Chapter 13

Katie

Banjo raced ahead of me excitedly as we arrived at Brewster Hall. I had no idea if he knew that we were specifically coming to see Brew, or if he was just excited at the prospect of being around any of the Brewsters.

I shifted the basket of eggs on my arm so that it carried easier, and checked that Brew's scarf wasn't going to fall out. This had to be the lamest excuse in the world to see Brew again. Still, I needed some explanation for visiting unannounced that wouldn't raise any suspicion in case any of the others were around and asked questions.

I let myself in through a side entrance like I always did and rang the old cowbell to announce my presence. If I was lucky, Brew would be the one to greet me first. If I was unlucky, it would be Mrs Brewster. As much as I admired her, I did not want to run into her while I was trying to have a secret dalliance with her son. That would be too awkward.

The door opened and to my relief, it was Brew who stepped into the room. His face lit up right away and made his eyes crinkle. "Katie. Hi."

Banjo raced up to him and said hello with all of his paws.

Brew chuckled and crouched down to fuss him. "Hello, Mr Strings, it's good to see you."

A low happy rumble came from my dog in response, making me smile.

"What are you doing here?" Brew asked, looking up at me with a curious expression on his face.

I showed him the basket of eggs. "The chickens were very productive this morning. I was bringing some over for your family."

It was a total lie. Especially because Oliver had lost all of the eggs in a bet with Hana Steeper not that long ago, so we didn't really have any to spare but here I was anyway. But the chickens would lay more tomorrow.

I also presented him with his scarf. "And your scarf from, umm, the other night."

He stepped closer to accept the garment, his gaze fixed on me. His smile twisted his lips up as he paused only one step away. "You beat me to it, I was going to come fetch that later since I don't have eggs to bring over."

Heat rushed up to my ears. I should have known he'd seen through my egg excuse. I would be embarrassed except that it was clear he was happy to see me.

"Care for some tea?" he asked, gesturing further into the house.

I hesitated, not sure if I was ready to face the rest of his family. There was coming to the door with eggs to see Brew, and there was being caught in his kitchen together.

"Everyone else is out," he assured me.

"Oh." I unwound my scarf. "Then I suppose a cup of tea won't hurt."

The expression on his face suggested that he knew I wasn't actually talking about tea.

I followed him through to the kitchen, not that I needed a guide. I'd spent enough of my childhood years running through these walls. I was fairly sure some of the dents in the door frames were my fault.

Brew held the door to the kitchen open for me like a true gentleman. "I would say welcome to my humble abode but we both know there's nothing humble about our homes."

I couldn't help but laugh. This was one of the things I'd always liked about him, how down-to-earth he was. He knew just how privileged we were growing up as children of the four families, but it never went to his head. Instead, he made sure to pay back his luck tenfold to the people who relied on us. Like giving his coat to the boy in the infirmary. No one would have blamed him if he hadn't done it. They likely wouldn't have thought anything of it. But that wasn't Brew, he'd wanted to care for people for as long as I could remember.

Banjo raced past us both and sniffed around the room as if looking for something.

"There's a raw bone for you," Brew said, reaching into a pot and pulling it out. "Mum was going to use it to make stock, but we won't tell her what happened to it, will we?"

My dog sat down in front of Brew, perfectly still except for the uncontrollable tremor of excitement. Brew gave him the bone and he raced over to the hearth, sitting down so he could chomp on it happily.

I put my eggs on the side, deciding to leave the basket. That would give me a new excuse to swing by Brewster Hall if I needed it.

Brew filled a kettle with water and set it on the stove. "Won't be long."

An awkward silence filled the kitchen while Brew fumbled around, getting mugs from the cupboard and fussing over the boiling kettle. It was quite a miracle that my sheer presence had managed to silence the loud and boisterous Rooibos Brewster.

A laugh escaped me and I quickly covered my mouth, not wanting him to think that I was laughing at him when really it was the situation. "You don't have to be nervous around me."

Brew slumped against the counter. "Sorry. I don't know how to behave."

"You didn't have a problem at the bonfire."

He ran a hand through his curls. "I just want to do this right."

As if he couldn't get more endearing. On my way over here, I'd been wondering if this was a fun little fling for him or if he was serious. Everything he'd said suggested the latter, but there was a part of me that still doubted it. Probably the part that had known him for so long and seen him flirt and charm his way through Purple Oak. His reaction to me meant that I no longer had to wonder, I could read the genuine intent on his face clear as day.

The kettle came to a whistling boil and he poured the water into the teapot he prepared. He did it with practised ease, the muscles in his forearm tensing slightly from the motion. Steam rose up from the pot, carrying the scent of the leaves. The smell of grass and tea filled the room and it was like being hugged by Brew all over again, answering a question I didn't know I had about where it came from.

"Smells nice." I crossed the distance so I could smell the tea. I didn't have it often. Tea was expensive, especially as it was mostly bought from outside the settlement. And as I wasn't a tea witch, I had even less of a reason to drink it.

Brew gave me a funny look. "Katie..."

I stared up at him. "Yes?"

He brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear, a tender gesture. "I'm glad to see you. I've been thinking about you."

There was that forwardness and bluntness I liked so much about him. For someone who could turn anything into a joke, there was no beating around the bush, no playing games. He wanted me and there was no denying it.

I slipped my arm around him, marvelling at how easy it was to change from being friendly to more intense. "Then we've been in each other's thoughts."

He looked so ridiculously happy about it, it made his eyes sparkle. I reached for his face and traced his jaw, touching the slight stubble that I'd been looking at. He lowered his head, his lips parted slightly as he captured me in a soft kiss.

Butterflies rose in my stomach and my whole body felt like electricity was running through it. It tingled and tickled in a way that I hadn't experienced with anyone else before.

A loud sound made us jolt apart, just in time as the door swung open. Jasmine came through it, surprise appearing on her face when she noticed me. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Katie brought eggs!" Brew shouted, almost knocking the teapot off the side.

Jasmine looked at me and shrugged. "Thanks, we could use some more."

"Mmhmm." I touched my lips.

"Brew, I was actually looking for you," she said.

"I was on my way out anyway," I lied, eager to get away before Jasmine figured out exactly what she just walked in on.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind your input too, if that's all right?"

"Oh, sure. Brew just made some tea."

She frowned and looked between us. "Why did he make tea if you were about to leave?"

I looked at Brew, a little panicked.

"I was confused about what Katie said," he lied. "There's enough for three."

"Tea is good," Jasmine said, pulling out one of the chairs at the table. "I wanted to ask you about the dryads delegation from Grower's Cove. They're coming here, but Grey and I can't agree on what sort of gifts we need to make sure they have, both here, and for them to take back home with them."

"Gifts?" I prompted, going to take a seat opposite her. Brew handed me a teacup, his fingers brushing against mine as he did and making me feel all kinds of tingly in response. It would probably be best if we didn't touch while members of his family were in the room. I cleared my throat. "I thought we wanted to establish a trade alliance."

She nodded. "We do, but I heard that the leader of Grower's Cove is notoriously hard to impress and negotiate with. Some offerings might smooth out the process."

Brew frowned as he joined us. "Didn't they approach us? Shouldn't they present us with gifts?"

Jasmine let out a long sigh. "You would think. I want to give them some leather and dried meat since we have a lot of livestock. Grey wants to bring them some flour, but I think that could be insulting since they probably grow their own wheat."

I pondered over her question before replying. "What if you had both ready and when you take them on a tour of the Millers' mill, you can ask if they have one themselves? If they don't, you can offer them the flour, but if they do, you know not to." It might not be the right response, but it felt like it could strike the right balance between what the two of them wanted. I imagined it was tough trying to work together, though I didn't know how well Jasmine and Grey actually knew one another.

"That's a great idea. Thanks." She took a sip of her tea and leaned back in her seat, seeming a lot lighter than she had a few moments ago. "So, this is finally happening then? You two are together?"

Brew choked on his tea. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, it's still a secret then? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Jasmine smiled reassuringly at me. "I'll leave you to it then. Never mind me. Thanks for the advice, Katie."

She got up and left the room, taking her tea with her and leaving the two of us alone, save for Banjo. But he was too busy with his bone to care about the current conversation.

I stared after her. I really thought we would've been able to keep this between us for a lot longer. "Will she actually keep it quiet?" I asked Brew.

"I assume so, but we're going to owe her big time."

"Mmm." I looked down at my tea. "Maybe we should aim to be somewhere more private and with less chance of a sibling walking in next time we want to kiss."

"What are you suggesting?"

I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. "I have no idea."

"I could climb through your bedroom window," he suggested, a cheeky expression on his face.

"You can't do that."

"Can't I?" He grinned. "I believe that's a challenge I'm going to have to accept."

"Brew..."

"Katie," he responded somewhat sternly. "Just leave it unlatched for me."

I shook my head, mostly amused that he was even thinking of trying that. "All right. Fine, if you want to climb through my window, be my guest."

"Don't think I won't, Kitty-Kat."

I laughed, mostly because I knew that was exactly what he was going to do. Rooibos Brewster would never have it known that he backed down from a challenge, even if we were the only people who knew it had been made.