CHAPTER 14
Eve
I was lured out of my room by my growling stomach and the smell of something delicious. I felt like a zombie as I stumbled towards the kitchen. Exhausted in so many ways, I hesitated when I found Tate standing at the stove in an apron.
“I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to show your pretty face again.” He turned to me and winced.
I frowned. “I know. Can I just have some of whatever you’re cooking and I’ll take my pretty face back to my room?”
He came around the island and took me by my shoulders. “Sit down, Eve, before you fall down.”
I sat and yawned. “You cook?”
“Even as a volunteer firefighter you have to know how to feed your team. Sheriff Hank is already asleep. He refused to wait on my dinner.” Tate fiddled around at the stove and came back with two bowls of steaming chili. “What do you want to drink?”
I shoveled a huge spoonful into my mouth and then gasped as it burned everything it touched. I fanned my mouth and did that open mouth breathing thing in an attempt to cool it off but finally, I just swallowed and cringed as my throat got to partake in the pain.
Tate winced. “I should’ve told you it was hot.”
I was definitely more awake after that. I walked to the fridge and grabbed a cold bottle of water. I drank half of it before I could talk again. “I could see it was hot. I’ve just been editing for so long today that my brain isn’t capable of normal tasks, apparently. I think the chili was delicious, though. It was hard to tell between the scalding pain and the attempt to not choke.”
He sat down next to me and used his teeth to open a bottle of beer like it was completely normal. “Aiden said he thought you were going to take a nap.”
“You’re going to break your teeth.”
“Are you worried about me? That’s sweet.”
I made a face and refocused on the chili. When I was finally able to take a bite without burning myself, I was so impressed that I moaned. “Best chili ever. If being a badass paramedic and firefighter doesn’t work out for you, you could always sell this.”
Tate moved his chair closer to me and then casually tugged me into his lap. “You look a little unsteady with that spoon. Let me help you.”
I laughed and tried to slip back into my own chair but he wrapped his arm around my waist and held me tight. Glancing over at Grandpa’s door, I lowered my voice. “Grandpa could come out.”
His laughter was gentle as he pulled my bowl closer and scooped a spoonful. “I’m helping his exhausted granddaughter eat, Eve. It’s not like I’m eating his exhausted granddaughter. That would be different.”
“Tate!” I shifted on his lap and felt him harden under me. “I am not getting caught by—”
“Here you go.” He lifted the spoon to my mouth and fed me. “If Hank comes out, I’ll push you off my lap and we can make it look like you wanted to eat on the floor.”
I swallowed and groaned. “God, that’s good.”
“Good girl.” He laughed when I shot him a dirty look. “No? That’s not your kink?”
My cheeks heated and I glanced towards Grandpa’s bedroom door. “Don’t say that while we’re in the same house as my grandfather.”
“I could feed you at our cabin, if you’d prefer.” He saw the way my eyes widened and laughed. “No? You’re a little shy now?”
“Are all three of you always so forward about what you want?” I felt like I was constantly out of control around them. They were never what I expected.
“Is it really all that forward when we met you the way we did?” His eyes sparkled with laughter as he studied me. “If anything, you were the forward one.”
I scoffed and then ate the next bite he fed me. “I had an accident, Tate. That wasn’t me being forward.”
“Agree to disagree.”
I ate three more bites before I held up my hand to stop him. “You never answered my question. Are you always this forward?”
“No.” That was all he was going to say, apparently. He fed me more bites in between eating his own chili. “Did you make up with Hank today?”
A deep ache cut through my chest as I shook my head. “No… I will, though. Of course.”
“He’s a stubborn old coot, isn’t he?”
I sighed and shook my head as he tried to feed me another bite. “Yeah, he is. He always has been.”
“Aiden said he updated you this morning about Hank being good. When I checked this afternoon, he was still fine. He looks worse than he is.” Tate pushed the food away and rubbed my back. “Let me tuck you in.”
The subject change made me hesitate long enough that Tate just picked me up and carried me towards my room. I stared at him with my eyebrows raised and rolled my eyes. “This is ridiculous.”
“I’m taking your computer so you can’t work, too.”
I gasped. “The hell you are.”
He surprised me by carrying me into the bathroom and shutting us in. He put me down on the counter and pointed to the toothbrushes. “Which one is yours?”
I tried to grab the purple one and made a frustrated noise when he took it from me. I watched as he put toothpaste on the brush and wet it before holding it out for me. I took it with a scowl and brushed my teeth while glaring at him.
“I’m taking care of you, too. You need it.” He watched as I spit and then nodded to the toilet. “Need to pee?”
“Oh, my god. This is ridiculous. You’re being ridiculous. Stop it.”
“Everyone pees, Eve.” His smirk told me he knew he was getting on my nerves. “Fine. Straight to bed then.”
I stayed quiet as he carried me to my room and put me down in my bed. He sat down next to me instead of leaving and my lower stomach erupted with nerves.
“Are you really okay?”
I swore as my eyes watered. “That’s a terrible question.”
“Alright. Scoot over.” He lay down next to me, practically on top of me, and shifted around until I was half on top of him. He folded his arms under his head and looked around. “Your style makes me think you’re not old enough to read the books you edit.”
I elbowed him in the side. “It’s from when I was a kid. I haven’t been back all that long.”
“A year.” He saw my surprise and shrugged. “Sheriff Hank talks.”
I rolled onto my side to face him. “What all did he say? When I walked in earlier, he was gossiping about my parents. Did you hear all the gory details?”
“I heard you ended a relationship to come back here.”
I stiffened and bit my lip as equal parts anger and shame washed over me like a hot flood. “Yeah, that’s right.”
“Not a good subject. Got it.” He turned to his side so we were face-to-face. “You’ve got a lot of stuff bundled up in that head of yours, don’t you?”
“No more than anyone else.” I took a deep breath. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure you go to sleep.”
“I’m not actually a child, Tate.”
“I’m very well aware. Which is why I’m also biding my time until I can cop a feel.” He scooted even closer and wagged his brows. “What are my odds?”
I laughed even as I tried to scowl at him. “Not great.”
“We’ll see.”