The sun is bright, feeling like laser beams straight to my eyes, so I hold on to the stair rail as I head down the stairs. The cold wood under my feet wakes me up as I make my way to the kitchen, expecting to hear Brimar and Lara talking over a pot of coffee, but instead, I find Keller leaning against the counter, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, his hair rumpled in all the best ways, while holding a single mug of coffee.
When he looks in my direction, his eyes light up. “Morning, love.”
The rumble of his morning voice.
The pet name for me.
The smile in his eyes.
It all brands my soul, marking me as his.
“Good morning,” I say shyly as I approach, unsure if I should keep my distance or not. “Where are Brimar and Lara?”
He sets his mug on the counter and closes the distance between us. His hands rest on my hips as he presses a sweet kiss to the top of my head. “They took the morning off and drove into town for some supplies.”
“Really?” I ask. “So, we have the castle to ourselves?”
“We do,” Keller says with a heart-melting smile. “But that doesn’t mean we can take the day off. We have a quiz planned for today and some wood-carving lessons.”
“A quiz? Is that necessary?”
“You’ll like my quiz.” He winks, takes my hand in his, and leads me to the counter, where he lifts me up and scoots between my legs. His hand reaches up to my cut. “How are you feeling? Does it hurt?”
“A little.”
He frowns.
“But nothing a little Ibuprofen can’t fix, and maybe some coffee . . . and some of that fresh bread Brimar made. And perhaps an egg or two?” I wince.
Keller chuckles. “I think I can manage that for my girl.” He kisses the tip of my nose and then gets to work, pulling out the ingredients and pans he needs.
“Can I help?” I ask.
“No, love, you just sit right there and keep me company.”
Warmth spreads through me. This is new to me, someone taking care of me like this. I’ve been on my own for so long that it feels good to just sit back and let someone else do the heavy lifting for a moment.
While he slices up the bread, he asks, “How did you sleep?”
“Amazing,” I say with a wistful sigh.
Head down, he glances to the side at me, a wicked gaze in his eyes. “Yeah?”
I smile, unable to play it cool. “Yes. I honestly think it was the best night’s sleep I’ve had since we’ve been here.”
“You flatter me,” he says as he cracks four eggs into the heated pan. “Are you sore?”
“A little.” I twist the hem of my shirt in my hand. “But in a good way, like those muscles haven’t been used in a while, not in a way that you hurt me.”
“Promise?”
“Promise,” I answer.
“Good. Oh, by the way, I got the update from the Informative.”
“Really?” I ask. “Can I see it?”
He picks up his phone from the counter and hands it to me. In a text that he sent me, I read it to myself.
Keller: THE INFORMATIVE: A duel in the town square. Two Anglers, two fishing poles, one decision. While the angler’s wife has been hiding away, attempting to leave the town to find its peace, the men have been battling it out on the ocean, trying to catch the most cod this week, pride the only thing to lose. The town has rallied behind the two fishermen, wearing the colors of the boats as a representation of who they support: the green and the yellow. Word on the street is that there’s an equal divide, and despite the fight over the fish, the men are now trying to win back the love of the angler’s wife.
I set the phone down, my heart full in my chest.
“Oh my God, I swear, Keller, this is some sort of juicy soap opera I didn’t know I needed in my life. And I feel bad saying that because these are real people, but, oh my God. The angler’s wife walks away, only for the men to come back to fight for her. I mean, what kind of spell has she cast over these men? And . . . how could they still want her after the cheating, especially when she cheated on the husband with his competitor? I’m all about finding love, but I’m also for respect and loyalty, you know?”
“It’s good to hear that,” Keller says as he flips the eggs in the pan. When he turns toward me, he says, “Loyalty always comes first.”
“Does that mean you’ll remain loyal to me?”
He walks up to me and slips his large body between my legs as he cups my cheek. “Lilly, if you don’t already know that, then you haven’t been paying attention.” He brings my mouth to his where he nips at my bottom lip with his teeth, then pulls away.