“Ah!” Ethan’s mouth opened wide in a semi-toothless smile. “Blessed it was indeed. And you and your guests shall stay free of charge, Your Ma…”
“Nonsense,” Caleb interrupted quickly. “We will pay.”
If the sun were not so bright, Willow would have thought Caleb had turned a sickly shade of white as he tossed his arm around the innkeeper’s neck and led him away. She didn’t notice the horrified faces of her other two companions, but she did see Caleb hand the innkeeper two pieces of silver. She knit her brows, realizing again that Caleb wasn’t as poor as everyone else she had met since he brought her here. And wasn’t it odd that the innkeeper bowed, as though Caleb were royal? She remembered the people in Shondravar bowing slightly to him. Were they bowing in reverence to all the good he had done?
Ethan showed them to their rooms and left with a furtive wink to Caleb.
They all unpacked in separate rooms and met outside a little while later.
“Are you hungry?” Caleb asked her. “There are food vendors down that way.” He pointed west and then put his arm around her.
Jonas and Shauna went the other way to find some new combs for Shauna’s hair.
Willow closed her eyes, content with Caleb so close. How easily she could forget everything, even her own name when she was with him. “Where did you get the silver to pay for our stay here?”
“From my father.”
Something pulled at her, tugged at her logic to ask him why he hated riches when obviously, he was lacking in none of them. And who was his father that he had so much. Wasn’t he a planter?
“I’m not poor, Willow,” he told her, sensing her stiffening spine. “I never said I was.”
“You never said you weren’t.” Willow looked at him, but he avoided her gaze. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you let me think you were like everyone else in Shondravar, Caleb? And—”
“I am like everyone else in Shondravar,” he defended. “Just because I’m not poor doesn’t change that.”
“That’s a very honorable attitude, Caleb. But it changes plenty.”
“Why?” Now his eyes found hers and the intensity in his gaze almost made her determination to find out about his true worth falter. “What does it change, Willow?” he persisted. “It means nothing to me. Sometimes we need things that can only be purchased with coin and Yahweh has provided it. I will eventually give it all away to heal Predaria.”
“You lied to me.” She stared into his gentle eyes.
“No I didn’t. I just didn’t tell you.” He took her hand and kissed it. “It doesn’t change me, or who I am.”
Willow narrowed her eyes on him. “And who are you?” Her heart pumped hard waiting for his reply.
He kept his gaze forward and continued walking. “I am Caleb. A planter who wants to make you his wife.”
Her heart slowed. She believed him when he said his wealth meant nothing to him. It amazed her, even more than if he was poor. He didn’t have to live the way he did, he didn’t have to care about his village, or about Predaria, and the fact that he did made her happy she loved him. She felt a great sense of relief as well. This must have been what he had been trying to tell her all along. And it wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was wonderful news. She was still deciding how many seeds to buy when he stopped at a vendor with a wild boar on the sign outside his tent.
They met up with Jonas and Shauna sometime later as they walked outside, browsing the goods within the tents. Willow tangled her fingers within Caleb’s and looked around while he laughed with his bald friend.
“Can you use your coin to trade here?” Willow asked Caleb after passing a tent that housed dozens of unframed crude paintings of flowers.
“Sometimes,” he answered. “Why? Do you see something you want?”
She wanted to be able to have an icy cold drink of water whenever she wanted, or someone to clean her few items of clothing. “I want more soil. Maybe some fabric. Shauna said she would teach me to sew.”
He gave her a thoughtful look. “Not jewelry?”
“No. Just soil and fabric…and, of course water for my garden.”
“Of course,” Caleb said and pulled her closer to kiss the top of her head. “When we get home, I’ll go to Theshwar and get you all the soil you