As she glanced toward them, Dragos smiled at her.
He said aloud, “Pia saves me every day.”
“Amen to that,” said Graydon.
They clinked bottles.
Pia hung up and walked over to them. She looked both excited and worried at once.
Dragos stood. “What is it?”
“Liam’s going to be here in a few minutes.” She bit her lip. “They’re driving in with the sentinels. Eva said to be braced.”
“What does that mean?”
Her worried expression deepened as she lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know! All she would say is that he went through another growth spurt.”
Together, they both turned to stare at Graydon, who winced at them apologetically. “Nothing’s wrong.” He held up both hands. “Liam is fine. So we decided it was best to not disturb you, until you had the capacity to deal with it.”
“Deal with what?” Dragos demanded.
His sharp hearing caught the sound of approaching vehicles, so without waiting to hear a reply, he strode through the house, Pia close on his heels.
Two SUVs pulled to a stop, containing Eva and Hugh, and five tall, strong-looking people, all of whom Dragos knew immediately.
Aryal and Quentin. Bayne, Constantine, and Alex.
All his sentinels, except for Grym, who had drawn the short straw and stayed in the city.
Pushing past him, Pia ran down the steps toward the SUV that carried Eva and Hugh. Belatedly, Dragos realized that what he had taken for a space in the backseat was actually filled with a car seat.
Of course it was.
Eva leaped out of the passenger seat, one hand held out toward Pia. “He’s all right, it’s all right. Aw, shit, there’s no way to make this easier.”
“What the hell?” Pia exclaimed at her angrily. She pushed past Eva and yanked open the rear door to look inside.
Silence fell over the group, as they stood watching, all except for Dragos, who strode rapidly toward the SUV. His stomach clenched as Pia whispered, “Oh, my God.”
She reached into the backseat and lifted out a smiling, tow-headed boy.
A big, beautiful boy. A much bigger boy than the toddler Dragos remembered. He was no expert on children, but Liam looked to be twice as big, maybe four years old.
“What the fuck?” he whispered.
Pia sank to her knees, hugging Liam tight, and the boy threw his arms around her neck. “What did I miss?” she cried. “What did I miss?”
“I missed you,” Liam told her. “Bunches and bunches. Hi, Mom.”
The boy talked.
Reaching their side, Dragos sank to his knees beside them.
“Look at you,” Pia breathed. She ran her hands compulsively over Liam. “How did this happen?”
Liam beamed. “I’m being a big soldier.”
Her eyes went wide, and she looked as if she’d been punched.
The boy cocked his head, and his smile started to dim. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Immediately she snatched him tight, kissing him all over his face and hugging him fiercely, as she sobbed, “Of course it is. You’re such a good, good boy. You’re the most amazing boy I’ve ever seen. It’s okay to stop growing now. It really is. You can stop for a while. Dear God, you’re big enough.”
Liam kissed her back then turned his attention to Dragos and grew still.
Sensing Liam’s change in focus, Pia looked at Dragos, too. With obvious reluctance, she let her arms loosen and let Liam stand on his own.
Dragos wanted to reach for him, but Liam hung back, leaning against his mom.
Dragos asked, “Are you afraid of me?”
Shaking his head, the boy asked a question of his own. “Do you remember me?”
“I do,” he said, a little hoarsely. “I remember you so well, and I really don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
Liam pushed away from Pia and stepped toward him. Holding very still, Dragos watched many expressions pass over that young face.
Liam looked into his gaze. It was an old, deep look from those violet eyes, a look that did not seem to come from a child.
Then Liam smiled and patted him on the cheek.
He said in a gentle voice, “You’re a good dad.”
Astonished, broken wide open, Dragos felt something slide down his face. He touched his cheek and discovered wetness. Feeling a fullness and depth of emotion he had never felt before, he watched as Liam slipped around him and skipped toward the house.
Thank you!
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading Pia Saves the Day. Dragos and Pia remain near and dear to my heart, and I’ve been excited to share their latest story with you. I hope you had as much fun visiting with them as I did!
Would you like to stay in touch and hear about new releases? You can:
• Sign up for my monthly email at: www.theaharrison.com
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Reviews help other readers find the books they like to read. I appreciate each and every review, whether positive or negative.
Pia Saves the Day is the second novella in a three-story arc featuring Dragos, Pia and their son Liam (aka Peanut). The first story is Dragos Takes a Holiday (November, 2013 release), and the third and final story is Peanut Goes to School (July, 2014 release).
Happy reading!
Thea
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