Memories surfaced of cookies burnt to a crisp and crumbly cake dryer than the Sahara Desert. We all had to start somewhere, and I’d started in a run-down kitchen in a group home surrounded by other lonely boys desperate to find their purpose in life. Something that made you want to wake up in the morning.
Some of those boys never found the thing that set their souls on fire. But my love of baking became mine. Food brought people together.
It saved them too.
After thanking William and Gertrude for showing me around and making plans to meet them for breakfast the next morning, my escort of bodyguards and I left the café-in-progress. The sun had inched closer to the horizon. We had an hour left of daylight, if that.
“Needs a lot of work,” Callum said. “That place is nice but lacks warmth. Your café is cozy and helps me feel better after a hard day.”
“Aye.” Duke threw his arm around my shoulders, having to bend down to do so, given our height difference. “Nothing beats coming to your cottage and enjoying a hot meal and good company. That’s what this café needs. The kinda love and care only you can give.”
“Y’all are gonna make me cry. Stop.”
Ban peered down at me. He was the tallest of our group. The top of Duke’s head barely even clipped his shoulder.
“What’s your favorite flavor?” I asked him. “Chocolate? Blueberry? Or maybe you’re a vanilla bean kinda guy.”
No response. Just more staring.
“Hmm. You’ll be quite the challenge, but worry not. I have a knack for finding everyone’s favorite treat. Callum and Maddox love muffins. Briar loves cranberry and oatmeal cookies. Sir Noah of the Royal Order has a weakness for sugar cookies, but don’t tell him I told you that.”
The muscle in Ban’s cheek twitched.
“Was that an almost smile?” I asked in disbelief.
He only stared at me. One second passed. Two. Then, he emitted a rough grunt and averted his gaze back to the paved walkway.
“I’ll figure you out, Ban the Silent. Just wait and see.”
“Ban the Silent?” Callum asked.
“I want a nickname too.” Duke rocked me from side to side with his beefy arm still around my shoulders. “Come on. What do ya have for me?”
“The Redhead of Destruction.”
He barked out a laugh. “I’ll take it.”
Mountains bordered Exalos, stretching for as far as the eye could see. Lush valleys and green fields dwelled within and around the city too, some of it farmland and some privately owned by nobles for their grand estates. Farming and mining seemed to be the popular professions among common folk.
As we walked toward the inn, we passed a group of men covered in sweat and grime, their expressions dazed from a hard day’s work. They towed a creaky cart weighed down with mining tools and various brown bags. The men nodded to us before going on their way.
“What’s in the bags?” I asked once they’d passed.
“Coal or gemstones, I’d wager,” Callum answered. “The fruit of their hard labor that’ll be passed on to their superior and make the rich even richer.”
“Well, that’s not fair. They work their butts off all day and probably get paid a crappy salary, while lazy rich bums reap all the rewards? Where’s Robin Hood when you need him?”
“Robin Hood?” Duke asked. “I met a fellow once named Robin. He had a wart on his cheek the size of a copper coin. Said he wanted to be a painter.”
The story was so random that I started giggling and couldn’t stop. It got Callum cracking up, too, while Duke and Ban stared at us. Their serious expressions sent me even more over the edge.
A loud chiming rang out, drawing my attention to a bell tower. It towered over all the surrounding buildings and was attached to a grand cathedral with a high-arched roof, stone statues, and stained-glass windows. The chimes ended after five.
“I think I want to explore town a little while it’s still light out,” I said. “Is that okay?”
Callum nodded. “As long as we go with you.”
“So you wouldn’t like it if I started running to get away from you?”
