Page 24 of A Winter Courtship
Lutoth’s gaze took on a flinty, hard look. His jaw clenched. “If I could get my hands on these men—” He snapped his mouth shut. He shook his head. He took a deep breath as if trying to calm himself. “Don’t believe those morons in Bordertown. They didn’t deserve you. Not an inch of you. And I would blow them away if I ever met them.
“Ulrich, listen to me.” He gazed up at Ulrich. “You are wonderful. You are beautiful and precious and lovely, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing!” His hands clutched at Ulrich’s face. “The more time I spend with you, the more I like you and adore you, just as you are.”
Just as you are.
The words spread inside Ulrich.
Just as you are.
“And I hope you know you can always be yourself around me.”
Ulrich held himself still. He couldn’t speak. There were too many emotions wound too tightly inside his chest.
Lutoth pressed his soft lips against Ulrich’s and stroked his fingers along Ulrich’s beard.
“And I’m glad you’re finding it easier to talk to me. Because I like talking with you.” Lutoth slid from Ulrich’s arms and took his hand, tugging him onwards towards the store. “Now come on. Let’s get dinner.”
He opened the door.
ChapterFifteen
As they entered the store, the heat hit Ulrich like a wall. The space remained the same cluttered mess of shelves and merchandise as ever, but branches of evergreen and ribbon haphazardly decorated the space, making it even more cluttered than usual.
About fifteen people from the village sat on mismatched, worn chairs placed near the fireplace, eating whatever Mila and Rhorton had made that day.
Ulrich removed his coat, scarf, and gloves and hung them on one of the hooks by the door.
“Ulrich! Lutoth!” Rhorton called out over the chatter when he spotted them.
“Hello, Rhorton!” Lutoth called back. “We’re here to get some food.”
“I’ll get you boys a couple of bowls of grub. And how about some ale?”
“Sounds good,” Lutoth said.
Rhorton ducked out of the room, into the kitchen.
Lutoth and Ulrich wove through the shelves. Lutoth seemed completely at ease, greeting those he knew and introducing himself to those he didn’t. Ulrich nodded and mumbled “Happy Solstice” as he passed. Ulrich had lived in Ores his whole life, and already Lutoth was on friendlier terms with the villagers than Ulrich was.
They took two free chairs, sinking into the worn cushions, one a faded grey, the other a dark red. The fire bathed the room in a flickering golden light. He could just make out the snow falling outside. But in here, the cold couldn’t reach them.
“Doesn’t it ever get lonely?” Lutoth asked, leaning towards Ulrich so he could be heard over the boisterous voices and laughter. “You don’t spend so much time with other people.”
Ulrich stared at his hands. He rubbed at an old burn scar on the back of his thumb. “It isn’t so bad.” He shrugged. “And sometimes it’s better to keep to yourself than to feel alone and be surrounded by others. And Ethel is good company.”
Lutoth reached out and took Ulrich’s hand, squeezing. “She is a very good companion.”
“I’ve just never found it easy.” Ulrich gave a half-smile. “Not to say that people are unfriendly here. Everyone is nice. And I used to have my brother. But he left. It’s just I’m not so good at making friends.”
“I know the feeling.”
Ulrich raised an eyebrow. How could confident, easy-going Lutoth know the feeling?
“Truly.” Lutoth laughed. “I’m great at meeting people, learning names, and being friendly. That all comes easily. But when you move around as frequently as I do, you learn quickly how to get to know people.”
Lutoth smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “But if you never stay still, you never make true friends or get to know anyone properly. You meet them. You move on. You rarely see them again. It’s lonely. And when you do come back, they’ve often moved on or don’t remember you.”
“I remember you,” Ulrich said.
