PAPER STARS: An Ordinary Magic Story(17)

I settled for a single kiss on his non-bruised shoulder before I covered him back up.

His left side had taken most of the impact of whatever had happened to send him off the road. His head, shoulder, ribs, and hip were all black and blue.

He stirred at my touch and made a small sound at the back of his throat like he was having a good dream.

“You’re home,” I told him. “You’re safe. You made it before Christmas. You didn’t break your promise.”

His eyes fluttered, finally opened a slit. “Delaney?”

“I’m right here. You’re home. You can sleep. You can sleep now.”

He shivered a little harder.

“You should get into bed with him,” Myra said.

I jumped. I had forgotten she was still in the room with us.

“Do you think he needs a doctor?” I pulled the covers away and slipped beneath, immediately curling up on his right side.

His arm drifted down to hold me close.

“No,” Ryder whispered.

“You don’t get a vote, baby.” I leaned my face into his chest, wrapped my arm over him, then tangled our legs up together.

He made another happy sound.

“I think he’s okay,” Myra said. “I’ll stay here tonight and come in and check on you both a couple times, okay?”

I nodded. She must have seen it because she cleaned up a few things–probably the clothes I’d thrown on the floor–then left the room.

I didn’t know if Bathin stayed too, but I knew Myra would handle him with the same calm she handled everything else.

Plus, we had a dragon on our side.

I pressed myself across as much of Ryder as I could reach.

I’d almost lost him.

He’d almost said good-bye.

What would I have done without him?

“I love you, Ryder,” I whispered. “I think I always have. I know I do now. And I’ll say it every day, no matter what happens. I love you. I love you.”

I felt the bed shake as Spud jumped up to join us. He crawled up to carefully nose at our faces, then, satisfied, settled down behind Ryder’s legs.

The bed took another dip.

“Oink.”

“He’s hurt. You need to get off the bed.”

“Oink oink.”

“Did you just tell me no?”

“Oink.”

I scowled, but the dragon-pig turned a quick circle then curled up on Ryder’s bad side, rooting at the covers until half his head was hidden by the folds of the blankets.

Ryder shivered, then sighed. And I knew why. I could feel the heat radiating off the little dragon from here. It was like sitting next to a fire. Warm and relaxing.

Ryder’s breathing evened out, deep and slow, and his muscles all softened and became heavy.

I listened to his heart beat, listened to winter chewing away outside our cozy warm bedroom, listened to the dragon and the dog breathing, and fell asleep with them all.





Chapter Seven





Myra woke me up before she left. It wasn’t even light out yet.

“I’ll take your shift this morning. You stay with Ryder.”

I blinked until my vision cleared. Ryder had shifted in the night and was now curled around both the dragon and the dog, his back to me.

They were all snoring.

I smiled. I so needed a picture of that so I could blackmail him with it later.

“See you tonight.” Myra started toward the bedroom door.

“Wait, Mymy.” I slipped out of bed and stopped outside in the hall with her. “You go home. I’m going to take my shift.”

“You need to stay here.”

“He’s sleeping. I’ll call someone to keep an eye on him while I’m out. It’s your day off.”

I always worked Christmas Eve.

Now that Ryder was home safe and the storm had blown through, I wanted to get eyes on the town.

I needed to see if there was any damage, and make sure everyone had a warm place to celebrate the holiday.

“Just let me get dressed,” I said.

“Prefer you didn’t.” That voice, low with a burr of sleepiness, had me turning quickly.

Ryder stood in the doorway to the bedroom. Well, leaned there.

The comforter was wrapped around his shoulders, held closed at the front. His hair was sticking up at all angles.

There was a crease down the side of his face from how hard he’d slept on one side, and his beard was thicker than he usually kept it.

But his smile made his eyes light with green fire, and set butterflies loose in my heart. He’d never looked more amazing.

“Hey,” I said. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. A little foolish. Happy to be home. Happier to see you.”

He’d moved while he spoke, and stopped right in front of me. “I thought I told you not to make deals with demons.”

“You did. And I didn’t. Myra made the deal.”

“Thought you knew better, Myra.” He pitched his voice so she could hear him, but didn’t look away from me for one second.

“I missed you,” he said.

“I missed you too.”

He opened the comforter, welcoming me into his warmth.

I went willingly, thankfully, wrapping my arms around his ribs, pressing my cheek against the healthy heat of his skin, inhaling the scents of love and trust and home and him.