Page 10 of When the Merchant Met the Orc

Another human term. I’d heard it enough at the pub to know the gist. “If that’s what you want.” I would do my best to turn that one night into a lifetime.

Rychell doesn’t answer, but she lifts a hand and tucks her hair behind her ear. Victory swells inside my chest. If Cyrus was right, that motion means she is interested. Even if part of her doesn’t want to be.

Chapter 5

Rychell

It’s not bad to admire the view even if I’m not shopping, right? Certainly not. Halvard tells another of his orcish stories, and the broad expanse of his shoulders is like a wall behind me. I could lean back and rest like he is an extension of the driver’s bench. He smells fantastic, too. I’m not going to deny that. His scent is whisky and laundry soap, and I can hardly keep from gulping it down.

It’s a very good thing that I saw the posting about the merchant who wants a practical partner in life. I need to get my life settled in that way because obviously I’ve left myself get too lonely. So lonely that I’m about to jump on this orc with no regard for my future.

I have Nate to care for, and he is my heart. I don’t have room for anyone else. Nate deserves peace after all he went through. My life must be well-planned and devoid of drama.

But I am a woman, and I can enjoy the view as long as I keep my heart in check.

“How about we stop here?” I suggest. A creek winds through the roots of several silver birches and wide-trunked oaks. Tamar tosses her head as if ready for a nice drink.

“I’ll grab us a snack.”

Halvard leaps from the wagon with another great boom like he did at Kaya’s Two Cats Bakery. Birds scatter from the trees and chirp at the interruption in their day. I can only grin because Halvard raises one of his massive green hands to them and apologizes.

I free Tamar from the harness and lead her to the creek. She bumps me with her shoulder, and I smooth my palm along her warm side while she drinks.

“You’re messier than Nate, my friend.”

Tamar slings her head and splashes me.

“Ah! Stop that!” I laugh, shake myself off a bit, then join Halvard on the blanket he spread on the forest floor.

“I think Nate gets his mischief streak from that mare of yours.”

“I think you’re right.”

“So I brought a round of that new cheese Grumlin has been bragging about,” Halvard says.

Grumlin is the owner of the tavern in Leafshire Cove.

Using a small knife from his belt, Halvard slices a piece for me. The pale cheese is both tart and buttery, and it melts in my mouth.

“It’s delicious,” I say around the cheese.

Halvard produces a gourd wrapped in leather. “Even better with some Nocturne cider.” He pops the cork and pours some cider into a tiny crockery cup for me.

“You really know how to travel, Halvard.”

“I’ve longed to do some traveling lately,” he says. “That trip with Cyrus reminded me how much I love seeing new places as well as the journey itself. It’s nice being out here, away from one’s usual chores.”

He looks up at the forest canopy. Black birds dart from branch to branch. Sunlight streams through the limbs to illuminate the orc’s proud brow and square jawline. It’s funny.He looks both monster and noble gentleman at the same time—a creature of the deep woods, but also a fellow with a quick mind and a confidence I admire.

Shifting his legs and leaning against a boulder, he adjusts his laced-up shirt. A hint of coppery hair, the color of his beard shows on his large pectoral muscles, and I swallow, trying not to stare. I don’t want to get carried away. It’s one thing to look and enjoy; it’s quite another to ogle like a fool.

With his battle-scarred hands, he breaks a small round of rosemary bread into two and we enjoy it in companionable silence. It smells divine, and the texture has just the right amount of chew. The creek sparkles in the patches of sun that dance through the forest. Tamar munches on the last of the year’s clover, her tail swishing happily.

“If I may ask,” Halvard says quietly, his big eyes trained on me, “how did you end up adopting Nate?”

“Do orcs not participate in adoptions?” I ask, hoping I’m not being offensive.

“Oh, we do. It’s highly respected to bring in younglings who need a family. And I’ve already told you how orcs like their families big.”