Page 11 of Must Love Moss and Moonshine
I let myself imagine it, the softness of her sigh, the way her hand might find mine in the dark, how she’d fit perfectly beside me, breathing in sync.
A wild hope began to blossom in my heart.I had barely spoken a dozen words to this beauty.Yet here I was, imagining a life with her.How ridiculous and inappropriate.
I exhaled a shuddering breath then moved to my reading alcove.Shelves lined with leather-bound volumes climbed toward the ceiling, their spines crackling with age and magic.As I searched, the setting sun painted the room in deepening shades of amber and rose, its light catching dust motes that danced like fairy lights in the air.Each tome held the collected wisdom of guardians past, their pages rich with the earthen scent of time and knowledge.
Through the window, I watched the sky transform from blue to gold, then to deep rose threaded with purple clouds.The ancient oak outside cast intricate shadows across the room, its patterns shifting as the breeze stirred its leaves.Lighting a lantern, I turned to the books tucked away in the farthest corner.There, the dryad Fernella, one of the earliest caretakers of Silver Vale, kept her records.She had once lived in Moonshine Hollow, back when there were fewer than a dozen families in the village.Perhaps within her writings lay the key to healing a wounded mind.
I set the stack of the dryad’s crumbling journals on the table beside me.Then, moving quietly, I returned to the fire in the main room of the cabin and bent to pour myself a mug of honeyed herbs.
To my surprise, the woman laughed in her sleep and then said, “Bromir, you are being ridiculous, you squishable tree stump.”She giggled once more then turned in her sleep, pulling my blanket tighter around her chin.Sighing contentedly, she drifted off again.
Two thoughts struck my mind at once.First, the strong longing to cuddle under the blanket beside her.I imagined nestling close, breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against mine.And then, an unexpected flash of jealousy.Bromir?A dwarven name, perhaps?Maybe a rune elf?Did she already have a lover?
Chiding my thoughts, I returned to my studies.I needed to find a way to help this woman regain her memories.Perhaps a husband and family waited for her.Maybe she had children.My own imaginings weighed nothing more than those motes of dust.She had a real life I knew nothing about.Only circumstance had thrown her here, in the middle of the forest, alone with me.More than anything, I wanted to care for her, see her well again, and see her happy—even if that meant helping her rush back to the arms of another man.
CHAPTER7
TANSY
My eyes opened slowly as I felt the soft warmth of morning light spilling over me.It took me a moment to remember where I was.I had been traveling, on the road to…somewhere.Where had I been going?I’d been in a terrible rush to get there.
And then…
And then, nothing.
I didn’t remember anything.
By Kellen’s retelling, I’d been thrown from my horse in the middle of an enchanted forest, and he’d rescued me.
I looked at the wooden beams above me.The earthy scents of dried herbs hanging there mingled with fresh forest air wafting through the room.This was his space.And yet, it felt so safe, so comforting.
Rolling over, I saw Kellen standing at his bench before the cottage window, his back to me, humming in a low tone as he worked.Sunlight filtered through the thick glass, casting a warm glow over him.The beams caught the deep green strands in his hair and highlighted the lines of his broad shoulders.His rough-woven tunic accentuated his strong arms, and though his leather trousers were worn, they fit him perfectly, revealing the firm muscles beneath.But what captivated me most was the way he moved, his hands steady and practiced as he sorted through bundles of herbs and mushrooms.He handled them with such gentleness, almost reverence, as he plucked stems and brushed away bits of soil, his fingers moving with a patience that stirred something inside me.
A tug pulled at my heart, a quiet but insistent ache that felt both foreign and familiar.A longing.He looked so at ease, so…settled.That sensation was completely unfamiliar.Deep in my heart, I knew I was anything but settled.But why?How?I didn’t know.
Seeing Kellen like this, I found myself wanting to be part of it.
The thought caught me off guard.I didn’t know this man.He was a complete stranger to me, and yet… I gave myself just a moment to linger with the idea.As I watched him, my heart beat just a little faster, my body warming under the covers.There was something more than just admiration or gratitude stirring in me.I imagined slipping my arms around his waist, embracing him, resting my head against his back, his warmth surrounding me.I envisioned the feel of his hands as they reached for mine, rough and steady, grounding me in a way I’d never let myself hope for before.
But even as I thought it, I realized something.I remembered something important.That ache for a home told me something about myself I had forgotten—I had no place.I was a rootless person.Why?
I shifted, the soft rustle of the covers catching his attention.He turned, those forest-hued eyes meeting mine.
He gave me a soft smile, the kind that felt like morning sunlight, warm and gentle.“You’re awake.How is your head?”
I gently touched my temple.“The ache is gone.”
“And the ribs?”
I felt my side.“Better, but not perfect.”
“It will take time.I’ve had a bruised rib before.It will be tender for a while.”
“Get knocked from horseback as well?”
“Bystander injury.A duel between a porcupine and a bear that went very poorly for the bear.He needed help getting quills removed from his nose.We’ve never been friends, old Mohr and me.He seems to think that he is alpha of this forest.And he should have been far more grateful for my help.We are still not on speaking terms.”
I laughed.
