I settled for a single kiss on his non-bruised shoulder before I covered him backup.
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 andblue.
He stirred at my touch and made a small sound at the back of his throat like he was having a gooddream.
“You’re home,” I told him. “You’re safe. You made it before Christmas. You didn’t break yourpromise.”
His eyes fluttered, finally opened a slit. “Delaney?”
“I’m right here. You’re home. You can sleep. You can sleepnow.”
He shivered a littleharder.
“You should get into bed with him,” Myrasaid.
I jumped. I had forgotten she was still in the room withus.
“Do you think he needs a doctor?” I pulled the covers away and slipped beneath, immediately curling up on his rightside.
His arm drifted down to hold meclose.
“No,” Ryderwhispered.
“You don’t get a vote, baby.” I leaned my face into his chest, wrapped my arm over him, then tangled our legs uptogether.
He made another happysound.
“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 theroom.
I didn’t know if Bathin stayed too, but I knew Myra would handle him with the same calm she handled everythingelse.
Plus, we had a dragon on ourside.
I pressed myself across as much of Ryder as I couldreach.
I’d almost losthim.
He’d almost said good-bye.
What would I have done withouthim?
“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 loveyou.”
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’slegs.
The bed took anotherdip.
“Oink.”
“He’s hurt. You need to get off thebed.”
“Oinkoink.”
“Did you just tell meno?”
“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 theblankets.
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 andrelaxing.
Ryder’s breathing evened out, deep and slow, and his muscles all softened and becameheavy.
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 themall.
