Page 12 of Must Love Moss and Moonshine
Kellen smiled softly then gestured to an ancient-looking book sitting on his workbench.“I spent the night reading.A former guardian used to take care of the villagers in Moonshine Hollow.She documented a case much like your own, including how she helped the person remember.”He turned and went to the table.“When you arrived, you had nothing but the clothes on your back and your belt.I removed it so you could rest more comfortably.But you had some pouches attached to it,” he said, indicating the belt lying on the table.“Maybe they contain something to help you remember.”
When I moved to rise, Kellen set down his herb bundle and crossed the room.“Here.Let me help.The healing salve will have aided your recovery, but you’ll still be tender,” he said, reaching out.His fingers were warm and strong as they closed around my arm, sending an unexpected heat through my body.I hadn’t anticipated the intensity of it.“Take it slow.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, willing my voice not to quiver like a love-struck teenager.
He guided me to the table, his arm wrapped supportively around me.The warmth of him, the earthy scent of the herbs he’d been handling, and that quiet strength that radiated from him—it all washed over me, muddling my thoughts and causing what seemed like an unfamiliar but pleasant ache in my chest.
I gave him a grateful smile, gazing into his eyes.A flicker of something I couldn’t quite name passed between us.I should have pulled back, broken the gaze, said something light to shatter the moment, but I didn’t.
Instead, I leaned into him just a bit, drawn to his solid warmth, the steady beat of his heart that I could feel through the thin fabric of his shirt.My fingers tightened slightly on his arm, and his hand shifted just a fraction, steadying me.
Kellen gave me a soft smile then helped me to the bench at the table.Once I’d sat down, he disappeared into another room, returning with my belt and its attached pouches.I pulled it closer and opened the first pouch.Inside was a handful of coins.It was a meager amount, enough for a few nights’ stay at an inn, maybe a new pair of boots, but not much.
“Well,” I said, shaking the coins in my palm.“We know I’m not an heiress.Nice little satchel, though,” I added, admiring the blue-dyed leather coin purse which looked very well made.
“Indeed it is.And it’s not easy to get that color so vibrant.”
“Maybe I made it.”
“Perhaps,” Kellen said then gestured to my hands.“Your fingers… You wear your nails short, and the tips are worn.”
“Are you saying my hands are scratchy?”I asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
“Compared to mine, they’re as soft as rabbit fur.I’m saying it seems you must work with your hands.”
I studied my fingers.A vision appeared before me, as if I were looking through thick fog.I saw myself working busily with something, but I wasn’t sure what.“Maybe.”
Opening the other pouch, I found several small spools of leather in varying colors.Along with them was a small knife.I pulled them out, setting them on the table, then considered them for a moment.“I don’t know why I have these,” I said, feeling frustrated at my inability to remember.“I know I need them for something.And… And they’re new.That’s why they were in my pouch.But where I got them or why… Nothing.”
“What about the name Bromir?”Kellen asked.
“Bromir,” I repeated, this time feeling a sense of familiarity.I heard a man’s laugh and caught a flash of light and the sound of music, but it faded at once.“There is… There is something there.”
“A…husband, perhaps?”Kellen asked.
Did I detect a note of tension in his voice?
Uncertain, I shook my head.“I don’t know, but I’m not wearing a wedding ring, so that means something, right?I don’t feel married, but the name is familiar.How do you know it?”
“You spoke it in your sleep.You were dreaming, I think.You laughed and called to a man of that name.”
I narrowed my gaze, frustrated by the lack of clarity, then shook my head.“Nothing clear.”
Kellen nodded.“Stay here a moment,” he said then went to fetch my boots.“The elder dryad had another idea, but it requires a little walk.Are you up for it?”
“If you can help with my boots.”
“Of course.I’m sure you’re ready to get out of my stuffy house.”
“Only if by stuffy you mean cozy and comforting.Trust me, it is no hardship to rest here.”
“I am glad to hear you say so.Now, let’s get you ready.There is something I want to show you.”
CHAPTER8
KELLEN
My hands trembled slightly as I knelt before her, attempting to focus on the simple task of lacing her boots.The morning sunlight streamed through my cottage windows, creating a strange intimacy in this mundane moment.I had spent a century tending to injured creatures, yet never had such a simple act of care left my heart racing.Trying to hide that my stomach was a jumble of nerves, I concentrated on each careful cross of the laces, acutely aware of her presence above me.
