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“Not true!”

“Agree to disagree. Devon seems like a nice guy.”

“Oh, really? If he’s such a nice guy, why is he single?”

Paige wrinkled her nose at the question. “We have no idea that he is, actually. He may have a super-hot girlfriend that I’ve never met. It’s not like I know him well.”

The hoodie-clad individual approaching Paige furrowed his brow before crossing the street away from her.

“I’m talking on my phone!” she shouted after him.

“Nice going, Paige. Why don’t you just announce that you have a talking dragon?”

Paige turned the corner. The library rose in front of her. Warm lights lit the front as the fall trees danced in the gentle breeze, sending orange and yellow leaves floating to the stone steps leading to it.

“Well, maybe if you were quiet instead of rambling on about how my hot neighbor is an issue, people wouldn’t think I’m crazy.”

“I doubt that. You do a pretty good job of proving you’re crazy on your own.”

Paige widened her eyes and shot an unimpressed glance at the carrier as she ducked into the alley leading to the back entrance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not traveling. Yes, I am. I’m going to Mexico with my cats. No, not with my cats. Just me,” Dewey mimicked as Paige rolled her suitcase to a stop and dug in her bag for her keycard.

“I’m an introvert. I’m nervous, okay? It’s normal.” Paige waved her keycard in front of the reader and tugged the door open, rolling her suitcase ahead of her into the dim hall.

“Well, I’m just saying that you make yourself sound crazy enough without my help.”

Paige blew out a long breath as she wound through the main library and entered the Hall of Former Librarians. After wrangling her luggage down the steps, she unlocked the archives and shoved her suitcase onto the metal platform.

She slouched Dewey’s carrier off her shoulder and unzipped it.

The little dragon flew from within the bag. “Come on. Let’s dump your stuff and get the mattress.”

He flew toward his nest while Paige descended the circular, metal stairs, her bag clanging off them while she dragged it down to the cement floor below. She wound her way to the stairs leading to Dewey’s nest and dragged the suitcase and duffel up while the remaining cat carrier banged off her hip with every step.

She reached the top, huffing and puffing as she wheeled the suitcase across his threshold and to her armchair. Dewey flew backward, struggling to drag a chair away from the fireplace in the corner.

Paige dumped the cat carrier on the floor and hurried to help him.

“I figured we’d put you here by the fireplace. You can turn it on if you get too cold.” Dewey gasped as he tugged at the second chair.

“It’s out of the way, too,” Paige agreed as she scurried around to the opposite side and gave the chair a shove.

They cleared an area, tucking the chairs against the wall separating the living space from Dewey’s bedroom.

“Okay,” Dewey said, rubbing his paws together, “let the little monster out, and we’ll get going.”

“He’ll be okay in the carrier. Come on. Let’s head out.”

Dewey waved a paw in the air, flying toward the carrier. “Don’t be ridiculous. This is his home now, too. Let him out to explore.”

He tugged the zipper open, and the tabby cat popped his head out, giving an annoyed grumble before leaping from the carrier.

“Have fun, buddy!” Dewey said with a grin before he zipped across the room and climbed into his own carrier. “Come on, Paige. Let’s get your bed.”

“Gosh, I think you’re actually excited to have us stay here, Dewey,” Paige said with a grin as she hefted the strap onto her shoulder and zipped the carrier closed.

“I am. Hey, while we’re at the SmartMart, can we pick up a few things? Now that you’re here, I’d like to do some baking.”