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From further down the hall, Garrett yelled out, “Leave her be and get down here!”
Keegan’s shoulders slumped.
Mia stepped forward. “I’d love to.”
In an instant, the boy was beaming again.
Grayson frowned. “It’s going to be muddy and cold.”
“We’ll only work until it starts raining again,” Keegan said. “Please?”
The innkeeper’s sons had obviously taken a liking to Mia; Grayson had discovered that when he’d first woken after his fever. Keegan was always asking her to come with him during his chores, and Garrett—though he echoed the words of his father and older brother about leaving their only guests alone—hung on Mia’s every word. Timothy was the oldest, but certainly not immune. Whenever Mia smiled at him, his cheeks pinkened.
Grayson couldn’t blame any of them. Mia was special. He’d known that since their first meeting eight years ago.
Mia took Keegan’s hand, then looked to Grayson. “Would you like to join us?”
Biting back a sigh, Grayson grabbed their cloaks.
Keegan was back to a full grin. “We’ll have to pick a lot of potatoes and onions, because the inn will be full tonight.”
“Why?” Mia asked before Grayson could.
Keegan didn’t seem to notice the tension in that one word. He just kept leading the way down through the hall and down the stairs. “Whenever a big storm hits during the day, most of the village comes here, since they can’t work on their farms or other things.”
Garrett was waiting for them in the empty common room with a couple of large bowls in hand, but some of his impatience faded as he caught Keegan’s words. “Izac always brings his flute,” he said. “There’s music, dancing, and sometimes stories.”
“Mama used to tell the best stories,” Keegan said, his voice quieter than Grayson had ever heard it.
“My mother used to tell great stories, too,” Mia shared.
Keegan stared up at her. “Is your mama dead, too?”
“Yes.”
“Sorry,” Keegan said. His tattered boot scuffed against the floor. “Papa says if we remember her and her stories, she’s not really gone.”
“I think he’s right,” Mia said softly.
“I still miss her.”
Grayson watched as Mia wrapped her arm around Keegan’s narrow shoulders and squeezed. “It’s all right to miss her. I think that shows how much you loved her.”
Timothy appeared across the room, a stained apron around his waist and a scowl on his face. He paused when he saw Mia hugging his little brother, and any annoyance immediately fled his expression. “I need those vegetables, boys.”
“We’re going,” Garrett said. He stepped forward and clapped Keegan on the shoulder. “I’ll race you.”
Keegan shot off and Mia chuckled as her arm fell.
“You don’t need to help them,” Timothy said. “They can do their chores without you.”
“It’s all right,” Mia said. “I enjoy it.”
During their stay, she’d taken every opportunity to spend time with the boys, whether it was stacking wood or helping in the garden. She’d even helped Keegan wash dishes after meals. Grayson thought she just enjoyeddoingsomething, but perhaps she liked the company, or even just the freedom to experience new things. She’d been robbed of so much during her imprisonment. Half her life she’d been shut away in a cell, and now that she was free, she couldn’t seem to take in enough. He’d caught her watching the clouds drift across the sky like it was a captivating painting, and she listened to the morning birdsong like it was a breathtaking symphony. Watching her fascination with the world took his breath away.
Timothy shifted his feet. “Well, all right. Just know that you can tell him no.”
Mia nodded and reached for Grayson’s hand, walking them both to the back door.
