Chapter 6
Gunnar had slept well. He didn’t go into the kitchen until after his shower. With a towel wrapped around his waist, he headed in to make a pot of coffee and think about breakfast. That was when he remembered he’d trapped the imp under the strainer.
He crouched down and looked through the holes. The imp was asleep on the table, one hand under his head, his wings draped over his body like a blanket. Somehow, he seemed almost cherubic in sleep.
Nothing like the flying devil he was awake.
Gunnar let him sleep, grabbing the coffeepot to fill with water. Grinding the beans would wake the imp up, but it had to be done.
He added beans to the machine, hit grind, then glanced over to check the imp’s status.
He was moving, from what Gunnar could see through the holes of the strainer.
The imp glowered at him. “Hey. You.”
Definitely awake then.
Gunnar ignored him. He added the grounds to the filter and tapped the brew button before turning around. He lifted off the strainer, prepared to give the creature a stern lecture about how the day was going to go, when the imp blinked up at him with big, round eyes.
“You freed me. Again.” The imp jumped into the air so he was eye-level with Gunnar. “Thank you! That gets you three more wishes!”
“What?” Horrified, Gunnar stepped back. “I don’t want more wishes.”
Blueberry shrugged. “I don’t make the rules, buddy. That’s just how jinn magic works. Whoever frees me gets wishes.”
“But I put you under that strainer to begin with.”
Blueberry nodded. “It’s basically a loophole that most people never figure out.” Grinning, he tapped the side of his head. “You’re clearly smarter than the average bear. Which, frankly, is a little surprising going by the way you look.”
Gunnar frowned. “You’re not funny.”
“I’m hilarious. You just don’t have a sense of humor. Hey, do you want to wish for one of those? Might really improve your personality.”
“My personality is fine.” Gunnar went back to the coffee. Blueberry started to say something. Gunnar let out a big yawn and stretched, making it obvious he wasn’t paying attention.
When the yawning and stretching ended, Blueberry said, “What’s for breakfast? I’m starving.”
Gunnar heaved out a breath. “Steak and eggs.” He checked the coffeepot, more than ready to fill a cup.
“Ew. For breakfast?”
Gunnar took a coffee mug down from the cabinet, set it by the machine, then shot a look at Blueberry. “You can eat it or not.”
“Can I have a slice of pizza instead?”
Gunnar paused for a moment. That pizza was supposed to be his dinner tonight. As much as he didn’t want to share, he wanted the imp to stop pestering him. “Yes. One slice. And I’m not heating it up.”
“I don’t care. I’m down with cold pizza.”
“Great.” Gunnar opened the fridge, grabbed a slice, and slapped it on a plate. He set it on the table. “There you go.”
“So grumpy,” the imp muttered. “You really need a girlfriend.”
“No, I don’t.” He got out the eggs and a steak next. He put a cast iron skillet on the stove to heat up.
The coffee would be done in a few minutes, and the imp was busy eating. He took the opportunity to go back to the bedroom and put his uniform on.
When he returned to the kitchen, the imp looked at him. “You’re going to work today?”
“That’s what most people do.”
“What am I going to do all day while you’re gone?”
Gunnar blinked. He hadn’t thought about that. He couldn’t leave the imp here alone, not if he valued his possessions. But he couldn’t really take the imp with him. Could he? He filled his coffee mug while he thought about that. Maybe he could lose the imp in the woods.
He sipped the coffee. “You’re not staying here.”
Blueberry stood up, holding a slice of pepperoni with both hands while he ate it. “Do you mean … I’m coming to work with you?”
“Yes. But if you cause problems, I will buy a birdcage and stick you in it. Do you understand me?” He wouldn’t actually. He didn’t want more wishes. But he couldn’t think of anything else to threaten the imp with.
Blueberry shot into the air and did a pirouette, sending out a shower of green dust. “Woohoo! I’m going to be a forest ranger!”
“You’re not going to be anything. You’re coming with me so I can keep an eye on you. That’s it.” The green dust drifted down to the tabletop. He set his coffee down and grabbed a rag to clean it up with. “And keep your dust to yourself.”
“I can’t help that.”
“Try harder.” Gunnar rinsed the rag and hung it over the faucet to dry, then got to work making breakfast. He scrambled six eggs with salt and pepper in a bowl, then set that aside.
He seasoned the small New York strip with salt.
He laid it in the pan, the immediate sizzle one of the more pleasurable sounds in life, in his opinion.
Blueberry floated nearby, watching. “That smells good.”
“You already had breakfast.”
“I’m still a little bit hungry.”
Gunnar was not sharing his steak. He changed the subject. “If there are tourists around, you can’t be seen when I’m at work.”
“I know.” Blueberry’s tone implied he thought Gunnar thought he was dumb.
Gunnar didn’t argue that. He used his fork to flip the steak. He drank the rest of his coffee, refilled his cup, then moved the steak onto a cutting board. He turned the heat down and dumped the eggs in.
He gave them a quick stir, sliced the steak and plated it, then stirred the eggs again. While they were cooking, he washed the knife and put it away. When they were done, he added them to the plate.
The imp got in his face. “Where’s my plate?”
“You wanted pizza. Which you got.”
“Yeah, but that’s gone now and I’m still hungry. You can’t just starve me, you know.”
“You can always go home.”
Blueberry flew slightly higher, putting himself just above Gunnar’s eye level. “You’re not a nice man.”
“If you don’t like me, you can always go home.” He grabbed his fork and sat at the table.
Blueberry stayed in his face. “Maybe your first wish should be to make yourself more likable.”
“I’m plenty likable.”
Blueberry landed on the table and immediately fell over laughing. “Oh, that’s a good one. You? Likable?” He slapped the table. “You might be one of the least likable people I’ve ever met.”
“I am not.” Gunnar ate a big forkful of eggs, followed by a fat slice of steak. He chewed, but the words stayed with him. Was he unlikable? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t have any close friends, just a few acquaintances. But that was by design.
Honestly, he didn’t care. Much.
Blueberry wiped the tears from his eyes and sat up a few inches from the edge of Gunnar’s plate. “You could wish for a better sense of humor. Or to learn how to smile. Or that you—”
“I know how to smile.” Gunnar ate faster, eager to get to work.
Blueberry rolled his eyes as if unconvinced.
Gunnar finished his food, cleaned the skillet, put the plate and fork in the dishwasher, then transferred his coffee to a big travel cup. He topped it off with the rest of the pot, turned off the machine, and went to get his keys.
Blueberry was still sitting on the table when he returned. The imp stood up. “Is it time to leave for work?”
“Yes.” Gunnar gave him a serious look. “I meant what I said about not causing trouble.” He grabbed his hat from a hook by the door and put it on.
Blueberry launched himself into the air again. “Do I get a hat?”
“No.”
“I could ride on your hat then.”
Gunnar opened the door. “No.” He was never going to make it through the day. The idea of trying to come up with a wish was sounding more and more appealing.
Blueberry followed him out. Gunnar locked the door and headed for his truck.
“So are you a forest ranger because Smokey the bear was a forest ranger?”
Gunnar growled softly, his patience growing thinner by the moment. “Smokey was a mascot. Not an actual ranger.”
“But he must still be an inspiration, right?”
Gunnar got in the truck.
Blueberry zipped in before he closed the door. “Or did you become a ranger to steal picnic baskets?” He giggled as he said the words, clearly amusing himself again.
Gunnar was fed up. “I wish you would disappear.”
And just like that, Blueberry was gone.