on the new orphanage. Knox was so proud of his fellow chadens and all they had accomplished at Eden. To say they were proving themselves to be useful as well as valued members of society was an understatement. That was not to say Knox was under any illusions. He knew how hard it was going to be for paladins and wardens to accept chadens back into their exclusive world. As chades, many of them had done terrible things. And on the flip side to that, rangers, wardens and paladins had committed atrocities to chades as well. The chade infection had a lot to answer for and it caused numerous physical as well as mental and emotional injuries. But the one thing it didn’t do was erase the memory of the time they all spent as chades. It was going to be a long road. But at least we have a road now, Knox reminded himself.
Getting himself back on track, he nodded to Dawn and her Order. “We will meet you there. Mid-morning okay? I have some things to see to myself with the chadens in the early hours.”
“Yes. Of course. That would be fine,” Dawn replied.
Knox began to walk off, his boys in tow, but he paused when Dawn called his name. “Yes?”
“Thank you,” she said simply, smiling at him.
Knox felt like her smile hit him straight in the gut. “It’s my pleasure,” he said, immediately praying their relationship was going to be just that. A pleasure.
Chapter Two
“I’m nervous. Why am I nervous?” Dawn queried, pacing back and forth along the cliff’s edge of Eden.
“Because you’re waiting for a smoking hot man to turn up and help you hammer in some nails.” All eyes turned to Piper. Dawn’s second in command shrugged, “What? That wasn’t a euphemism. You’re literally building a door today.”
Dawn groaned, ignoring Piper as well as her other three paladins as she looked out over the cliff and at the vast ocean below. She liked to think she was in a better mood than she had been yesterday when poor Knox had first introduced himself, but the truth was she was tired. She had spent the better part of the night tossing and turning in bed, replaying her initial conversation with Knox over and over. The whole thing made her cringe and she had her doubts that the chaden would even show up. If she were him, she would boycott the meeting – no matter what the Great Mother said.
Reid looked pained for a moment before glancing at his three counterparts. “You explain it,” he said to Willow, giving her a little shove in Dawn’s direction.
Willow, not one for taking crap on any level whatsoever, shoved Reid back. “She hasn’t understood for the past five hundred years. What makes you think she will now? I’m not explaining crap. I’m just going to sit back and watch the show.”
Dawn frowned at her Order, completely clueless as to what they were talking about. It was true, she didn’t have the best track record when it came to men. And she was absolutely terrible at picking up on signals. Did her Order know something about Knox she did not? The thought caused her belly to jitter, though she did not understand why. She had never spoken to Knox before yesterday, although, she had talked with his sons on a few occasions. They were very handsome young men, as well as charismatic and too charming for their own good. She had no trouble deciphering their flirtatious behaviour at all. Besides, she happened to know their bark was worse than their bite, so to speak. Sure, they were ladies’ men, but they weren’t as prolific as their reputations suggested.
“So, you think he will come? Even though I embarrassed myself yesterday?” she asked her Order. She had no idea why it was so important to her that Knox come. Nor why the thought of him thinking ill of her bothered her so much.
“Dawn, you did not embarrass yourself. Nothing about you is embarrassing, and I guarantee Knox feels the same way. It was just bad timing and poor word choice on his part. Although, it is normal and expected to be shown respect, Dawn,” Micah pointed out.
Dawn sighed, turning from her paladins once more. She knew it was expected. She knew it was normal. But that didn’t change her feelings. By the time she had reached one-hundred and