Page 14 of His Fate
Baking bread.
Crispy bacon.
Powdered sugar.
A savory cheese.
Maple and brown sugar.
But my favorite scent of all hits me the second Posey comes flying out from the kitchen in back.
Lilac.
Chamomile.
Warm vanilla.
Morning dew.
Absolutely delicious.
She has a smear of something on her cheek, another on her forehead, and her apron is covered in the same white powdery substance. Her cheeks are flushed and the fine hairs that have come loose from the knot on her head stick to her skin with the light sheen of sweat.
The shop is relatively quiet, not as busy as it was yesterday and the few patrons that are here are sitting peacefully at a few tables enjoying their meals.
Ronny sees us first, his blue eyes practically falling from his skull as he takes us in and Milos laughs as he nudges my elbow.
"He looks terrified."
I nod and watch Posey say something to him before she drops her forehead to the display case, closes her eyes, and exhales deep.
She looks exhausted, beautiful, but bone deep tired and I want nothing more in this moment than to wrap her in my arms and hold her until she falls asleep.
Slowly, Posey lifts her head and when those emerald pools meet my stare she flashes me an absolutely radiant smile that practically stops my heart. But just as quickly that smile falls and she glances down at her hands before narrowing her eyes on me.
She takes one step toward us but doesn't get any further because a voice comes from behind the swinging door, a voice bellowing for help with crullers. Posey sighs, frowns, then disappears back into the kitchen just before Ronny very slowly walks over to us.
"Good morning. Welcome to-to Krazy Kady's." He shifts nervously while his gaze bounces between us. "What… what can I get for you?"
I nod in greeting then decide to try to make his job easier than I did yesterday. "Four venti black, French roast, and one dozen of the raspberry pinwheels. Please."
The relief that washes over him is so great his shoulders sag. "Sure, yeah. Ok. Great." He grabs four paper cups and a marker. "Can I get names for the drinks?"
Andrej frowns and Henrich rolls his eyes as Milos steps up to the counter. "Kai, Milos,"—his eyes shine with mischief—"Dre, and Ricky."
My elder brothers groan as Milos cackles but before I can even decide what my response will be, Posey comes flying out from the back again.
"I'm taking ten, Ronny. You good?"
He nods while he writes. "Easy order today."
Then my mate rounds the counter, grabs my wrist, and proceeds to drag me out the back door.
"What did you do to my hand?" Posey whisper-yells before it's even closed.
My brow furrows as she drops my wrist. "I healed it."
"No shit!" She pulls the bandage off to reveal nothing but a faint scar that will most likely be invisible within another hour or two. "How exactly did you heal it?"
