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“I can visit them if I wish to speak with them.”
“But what if it’s raining or snowing?” she asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier to pick up your cell phone and call, say, Raze, to talk without having to walk, take a carriage, or drive to him first?”
“I suppose. It’s a human thing, and I do need to fit in.”
She took my hand, squeezing it. “Don’t do anything that doesn’t feel right for you.”
“This is my aunt’s wish.”
“What about Tylik’s wish? That’s matters more to me.” She pointed. “Pull in there on the right, Frank’s Dairy Bar.”
“Ice cream is a dairy product?”
“It is.”
I couldn’t imagine why people were thrilled with dairy products enough that they’d build a shop to cater solely to them, but perhaps my mind would be changed.
I carefully parked the SUV in a spot, ensuring the vehicle was as close as possible to the center to avoid doors banging together or creating too narrow a space for other vehicles.
We got out and walked up to the counter hand-in-hand to place our order. I couldn’t stop smiling. I’d been grinning so long, my cheeks ached. What we’d shared last night and this morning made my life complete. I’d marry Kate tomorrow, and while we hadn’t spoken about where our relationship would go after that, I suspected divorce might no longer loom on the horizon.
I loved her, and I would tell her tomorrow night after we’d wed.
“I can’t believe you and your aunt haven’t had ice cream,” Kate said, leaning into my side and looking up at me as I perused the endless flavor choices.
“I’m sure I’ll berate myself later for avoiding this treat.” Frowning, I held in my cringe. “One makes a dairy product treat from moose?”
“Moose . . .” Her eyes widened. “Oh, Moose Tracks. No moose meat in that. It’s vanilla with fudge sauce and tiny peanut butter cups.”
“Ah. I can’t imagine such a thing. What is pee-noot butter? Butter, I am familiar with. We have something similar to that in the fae realm. I’m not sure about pee in my iced cream, however.”
“Butter is wonderful. Hot bread slathered with it? I die on the spot. As forpeanutbutter, a peanut is a nut. Or a legume.” Her head tilted. “I’m not sure which, but it’s amazing. I bet you’ll like it.”
“I cannot picture legumes in dairy treats either.”
“Why don’t we get bowls with a few scoops of each? Then you can try a bunch of them.” She waved to tables where families and couples sat, eating.
“Alright. You choose them, and I promise to try each.”
“Cool,” she breathed, frowning at the list. “Moose Tracks, of course, plus cookies and cream, coffee, since we missed out on the iced variety the other day. Hmm . . . How about strawberry, chocolate, and butter pecan?”
“Many nuts,” I said, unsure why anyone would enjoy hard crunchy things in what appeared to be a smooth product, if those passing us with round blobs on brown tapered sticks were anything to go by.
“Those are cones,” she said, nudging her head to someone passing us, holding two. “We’ll try it that way another time. Cones not only hold the ice cream while you eat it, but you can also eat the cone after.”
“You eat the container?”
“I guess you could say that,” she said with a laugh. “They’re crunchy and sweet like a cookie.”
I’d reserve judgement. To me, they looked like the cardboard Kate used to pack her belongings.
Kate placed our order and started to pay.
“I have gold coins,” I pointed out, offering one.
The young male behind the glass watched us, and his eager eyes locked on the coin. “I’m more than happy to take gold if you’d like,” he said. “You’re an elf, right? The ears and hair give you away.”
“I am,” I said with a dip of my head.
