Amelia smiled.

  “I’ve seen them on TV and in pictures,” Amelia said. “But never in real life.”

  Nora was so sweet and innocent, and it was crazy to think that even though she was descended from a dragon, that she had no idea what her father truly was. That he had fire and heat running through him just like a volcano did. Amelia couldn’t help but wonder when the time would come for Dash to sit her down and tell her all about her family history, or whether in fact Nora could even develop some shifting powers of her own as she grew into a young woman and hit her teens.

  “I love them, even more than the planets,” Nora said with a wide smile. “I love the fiery stuff in them.”

  “The lava?” Amelia asked.

  “That’s it!” Nora said excitedly. “It’s awesome!”

  Amelia smiled, Nora was clearly drawn to heat and fire.

  As they walked away from school hand in hand and went on their way down Main Street, Amelia looked at all the stores and faces that were all becoming so familiar to her now. She had been in Misty Vale for almost seven weeks, and she had truly found a place to call home. She had never once looked back and missed the coast, or her old life there. She had fallen into small town mountain life and embraced it as her own. She had found something special there in this mystical spot, and now as she began the newest chapter of her life as the wife of a dragon, the claimed fated mate, she was happier than she had ever been.

  They walked past Jane’s and Amelia waved in at truly the best friend she had ever made, and Jane came jogging toward the door and opened it wide.

  “Hey girls,” Jane grinned. “How are you both doing today?”

  “Awesome,” Nora said. It appeared that awesome was the word of the day.

  “Well that sure is good to hear,” Jane smiled. “Have you seen that the Oktoberfest is coming along? Town is going to be packed!”

  “Dash and I were just saying this morning that it’s not long now,” Amelia nodded. “Looks like there’s going to be lots of people heading into town from this weekend, I guess we all better be prepared!”

  “Oh, it’ll be plenty of fun, I’m sure,” Jane said with a raised brow. “Good for business anyway.”

  “Very true,” Amelia laughed. “We should all get together on Saturday night and head out to it, I’m sure Dash and I can get a sitter.”

  “Fantastic,” said Jane. “I’ll keep the diary clear.”

  The girls said goodbye to each other, and Amelia and Nora started walking again, they passed by lots of places setting up for the biggest event of the Autumn calendar in Misty Vale, and it was guaranteed to be a hectic albeit festive weekend.

  They rounded another corner and Dash’s office came into view, Nora ran ahead slightly and peered through the window, looking for her father and Amelia’s heart felt so full as she saw the little girl’s face light up as she clearly saw him inside. These were the moments that made a life, she thought. This is what it is all about.

  Dash opened the office doors and he picked up Nora, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his, so they could both smile back at Amelia.

  It was so strange to think she had come to Misty Vale completely on her own, with a broken heart and no idea of how things would turn out. And now, even just a short time later, she had found something some never do… she had found a family. She had found a husband and a daughter, and they were moving forward in life together and loving each other in such a wonderful way it was just perfect.

  Nora ran off inside to say hello to some of the other people in the office, and Dash came to Amelia, looked into her eyes and she saw his fire there, which always made her feel as if she had come home. He kissed her lovingly on the lips, and then they entwined their fingers together, once again ready to take on the world.

  “So,” Dash said with a knowing smile. “I guess it’s time for dancing and then dinner?”

  “It sure is,” Amelia replied.

  Nora joined them back out on the street, and they all walked away together. Since Amelia was no longer the nanny but Nora’s stepmom, they dedicated one night a week where Dash would leave work early and join the girls as they took Nora to dance class and then headed to their favorite restaurant on Main Street… the cute little bistro that Dash had seen Amelia in on her first week in town. It had been like their first date, and it was tradition now that they always went there once a week and ordered three plates of the spaghetti marinara. It was their place now, the three of them.

  As they walked along the streets of Misty Vale together, Amelia looked at them both and smiled. Her stepdaughter and her dragon… fate had brought them together, and now, they were joined for the rest of time.

  Things had never been so perfect, and she had never been so happy… the fire inside her burned bright for their future and all that was to come.

  Thank you so much for reading Dragon Daddy’s Nanny! We hope you enjoyed the first story in the Misty Vale series! If you enjoyed it then we think you will want to read the rest of Samantha’s Series!

  Click here to get the newly released Lone Reach Shifters Box Set!

  Of course we have a preview for you too…

  The cold gripped them as Chloe grabbed as many of their things as she could and shoved them in the bags waiting on the bed. The icy air from outside seemed to be filtering into the house, turning the place to stone and making their teeth chatter. Chloe knew she didn’t have a lot of time, and Harper was watching her mother with wide eyes, fully aware something was happening, even though Chloe was doing her best to disguise it.

  She moved quickly, but kept calm, she smiled down at her daughter as she zipped up the bags and slung them over her shoulder before she reached for the little girl’s hand and pulled her gently to her feet.

  “Come on then, kiddo,” she said with as much cheerfulness as she could muster. “It’s time for us to go on a little adventure.”

  Harper held her soft, worn toy bunny close to her chest and nodded her head as she and her mom made for the door and down the stairs of their home. Chloe had to keep her face straight and the quiver out of her voice. She had to move fast and get them the hell out of Bridge Hollow while she still had the chance.

  They stepped out into the frigid temps, the cold nipping their skin, and the moon shining brightly in the sky overhead as they slipped down the driveway, clutching to each other and trying to keep their balance, toward the car.

  When Chloe loaded Harper into the back and fastened her seat belt, she smiled down at her little girl and kissed her on the forehead.

  So much had happened in the past year, and now, she was ready to make a fresh start for them both. This was their chance to begin again.

  Some may have called it running away, but for Chloe, it was just the necessary step she had to take to move on with her life and keep her and her daughter safe.

  She climbed in the driver’s seat and adjusted the rearview mirror before she started the engine.

  The whole town felt eerily quiet, and the chaos of the past few months had calmed almost overnight, but still, she knew she couldn’t stay there.

  What if he ever came back?

  She shuddered at the thought and pressed the gas, gripping the wheel and steering them swiftly off into the night.

  Chloe may have been leaving Bridge Hollow − a place she had always called home − but she was doing what was right.

  And now, there was no turning back.

  The roads seemed to thaw the further away she traveled, and as she wound through the mountain roads, rising high and dipping into the trees, again and again, she began to get the sensation back in her fingers. She had felt as if she had spent the best part of six months frozen to the bone, but now that she was putting distance between herself and that place, she was finally coming back into the land of the living.

  The distance between Bridge Hollow would be a shield for her against all the bad that had happened… and, of course, him.

  As long as he didn’t know where they were, they were safe.

  She flashed her eyes up to the rearview mirror and checked on Harper. She was fast asleep, cuddled in a fluffy blanket with a pillow under her head. They had been on the road a couple of hours, but she had been asleep within twenty minutes and hadn’t stirred since.

  Chloe smiled warmly and then cast her glance back to the winding mountain road ahead. She had done the right thing. And now, she was on her way to a new place to start a new life… wherever that may be…

  She yawned and blinked, trying to keep herself awake. It had been one hell of a day and night, and now, as it was nearing 4am, she had no idea how she was going to keep driving.

  She gripped the wheel and sat forward, trying to focus, and as she turned another bend and started out on another sharp edge of the mountain highway, she felt the nerves creep along her spine.

  “I hope there’s a motel somewhere near here,” she whispered to herself, even though she didn’t truly hold out much hope.

  She had lived in Bridge Hollow her entire life, but she had rarely left, and when she had, she had always driven toward warmer climates, never further into the mountain range like this. Had she made a mistake coming to unchartered territory? Should she have just gone toward the West and found a city to get lost in?

  She shook her head.

  Chloe was a small-town girl and the thought of ending up in a city was overwhelming. She needed somewhere quiet and unassuming… somewhere no one would ever think to look.

  The snow may have stopped falling, and the harsh cold of Bridge Hollow may not be reaching her, but she could tell Mother Nature was still wanting to play. It was the bleakest of midwinter, and she was driving through mountains she didn’t know, in the middle of the night, with her child in the back seat, sleeping soundly. Suddenly, the gravity of her situation started to hit her, and she felt tears prick the corner of her eyes.

  How had she gotten herself into this mess?

  She reached up and wiped the tears away. Determined not to dwell on what had happened to her over the past year, and even more certain she didn’t want to give him any more of her head space. Her thoughts were swirling like the darkness ahead of her and she blinked as she realized it had started to snow again. The small flakes were flying at the windshield, making her feel as if she were in a spinning tunnel, and she was becoming dizzy.

  She gripped the wheel and sat forward, pressing the breaks slowly to avoid skidding, and to make sure she didn’t become too disorientated in the mix of darkness and snowflakes being caught by her headlights.

  She felt a rumble underneath her, and for a split second, she thought there was a problem with the car. She clenched her teeth and pressed the breaks again, willing the car to stop comfortably as to not wake Harper, but as soon as the motion stilled, she became aware that the rumble was not from the engine but from something further away.

  She felt her mouth gape open as she squinted out into the night. She couldn’t see a whole lot, but she could tell that both sides of the road were steep slopes running up into the mountains, as if the road had been built right through the middle of one. She bit her lip and held her breath, trying not to make a sound.

  The rumble thundered again, and behind her, she was aware of Harper stirring and her little voice calling, “Mom?” before, without warning, their vehicle was pushed forward, a huge rush of snow powering into them from behind.

  Chloe tried her best not to scream but was unsuccessful. Out of instinct, she reached her hand into the back seat to grab hold of Harper, trying to protect her in any way that she could…

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  Samantha Leal, Dragon Daddy's Nanny (Misty Vale Shifters Book 1)

 

 

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