Page 19 of Her Dragon Outlaw

She blinked up at me. “What?”

“Your dream, What is it? I’m sure you don’t want to work at a coffee shop for the rest of your life.”

She flicks, then looks up bashfully. “ I’ve always wanted to be an architect. Ever since I was small I could remember being fascinated with the thought of designing buildings. It’s pretty silly for someone like me huh?”

“Not at all. Everyone has dreams they think other people will find silly,” I say earnestly.

Her blue eyes soften. “What’s yours?”

“When I was younger, I had my heart set on becoming a park ranger.

Her lips pursed adorably. “Really?”

“Really. Being in the wild… it's the only time I felt like I was home.”

17

LORI

While it is kind of bonkers to leave with a man I barely know, my excitement overwhelms me. Earlier today we committed a crime, which made me feel alive for the first time in years. Now we are planning a staycation together at the risk of one or both of us dying. Definitely a lot more fun than serving lattes to rich hipsters.

Cody follows me into my apartment and for the first few seconds, I forget to be embarrassed. Then I remember how few items I have in my home and how poor I must look. My tiny studio apartment does not even have a dresser.

My clothes rack sits next to my bed, in the gap between the bed and the wall, making it so I have to climb off the end to get out of bed every morning. I head there to pack right away but I am still not quick enough to cover for the time it takes for Cody to look around. My face burns with shame as I pull my meager belongings into an old, tattered suitcase.

I hurry as quickly as I can and within five minutes of Cody and I making polite conversation with the elephant in the room—the room itself—we leave again, my suitcase on my back.

“Here, let me,” he says and takes it from me.

I do not need a strong man to carry my things, but if I am honest, it makes me feel good to have one.

“I work as a barista,” I blurt out.

“I know. You told me.”

“Yes. I get paid $7.35 an hour. As much as I work, it never seems like enough.”

“I understand.” A simple silence elapses between us as we head towards the car—not a judgemental one, though. “Have you thought about starting a business?”

“Doing what?”

“Well, what do you like to do?”

“I really don’t know.” We pass under a streetlamp and when I look at him the light haloes around his head. He’s really beautiful.

He gives me a sweet smile. “When you figure it out, let me know. I’ll help you.”

I cannot help but believe him. He really wants the best for me. “You know a lot about business?”

“I dabble. Mostly, I meet a lot of interesting people. Not all of them get away with their business dealings.”

He throws me a wink and I smile despite the shame that plagued me inside my apartment. We get back in the car while he puts my bag in the backseat. We buckle up and he sets off, a comfortable silence ringing out in the space we occupy.

“Before I was a PEACE agent,” he starts, his voice low and soft. “I was homeless. I bounced around from place to place without having a home of my own. A friend’s place here, a shelter there.”

My breath catches in my throat. “Wow, this is some deep Cody lore.” He smiles at my joke. “Did you ever have to steal to get by?”

“Definitely. Not as much as some of the criminals in the city, but definitely enough to get me noticed by PEACE agents.”

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