“Come in!” I stepped back and ushered them in while offering to take the dish from Thoma, who gladly gave it over.
“It’s stewed apples,” he explained. “Didn’t dare attempt a pastry. Figured you had your fill of those from all your time with Rosie.”
“Never enough,” Kit said as he padded into the living room. “Pen’s a bottomless pit when it comes to confections. Not sure where he hides it all.” He came up beside me and hooked his arm around my hips, giving a playful squeeze.
Reimond and Thoma didn’t look nearly as surprised by the gesture as I was. My head whipped aside to fix Kit with a baffled expression, but he faced straight ahead with the barest smile curving his lips.
Our guests exchanged a glance that seemed to convey asort of knowing. In fact, all three of the other men were smiling and sharing a silent communication that left me profoundly confused.
Finally, Kit swept his free hand toward the kitchen table. “He’s also made enough food to satisfy the whole town and I, for one, am eager to try it,” he said. “Shall we?”
The dish of stewed apples warmed my palms while I ferried it to the table and set it in the open space in the center of the ring of plates and cups.
Thoma and Reimond took their seats, moving in unison as though connected by a bond that must have been forged over years. They were young men, around my age, and I wondered about their love story. Were they childhood sweethearts? Sworn to each other from their first blush of maturity? Or were they old souls who knew each other from a former life, now joyfully reunited? It was all terribly romantic and distracting enough that I didn’t realize how long I’d simply stood behind my chair and that everyone was staring at me again.
Kit brushed by with a soft touch on my shoulder. “If you’ll put the coffee on, I’ll carve the ham.”
I looked down at his fingers resting on me. Two days had certainly changed things. Sometimes I wondered if it wasn’t a lengthy dream.
Bobbing my head, I went for the kettle and coffee grounds while Kit retrieved the loaf of bread from the windowsill. He took it to the table, then returned to the kitchen counter to cut the meat into hearty slices.
At the table, Reimond shifted in his seat. “You have a lovely home.”
“It’s Kit’s,” I replied over the rush of the faucet filling the kettle. “He grew up here.”
“And it was no kind of home then,” Kit added. “Pennyput his touch on things. I didn’t think it worth the effort, but I’ve learned not to argue with him.”
I glanced down the counter to find Kit smiling.
“Could be he sees the potential in things,” Thoma chimed in. “It takes a certain eye.”
Kit held my gaze as he answered. “That must be it.”
With the coffee set to steep and the ham carved, Kit and I joined the others at the table. I settled into my chair while Kit nestled the platter of ham slices into the center of the spread. At the sight of the near feast, pride swelled inside me.
Reimond and Thoma looked impressed, but that lasted only a moment before Reimond dove for the first slice of ham. Thoma swatted his hand, making Kit chuckle.
“By all means, guests first,” Kit said.
While they filled their plates, Kit’s hand found my knee under the table, and I relished the warm press of his palm. I laid my fingers atop his and clasped them tightly together.
“So, Reimond, Thoma,” Kit began, “I’m not sure I’ve heard how you two met.”
The men exchanged a glance before Reimond stuffed a bite of ham into his mouth then motioned for Thoma to answer.
Thoma shook his head. “Fine, I’ll tell it this time.” He set his fork down and took a deep breath, seemingly steeling himself to share the tale. “I came to Ashpoint after my family died. There was a terrible sickness in the town I’m from. Most didn’t survive it, and I was one of a fortunate few. But it no longer felt like home to me with so many missing.”
I hummed a sympathetic sound while Kit looked stricken at having asked what turned out to be a loaded question.
“Eeus offers community,” Thoma continued, “and I was desperate for that. When I arrived, Reimond took it upon himself to show me around, and I followed him everywhere. Rather like a lost puppy, I think.”
“I adopted you.” Reimond chuckled. “Fed you a few times, then couldn’t get rid of you. Since then, I’ve shared the best years of my life with you.”
Thoma’s forlorn expression took on a shine of such devotion it made my heart leap.
“Do you plan to marry?” I blurted.
The other three turned toward me in unison, wearing varying shades of shock and amusement.
