he stared at her in
disbelief.
Yes, I know you re Drake, and I can see what Rider sees in you.
You ve grown into such a handsome man. Reaching up, she touched
his cheek tenderly. Never had he felt such a caring, motherly gesture
in all his miserable life, and for a brief few seconds, he leaned into her
touch, revelling in the warmth.
Red Rider and the Big Bad Werewolf 61
She removed her hand, and he missed her gentleness right away.
Smiling at her, he asked, How do you know who I am?
I know things. It s a gift I ve been blessed and cursed with. I
don t pick up on every thing, but I do know who you are and what
you mean to Rider. I also know what happened to you by my
husband s actions. Please know he said those words in anger, not
thinking anything would happen. We searched for you for a long time
to try to reverse the damage done, but we never saw you again. A
single tear rolled down her cheek, and this time Drake placed his hand
on her face and wiped the tear away with his thumb.
Do you have a cure? he asked, trying not to get his hopes up.
No, I m sorry, dear, I don t. I think my husband wanted to try
different spells on you, but in the end, he realized he didn t have a
cure.
I came from talking to a seer, and she told me to seek out the
family of the man who cursed me. She believed there would be no
reversal of my curse, but she also said I d find answers here. Do you
know what she meant by those words?
No, I m afraid I don t. However, I do hope you intend to stay.
Well, I m not sure yet. I need to speak to Rider first. Do you
know where he is?
He s been called to town for a meeting. However, I know he
wanted to look for you. He intended to go to the meeting and then
search the forest for you afterward. Do you want to wait here for
Rider to return?
No, I think I ll do the same and search for him while we still
have quite a few hours of daylight.
Please know you re always welcome here.
Thank you. I ll remember your kindness. With a quick wave to
her, he turned and ran into the forest, heading toward the outskirts of
the village.
* * * *
62 Hanna Hart
Two hours had passed since Drake began his search for Rider. He
covered a lot of ground and backtracked in a few places, but still no
sign of him. He decided to return to one of the places he d already
checked, the river where he first met Rider. As he walked through the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
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