Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Letty notices them watching, her cheeks turning bright red.
"Um…I should…" She waves toward the buffet table before scurrying off so fast she trips over her own feet.
"I'll be damned," Wade whistles, watching her go before his gaze drifts back to me. "Maybe you aren't completely beyond help, motherfucker."
"Eat your dinner and fuck off, Wade."
Blaze, Abel, and Bishop all laugh. I just ignore them, tucking into my food like a man who hasn't eaten all day. Christ, she can cook.
I watch her while I eat, noticing the way she flits around the buffet table, refilling dishes, removing empty ones, saying a few words to everyone who approaches. They're polite to her, keeping a respectable distance.
Jensen makes her laugh, and I want to rip his throat out.
When he walks away, she leans against the wall, lifting one foot like it hurts.
Jesus Christ. When did she last sit down?
I toss my napkin down, hauling myself to my feet.
"Where are you going?"
"To handle something," I mutter over my shoulder, already striding across the mess hall toward Letty.
She sees me coming and cocks her head to the side, a tiny smile on her lips. "You need seconds already?"
"No." I grab a plate, working my way down the buffet as I pile it high. She just watches me, her eyes wide until the plate is damn near overflowing. "Come on."
"What?"
I wrap my arm around her waist, holding her plate carefully. "You'll be eatin' with us from now on, Sunshine. No more busting your ass for half the night while we eat. Once the food is out, we can take care of ourselves. That's when you sit and eat."
"Walker, that's not really nece—"
"Don't care, baby. You've done enough. It's time for you to eat," I say firmly. "We can serve ourselves. If something runs out, we've got legs. We can walk to the kitchen and get it."
"You guys worked all day."
"What time did you start breakfast this morning?"
"What?"
"Four, Letty. The answer is four o'clock. And when we were done eating, you cleaned the kitchen, then made us sandwiches and cupcakes. When you were done with that, you started dinner. You've been on your feet all day, workin' just as hard as the rest of us," I murmur, steering her toward our table. "It's time to take a break."
She opens her mouth and then snaps it closed again. "I do not understand you, Walker. One minute, you're calling me a distraction. The next, you're kissing me and…stuff. Now, you want me to sit and eat with everyone."
"You are a distraction. You're the prettiest little distraction to ever walk this ranch. But so long as they're being respectful, there's not a problem," I say. Do I like the thought of them talking to her, smiling at her, making her laugh? Fuck no. Not in the least. But…that's my cross to bear, not hers.
She makes a growling sound that I assume she means to be intimidating, but it just sounds fucking cute.
"As for the kissing and other stuff, I intend to do a whole lot more of that, Sunshine," I murmur, planting my lips against her ear. "And I intend to take care of you, too. Not because you need someone to babysit you," I quickly add before she assumes that's what I mean and gets offended, "but because I like the thought of being the one who ensures your needs are being met."
"You…are so confusing," she grumbles.
She also follows me to the table and eats her dinner, stealing little glances at me the whole time.
I feel like the king of the world with her seated beside me.
Chapter Nine
Letty
Eating with Walker and the others is…interesting. They don't talk much until their plates are empty. They're too busy shoveling in food like they're never going to eat again. It's equal parts impressive and terrifying just how much they eat. But once they finally finish, they settle back with groans, teasing one another.
Apparently, Blaze got kicked by a horse today.
"It kicked you?" I ask, gaping at him.
Bishop just chuckles at the look on my face. "Raise your hand if you've ever wanted to kick the shit out of Blaze," he calls, his voice booming across the mess hall.
"Fuck you all very much!" Blaze shouts when every hand in the room goes up so fast my head spins. He's laughing, though, so I don't think he's offended. "The horse is a bastard. He personally targets me."
"Motherfucker, you started it when you tried to ride him naked," Wade mutters. "He remembers the humiliation. He's never forgiving you for that shit."
"Ignore them, Sunshine," Walker whispers in my ear, his fingers drifting through the ends of my hair. "They're always like this."
"I'm getting that." I peek up at him. "Um…do you ride horses naked?"
His lips twitch. "Is this your way of asking if you can watch the show?"