5. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

I zzy had a lot of experience with letting hot guys down easy. He'd done it so often he'd become immune to their emotions. It probably made him an unfeeling bastard, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Or normally that was the case, but there was something about Ulises that made Izzy's chest hurt as if Ulises had reached into his chest and wrapped his fist around his heart.

The roar of the motorcycle engine drowned out everything, including the thoughts rolling around in Izzy's head. The breeze felt nice on his face. They’d had the hottest months in recorded history. If Izzy had to compare the summer to anything it would probably be Hell, not that he believed such a place existed. Fall was a welcome change.

His world had cooled off. The leaves had started changing colors. There were more maple trees than anything else on the road leading him to the town center. Their leaves had started turning yellow.

As he drove through Wingspan, even the storefronts boasted autumn favorites. Pumpkin spice was advertised on the bakery window. Izzy liked the flavor, but he wanted it once or twice. Not for four months straight.

Izzy turned into a parking space and shut off his bike. A grizzled older man parked two spots over. He looked about as worn out as his truck. When he opened the door to get out, Izzy saw a bouquet of red roses lying on the bench seat.

Izzy was the first one to the bakery door, so he held the door for the guy.

"You're one of those Dragon Skulls like my son." The guy sounded as if he gargled with rocks on a daily basis. "You helped get my son's mate out of trouble."

"I help a lot of people." Rescuing people was Izzy’s main gig and part of being a Dragon Skull. Some people needed saving while others needed killing. Most of the time he performed both of those tasks in the same day.

"MacIver's my son."

Izzy saw the resemblance. He also remembered the incident with MacIver's mate.

"I remember you." Izzy also remembered how the old man didn't pull any punches.

"Can't say I remember you. All you criminal types look alike."

If the criminal remark hadn’t been true, he might have taken offense. But since it was, he chuckled. "There are a few in the club I'd rather not look like."

The old man huffed and went up to the counter. The guy behind it had his hair in a bun and wore an apron. He also resembled the MacIver family a bit. It was confirmed when the baker said, "Need some of the pumpkin spice cookies, Grandpa?"

"Yep. You're Grandma's spicy this afternoon. Figured I'd butter her up with some of her favorite cookies."

The baker chuckled. "What did you do to piss her off?"

The old man huffed again. "What makes you think I did anything? Maybe it was the rest of you lot. You're all wild. Every last one of ya."

"We take after you." He smirked and began boxing them up.

The old man pulled out a twenty for the cookies and slapped it onto the counter. When the baker started to speak, the old man stopped him. "Don't argue. Can't be given stuff for free just cause we're family."

"But it's for Grandma. Because I somehow, from waaayyy across town, made her mad." The baker gave his grandfather a toothy grin. "It's the least I can do."

"Sarcastic little shit."

Izzy almost pointed out how the baker was bigger than the old man. There wasn't such a thing as a little dragon shifter anyway but the one behind the counter was as tall and broad as Izzy. The old man in his prime, would have had a similar build. Time had hunched his shoulders, but he was still formidable in his own way. When he spoke, people listened. Well, not Izzy. But people who listened to authority figures would pay attention to the old man. He had wisdom etched into the creases on his face.

The old man huffed again and mumbled. "We ain't getting another damn dog."

The baker smiled. "So there's one at the shelter she wants to rescue, I take it." The baker put a couple more cookies in the box and then slid it across the counter before taking the twenty.

"She'd take in any stray. And none of you lot are any better. That's why we have a barn full of cats too." The old man opened the box. "Is that one of those dog cookies?"

"Yep. You and I both know you're going to the shelter next."

The old man sighed and shook his head. "It's a good thing I love that woman."

The baker met Izzy's gaze. "How can I help you?"

"I'd like a dozen of the same cookies, minus the dog biscuit. For a similar reason. Except I didn't piss him off." Yet.

"Do you want some advice, criminal?"

Izzy chuckled. "Sure."

"Woo your mate every day of your life, just like you did the first day you saw them." It would have been good advice if Izzy had been into the romance thing.

"I don't have a mate." Izzy made sure he left before they had a chance to leave him. "And I don't want one."

"You'll change your mind when you meet the right one." The old man was in love. People in love wanted everyone else to be in love too.

"I doubt that." Everyone left eventually. Fated mates could die as easily as his sister had.