Chapter 2

It was five days later and Brianna still had not seen him.

She tried to tell herself that she was only coming back to the tavern for a meal and information, but she always came in very early every day and sat in the back corner watching the door for him. He had yet to show, and she was starting to get somewhat testy waiting.

Melt came in the second day while she was waiting, saw her in the corner. He came over and profusely apologized, and completely asked for her forgiveness for his actions that night. He then asked if there as anything he could do to try and make it up to her.

Brianna didn't know what to say.

She once again regretted the thought of wanting to run him through with a sword a few nights ago, and was now really glad she hadn't. She wasn't used to men trying to only be gracious to her without expecting anything in return from it.

Especially after speaking with the bartender and what he told her about why Melt was drunk that night with small children at home in bed waiting for his return. She never would have expected any man to get that attached to a woman. Ever.

"Well you can make it up to me by telling me what you know about the bartender who was here that night," she had said.

"Aric? None of us knows that much. He appeared one day about two or three seasons ago, purchased a very large tract of land just outside of town, and eventually built him a house on it. He is always polite, but tries to keep to himself when not in town.

He is very friendly to everyone he runs across. I bet even in a city this size he already knows most of the people. I know that every time I see him on the street people that even I don't know are saying good morning to him.

He already has various women wanting to pin him down to marry, but he manages to stay single. There hasn't been anyone who has caught him yet," said Melt.

"Oh? So he's your local Casanova?" asked Brianna smugly

"No, Aric is far from it. To the best of everyone's knowledge he's never stepped out with any of the women in town. Not from a lack of trying on their part. Some of the men are jealous, and some have taken to trying to imitate his politeness to get dates, if you know what I mean," said Melt.

He first smiled at his statement, but then quickly looked away as a look of deep sorrow crossed his face.

As Brianna sat and thought on this new information, Melt quickly excused himself, went to the counter, and asked for one short beer and only one because he needed to leave soon.

While she was lost deep in thought reliving her earlier conversation from days before with Melt, Aric - the bartender from the other night - came into the tavern. Brianna immediately noticed him and strained to hear the reason for his visit.

Gemma said "Afternoon Aric. What are you doing here? Did you come for a meal?"

Aric answered her "Well I noticed that Candice had a slight limp a few nights ago, and I bet her new shoes are bothering her. I know she's stubborn enough to try and play it off if I had said something before, because she is trying to earn a living for her little brother and sister now that her parents are gone. But her feet should really be killing her, so I thought I'd work for her a couple days to give her feet a chance to rest."

While Gemma stood staring at him, the door opened again and the young woman that Brianna had talked to from her first visit limped in.

She made it to the bar, but then she sat down in a nearby chair. The very pretty blonde woman now showed a face in an obvious mask of pain. She called out for Gemma to give her a minute and she would be ready to start.

Before Gemma could say anything, Aric picked Candice up and sat her down behind the bar, chair and all. Gemma, Brianna, and Candice were all shocked that he would do such a thing.

"You sit right there and don't move. I'll get you a tub of water and you soak your feet. I'll work your shift tonight and tomorrow. And no lip about needing to work to feed your brothers and sister, it will be ok. You can help them more by getting well. You stay home with them tomorrow and by Friday you should be good as new," said Aric.

Then he warmly smiled at her and said "I'll even flirt with a few of the men and get you some good tips."

With that he went off in search of a pan.

First Candice and Gemma laughed at his last statement, but after a few minutes Candice's eyes started to mist over and Gemma just smiled down and patted Candice on the shoulder.

Candice sadly smiled and could barely be heard by Brianna saying "I just wish..." but Brianna couldn't hear the rest of it over the noise from the other patrons in the room.

Brianna knew she just HAD to figure out this man's angle before his actions drove her crazy.

"Men are lust-crazed perverts, aren't they?" she thought to herself. "They don't care about anything but getting their rocks off. Why is he going so far for all these women without expecting anything in return? And just what is his angle?"

A few days later found Brianna heading out early in the day for where generally she thought Aric's house would be.

During the week she had questioned various folks in town, but found out pretty quick to not ask any of the younger women. They had more questions about her reasons for wanting to know than she was comfortable answering.

She later tried the men but stopped doing that as well.

Either she found them trying to convince her to become interested in them instead of telling her about where Aric lived, or a response that was some variation of how they would trade her for the information.

A couple of the pushier men found out the hard way that that was the wrong answer, as they lay bloody on the street. She was always smart enough to invite them into an alley before she gave them her answer.