“Steve Ferryman said the bakeries in Ferryman’s Landing would sell to us,” Simon said. “And we will need to adjust supply allotments for Ferryman’s Landing anyway to accommodate the Wolf cookies they’re already making. Redirecting the food is more practical than burning down buildings.” But he would give some thought to asking Fire to visit that one bakery.
“Would you be willing to try one more Lakeside bakery?” Montgomery asked. “There’s a place on Market Street that I frequent. I’ll talk to the owner and see if she would be interested in supplying items for your coffee shop.”
Simon hesitated. None of the Courtyard’s stores were going to be open to the general public anymore, but the coffee shop would still be a useful learning experience for the terra indigene who didn’t have access to such a place—or a chance to interact with humans like Meg’s pack.
“All right,” he said. “One more. If that doesn’t work, we’ll give our business to Ferryman’s Landing—and give them the extra supplies as well.”
“We’ll do that now,” Burke said. “The lieutenant needs to stop by his apartment and check his mail anyway.”
<One more thing after the humans are gone,> Tess said to Simon and Vlad.
“I’ll tell Jester that Meg and the Lizzy should come back now,” Simon told Montgomery. “You can wait for her at the medical office.”
“Do you mind if I take a quick look around the bookstore?” Burke asked.
“Go ahead.” He watched the men go through the archway before turning to Tess. “What?”
“Even if that food had been good, I wouldn’t have placed another order with that bakery,” Tess said.
“Why?” Vlad asked.
Black threads appeared in her hair. “Because Jake Crowgard noticed an HFL decal on the delivery van’s back window.”
CHAPTER 24
Watersday, Maius 12
“Why can’t I ride a pony?” Lizzy whined.
Such an annoying sound. If she ever whined like that, Meg hoped Simon bit her. Really hard.
But Wolves whined too. Why didn’t it bother her when they did it?
“Because the Courtyard’s ponies aren’t riding ponies,” Meg said for the third time. Her skin prickled every time Lizzy asked to ride a pony, making her feel odd, overwhelmed. She had to make Lizzy understand that, in the Courtyard, puppies were supposed to obey adults, and no meant no. But what more could she do? What more could she say?
When she’d first met the ponies, she hadn’t wanted to ride them, and it hadn’t occurred to her when she offered to take Lizzy to the Pony Barn that the girl would want to—or be so persistent about getting her own way.
And the ponies, who had been curious enough about the small human to allow Lizzy to pet their noses, now wore their grumpiest faces as they trotted away.
“We have to go back to the Market Square,” Meg said. Had anyone heard her? Had she spoken out loud?
Jester Coyotegard growled at Lizzy. “Meg said no, and being the one who looks after the ponies, I’m saying no. So that’s the end of it, pup.”
“That’s not fair!” Lizzy stamped her foot. “Grandma Borden would let me ride a pony!”
Lizzy’s voice changed the pins-and-needles feeling into a painful buzz. Meg dug her fingers into her side just above the waistband of her jeans, scratching at her skin through the T-shirt. Needed to think. Couldn’t think, not with Lizzy’s voice buzzing in her ears. Too much. Too much! Had to . . . what?