Vespera thought she couldn’t keep letting herself get swayed like this. “I should go. See you Monday.” She quickly turned to leave, guilt creeping in as she walked off. Summer really was the prime season for catching a case of lovesick foolishness. It was practically contagious.
She walked a few hurried steps, motioning for Reberra and the others to follow. The way she’d rushed off, it was like a massive wolf-dog was chasing her. They were about to leave the courtyard when Dominic’s voice rang out again. “Walt.” Everyone froze.
Dominic strolled over with his usual composed air, those deep, enigmatic eyes resting on Vespera. “Tom into each other in this village. Well, that’s fate, br’t it? I’m not doing much here anyway. How about I tag along to your friend’s place for a bit?”
Vespera, Reberra, and the rest of the group went quiet. They thought, “He sure is free, huh?” None of them wanted him to come, but no one seemed capable of stopping him. Even Gilvert, fierce enough to intimidate a wild wolf-dog, became meek as a lapdog in Dominic’s presence.
Jade gave Dominic a timid glance. She gently tugged on Rebecca’s sleeve and whispered, “Is Mr. Beld coming with us, too? Does he… does he know about everything?” Dominic was stunningly handsome but carried a presence that made her uneasy. Especially those eyes; they felt like they could see straight through her.
Rebecca patted her hand. “Don’t worry. He doesn’t know. He’ll probably just stay for a few minutes and head back.” “If you don’t want him to go, you can tell him yourself,” Rebecca replied. Jade shook her head furiously, then muttered, “Then… then let him come.”
Dominic’s gaze drifted over the two whispering girls, and a subtle, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He left Gerard behind to stay at the house. Alan stepped out and said, “Mr. Reid, you’ve got to come back for dinner. I’ve got some great food and even better wine ready.” Dominic nodded. “Of course.”
They had entered the Greendield Village five and somehow ended up leaving with six. Jade led the way as they exited the courtyard. Dominic naturally fell into step beside Vespera. Byron tried to squeeze between them but got yanked back by Rebecca, who dragged him away.
Grumbling, Byron leaned toward Rebecca and muttered, “He’s totally got ulterior motives for Vespera.” Rebecca patted Byron’s cheek like she was genuinely moved. “Wow, my clever boy finally figured it out. I’m so proud.” Byron was speechless.
Calvert patted Byron’s shoulder from behind. “This path is too narrow for three people. You should give up, Byron. You’re not going to win.” The three of them were whispering behind, thinking their voices were quiet enough that the people in front couldn’t hear. But with barely an inch separating them, especially Calvert, who didn’t bother to lower his voice—anyone could hear him.
Vespera walked ahead, her mind blank, pretending she hadn’t heard a thing. Dominic leaned closer to her ear, his breath sending her hair fluttering. “O, who do you want to win?”
“What?” Vespera looked confused. “Sorry, I was just lost in thought. Let me think… I bet on the giler team to win.” With that, she quickly took a couple of steps forward. Dominic raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Jade led them to the last house at the end of the village—a small, two-story building that looked quite old. The house had a courtyard, but unlike the neatly kept one they had seen earlier, this one was messy, as though it hadn’t been taken care of in a long time.
“This is my uncle’s place,” Jade explained. In the courtyard, an elderly woman sat peeling fruit. When she saw Jade, her eyes lit up with surprise. “Jap? Is that you?” “It’s me, Grandma.”
Tamara Erickson smiled wanly. “What brings you here? And you’ve brought friends?” “My friends have never been to the countryside before, so they wanted to see what it’s like. I thought I’d show them around.” “Well, welcome!” Tamara greeted them enthusiastically, ushering them into the house.