Page 45 of When the Merchant Met the Orc

“Of course. Take your time.” He goes back to knitting a scarf.

I hop from the wagon’s seat and approach Kaya’s stand. “Good day, Mistress Baker,” I say, playing a customer.

Nate blasts out from behind her and runs straight into me. I laugh and wrap him in a hug. He smells like vanilla and tea.

“Ma! You’re back!”

“I am! How did everything go? Are the maplecats healthy and accounted for?”

Two maplecat kittens chase one another around Kaya’s feet, their maple leaf fur ruffling in the breeze.

Nate pulls back and studies my face. “Oh yes. Athanasios taught me how to pluck burrs from the kittens’ fur.”

“Who?”

“Didn’t you know that’s Sios’s full name?”

The cat in question saunters out of the propped door of the bakery behind Kaya’s stand and walks toward us.

“Your son is a dedicated student of animal care. I approve,” Sios says.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to Kaya’s talking cat. “Well, I, um, thank you?”

The cat nods and trots into the square.

Nate runs to the wagon. “Halvard!”

He climbs in. I can’t hear what he’s saying to Halvard, but the orc nods and answers back. Nate laughs.

Kaya envelopes me in a hug. “Your son was perfectly fun.”

“That sounds like a nice way to saydisaster.”

She grins. “We made his cake, and despite our careful work, the lion’s share of icing ended up in our hair.”

Chuckling, I squeeze her again. “Thanks for taking care of him. I really appreciate everything. Let me know what I owe you for food and for the cake ingredients.”

She waves a hand. “It’s on me.”

“Aw, thank you.”

“Want to celebrate tonight?” she asks.

“I do, but let me check with Nate.” I turn and cup a hand at my mouth. “Nate, do you want to have your birthday party tonight?”

Nate stands, nearly topples from the wagon, and Halvard catches him.

“Aye, Ma! At Halvard’s pub!”

My face must have shown how I feel about having an eight-year-old’s party in a pub because Halvard whispers something to Nate.

Nate looks at me and shouts, “I mean, at our house! But you have to invite everyone!”

“I will!”

Kaya is smiling so wide that her eyes crinkle shut. “I love how you match his enthusiasm.”

“You mean his proclivity for yelling and rolling in dirt?” I lift the muddied hem of my dress and grin.