Page 42 of Ties of Legacy

“I noticed,” he said dryly. “You must have been a delight for your parents.”

She grinned. “Every traveler’s dream child.”

A reluctant laugh escaped him. Maybe she was so headstrong and confident because she was also the most capable person he’d ever met. She didn’t even hesitate in the face of fire. It was no wonder he’d started to dread the thought of her handing the lamp over to the people who had commissioned it.

Elliot didn’t want to be bound to anyone but Avery.

Chapter 15

Avery

They retrieved Nutmeg and the cart—thankfully still where Avery had abandoned them—and stayed for two nights with the herbalist and his family. She knew she shouldn’t have let anything distract her from getting to Bolivere, but after more than six months, it was hard to believe that two more nights would make a difference. And she couldn’t bring herself to leave until they knew the last of the fire was out.

Elliot helped the man and his daughter examine the house, salvaging as much as possible while Avery played with the children. Elliot had insisted she take the job of occupying the children, staying away from the burned building. He seemed to feel guilty for something, although she couldn’t imagine what. His help had been necessary and invaluable in stopping the fire.

His fear had made him gruff in the moment, but with the immediate danger past, he returned to his usual friendly cheer. The family all took to him immediately, especially the older girl. She followed him around with stars in her eyes, something Avery found amusing and Elliot awkward.

“Where’s your devotee?” she asked him when he came down to the lake to collect water with her on the third day. “I can barely recognize you without your loyal duckling.”

He gave her an unimpressed look that made her laugh.

“I don’t know what your issue is,” she said. “You make a charming mother duck.”

“Watch out,” he said with a playful growl, “or I’ll throw you in, and we can see which of us is more akin to a waterfowl.”

Avery skipped away from him, her eyes gleaming. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Just try me.” He stalked toward her.

She laughed, retreating further back. Her heart rate picked up—at the prospect of being dunked in the cold water, of course—but she was still laughing.

“You’re not a mother duck,” she said placatingly. “I don’t know how I ever saw the resemblance.” She grinned cheekily. “You’re clearly a mother goose. Those creatures are vicious.”

Growling again, he lunged forward and caught her around the waist, swinging her closer to him. She giggled and tried to pull free, and his hold tightened.

He pulled her all the way to him, stopping when she was only inches from him and looking down at her with a threatening frown and laughing eyes.

But Avery’s laugh fell away, her breath catching. He had caught her around the waist like that during the fire as well, but she had been focused on finding the missing grandfather and had only been thinking of breaking free and continuing her search. Now she could feel burning warmth where his hands touched her—and this time it had nothing to do with actual flames.

“I should have caught you as soon as you tried to run into the fire and thrown you in the lake then,” he said, showing his mind had gone to the same place as hers.

Avery wanted to remind him of the good they’d done putting out the fire, but her throat had stopped working. She could barely breathe, let alone speak.

Elliot’s hands shifted, moving from her sides around to her back, and she was certain he was about to pull her all the way to him, closing the gap between them.

“Elliot!” The youthful voice called from the other side of the house. Her second call sounded closer. “Elliot?”

Avery and Elliot sprang apart as if they were once again fleeing flames. Avery’s abrupt retreat sent her stumbling into the shallow water on the edge of the lake, soaking her boots. She gasped and tried to jump out of the water, only succeeding in losing her balance.

She grasped fruitlessly at the empty air around her as she tipped backward. But just as she was past the point of no return, Elliot’s hand shot out and clasped her wrist, stopping her fall.

She hung there, her body angled precariously backward as their eyes locked, both of their chests heaving.

“Did you save her from falling in?” the girl asked from right beside Elliot, her voice almost a squeal as she gazed at him adoringly. “How romantic!”

At her final word, Elliot flinched, his whole body recoiling. His fingers slipped off her wrist, and with a wild scream, Avery resumed her fall.

She landed in the water with a splash, the shock of the sudden cold robbing her of breath. She sat on the shallow lake bed, both hands braced behind her.

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