Page 4 of The Loneliest Dragon at Christmas
Then Avery turned to leave. The bell above the door tinkled, and Avery walked away with long, elegant strides.
CHAPTER 3
Jack watched Avery walk away.
“Pretty, isn’t he?” Lacy mused.
“He is.” Jack turned his gaze from the door.
“Those eyes! And that hair!” Lacy straightened some of the pastries on the counter. “Think Avery will come back again?”
“Why? You interested in him?” A pang of jealousy shot through Jack. Which surprised him. Even if Avery was exceedingly handsome, Jack wasn’t stupid enough to be interested in a classy servant like that. “And I thought you were only interested in women?”
“I am,” Lacy said. “And I already have someone.”
“Since when?” Jack asked.
Lacy put her hands on her hips. “I told you about her! Orim! We met at a bridge party.”
“Oh yeah.” Jack vaguely remembered. But honestly, Lacy went through love interests with ridiculous speed.
“We’re in love.” She giggled. “She’s a troll, and you should see her swing a club.”
Jack chuckled, leaning against the counter. “Well, I look forward to meeting her and seeing her swing a club.”
A mischievous grin spread across Lacy’s lips. “I was thinking of you and Avery together. You’d make a very cute couple.”
“Him and me?” Jack shook his head. “Nah. Don’t think we’d suit.”
“Why not?” She stood in front of him, pouting.
“I’ll bet you a divet that he is one of those nose-in-the-air servants who works in one of those lavish houses in the rich part of town, like where Uncle Trenton, Aunt Augusta, and Cousin Larry work.”
“Yeah!Worksin one of those houses!” She put her hands on her hips.
Jack gave her a lopsided smile. “Those servants make a lot more money and live in far nicer places than us.” He pointed upwards to their apartment above the bakery. “And they look down on people in our part of town.”
The whole family lived in the five-room apartment, except Ordelia, who’d moved out when she got married. But it was still nine siblings all cramped together.
“Bet that man hasn’t had to share a room with his younger brother most of his life.”
She continued to pout.
“And you saw him, so prim and put together with that posh accent. He probably wouldn’t want a burly baker like me who’s always covered in burn marks and flour and who always has jam in his hair.” Jack reached out and mussed her hair like he’d done when she was a little girl.
She pulled away and made a face.
“I’d embarrass someone as smart-looking as that.” Jack smiled to gentle his words. “And you remember what we told you about Uncle Trenton and Aunt Augusta.”
She sneered. “I remember.”
When Jack had been young, they’d been on good terms with their cousin, uncle, and aunt. In fact, they’d rented rooms justdown the street and worked in the bakery. He and his cousin Larry had been similar ages.
Then Uncle Trenton had gotten a job in one of the apartments on the other side of town. Aunt Augusta had gotten one too. And when Larry their cousin was old enough, he’d gotten a job in a similar house as a junior servant. They’d all moved and never came to the bakery anymore, even to visit.
Then their parents had died in a carriage accident thirteen years ago.
Jack, who’d been only fifteen, and his older brother, Grady, at seventeen, had been the eldest of the ten siblings. They’d been at their wit’s end trying to work out how to run a bakery whilst also looking after their younger siblings.
