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“What a way to honour her,” he rumbled thoughtfully. “You know,The Middle’s Guardianwas my grandmother’s.”
“It was? I didn’t know that!”
Archie smiled down at me, but it lacked his usual easy charm. It was tinged with sorrow.
“Yes. My human grandmother opened it with my grandfather. I grew up on Orc-Orok, but when she needed someone to take over not long before she passed, Penny and I came to help. We brought Reg along, too, since that layabout had nothing better to do. We’ve been here ever since.” He tilted his head, his green eyes soft and searching. “You know, your Gran would be proud of you.”
“Stop. You’re going to make me cry,” choked, flapping my hand at him and sucking in a shaking breath. I swiped at my eyes and then met his gaze again.
“I know your grandmother would be proud of you, too,” I said, meaning it.
Archie grinned, the usual spark returning to his expression.
“Of course she would be! Who could help but be proud of such a grandson?”
Archie’s eyes flicked to the photo once more, then back to me.
“Are you sure that’s the final touch?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” I replied, giving him an odd look.
“Well, I couldn’t help but notice there’s no sign outside. What are you planning on calling the shop?”
“Oh. That.” I sighed. He was right, there was no sign yet.
“I don’t know. I’ve had this weird block about ordering the sign,” I admitted. “I figured for now I’d just put up a holograph placard outside. I’ll order the real one soon. But getting the permanent sign... It made everything so real. Scarily real. And my Gran told me that whenever I opened my own place, I had to call itMaggie’s. Because it would be mine and I should be proud of it. But when it came down to it, I got scared to put my name on it. I guess I didn’t want to have my name on something that failed, you know?”
“All I know is there is no chance that you will fail,” Archie said, his voice harder than I’d ever heard it. “You need never worry about that.” He grinned, then. “I’ve seen your knob cookies. No baker with that much talent can be anything but a success.”
There I was, laughing like a lunatic once again. The exhaustion and the stress were still there, but Archie was making it all feel more manageable.
“That reminds me, you need to take those home. Make sure Penny gets a good look at them, too,” I said.
“I will.” He paused, as if he were going to say something else, his eyes boring into mine. But then he shook his head slightly. “You should get some rest.”
“Yeah. I need to be back here at 4am tomorrow,” I said, nodding. He was right. I knew he was right. I needed whatever sleep my jangling nerves would allow me tonight. But I didn’t want to leave. The warm bulk of him in front of me was so inviting. His expression so softly hungry as he stared at my face.
He groaned, bending until his forehead pressed to mine. My heart slammed in my chest, my hands going to his shoulders automatically.
“I promised I wouldn’t get in your way. That I’d hold back my feelings until after the store opened and you had your feet under you. But, by the mountains, you make it hard to leave you.”
I, too, had made promises. Promises about staying focused. About keeping my priorities in check.
And I was about to break every one of them and smash my mouth to Archie’s.
But that maddening orc had stronger willpower than I did. He straightened and stepped away from me.
“Sleep, Maggie. Sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Best wishes and all congratulations to the new hall-mother!”
I smiled, my heart still going batty in my chest from his nearness a moment before.
“Do orcs say good luck? Because I think I’m going to need it,” I said.
Archie shook his head.
“No, we say, ‘May the moons guard you.’ There are no moons near Elora Station, but don’t worry. You don’t need them.” He gave me that heart-rendingly crooked smile of his.
“Because you have me.”
