Page 31 of Ink & Snow
Chapter Nine
Ileftthehikingstore feeling toasty. My feet were warm, my legs were warm, and no chill could reach me in my new coat. The triplets had forced me to put on the black hat with the white snowflakes on it that I’d bought at their insistence, but to be honest, the thing was warm, and it felt nice wearing it.
It was already getting to be darkish outside, but the park was lit up, sparkled, and the snowflakes that fell glimmered like tiny crystals in the lights that had been set up all over.
I knew I should be getting back to my table, but Cherry needed to be fed. And likely as not, she’d want cuddles, that tiny needy devil cat.
I circled around the park and unlocked my store, flipping on the lights for the quick trip upstairs. Well, quick if Cherry let me make it so.
I’d just gotten her fed and back in her moving box where she promptly went into a food coma when I heard the noise from downstairs.
“Soyer!” someone shouted in a gravelly voice, followed by vigorous coughing. “Soyer, you there?”
Feet hit the stairs, and I stood to face the door, wondering whether maybe Abusive Nick had a buddy.
The door flew open, and there, pink pom pom askew and panting like he’d run a marathon, was Amory. He saw me, coughed. His pallor was even more oatmeal than he normally was.
“You look like shit,” I told him.
“Rosa said—are you okay? They said fucking Nickhityou before Dwayne could tase him and drag him off. They said he called you the f-word and you just ran. Garnet sold all your wreaths, and he’s been taking notes of who all sends you their well wishes. Jenny was in tears. Are youokay?” he asked again before breaking out in a coughing fit. His voice sounded like he was an eighty-year-old chain smoker.
I sighed, walked toward him, and went for the zipper of his jacket. It slid down easily.
“Go sit on the couch. I’ll make you some tea. Did no one tell you that you are sick and should be resting?”
“But I came to see you. Well, to wish you luck with selling the wreaths. And then people told me what happened and—” He gasped.
I had to peel his jacket off, the ugly hat as well, had to drag him bodily to the couch and pull him down with me.
“Firstly, he didn’t hit me. I didn’t give him the chance. Secondly, I was cold and finally took everyone’s advice to go see the triplets. That’s where I was.”
“Oh,” Amory said, some of the tension going out of him. “Oh, okay. Yeah, that makes sense. It’s the kind of weather I warn people with piercings about, you know.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “No, I most certainly don’t. Is chamomile and sage okay? I think I actually have some honey as well.”
“You don’t have to make me tea. I came to check on you.”
Fuck, but he was adorable. My no longer half-frozen dick gave an appreciative twitch.
“And you did, Amory, and found me fine. But as I said, you look like shit. So relax and let me take care of you, hmm?”
He looked at me with glassy eyes. “Okay. I like honey.”
I nodded and headed to the kitchen.
When I came back, a nice big mug of honeyed tea in my hand, Amory had taken off his shoes and stretched out on my couch.
“Sorry, I can—”
“Stay where you are. I don’t know why the fuck you left your house and came out into that fucking snowstorm out there, but I’m not letting you move for the foreseeable future.”
He smiled up at me, his lips dry and threatening to chap. “You’re so bossy.”
“You have no fucking idea.” I handed him the tea. “You want to spend the night?”
“I, uh, I mean, like…for sex you mean?”
I crossed my arms. “No. For my own peace of mind. Because again, you look like—”
