Page 29 of Bidding on the Orc Outcast

“I know. He told me some of it.”

“Did he tell you that Sebastian was the one who accused Varek of hurting him?”

She winced and shook her head. No wonder he’d wanted to get away.

“I know it was a terrible thing that happened to him, but past events don’t have to define you forever. I refuse to let my ex-husband’s betrayal make me afraid to try again. And Varek deserves better than hiding in those woods.”

“The thing is…” Elara twisted a strand of curly blonde hair. “Grondar told me about Varek’s past. His father died in an accident at the lumber mill when Varek was fourteen.”

“He told me his father had died.”

“After that his mother just checked out. Buried herself in grief and alcohol. She left Varek to basically raise himself but he never told anyone. Never asked for help.”

She remembered the careful way Varek tended his greenhouse, the gentle way he’d picked that tiny flower for her. How had he learned such tenderness with no one to show him?

“He got in with a rough crowd for a while. Not because he was bad, but because he was frustrated and angry. But when Sebastian accused Varek of hurting him, a lot of people believed him.”

“Varek was trying to help someone,” she snapped.

“Yes, but the town had already decided what kind of person he was. He made it worse by running off to the woods.”

The coffee turned bitter in Posy’s mouth. No wonder Varek had built such thick walls around himself. Everyone who should have protected him had abandoned him.

“Didn’t anyone help him?”

“Flora tried, but she couldn’t get through to him.”

“What about his mother?”

“She died in a car crash the year before. Grondar says Varek blamed himself. Thought if he’d been a better son, he could have saved her.” Elara reached across and squeezed Posy’s hand. “That’s why he keeps everyone at arm’s length. He’s convinced he doesn’t deserve anything good.”

She stared down at her cooling coffee, her heart aching for Varek. Everything made more sense now - his isolation, his reluctance to let anyone close, the way he’d pulled back after Sebastian’s taunts.

“Do you think I can get through to him?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.

“I don’t know,” Elara admitted. “But I think it’s possible. Grondar didn’t trust human women, but I managed to make him see that we weren’t all alike.”

“How?”

Elara gave her a teasing look. “A lot of kissing helped.”

She laughed, but the memory of Varek’s kiss flashed through her mind. The taste of his mouth, the feel of his body against hers…

“Patience,” Elara said softly. “And don’t let him push you away. If he’s worth the effort, that is.”

“He is.”

“The best ones are worth fighting for.” Elara squeezed her hand again. “And look how far you’ve come already. Getting him to the cafe for the first time in ten years? That’s huge.”

Elara’s words eased some of the hurt from the last few days. She wasn’t giving up on him yet. But first she had to figure out the best way to reach him.

She was still thinking about it after Elara left, idly sorting through a box of antique campaign buttons. The bell above the door chimed and she looked up as Flora waltzed in, wearing a bright orange tracksuit with “Save a Cowboy. Ride a Centaur.” emblazoned across the front in glittering letters.

“Just checking in on my favorite shop owner.” Flora said airily. “How are things going?”

“Fine.” She busied herself straightening a display of vintage brooches, hoping to avoid the conversation she was sure was coming. “The shop’s doing well.”

“And how was your dinner with my godson?”

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