Page 25 of The Sun He Buried

Baldr catches it without looking.

I laugh.

He looks at me across the lane. “You sent me away.”

“I was shopping.” I lift the basket as proof.

“You’re spying.”

“You were blocking the whole lane back there.” I nod up the lane. “Nobody could get around you.”

He spreads his hands. “I was three paces behind you.”

I look at his shoulders. “That’s still the middle of the lane, at your size.”

He tucks the coin into the fisherman’s basket. The fisherman sees him do it and swears.

Baldr keeps walking.

The old man sees me watching.

“Take him with you next time.”

“I tried.”

“Try harder.”

“I’ll use rope.”

He nods and pulls another knot tight.

Baldr returns with two warm pastries in one hand. Sugar dusts the tops. Apple has leaked from the edge of one and stuck to his thumb.

He offers me that one.

I take it. “You ate some of mine.”

“It attacked me.”

“The apple?”

“Very aggressive.”

I take a bite. The crust breaks everywhere. Sugar falls down the front of my coat, onto my basket, and probably into my boots.

Baldr brushes the largest piece from my collar.

“I had that.” I reach for it too late.

He nods at the mess down my front. “You were wearing half the pastry.”

“That still counts.” I brush at my coat and make it worse.

I tip my head back to look at him. “You’ve become very bold since dinner.”

His hand stays at the edge of my collar. “Have I?”

He kissed me outside my room three nights ago.