Page 47 of Renaissance Bear

"You make it so easy, yer lordship," Laurie said through a cackling grin, and to Jon's delight, the commoners started to boo and hiss at Argent. He even recognized some lines straight out of the movie.

Argent, turning so red that even his fake elf ears seemed to glow with it, hissed, "They all ended up in jail, you know! In the stocks, and in jail!"

"And Robin broke them out!" somebody yelled. "Away, ya scurrrrvy wolf!"

Lord Argent actually turned and fled to roars of approval and applause. Four people bought Jon a drink. Fortunately, as the evening was starting to wind down, a number of other musicians showed up to help him drink them.

And so did Alis, in a short green dress and laughing as she came to give Jon a kiss. "I'm hearing Lord Argent lost a battle of wits here tonight. That's probably the sexiest thing a guy has ever done."

"Yeah?" Jon beamed at her. "Sexier than Tom Holland's Lip Sync Battle?"

"The second sexiest thing a man has ever done," Alis said without missing a beat.

Jon deflated, but laughed. "I walked right into that, didn't I?"

"You obviously did. Look, I'm absolutely starving but can't face another turkey leg. Want to bring me out for pizza in town?"

"I was just thinking that's what I wanted to do with my evening. Laurie!" Jon waved his brother down. "You okay to close up here?"

"Yeah, but dude, you're gonna owe me when I find my ma—uh, my, uh."

"Management skills?" Jon suggested.

Mate, his bear said.He was going to saymate.

Yes, I know that,Jon replied, amused.

Then why did you say management skills?! What are management skills?

Laurie looked like he had much the same question in mind, but glared half-heartedly at Jon and nodded. "Yeah. When Ifind my management skills. You'll owe me when I find my management skills."

Jon tucked his lute away behind the bar counter and flicked his brother a salute. "Yes, I will. Thanks, bro."

Alis grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the faire.

Chapter 21

"This is amazing," Alis said half an hour later as they milled around, waiting for the pizzas they'd ordered from a food truck. "Most of the faires I go to aren't quite so close to a town, or it's a much bigger city, so I don't get…this."

She gestured broadly at the streets of midweek-evening Renaissance, Colorado. The sun had fallen behind the mountains, but it was nowhere near dark yet. Everything had that flattering, lingering twilight blue, interrupted by the occasional amber pool of an enthusiastically early street light. Hundreds of people were out in the beautiful evening, waiting in line at restaurants, eating outdoors, sitting on park benches, all happy and chatting.

And fully half of them were in faire garb. There were elves and fairies, princes and princesses, peasants and merchants, all wearing the same clothes they'd had on all day at the faire. On one hand, they were incongruous with the tall flat Old West facades and brick or wood-slatted storefronts. On the other, even that incongruity helped to make the town itself seem enchanted.

Jon nodded. "It's my favorite time of the year. When I was really little the faire wasn't as big, and the costumes weren't as elaborate, but I honestly believed it was magic. Now that I'm older…" He smiled, almost shyly. "Now I'm sure it is."

Emotion welled up in Alis's chest, taking her breath away and bringing stinging tears to her eyes. She pressed her hand over her heart, trying to catch her breath, utterly overwhelmed. "You're right," she said in a small, happy voice. "It is magic. It's all magic. Oh, God, I think I love you."

Her eyes widened and she clapped her hand over her mouth, shocked that the words had fallen from it. She hadn't eventhoughtthem. They just came with that huge upswell of emotion, a truth that was suddenly so obvious that she'd had to say it.

Jon's shy smile turned incredulous, then hopeful, without losing any of the shyness. "Really?" He sounded as small-voiced and happy as she felt, but less embarrassed, she thought.

Alis nodded, her hand still over her mouth. Then she moved it enough to whisper, "Sorry, I don't know where…that was a lot, I?—"

Whatever apology or protest she was trying to offer was muffled by Jon's tender kiss. It drowned all her doubts, making her feel absolutely safe and certain, and when it finally broke, Jon whispered, "I know I'm in love with you. I get that it's complicated, that we've only known each other a few days, but…but yeah, Alis. It's real. Whatever else is going on, whatever else happens, this is real."

"You think love at first sight is a thing?" she asked shakily, then wobbled a smile. "Although I guess it was laugh at first sight, in our case…"

Jon brushed his thumb along her jaw, smiling down at her. "I do think love at first sight is a thing, and if it starts withlaughter, it's got to be good, right? What's better than laughing with somebody you love?"

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