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She glanced up to see that he was smiling.
“I do like to eat,” she told him. “As my dad used to say, If you’re lucky enough to have food in front of you, dig in.”
“How did he make his fortune?” Jhon asked, loading up a plate from the bounty on the blanket in front of them.
“Wow,” Ella laughed, thinking what a polite turn of phrase he had used. “He’s in rubbish and recycling.”
“An honest business,” Jhon said, handing her the plate.
“I guess that’s true,” she agreed. Though there was something terrible about seeing her father come home at night, filthy and physically exhausted.
But on the Terras, most people took what work they could get. At least her parents had work, even if it wasn’t really enough to feed them all.
The thought of her siblings at home with rumbling bellies while she choked down this plate of rich delicacies made her feel almost sick.
They have half my first month’s stipend, she reminded herself. It won’t all be gone yet. They’ll have enough to eat today.
“Look,” Jhon said softly.
She looked where he was pointing, but she didn’t see anything.
Then there was movement among the flowers. A soft gray, furry creature was snuffling around. It wasn’t exactly a rabbit, but she could see the easy comparison.
“She has babies,” Jhon breathed. “If we’re still, they’ll come closer. Our food smells good to them.”
Sure enough, the fuzzy, gray creature hopped forward, ears flopping. And behind her, Ella could just make out three tiny balls of fluff, two gray and one white.
“Oh,” she sighed quietly.
They were close enough now that she could see their noses quivering as they snuffled among the fragrant blossoms.
One of the babies looked up at her, tilting its head curiously to the side, and blinked its enormous eyes.
“Bah,” Bo squeaked at it, thrusting out his arms and wiggling his fingers in ecstatic welcome.
She glanced up to see if Jhon had noticed this adorable sight.
The big warrior’s cool facade melted into the most beautiful smile before her eyes.
Something tugged at her heart as she watched the fierce dragon and the sweet babies under a wide blue sky, with fragrant flowers stretching out as far as the eye could see.
For the first time since she’d landed, Ella felt like she might be home.
11
ELLA
After a wonderful, relaxing lunch, Ella must have drifted off soon after they got back in the sleigh.
Before she knew it, Jhon was rousing her.
“We’re here,” he told her in his husky voice.
She blinked up at his handsome face, feeling her whole body shiver back to life under his gaze.
He cleared his throat and straightened up.
Bo nuzzled her neck from his place on her chest and she kissed the top of his sweet head.
