“Oh.” I pulled the fabric tighter around my back. “Well, it’s still raining,” I said. I noted the sound of thunder with my eyes.
They ran the length of his torso and then his hands as they worked to unclip a hook.Hewas attractive, too, and I wanted to repay the compliment, but I refrained.
“It’s not too far,” he said.
“I know.”
Cyrus glanced at the large open door, where rain splattered puddles at its foot. He watched it fall for a second and finally moved to close us in. It creaked as the wood rolled shut.
“If you prefer, I leave, I can go. You’ve just gotten me so wet, is all.”
His brow went up. “Did you mean to say it that way?” he asked.
“Yes, I meant to blame you for the rain,” I said. “You just declared it was your fault.”
“No, I–” Evergreen paused. “You…”
Nervously, I said, “I meant to say that I’m completely soaked.”
“Aye. Right. Aye. You, uh, you can wait here if you wish, I guess,” he said. “What do I care?”
“Are you…?” I felt unsure. “Are you angry with me again? I thought that we had resolved our tension with…with our secrets and the trust. If I’ve said something wrong, please, you must?—”
“No,” but he frowned. “No. You’ve said nothing wrong.”
There was a lull.
“Are you sure? It feels as though you are angry now,” I said. “Here. Let me help you.”
I stepped past him into the long corridor behind the stalls.
“Where are you going?” he asked. His hand found my waist, twisting me around and drawing me back to where I was. “Don’t wander.” He let go.
“I’m not wandering,” I said. “I’m going to help you with the horses. It’s weird just standing here.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he said.
“No, but who knows when the storm will stop? I am perfectly skilled to assist you with whatever it is that you want from me.”
His face twisted, and he said, “Thecotsare that way,” to name his point.
“The cots?” I looked at the blanket. “As in, like,yourcot, sir?”
“Aye. As in my cot. No place for a lady.”
“Oh,” I took a step.“Oh,no. I was, I was looking for the grooming kit!” I hurried. “I-I–”
“I’ll groom the horses when you go,” he said. Another silence came and went as he took a very deliberate breath and cracked his neck. “You don’t have to call mesir,either,” he stated.
“It’s common courtesy, sir.”
The door slid back, inviting the burst of sunshine and an old, shuffling man.
“Now, how did this come to be shut?” he chattered. He stopped, looking closer at the two of us. “Ack, sorry, my boy. I hadn’t known you had yourself a lass in here. I’ll come back.”
“Henry,”Cyrus said. He met him and helped him to secure the latch. “This isthePrincess.Sam’s wife.”
“Wife, eh?” Henry asked. “Did I miss the Royal Wedding? How many hours was I gone? The road to town must be gettin’ longer. Or I older.” He snickered, bobbing his head and shuffling by. “Princess, Princess. How do you do? You’re taller than I was told you’d be.”
