Chapter 21: Barbecue and Reunion

In the evening, at the outdoor barbecue, many cooks were grilling meat and the tables were filled with drinks. I scanned the crowd, looking for a quiet spot to focus on eating.

Someone handed me a paper plate piled high with ribs and baked beans, and for a second, it felt almost like a Fourth of July picnic. After picking a spot and preparing to sit with Mrs. Murphy, someone grabbed my wrist.

Now I faced him, and he seemed about as tall as me.

I thanked him for giving me the prize.

He just looked at me and didn’t speak, so I asked if he needed anything.

He glanced at the man beside him, who said, "My lord just wants to ask if you liked the hunting knife just now."

I said I liked it very much. Who would accept a gift and then say they didn’t like it?

I could only see his dark eyes, and when I looked at them, they suddenly lit up.

Before I could react, he suddenly intertwined his fingers with mine and pulled me away.

A jolt ran through me. I looked down at our hands, his grip so familiar I nearly gasped. My heart pounded in my ears as he led me through the crowd, past the glowing lanterns and the scent of woodsmoke.