I unwrapped the cloth and smiled at the loaves. “Carrot cake?”
“With crushed pecans.” He wrung his hands in front of him. “I added cinnamon as well. But only a hint.”
“Thank you.” I wrapped it back up and put it inside my satchel for safekeeping.
The backs of my eyes stung. I’d miss Miles, Peter, and Alice. I’d miss the café and my daily routine of waking early and baking with Lake. I’d miss helping Maddox into his armor before he left—and out of it once he returned home. And I’d miss the crinkle at the edge of Briar’s hazel eyes as he spoke of his day and asked me about mine.
I will not cry.Nope.
“Mister Evan? Are you all right—”
I threw my arms around Miles and squeezed him tight. “Take care of everything while I’m gone.”
“You can count on me.” He returned my embrace. “I should get started on the croissants, otherwise many people will be saddened by the lack of those breakfast sandwiches.”
After giving me another hug and telling me to be careful, he dashed off into the cottage.
“Come here, love.”
Those three words broke through my defenses and released the flow of tears I’d been blinking back. I stepped into Briar’s arms and pushed my face into his chest. He rubbed my back and murmured sweet words in my ear that only made me cry harder.
“I don’t have to leave,” I said into his chest. “I can send a letter to Exalos detailing things for the café and stay here with you.”
“A letter won’t be the same,” Briar responded. “As much as I’m going to miss you, I won’t let you throw this opportunity away. You’ve worked too hard, Evan.”
“But—”
“Spreading love, acceptance, and happiness one cup of coffee at a time, remember?” His lips brushed my temple. “You made your dream a reality by opening this café, and now you have another dream: to make this sometimes cruel world a little brighter in the way you know how. A second café in Exalos is the beginning of that.”
“Damn you,” I mumbled through another wave of tears. “Why do you always have to make sense?”
He smiled against my brow. “Three weeks isn’t too long in the grand scheme of things. A month at most. You’ll be home before you know it.”
“Fine.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But you have to promise me you’ll remember to eat. No skipping meals because you’re ‘too busy.’ And a cup of tea doesn’t qualify as a meal.”
His body shook with a light chuckle. “Noted. Now, let me have a look at you.” He gently wiped at my wet cheeks. “Please don’t cry.”
“I can’t help it.” I hiccupped.
“When our captain sees you like this, it’ll break his heart.” Briar caught a strand of my hair and twirled it around his finger. “It’s certainly breaking mine.”
“Sorry.” I scrubbed at my face. “Better?”
He kissed me in response. A kiss that didn’t last nearly long enough.
The coachman grabbed my suitcase and loaded it into the luggage department before doing the same to the sacks of provisions for the journey. Provisions in the form of a ton of cookies, sandwiches for the road, fruit and vegetables from Lake’s garden, and dried-out slivers of meat that tasted just like beef jerky. I’d packed enough for everyone in the “escort Evan” party. My need to feed the people around me didn’t stop just because I’d be living out of a carriage for several days.
“I’ll hold on to this one,” I said as he reached for the satchel at my feet.
“As you wish, sir.” The coachman nodded and returned to the carriage.
“What’s in it?” Briar asked.
“Oh. Just… stuff and things.”
Curiosity caused a dip in his forehead and a twinkle in his eyes. “Stuff and things?”
“Keepsakes.” I hugged the satchel to my chest. “The book you let me borrow when I first got to Bremloc. One of Maddox’s neckerchiefs. Rowan’s dagger. Mister Hop is in here too.” Lake’s stuffed animal from when he was a young boy. I’d kind of grown attached to the thing.
