King of the Wilds - Tasha Black Page 0,16

you’re here,” Tabitha said, putting a hand on her wrist.

“You just want ice cream,” Miranda teased.

“Well, yes,” Tabitha admitted. “But seriously, it’s been a nice day. Thanks for deciding to help us.”

“My pleasure,” Miranda replied, feeling more relieved at the gesture of acceptance than she would have thought possible.

They let all the little kids go in front of them while the men checked out the pictured offerings on the side of the truck. Then they all chose their treats and headed back to the pool at a leisurely pace.

The sun had sunk below the hillside and the sky over the pools was painted a beautiful pink.

Sara and Tabitha were deep in a discussion with Tristan and Dorian about something going on at the museum.

Miranda found herself hanging back to admire the blooming rhododendrons on the hillside.

“They’re very hardy,” Bron said approvingly.

She turned to find him looking over her shoulder at the rhododendrons.

“And they’re travelers,” he told her.

“How?” she asked, wondering how something with roots in the ground could travel.

“Look,” he told her, gesturing toward the hillside, where an army of rhodies stretched up toward the cottages on the twilit hillside above.

“Each plant expands,” he told her. “Eventually, they move together to form their own jungle.”

“I guess it’s just a matter of watching them over time,” Miranda said thoughtfully. “Even if you can’t actually see them moving.”

“Time moves differently for me,” he murmured, gazing fondly at the rhododendron. “I can see her moving if I choose.”

The idea was incredible to Miranda.

She wondered what she would do with her time if it were limitless. Would she still be constantly on the go, or would she find the time to sit and watch flowers bloom?

“Careful,” Bron said, moving close.

Her own time did seem to slow as he reached out his hand to touch her face.

Miranda felt the warmth of his rough thumb against her mouth.

He leaned closer still and pulled his thumb back to his tongue, tasting the drop of ice cream she realized he had scooped from her lips.

Blood rushed to her cheeks and she was suddenly aware of every cell in her body, reaching, straining toward the King of the Wilds.

A whistle sounded and she nearly jumped.

“That means the pool is closing,” Bron said sadly.

“I guess we should go finish packing up,” she said.

As they made their way past the lifeguard station where they’d been yelled at for running, Miranda overheard a young female lifeguard muttering to herself.

“I can’t believe he just left,” the girl said. “Didn’t bother to clean up the pool noodles. Didn’t even turn in his whistle.”

Something about that struck her as odd. The lifeguards at these local pools were mostly students who took the job very seriously. It was a coveted opportunity.

Leaving without checking out would have been unheard of back in Miranda’s day. Maybe things had changed.

She walked over to where Sara and Tabitha were divvying up the leftover sauces as Dorian and Tristan folded towels and stuffed them into beach bags.

“Did anyone see anything at all today?” Miranda asked Tabitha.

Tabitha shook her head. “I guess it wasn’t here. Or at least it isn’t here now.”

They had walked past the lap pool and were headed for the bridge when another lifeguard came jogging in from the parking lot.

“His car is still here,” she yelled.

Tabitha and Miranda exchanged a glance.

“So where is he, then?” the other lifeguard called back.

“Who knows?” the first one yelled. “He said something about fireflies earlier. Maybe he went for a walk.”

“Will o’ the wisps,” Sara whispered to Tabitha, stopping in her tracks.

“Sorry, folks, we’re closing up,” one of the lifeguards told them.

“Oh, of course,” Sara said.

“Sorry,” Miranda added.

They headed for the parking lot.

“We’ll move the cars and then walk back in and hide in the tennis court before they lock up,” Tabitha whispered.

Miranda nodded and they marched off en masse.

It was only when they reached her car that she realized she was willingly going along with an evening of breaking and entering to look for a monster in the dark woods.

All while wearing a bathing suit.

This was not how she thought her day was going to end up.

But when Bron smiled down at her as he opened the car door, her doubts faded away and she was filled instead with excitement at being part of an amazing adventure, and a steadfast determination to find the young lifeguard who was missing.

“Let’s do this,” she said, and Bron gave her a wink that made her insides do a little flip-flop.

9

Bron

Bron’s heart pounded and he