“How’s your hand?” she asked after taking my order.
“It’s getting better.” I picked up my bandaged hand and wiggled my fingers at her. “It doesn’t throb as much, and I only needed a couple of Advil to—wait. How did you know about my hand?” I tilted my head at her in confusion.
Erica let out a laugh and said, “In this town, news travels fast. We probably knew you cut your hand before you did.” She gave me a smirk and I snorted a laugh. I glanced around the diner and noticed a few of the patrons quickly avoiding meeting my eye but stifling smiles. Erica tossed a quick look over her shoulder and turned back to me, her lips still curled at the edges. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it…” Her smile faded. “That is, if you decide to stay.”
The diner got suddenly quieter, and Erica’s last sentence felt like a fifty-pound weight dropped in my lap. She was waiting for a response, and apparently so was everyone else in the diner. I swallowed the small lump in my throat before I could answer her.
“I haven’t decided yet.” I cleared my throat. “The farm is a specialplace, and it meant a lot to my grandparents, so I want to give it a lot of consideration.”
An elderly man sitting across from his wife at the next table nodded, seemingly pleased with my answer, and it gave me an odd measure of relief, though he was rudely eavesdropping on my conversation.
“Yeah, I don’t envy you there.” Erica smiled again. “I’ll go put your order in and send Melissa over with your water and coffee.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and placed it on the table while I waited for my food. I was simultaneously hoping for and dreading a call from my mother. I jumped in my seat when the phone buzzed. It was a text.
By the message, I knew exactly who it was.
My heart thumped as I stared at the three words that illuminated my phone screen.
Unknown:All right, Emma?
I saved his number while I thought of a response.
Me:I’m fine. I’ll be better when my waffles get here.
BBG:Good on you! Tell Erica I said hello.
Me:I will.
Me:Did you know everyone knows about my hand?
BBG:Yeah, no surprise there. It was a full six months before I could last a day without someone telling me not to nail my hand to a door.
I let out a loud chuckle, which drew a few stares, but I couldn’t suppress the smile that had spread on my face.
BBG:How is your hand anyway?
Me:It’s feeling a lot better.
BBG:I’m glad to hear that, love.
My smile grew wider, which I didn’t think was possible.
Me:Thanks for the coffee and the note.
BBG:I was glad to see the kitchen in one piece when I came back from the greenhouse and I saw you found what I left for you in the study.
BBG:And took a loving father away from his family…
Another laugh and even more stares.
Me:Fred knew what he was signing up for when he took his oath. Do knights take oaths? How does one become a knight anyway?
BBG:I don’t know how they used to do it, but today you just need to make a load of money and kneel in front of an elderly bloke with a sharp sword.
Me:Sounds dangerous.
BBG:I wouldn’t try it.
