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“Yes.”
We walk down the sidewalk together to eat lunch at the nearby restaurant and get lots of stares.
“Don’t be worried, Mica.” Thorn repeats what Burl said, “There are no strangers here. When they meet you and they know that you are part of the ranch and that I am claiming you as your protector, they will protect you.”
I smile because it sounds similar to the way we led our lives back in my own village growing up.
Thorn opens the door for us and we step inside the restaurant which is very busy. Every table is taken by groupings of Hyrrokin. They all stare at me and whisper amongst themselves. I seem to be the talk of the town.
A nice, older Hyrrokin female greets us and gives us a table in the corner.
I bite at my lip.
Thorn looks around and frowns. “I will take care of this.” He stands and suddenly the entire room grows quiet. They turn their heads to listen, somehow knowing Thorn Flagstone is going to make an announcement. “As you can see, or have heard, I have a visitor. This is a human named Mica Roberts,” he says. “I found her on the edge of my property at the end of the last storm. She is a human in need of care and is staying with me as long as she wants. She is under my protection. Therefore Mica is part of my ranch and I expect our community to treat her as if she were part of my family.”
They nod, there’s some grumbling, some hellos, shaking of heads, smiles and then everything goes back to normal. They allturn and start eating and then Thorn sits back down. He picks up a menu and starts reading it as if nothing happened.
“Are you the mayor of this town or something?” I question.
“No,” he laughs. “No. But my great-great-great-grandmother did found this town.”
“That explains it.”
The older Hyrrokin returns and takes our orders. I can read the menu due to the translator chip in my brain, but I still have no idea what food I’ll like or dislike, so Thorn orders for me. And he pauses to cut my meat again so I can eat it easily, which is nice of him. We have a nice meal. I get some meat similar to the one type I had from the food dispenser, but it tastes even better. We both have some fire ale and he blows off mine again. “I will always cut your meat and blow out your flames,” he declares loudly, like it’s a solemn vow.
Hyrrokin stare at me in awe as Thorn says this and I have no idea why.
“Thank you,” I answer brightly.
Then finally we’re all done with our meal, and I am so full. That’s when Thorn suggests we go into the clothing store next door to order “human foot coverings.”
Sounds good to me so we walk out and down the street to the correct store. We have a little argument because I soon realize he wants to pay for everything, which makes me uncomfortable. “Thorn, I don’t want you buying me a bunch of stuff I don’t need. I don’t have access to my own currency account at this time. Now that you’ve given me the tablet I can later connect with my account and make my own purchases for clothes in the future. I can order a few things here and pay for them when I pick them up with my own account.”
“Female, I am paying for everything you need today in this clothing store.”
I shake my head. “I’ve been working and on my own for a few years now after university. I really do have my own currency. I feel fine with you buying all the food at the store and everything I picked out there, because it’s really all for your home. The tablet was over the top but it’s part of my job too. And lunch, well, that was still a work lunch, right? But this is ridiculous. I can use the clothes that are in the closet. You don’t need to buy anything extra. And I already have a pair of shoes that are fixed.” I point at my feet. “See they look nice. They look brand new.”
“It is not right,” he says, “that I have so many clothes in my own closet and you are wearing clothing that is meant for guests. One pair of these ‘shoes’ is not enough. Think of this as part of your work uniform. I need to outfit you for your employment. As your employer this is part of your work contract.”
I cross my arms and grumble. “Okay, let’s do it. But don’t go crazy.”
Of course he goes crazy. Thorn picks almost everything in the store for me and somehow tells the attendant my sizes. I’m blushing.
But when it comes to foot coverings, he has no idea. Neither does the attendant. She kindly spends time measuring my feet, with exclamations of surprise for how “delicate and small you are” and takes pics and measurements of the shoes that I have already. “Later, I’ll send some samples and from those we can go back and forth and add or subtract,” she explains. “I will eventually be able to get you all the human foot coverings you want. It’ll just take a little bit of time.”
Thorn goes into the lingerie area and begins picking underwear, bras and skimpy pajamas for me. I think I’m going to die from embarrassment. I put my hands on my hips. “You picking out lingerie for me is inappropriate.”
He gives me a hard stare. “I apologize.” Then he walks away and pretends to have stopped what he was doing, but later Isee him whisper to the shopkeeper and I have an idea what it’s about.
In the end there’s an enormous pile of clothing and merchandise on the counter, all being packed away in pretty bags. I tell her I don’t need half of what he has ordered. I actually want the cheapest items, but it doesn’t work. He keeps putting items on the counter to purchase, not even checking the price tags. He buys me most of what’s in the store and orders it all delivered. And he doesn’t buy a single thing for himself or anyone else, just for me. So I feel kind of ridiculous.
But I have to admit I’m happy with the cute new black purse he talked me into getting, because I can use it to tuck my tablet inside.
Afterward the epic shopping excursion we return to the vehicle and find the other four males waiting. And we all head back to the ranch.
All six ofus are mainly tired and quiet. I gaze out the window at the scenery passing us by and all I can think about is Thorn. By body literally hums with newfound warmth and energy as I sit next to him. Right now all I want is to hold his, big rough, clawed hand in mine and rest my head on his shoulder. But I do neither of those things because I’m nervous to make such a real declaration of my feelings for him, in front of the other men. It sounds so…real?
What if I let myself fall for Thorn and then I’m forced by the Tarvos government to return to New Earth?
