Page 14 of The Dragon at the End of This Pregnancy

It was now ten minutes past, but I didn't blame Shelby for trying to make a sale.

"Do you receive commissions?" I asked.

Shelby's laugh was bitter. "Not a chance. I'm very glad you bought it, though. It's the nicest thing with the governor's name on it. The rest of her bootlickers will have to buy a handbag or watch instead."

"I'm no bootlicker," Galen said. "Where is this name located, so I can take it off?"

"No one back home will even know," I reassured them.

"I will know. Shelby?"

A quick snip of a pair of shears, and the tag bearing the governor's name slipped into a small waste bin behind the cash register. "Good as new. That'll be four-hundred-thirty-one dollars and ninety-nine cents."

Galen didn't question the price, but my heart stopped when I heard the total plus tax. I withheld judgment as Shelby grabbed a handmade hat box from a shelf, lined it with tissue paper, and placed the delicate hat inside.

It even came with its own canvas bag, marked "Governor's Choice," with an illegible signature scrawled over the top of the state seal.

Galen glanced over their shoulder as Shelby pulled a steel gate across the gift shop doorway after we left.

"That is a strange contraption," they said. "How will other shoppers get inside?"

"They're closed for business until tomorrow morning."

Galen frowned, and their scowl turned even darker when we walked outside. "The sky is still light," they said. "Why are they closed?"

"Humans set their time by their clocks, not their hours of sunlight," I reminded them. "It's almost summer, and these are the longest days of the year, but in a few months, it will be dark around this time." I didn't try to explain daylight saving time. We were only staying for a week.

"May I wear my hat now?"

"Wait until we get to the hotel," I said. "I don't want to cause any traffic accidents when someone sees you."

"It's a hat," Galen huffed. "Humans must see them all the time."

"Have you seen any humans wearing hats today?"

"Yes."

I must have missed them. "Describe them."

"There was a man wearing a baseball hat in the bleachers." Galen recognized baseball hats and visors thanks to our new outdoor sports facility. "Another wore a furry hat that only covered the top of his head."

"That was a toupee."

"To pay? I bet he paid too much," Galen quipped. "And a woman wore one of those sun visors the tennis players wear."

I shouldn't have been surprised. Galen was far more observant than I gave them credit.

"Hats like yours are rare," I said. "It's a fabulous item for your hoard, but not so great to wear in public."

They grinned. "It will shine among my treasures. Thank you for reminding me."

Appreciation was far easier to read on their human face, and I had to look away, pretending I needed to focus on the road. Now that I knew their sense of smell was weaker as a human, I hoped they couldn't tell how much I wanted them.

It was inevitable. We had a hotel room to ourselves, and only one queen bed. Lark had said it was cheaper. I believed him, but now that I knew Galen had plenty of money to cover our trip, I wondered if they would prefer a separate room.

"We could upgrade our room, if you'd like," I said as we approached the front desk in the hotel lobby.

Galen frowned at me. "Upgrade?"

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