His tongue slipped out for a fleeting instant to slide over his lips. “I said you would have to leave with the sun. It could be argued that the sun is not currently visible, and therefore you are under no obligation to go.”
Adalynn studied Merrick for a few seconds before her lips slowly stretched into a smile. “Are you asking us to stay until the storm is over, Merrick?”
“I am simply pointing out a technicality by which you may convince me to allow your stay to be extended.”
His features softened briefly; it was enough for Adalynn to know that, however he’d behaved when they first arrived, however rough a start they’d had, Merrick was a good man at heart.
She grinned. “Merrick, would you be so kind as to allow us to stay until the storm passes?”
Merrick waved a hand dismissively. “I suppose I’d feel guilty if I made you leave in this weather. You may stay.”
“Yes!” Danny pumped his fist before he looked at Adalynn and wrinkled his nose. “Do I really need to take a bath?”
“Yes,” Adalynn said. “You stink.”
“I do not!” Raising his arm, he turned his head and sniffed his armpit. He jerked his head back immediately. “Okay, so I do.”
“Then go,” she said, “and don’t forget your bag this time.”
“Fiiiine.” He pushed his chair back, picked up a cracker covered with peanut butter, and held it out to her. “This one is for you.”
Adalynn stared down at the cracker. The peanut butter’s scent was mouth-watering; she could almost taste it on her tongue. Her heart flipped in her chest at her brother’s thoughtfulness. It was a small gesture, but those little things meant more than ever after the Sundering. Even while indulging himself, he’d set a bit aside for her.
“Thanks, Danny,” she said, taking the cracker carefully between her thumb and middle finger.
Danny beamed at her. “Welcome. Guess I’ll go take a bath.” He swiped the remnants of his half-eaten cracker off the table, shoved it in his mouth, and grabbed his bag. As he walked out of the kitchen, he said through his mouthful of food, “See you later, Merrick.”
Mindful of the cracker in her hand, Adalynn pulled out a chair and sat down across from Merrick. His eyes, intent but unreadable, were already upon her.
“Thank you,” she said, “for letting us stay longer. And for what you did with Danny.”
His lips curled upward; Adalynn couldn’t tell if he was smiling or smirking. Either way, the scar across his left eye granted a rakish air to the expression.
“And what was it I did?”
“Distracted him, made him laugh. Let him have one of his favorite foods.”
Adalynn took a bite of the cracker, and she barely stopped her eyes from rolling back in bliss. Her tongue darted out to lick peanut butter off her upper lip.
Had she just moaned?
Merrick’s eyes dipped to her tongue for the instant it was exposed. “He seems to amuse himself well enough. The boy never runs out of things to say.”
“Only because you’re someone new. He’s already talked my ears off about the same subjects more than once.” She slipped the rest of the cracker into her mouth.
“Perhaps.” Merrick slid the jar of peanut butter—which had a knife already plunged into it—from the center of the table to stand directly in front of Adalynn. “Help yourself. I fear it will be all gone the next time your brother gets into it.”
A pang of guilt struck her, and when she swallowed, the food went down thickly. Frowning, she glanced into the jar. How much had Danny eaten? She should have woken when Danny did, should’ve stopped him, should’ve—
“He was into it when I came down,” Merrick said, as though reading her thoughts. “He had one cracker with barely any on it for himself, and then he set the one aside for you. After that, he put the lid on and was done.”
Adalynn’s brows rose as she returned her gaze to Merrick. “Really?”
He nodded.
Pride replaced most of her guilt but couldn’t overpower it completely—despite some of the things she’d said last night, she couldn’t quite let go of the circumstances that had brought them into his home. She smiled a bit sheepishly. “Well, um, thanks, I guess, for not throwing us out.”
Merrick chuckled; it was a deep, rich sound, warmer than she would’ve expected. “Do not thank me too soon. I may yet throw you out. A bored, idle child is a dangerous thing.”
“We wouldn’t mind helping out with whatever you need.”
“There’s little that requires tending, at least while the rain persists. It is enough, for now, that you simply respect my home. I ask that neither of you enter my study, which is the room at the top of the steps, or my bedroom, which is at the end of the north hallway—just down the hall from your room. Keep the noise down, don’t break anything, and clean up your messes. You may eat from my stores, but be responsible with your portions.”
Adalynn nodded. “We will. Thank you.”
Silence stretched between them as Adalynn ate. She used only a minimal amount of peanut butter on the crackers she took. Even if he’d offered it freely, she didn’t feel right taking too much, especially considering things like peanut butter had become a rarity in the modern world.
“I must insist you take more than that, Adalynn,” Merrick said, “lest you insult my hospitality.”
Adalynn paused as she was spreading peanut butter on a cracker to look up at him. Heat flooded her cheeks. “I…I don’t need very much.”
“Which is no reason to take too little. I grant you permission—indulge yourself.” As he spoke those last two words, fire rekindled in his gaze.
Adalynn didn’t think he was talking about the peanut butter anymore.
Her body reacted to those words, and she recalled how close he’d been to her in the bathroom, how warm his breath had been on her skin, recalled the feel of his touch, the powerful energy he’d exuded—and the candles.
But the candles weren’t all—the window by the front door was intact this morning, as though it hadn’t been broken last night.
She dropped her gaze to the butter knife in her hand, brows creased as she dipped it back into the jar and added more peanut butter to her cracker. Her guilt at what she saw as excess lingered, but he’d insisted, and she wasn’t about to decline a second time—this was an opportunity she wasn’t likely to get again. Besides, she needed the nutrition as much as Danny did, so she could help him on his journey for as long as possible.
Adalynn ate a few more crackers; in her mind, the candles flickered to life in unison on a ceaseless loop, and she could almost feel their heat on her skin.
“What troubles you, Adalynn?”
Adalynn started; she hadn’t realized that she’d been sitting there fiddling with the cracker packaging and staring off blankly. “Nothing.” She twisted the package closed, reached across the table, and grabbed the lid to the peanut butter jar. Setting the knife aside, she screwed the lid onto the jar.
“It’s in your face. In your eyes.” He sat forward, leaning his arms on the table. “A great many things trouble you at every waking moment, I imagine, but there’s something bothering you more than the rest now. What is it?”