Jarryd: Chapter 5

“I wonder what Jordey came by for.” Jarryd and Kath had picked up the remains of their picnic and were heading back to town.

“You could ask him,” Kath say. “But I bet he forgot.”

Jarryd chuckled. “You’re probably right.”

They walked for a while in silence. Jarryd was thinking.

Kath poked him in the shoulder. “You look very intense. What are you thinking about?”

Jarryd blinked, coming out of his reverie. “I was thinking two things. One, I am definitely slow on the uptake. Gran and Hamisi are right about that. And two, I might be the luckiest fool around.”

“Oh?”

“I had no idea.”

“About what?”

“About you.”

“Keep going.”

“I’ve…” He swallowed. “I’ve wanted to court you for years. You were the only girl in town I was ever really interested in.”

“What about Kieren?” Kath teased.

“I was nine! It was barely a kiss.”

She sighed. “You’re so easy to get.”

“Yeah, I know. Get in line. As I was saying. While I was gone, I thought about you a lot. Thinking of you, knowing you were here, helped me survive some pretty awful times. Especially in the gladiator pits. You were the shining beacon on the hill, calling me home.”

She took his arm and leaned into him. “You may be clueless sometimes, but you say the nicest things.”

“But here’s the thing. I realize now that I didn’t actually know anything about you. I’d built up this ideal version of you, but it wasn’t you.”

She pulled back a little. “Okay. Not as nice. Where are you going with this?”

“You’ll like it. Trust me.”

“Okay.” She leaned against him again. “Go on. You were saying how wonderful I am, I believe.”

“That’s the thing. I was dreaming about you, and I had all these ideas about you. Then, these last few days, I realize I was completely wrong.”

“You’re taking too long on this.”

“Don’t you see? You’re so much more wonderful than I imagined. The real you is far better than the one I built up in my head.”

She squeezed his arm. “Nailed it. Good job.”

He stopped and turned to face her. “And then I get here and somehow, for some unknown reason, you’re still waiting for me. I don’t know what to think, except that I must be the luckiest man in the world.”

She tweaked his nose. “Don’t sell yourself short. I’ve learned that there’s a lot more to you than I ever knew. Though I did have a feeling it was so. I’m awfully lucky too.”

“You’re so understanding. I think that’s what I love—” Jarryd broke off. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why? Are you sorry that you love me?”

“No. Not at all. It’s just…I shouldn’t have blurted it out. Maybe it’s too soon.”

“I say it’s not too soon. It’s not too late, either. I love you too.”

She kissed him again. Jarryd pulled back all of a sudden. “Someone is coming on the road.”

She pulled him back close. “I don’t care. I’m kissing the man I’m courting. If they have a problem with that, it’s theirs and theirs alone.”

It turned out to be the widow Ferah. She had a basket with some mushrooms that she’d collected from the forest. They stopped before she got to them and stood side by side while they greeted her.

“My, you two make a lovely couple.” She smiled and continued on.

(Are you enjoying Jarryd's tale? Would you like to read his adventures before this, when he fought the Dragon Queen? Just click here to check it out!)