Arrows of Promise (Kingmakers Book 2) Read Free

ain’t sure
which is harder, dealing with troublemakers in Estole or trying to build a town
from the ground up over here in the settlement.”
    “Beginning to wonder the same thing meself,” she muttered
under her breath. “Thank ye, Master Rod.”
    He inclined his head toward the structures that were half in
place. “Ya’ll making good progress, I can see that. Anything I can bring ye
that ye need?”
    Sanity? Unfortunately, they couldn’t bottle that. Riana
pulled a list out of her pocket and handed it to him. “These. We be short on
everything on that list, so bring what ye can.”
    He gave it a quick glance before tucking it away in his
shirt pocket. “See what I can do.”

Chapter Two
    Riana turned sideways to let someone pass before she could
get through the inn’s kitchen doorway. The door wasn’t in yet, but at least the
kitchen now had walls and a roof overhead. It had taken two weeks for that to
happen and no one could be happier about it than the women that did all of the
cooking—especially Mistress Violet and Mistress Nicole Sadler.
    Now the inn’s kitchen had three long counters to prepare and
make food on, two large pot belly stoves, and a place for a sink to go underneath
a window. It looked much more permanent and habitable than it had the evening
before and it took Riana a moment to realize why. “Did Master Sadler put in
those pot hooks for you last night?”
    The women looked up at her entrance and beamed at her. “This
morning, actually,” Nicole corrected her, wiping her hands on an apron and
approaching her with arms outstretched. “He made them up in the forge for me
yesterday, in between making nails, and hung them up so we aren’t constantly
shifting pans. I do love that man.”
    Erick Sadler had been the first blacksmith to sign up to
come to the settlement and was one of the more dedicated men to getting the
work done. He was as large as his wife was short, a bear of a man with a gentle
nature to him. Nicole was a perfect complement to him with her sweet smiles and
go-for-it nature.
    “Now that the smithy be mostly up, he has the room to work on
extra things, belike.”
    “Exactly what he told me,” Nicole confirmed as she took a
bag off of Riana’s shoulders. “What’s in here?”
    “Brace of quail,” Riana informed her. “Three rabbits, and I
stumbled across some wild onions that I thought mayhap ye might like to have.”
    “Bless you,” Violet said sincerely. “You always bring us
something to supplement the food and it is very appreciated. It certainly gives
us more room to be creative and not make the same things every day. Here, put
them right here.” Violet braced her forearm against the counter and shoved a
pile of vegetable peelings roughly out of the way.
    “I did no’ take the time to skin or clean anything,” Riana
warned as she put her bounty down.
    “Bosh, don’t you worry about that,” Nicole chided as she put
the sack down and started taking quail out of it. “It’s a miracle you find time
to go hunting every morning. We know things are demanding as it is.”
    Lowering her voice, Violet asked almost furtively, “Is
everything alright with Ash? He came by this morning to see how much of the inn
was finished yesterday and I must say, he’s looking much too slim. And a little
pale. I would think he’s getting tanned working under this hot sun.”
    Nicole leaned into the conversation as well, joining the
circle, and Riana confided to them both, “Atween the three of us, the man be
overworked. He bounces from project to project, lending a hand with anything
that may be difficult, and does no’ take the time to rest. Or eat. If he comes
by again, force a snack into his hands, and something to drink. I can no’ sit
on him like he needs.”
    Violet patted her hand. “Don’t you worry. We’ll do that. I
know the two of you are going opposite directions most days as you’ve got
different responsibilities. We’ll help you take care of