Krissi woke slowly, her brain resisting the idea. She knew before opening her eyes that Ruger was gone. His warmth and the feeling of safety she got when she was with him were both absent. Slowly, the previous day came back to her. She took a deep breath, focused, and exhaled.
Might as well face the day. She tried to sit up and found she couldn’t, at least not easily. She took a deep breath and used her hands to push herself upright. Her ribs sent bolts of sharp, stabbing pain through her, and she had to stop a moment to let the ache fade before she could continue. After a couple minutes, when she could move again, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed then had to stop and wait again. Sleep had helped, but now her body had stiffened again. Warming it up and getting moving again was
