Page 37 of Valentine's Day Treasure

He held her at arm’s length, looking in her eyes, and said, “Ye are my gift.”

Tears leaked down Heather’s cheeks. She cradled her belly with her hands, thinking she didn’t want to be crying but she couldn’t help it.

Graeme motioned to her. “This is my gift, my weepy female who loves so openly.” He pulled her close and kissed her gently, moving a hand to her hands on her belly. “Ye are my gift and I thank ye for it. Our young thrives in comfort and protection, and I cherish every part of ye, each tear and hiccup.”

Heather wanted to bawl, but she smiled instead, tears still running down her face. The baby kicked, hard, and Heather pressed her hand to the spot.

“Do you think the dreams made me puke? I thought it was the baby.”

“It could be the bairn, if she's resisting Rhen’s communication with you. She'spartdragen,and likely to be strong-willed.”

“I was thinking morning sickness, but… good to know.”

She sat, opened the envelope, and shook it. Out dropped two tickets to a world-famous reptile exhibit in Chicago.

“Oooh,” Heather said. “We’re going to this? Me and you?”

“Aye.”

She clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait. Thank you.”

“Yer welcome, love.”

He bent for a kiss and she gave him a good one. When she released him, he pointed at the food.

“Finish off whatever else you want, then we’ll head home. I think we can be back by dinnertime.”

Heather mindlessly ate a few crackers, her thoughts on how much she had to look forward to.

***

Heather sat on her dragon’s back as he flew through the dark night sky higher and faster than a plane. She fidgeted in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position. She never thought she’d even think this, but she’d had enough flying. It had been three hours from Scotland to Illinois and her butt hurt. Her thighs hurt. She was tired and finally felt hungry—really hungry because she’d barely eaten anything all day.

Graeme started descending.

“Oh thank goodness,” she muttered, the pain and irritation fading as she perked up.

They dropped into the level of the clouds and her clothes grew damp. She blazed hot to dry out.

We’ll be down in a few minutes,Graeme said.

Okay.

She leaned forward, thinking about the chest of gold in Graeme’s claws and how he was going to land. They dropped out of the clouds, and it was still snowing. She couldn’t see much because it was so dark, but she sensed it when they dropped into the gorge.

Graeme hovered, the chest thudded to the ground, then they landed gently near it. He folded his wings and dropped to his belly. All around, snow melted to water and rushed away from them. Heather swung a leg over his back and carefully slid to the ground, where she checked on the compressed packet of gold anklets right away. All was in order.

Thank you, kind sir,she said.

The pleasure was mine, bonnie lady.He lowered his head, then asked,The diadem, do ye want it?

Heather shook her head.No, hide it with the rest, please.

Aye.

As they headed out to the waterfall, Graeme transformed into a man and carried the chest in his arms. He stepped behind the frozen pillars of water and stopped at the wall of solid rock. He transformed to a dragon, still standing on two legs and holding the chest in his forelegs. He brought his wings around, enfolding both the chest and his body, then fire burst around him until he burned white hot. He walked directly forward, pressing into the wall. It held solid for only a few more seconds, then it groaned and sputtered, and heated into molten rock, spraying the smell of sulfur and rotten eggs everywhere, making Heather cover her nose and mouth. Graeme pressed forward into the rock like a knife through butter, then he disappeared completely.

Heather gasped, not expecting that to happen at all. The rock seemed to glow and merge behind Graeme, and she held her breath until his dragon emerged without the chest. The wall blazed with the fire of his exit and rock melted off him, dripping to the ground like water. Behind him, the rock sputtered steam as it cooled and solidified.

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