“Yes,” Sawyer answered. “When our physician failed to find a remedy, my father summoned every healer from this kingdom and all the surrounding ones, promising their weight in gold and anything else they desired if they could heal me. They tried everything, every known medicine and cure, to no avail. So Briar dove deeper, researching ancient texts and even those believed to be mere myths. I’m told he didn’t sleep or eat until he found a solution.”
“That sounds like him,” I said, fondness for Briar swarming in my chest. “He puts others needs before his own. I’m always having to remind him to eat and take care of himself too.”
“The two of you make for a fine couple.” Sawyer’s smile returned to its former warmth, lacking the tightness that had formed when speaking of his past illness. “Or should I say, the three of you. Many women are heartsick that you’ve stolen the dashingly handsome Captain Maddox from them.”
“I didn’t steal him. He wasn’t theirs to begin with.” Did I sound too salty at that?Oh well. “So after Briar healed you, what happened? You said something about the king offering the person’s weight in gold.”
“Briar refused it,” Sawyer said. “Once I was on the mend, my father tried to reward him, but Briar said he didn’t do it for gold or other riches. He only wished to save a life.”
I didn’t think I could love Briar any more than I already did, but the warm flutters in my heart said otherwise. “That also sounds like him.”
“That’s when my father offered him the position as the court physician. Earning a king’s trust is no easy feat, but my father trusts him with not only my life and Cedric’s, but with his life as well.”
And I trusted Briar with mine.
My life and my heart.
The woman led us to a room with an entire wall of windows that overlooked a courtyard filled with vibrant flowers, beds of green grass, and trees of varying shapes and sizes. The sky was so blue it looked fake.
Sawyer thanked the servant before taking a seat.
I joined him at the table, taking in the platters of food in front of us; fresh salmon with lemon slices, crab cakes, and a flaky tart that reminded me of a quiche, filled with a savory egg custard, cheese, meat, and vegetables. There was also a selection of fruit and buttery bread.
I was starving, not having eaten anything since early that morning when I’d cooked breakfast for the café staff and my boys—Callum and the knights included. Maddox had sneered as Callum ate the last of the muffins—again—and swore he’d murder him for it.
It was past noon now. I wondered if the cinnamon roll had succumbed to that promised death, or if he was still alive and kicking, being his ooey-gooey, sweet self.
“Thank you for inviting me to lunch,” I said.
“It’s my pleasure,” Sawyer responded. “I hope it wasn’t an inconvenience.”
“Not at all.” Peter and Alice were taking care of the café, and I had full faith in them. “It’s nice to see you. It’s been way too long.”
“I agree,” he said. “I have very few friends. Acquaintances? Yes. But very few I can trust. As a prince, I never know the intentions of those around me. They always want something or have some agenda for wanting to get close to me. But not you, Evan. You expect nothing of our friendship.”
“I consider you a friend too,” I told him, touched by his words.
“Is that from your café?” Sawyer nodded to the basket.
“Yep.” I lifted the lid to reveal vanilla cupcakes, different flavors of cookies, a miniature strawberry cake, and banana nut muffins. I hadn’t brought anything with too much chocolate since it would’ve melted on the trip there. “I wasn’t sure which one you’d like best, so I grabbed a few different ones. And sugar cookies for Sir Noah.”
Sawyer looked toward the doorway where the knight in question had just walked in with a hyper cat-boy at his side.
“Evan is here!” Kuya sprung forward, headed straight for the basket. “And he brought Kuya’s cake!”
“Kuya,” Sawyer said, then pointed to the seat beside him. “Lunch first, then dessert.”
Kuya paused right before pouncing on the basket, the cake reflecting in his rainbow eyes. His ears twitched. He then sighed and sat beside Sawyer. “Kuya will behave.”
Sawyer patted the top of his head, earning a chorus of adorable cat purrs. “Rose made crab cakes for you.”
“Crab cakes?” He perked up. “Kuya’s other favorite type of cake!”
As Kuya loaded his plate, I grabbed one of the salmon fillets. Sawyer chose a quiche and some fruit. We ate in a comfortable silence for several minutes before Kuya started talking about a butterfly he’d found earlier.
Sawyer smiled as he listened and returned his hand to Kuya’s head. His fingers sank into the reddish-brown strands of his hair, and Kuya closed his eyes, purring happily as he chewed his food.
After lunch, Kuya cut off a small piece of the strawberry cake and scooted it toward Sawyer before pouncing on the rest, eating with his hands.
