CHAPTER 18
Maxie
I startled awake at the sound of a muttered curse. My head throbbed and my mouth was almost painfully dry but I was instantly in prey mode. No one should’ve been in my cabin. How’d they get in? When I looked around, though, I realized I wasn’t in my cabin. My heart thumped harder until I recognized the figure coming towards me in the dark. Shep.
“Shit. I’m sorry, sweetheart. Did I wake you up?” He knelt next to the bed and reached up to press his hand to my forehead. “You haven’t run a fever in a while so it looks like you’re on the mend.”
I blinked at him, confused about what was happening. Where was— I gasped and then grabbed my head in both hands as it throbbed.
“Oh, god.”
“What? What’s wrong?” He pulled me off the bed and into his arms, cupping my face in his big hands. “Talk to me, baby.”
“I have to go home! I have so much to do. How long have I been here? I need to go.” I winced. “My head hurts so bad.”
He held me in his lap and tucked my head under his chin.
“You don’t have to go anywhere. You’re sick, Maxine. You aren’t doing anything except going to the bathroom and getting right back in bed. I’ll get you some medicine for your head.”
“No, Shep, I have work to do. I have—”
“Nothing to do.” He leaned back and looked me in the eye. “We took care of it.”
My stomach sank. “What do you mean?”
“Ryan St. John got a cake from the grocery store and we made him pay for it. The cake for the anniversary couple wasn’t as good as the one you would’ve made, I’m sure, but the couple loved it apparently and want you to get well soon.” He saw my eyes go wide and smiled. “Also, your brothers are feeding themselves and no one’s died from food poisoning yet. Some of the ranch hands are threatening to quit if Mills doesn’t learn to cook more than eggs and grilled cheese.”
“I have to go and take care of it. I need to apologize to Ryan and Janet Parris. I can—”
“No.”
I snapped my mouth shut and just stared at him for a few seconds.
“What do you mean?”
He stood up and pulled me to my feet.
“I mean no. You’re not going anywhere, especially to work. You’re sick. And since you can’t be trusted to take care of yourself, we’re stepping in. You’re on house arrest until you’re healthy again. Don’t think your brothers are coming to save you, either. They know you’re here and they know we’re forcing you to stay in bed until you’re better.”
The throbbing in my head was too much. I couldn’t fight with him when I couldn’t think straight.
“This doesn’t make sense.”
“Come on. Let’s get you to the bathroom and then back to bed.” Instead of letting me walk on my own, Shep picked me up and carried me to the bathroom.
I had a hazy memory of falling off the toilet and being naked in a bathtub with Arlo. My body flushed as I realized they’d seen me naked. I’d been too sick to recognize their reactions so I’d never known how they felt about seeing me. I didn’t love my body. I struggled to accept all the parts of me and I hated knowing they might’ve seen things they didn’t like.
“What are you panicking about, Maxie?”
I stood in front of the toilet, bladder near bursting, but I was frozen.
“I was naked.”
He frowned and nodded.
“You were. We didn’t take it lightly, sweetheart. We kept our eyes to ourselves. When you decide to show us your beautiful body, it’s going to be willingly and eagerly.”
I looked away and swallowed.
“I have to pee.”
He turned his back to me.
“Go on.”
I wanted to shove him out of the bathroom but I didn’t have the energy. I gave up and peed, blushing the entire time. I felt like I’d been dropped into a different world and I was confused. I could feel things scratching at the edge of my conscience, demanding attention, but I couldn’t get there in my current state. As I finished up and struggled over to the sink to wash my hands, I did my best to make sense of things.
“Where are we?”
Shep pressed into me from behind, grabbing a towel to dry my hands.
“Our house. We cleaned out the cobwebs and put together a few things to make a space for you. Are you hungry?”
I was too overwhelmed with the feeling of him at my back to answer. My stomach wasn’t as easily distracted, though. It growled loudly and Shep laughed.
“Let’s go see what we can find.”
I stayed silent as he picked me up again and carried me down the stairs and into the kitchen. Arlo and Rhett were sitting at a brand new kitchen table, a pie from the diner between them.
“Look who’s up!” Rhett saw me wince and lowered his voice. “Sorry. Headache?”
I nodded as Shep put me down. Before I could answer, Arlo pulled me into his lap and held me there. I squeaked and looked over my shoulder at him.
“What’s happening?”
His grin was devastatingly handsome.
“Hungry?”
I took a deep breath and nodded.
“I have to go home.”
Shep clicked his tongue at me.
“I’ve already told her she’s on house arrest.”
“There’s nothing for you to worry about right now, Maxine. Everything is taken care of. All you have to do is rest and get better.” Arlo stood up and handed me off to Rhett. “We bought a bunch of different soups for you. You want tomato? Chicken noodle? Vegetable?”
Rhett cradled me to his chest and I got lost for a moment, feeling babied in a way I’d never been before. I closed my eyes and willed the emotions to go away. All my defenses were down and I felt like I was being attacked on all sides with their attention and charm.
“Pie.” I muttered the word and nodded to the pie on the table. I wanted sugar.
Rhett held me as he leaned forward and pulled the pie closer. He used one of the forks already sticking out of the pie pan to cut off a bite and offer it to me. When I took the bite, he grunted and shifted me on his lap. I wasn’t sure why until I felt it. He was hard under me. I was sitting on his erection.
I must’ve stiffened because Rhett immediately fed me another bite of pie and whispered into my ear.
“Ignore it.”
I wanted to snort. Easier said than done. I’d never sat on a man’s lap and felt an erection grow against my butt. It was natural to shift, to try to adjust the hardness under me, but I didn’t dare move. I wasn’t sure I was even breathing. He felt so big. And hot.
“She’s gotta eat something more nutritious, too. Pie isn’t going to help her get better.” Arlo pulled a plastic to-go container from the new fridge and read the label. “Chicken noodle soup from the diner it is.”
I paused. “From the diner? They don’t sell chicken noodle soup.”
His grin was mischievous. “They do if you ask them very, very nicely.”
I’d asked for chicken noodle soup once and I’d been told to order off the menu like everyone else. For some reason, it made me want to pout that Arlo had managed to order off the menu. He was brand new to town. I’d lived in Devil’s Den my entire life.
“Are you pouting, Maxine?” Shep knelt in front of me, his smile bright. “That’s adorable.”