Chapter Three
Callum
Brodie clung tightly to my hand as I led him out of his cell. He was savoring the experience of a tender touch, which made my heart swell. He'd never know what it meant to me to be the first (and last) man to show him affection, though I obviously wished things had been different with his family.
Brodie flinched and shut his eyes when we stepped into the main room of the jailhouse, where sunshine spilled in through the windows.
Guilt tore through me; I’d left him sitting in the dark for two whole days, pushing him to the point where any light was uncomfortable.
If I’d put my anger aside and spoke with him in the beginning, I could have saved Brodie from his stay in the dark, lonely cell.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh yeah,” Brodie replied, rubbing his face with his free hand. “I’m just letting my eyes adjust to the light again.” I waited patiently while he rubbed and blinked until he gave a little smile, signaling he was ready to go.
We stepped outside, where sunshine abounded, but a cool breeze swept by. This was my favorite time of year; the air was crisp, but winter’s chill kept only to the evening hours. The trees lining the hills around our village were painted with bright autumn colors in a magnificent sight.
But the most beautiful thing of all was the way Brodie’s eyes popped and his head jerked all around, as if he were trying to take in everything at once.
I wondered how much of the world had been kept from him.
I wanted to show him everything, beginning with Lachlan’s Bakery.
Brodie needed food in his stomach, and I wanted to introduce him to my closest friend (as well as show him off).
The bakery was a stone structure, like many of the buildings in the village.
It gave off a homey, welcoming feel with its two chimneys puffing smoke into the sky; one was attached to the fireplace in the dining area to keep customers warm in the chilly months, and the other led down to Lachlan’s wood stove.
It’s what he learned to bake on, and he refused to change to a more modern method.
He claimed that it gave his treats a unique, delicious flavor, and I couldn’t argue with that.
“Here we are,” I told Brodie as I held the arched wooden door open for him.
He sniffed the air and his eyes slid closed as the scent of freshly baked rolls wafted out of the building. “It smells incredible.”
“It’ll taste even better,” I promised with a squeeze to his hand.
When we walked inside, I noticed we were the only patrons in the dining area.
I wasn’t surprised; it was too late for breakfast (especially for a coven of vampires who required very little sleep and woke early), and too early for lunch, when Lachlan prepared hearty soups and sandwiches.
I imagined the slow pace was what allowed him to step away and come find me in the field earlier.
Once Lachlan finished sliding a tray of raspberry rolls into the glass display case, he stood upright and smiled at me before looking confusedly at Brodie and our linked hands. My heart beat wildly with anticipation; I couldn’t wait to tell my friend my exciting news.
“Mornin’, Lach,” I greeted, even though I’d already seen him less than an hour ago.
“Mornin’, Callum,” he replied with a dip of his head before looking at Brodie once again. “And who do we have here?” I wasn’t surprised that my friend got right down to business.
I took my mate right up to the counter and proudly announced, “This is my very special friend Brodie.” I was not a fan of calling Brodie my ‘friend’, but until I spoke with him more, I didn’t want to frighten him.
I did, however, want to tell Lachlan the truth, so I added in a whisper too quiet for Brodie’s ears to detect, “He’s my mate! I’ve found him!”
Lachlan’s lips spread into a wide smile and his emerald eyes sparkled.
“Congratulations, Callum. I’m so happy for you.
” He turned his smile to Brodie and said so that he could hear, “It’s very nice to meet you, Brodie.
Any friend of Callum’s is a friend of mine.
” He offered my mate his hand, and Brodie shook it without letting loose of me.
“It’s nice to meet you too...Lach, was it?”
“Lachlan, Lach; whatever you prefer,” he shrugged before letting go of his hand.
“Brodie is in need of some breakfast,” I explained.
“Well then, you’ve come to the right place; I’ve got just the thing.
” Lachlan bent over to pull out one of the raspberry rolls he’d just placed in the case, and put it on a serving dish.
“These are fresh out of the oven.” He settled the plate on the counter, but Brodie didn’t move to take it.
He just stared at the roll hungrily while chewing his lip.
“Do you not like raspberries? I can get you something else.”
“No, I love them,” Brodie replied quickly, as if worried he offended my friend. “It’s just…” He leaned in closer to Lachlan to whisper, “I don’t have any money.” The embarrassment and sadness in his voice threatened to tear me apart.
“This is my treat,” Lachlan assured him with a wink, pushing the plate closer to my mate.
Obviously I would have paid for Brodie’s food even if he did have money, but Lach never let me purchase anything from him, saying I got the “best friend discount”.
It made my heart full that his kindness extended to my mate as well.
“Really?” Brodie asked excitedly. When Lachlan nodded, Brodie dropped my hand to grab his food.
“Thank you so much,” he told my friend with a huge grin.
“This is...wow. I don’t know what to say except thank you.
” It was a small favor, but Brodie didn’t take it for granted.
I was blessed to have such a sweet and gracious man.
“It’s my pleasure,” Lachlan insisted.
“Brodie, why don’t you sit down to enjoy your breakfast and I’ll be right over? I need to speak with Lachlan for a moment.”
“Sure.” He didn’t need to be convinced to eat the delicious-looking treat. “Thank you again,” he told Lach before shuffling to a seat at a small round table. He took a giant bite of his pastry and moaned at the ceiling. It was difficult to tear my eyes away from him to look back at my friend.
“Where did you find him?” Lachlan asked in a vampire whisper.
“Believe it or not, in the jailhouse. He’s the shooter, Lach.”
“It was an accident, then?”
That was another thing to add to the list of why I loved Lachlan; he knew that I was fair, and he trusted my judgement.
He was always honest with me, and knew I’d always be honest with him.
He instinctively knew that if I let Brodie out of prison, he shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Kade should take notes.
“Yes.” I gave him a quick summary of everything Brodie told me in his cell as Lachlan’s face fell.
“That poor boy. I’m glad you found him, Cal; he needs you.”
“I need him too.”
“I wish you two all of the happiness in the world.” His words were sincere, but I didn’t miss the wistful look in his eyes. As happy as he was for Brodie and me, I understood his longing for his own mate.
“Trust Fate, my friend,” I told him, echoing his advice from earlier. “Your mate will come. And if you get tired of waiting, give me the word and we’ll scour the globe after all.” I meant it; I’d help him search far and wide.
Lachlan gave me a nod of thanks before looking over my shoulder and chuckling quietly. “For now, I think you better take your beloved a second helping.” I peeked behind me to find Brodie’s plate sitting empty, and my mate licking his fingers clean.
“I think you’re right,” I smiled when I turned back around. “Can I get a blueberry scone and a hot chocolate for him?”
“Of course.” He gathered my order and gave me a wink. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
I hustled over to Brodie’s table and sat across from him, pushing the plate and mug along the tabletop to him. “Here you go, m'anam.” I flinched, but Brodie seemed too interested in his new treats to notice the pet name.
“This is for me? I can have more?” I nodded and he beamed. “Oh, thank you. Thank you, Lachlan!” he called out to my friend, who gave him a little wave and a chuckle. “He’s very nice.”
“Yes he is. He’s been my best friend my whole life.”
“That’s so great.” He bit off a hunk of his scone and hummed. “ And he’s a great baker.” He swallowed his bite and asked, “Do you bake too?”
“A little, but I’m nowhere near as talented as Lachlan, I’m afraid. What about you?”
“Not so much. I did all of the cooking at home, but it was mainly foods that we had on our farm; lots of fruits and vegetables. Sometimes, Paw bought cakes or pies when we went to the market, but…” He didn’t finish his sentence, and his cheeks pinked.
Even though he went silent, I understood; he wasn’t allowed to have any sweets at his old home.
I wondered how much he actually got to eat of the food he prepared.
I didn’t want Brodie to be sad, so to lighten the mood, I said, “Now, not to brag or anything, but my fried fish could bring tears to your eyes.”
He chuckled, seeming relieved to change the subject. “I love fish. It’s been a while since I’ve had it, but it’s always been one of my favorites.” He gobbled down the last bite of his scone and took his mug in his hand. “What’s this?”
“Hot chocolate. Is that okay?”
“I’ve never tasted it.” He lifted the cup and gave it a big sniff.
“It smells wonderful.” He put the brim to his lips and took a tiny sip, which turned into gulps.
He downed every drop of the cocoa and tapped the bottom of the mug to make sure he didn’t miss any before placing it back on the table. “I like hot chocolate.”
I let out a joyous laugh; my mate was just too damn adorable. “Would you like another cup?”