Page 210 of Dark Night of the Soul

“You had real German pretzels?” Ophelia asked. “I’m officially jealous.”

Ludwig’s attention snapped to her like he’d been waiting for an opening. “I can get you one anytime you want.”

Then he reached for his sweet iced tea, took a sip, and immediately coughed like it had betrayed him. “What is this?”

I laughed. “We drink a lot of sweet iced tea in Texas.”

“I do not,” he managed, eyes watering.

“Bless your heart,” Grace said, and it sounded like both sympathy and a verdict.

“We can get you some German beer,” I offered, smirking.

“German beer?” Ophelia said. “Now I’m interested.”

Ludwig lifted a brow. “Are you? Good.”

I rolled my eyes.

Ophelia stabbed a green bean like it had Ludwig’s name on it.

Oh. There it was.

“Keep flirting and I’ll throw you out,” she said.

Ludwig rested his elbow on the table, entirely too comfortable. “You say that like you’d stop thinking about me.”

Ophelia’s smile was sharp. “Oh, I’ll think about you. Mostly as a cautionary tale.”

Grace set down the biscuit basket between them like a peace offering. “Lord, help me,” she murmured. “Y’all behave.”

Ludwig didn’t even blink. “I am behaving.”

Ophelia deadpanned, “That’s the problem.”

She glared at Ludwig like she could set him on fire with sarcasm alone. Ludwig smiled like he liked the heat. Oh, no.

When the plates were empty, Grace busied herself collecting them, insisting it was no trouble and everyone needed to stay put while she brought dessert.

“Oh, God, dessert?” Ophelia said. “I don’t think I can.”

“It’s banana pudding,” I said. “You can.”

Grace returned moments later with individual glass dishes, setting them down in front of each of us like she was delivering peace offerings.

Kincade didn’t reach for his spoon. Neither did Ulrich. Ludwig did—because Ludwig would eat through the apocalypse—but even he went quieter after the first bite.

Grace hovered for a moment, satisfied. “See? Pudding fixes everything.”

“No, ma’am,” Ludwig said, earnest for once. “It makes it easier to face what doesn’t.”

I studied him. Ludwig had depths.

Grace asked softly, “Are we safe tonight?”

No one answered immediately. Not because we didn’t want to, but because the truth deserved precision.

Kincade’s gaze flicked once to the doorway, to the windows beyond the dining room like he could see the perimeter through plaster. “For tonight,” he said. “Yes.”