My breath caught.
Beneath it sat a warm quilt, children’s pajamas, coloring books, crayons, several storybooks, homemade cookies in a glass jar, small jars of herbal salves, loose-leaf tea with handwritten instructions…
…and two bright orange walkie-talkies.
Jake gasped so loudly he startled himself.
Matthew simply stared.
“They’re…”
He looked toward the king.
“…for us?”
A quiet laugh escaped him.
“My mate informed me that boys around your age generally enjoy adventures.”
Jake nodded with complete confidence.
“We do.”
Matthew carefully lifted one of the walkie-talkies from the crate.
“How would she know that?”
“Because we have two boys at home ourselves.”
Jake’s eyes widened.
“You have kids?”
“Not exactly.”
His smile became softer.
“My little brother, Jonas, is five.”
J
