Page 38 of The Loneliest Dragon at Christmas
That was a good thing.
Avery should not feel disappointed. They were done now. For good.
They’d seen the last of each other.
He stared out into the snow as the last of his hope shrivelled inside him.
CHAPTER 20
Brushing snow from his face, Jack pushed on through the snow, carrying the scones wrapped in brown paper under his arm. The snow blurred around him, whipping against his face. Several times, he became so disoriented he needed to stop and make sure he was heading the right way.
The snow hadn’t been this bad when he’d set out. But every moment he continued, the snow came down heavier.
When Ordelia had come into the bakery, she’d been bubbling with excitement at having finally met Avery properly. She’d deflated visibly when Jack told her they were over.
“I promised him scones,” she’d said, glancing between the siblings. “He’s sick.”
“What?” Jack stepped towards her.
Ordelia nodded. “I told him I’d make him lemon-and-ginger scones to help him get better.”
Unsure what else to do, Jack told her to bake them. He’d felt like a complete dickhead. Avery had been sick, and he’d not even noticed. Then again, he’d been too busy hurting Avery and ending things to really pay any attention to anything else.
Cas had offered to deliver the scones. Jack thought that best. But then the snow had started to come down harder. After some uncertainty, it had been decided Cas would bring them tomorrow rather than brave the snow today.
They’d closed the bakery early, and the siblings had gone upstairs to their rooms. They’d taken Carrie up with them. Trent had come in earlier to tell them the Christmas markets had closed because of the snow.
Jack had offered to clean and close up. He’d needed the quiet and peace. But Jack had kept staring at the still-warm scones. He’d thought of Avery, sad and sick.
Surely his servants could cook him something. But his servants were probably not hearth and kitchen witches. And they definitely wouldn’t have Ordelia’s healing affinity.
The guilt ate at him as he cleaned out the oven, washed the simmer pot, swept three times around the kitchen in a clockwise direction, and said a blessing at the altar. As he cleaned the altar, setting a new black beeswax candle in the middle, he looked out the window. Surely he could manage the snow. It would be rough, but he could get to Avery’s home and back in no time.
After everything he’d done to hurt Avery, the least he could do was brave a little snow and bring him some scones to help him feel better. The hearth-witch urge burned inside him. He needed to care for Avery. He needed to nourish and provide.
Scrawling a note and leaving it in the kitchen, he packed up the scones and headed out into the snow. After about fifteen minutes, he realised what a foolish prat he’d been.
Every minute, the snow fell thicker. Flakes melted and soaked into his jacket. His teeth chattered as the cold penetrated his bones. He shivered, trying to speed up. He wrapped his arms around himself as if that would protect him from the snow.
This really was a bloody moronic idea.
At least he was almost at Avery’s house. He didn’t even worry too much about going to this fancy fucking part of town and seeing Avery again. He just wanted a break from the cold.
By the time he reached Avery’s home, he felt frozen through. He knocked.
The door opened. “Master Berry.” Daniel paused, looking Jack over. “Come in.” He opened the door wide.
Jack stumbled in, the snow and wind following him. Daniel shut the door, and Jack rubbed his numb hands together. The gloves had been soaked through.
“Jack! What are you doing here?” Avery stood in the hallway, wearing a burgundy robe.
“I…” Jack’s lips trembled. He struggled to speak. He couldn’t get control of his mouth. “Ordelia baked scones. I brought them.” He held up the scones, realising the paper had become sodden. The scones would be ruined.
Avery’s mouth fell open. He walked forward to the window by the door, yanked back the curtain, and looked out. “In this snow?” His eyes raked over Jack. “You’re freezing!” Avery came forward. He took the package and handed it to Daniel. Then he yanked Jack’s wet gloves off.
Jack didn’t protest as Avery wrapped his hands, so hot, around Jack’s. “We need to warm you up.”
Closing his eyes, Jack basked in the feeling of the heat seeping into his skin. Avery was so warm it stung.
