Chapter Nineteen
“Embarrass her and I will end you,” Spider said as soon as he heard the bathroom door close. He’d already sat up and was waiting to hear what was up before he transferred into his chair. He’d be glad once his leg healed and he could use crutches, at least once in a while.
“I have no intention of embarrassing her,” Fletch said, holding his hands open in front of him, as if showing he was unarmed. “You on the other hand, are another story.”
“Be careful what you say ... I don’t care if I’m stuck in a fucking chair, I will fuck you up.”
“I look forward to you trying.” Fletch straightened. “I came to tell you dinner’s ready. Want help?”
Spider shook his head. He pulled his chair closer and began the process of transferring into it. He made a quick stop in the restroom attached to his room. That was another thing that would be far easier when he could stand up.
By the time he made it to the dining room, everyone else was already there. Fletch sat on one side of the space where Spider’s wheelchair fit, with Dax beside him and Jordon on Spider’s other side.
“What are we having?”
“Roast chicken with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and biscuits,” Dax said from his seat.
“Wow. You were busy. Did we manage to sleep the night through or wake up in another dimension?”
Fletch laughed.
“I just had a craving. The biscuits are frozen. The rest was no problem,” Dax said with a shrug.
“I can show you how to make biscuits if you like, then they can be no problem too,” Jordon said then turned to Spider. “Do you want me to fill a plate for you or pass dishes?”
“You can do it,” he said, making sure to lock his wheels.
“Anything you don’t want?”
“Nope. Give me some of it all.”
She picked up his plate and added a little of everything, then paused and turned to look at him.
She piled some meat onto his plate and set it down in front of him. They didn’t talk much while they ate, at least not at first. He didn’t know about the others, but he was hungry and right now, getting food in was his priority.
“I was going to ask the two of you, do either of you have any food allergies?” Jordon said after a while. The speed everyone had been shoveling food in had slowed and everyone had relaxed a bit.
“I don’t,” Dax said right away. Fletch didn’t say anything. Even after he finished what he had in his mouth, he just took another bite as he turned and scowled at Spider. Spider scowled back.
“Jordon wants to make us a meal. I didn’t ask her to, she offered. She wants to make something we’ll all enjoy.”
“How about I give you some options, and you all vote?”
“I could get behind that.” Fletch looked slightly less cranky.
“I’m behind any meal I’m not having to cook.” Dax finished his plate and pushed it away.
“How about these?” Jordon spoke up after a couple of minutes. “Chicken fried steak, chicken and dumplings, or fried trout. Full meal with all the sides, but I’ll decide those once I know the main dish. Votes?”
“Like I said before I’m behind any meal I don’t have to cook. Well, except fast food right now. I’m sick of fast food.” Dax blinked several times. “Those are words I never thought I’d say.”
“I’m not all that fond of fish, but I’m good with either of the others,” Fletch put in after a moment.
Spider felt her gaze on him when she turned to see what his vote was. Since it looked like his would be the deciding vote he took a moment to consider the options.
He watched her, waiting to see how she would react when he didn’t say anything right away. But there was nothing big—Jordon just lifted her brows and waited.
“What kind of dumplings? The flat noodle like ones or the fluffy cloud style?”” he asked.
She frowned. “Not the noodles,” she smiled and shook her head, “but I’ve never heard them called the cloud style either. They’re fluffy bite size chunks, if that makes sense?”
Spider nodded. “That’s what I want.”
“Do we get to vote on the sides too?” Dax asked, his tone hopeful.
“Just tell me what you’d like and I’ll take that, along with what I can get at the store, into consideration.” Jordon turned her attention to him for a moment, but her gaze went back to Fletch before Dax answered.
“Roasted potatoes or baked. That’s what I’d prefer,” Fletch said before Dax had a chance to say anything else. “I don’t care which vegetable though.”
She nodded then turned to look at Dax.
“I’d prefer the green beans, at least if you care if I eat them. I like carrots raw, but cooked? No thanks.”
Jordon nodded then turned to Spider and lifted one brow.
“I’m good with any of it. It all sounds amazing.”
“When you going to do this?” Dax asked. Spider had no doubt it was so he could plan on when he wouldn’t be on kitchen duty.
“I thought I could do it tomorrow if that’s okay? I can pick up what I need on my way over, then get it started. It takes a little longer than some things, but it’s mostly set it and forget it, at least in the beginning.”
“Sounds good to me.” Dax said.
“Fine by me,” Fletch said. He shifted in his chair. “What’s with the purple galaxy Switch?” he motioned one hand toward the living room.
“Oh, that’s mine. I brought it over thinking it might give Spider something to do—well, other than flip through the channels.
I showed him a couple of games earlier. My carry case matches my console so it’s easy to know it’s mine—it has extra remotes so we could all play something together, or the three of you can.
” She stood, picked up the stacked plates, and carried them into the kitchen.
“What did she have you playing earlier?” Fletch turned to Spider.
“I don’t know what it was called. It was stacking colors together until you have enough matching and they disappeared.”
“Tetris?”
“That doesn’t sound right.” Spider shook his head. “She’ll know.” He stretched his back, trying to look over the bar into the kitchen. “Wildcat?”
“Yeah?” she said.
“What was that game we were playing?”
“Dr. Mario, why?”
“Because Fletch asked and I couldn’t remember.”
He relaxed his back and looked at Fletch, who stared at him silently for a moment, clearly surprised.
“We can go play something—she said there are tons of games.”
“She probably doesn’t have any of the games I play.”
“We can look. And what if she does? She said there are games that I can play online with the guys at home. Do any of them have that system? What games do we need?”
“There are a couple with that have Switches, other than me. There are a few games. Let me grab mine and we’ll see what she’s got and what we’ll need to pick up.” Fletch stood, pushing his chair back, then left the room.
Spider frowned. Jordon was taking a long time in the kitchen.
“What are you doing?” he asked, raising his voice so she would be able to hear him.
“You talking to me?” Jordon said, her head popping around the corner of the cabinet.
“Yes. You’re taking a long time in there. What’s up?”
“I’m just straightening up a little.”
“You don’t have to do that. The prospect made the mess, he can clean it up.”
“That’s not how we do it at home, so I thought I should pitch in.”
Fletch came back, a zipper case in one hand.
“Got it. Are we still in here or are we going in the other room?” He tilted his head toward the living room.
“We’re headed in there,” Jordon said. “Want anything to drink? I’ll grab it on the way.”
“Just a bottle of water, thanks.” Fletch turned and went into the living room.
“I’d take a soda, if you don’t mind.” Spider smiled at her before he hit the brakes on his chair and maneuvered himself away from the table. It took him a couple of tries but he managed to turn the chair and head for the living room.
“I’ll get this all taken care of, then join you in a few,” Dax said, pushing himself to his feet.
“I can help. You shouldn’t have to do it all.” As Jordon’s voice followed Spider into the other room, he paused, wanting to hear how Dax handled it.
“Nope. It’s my job. It’s part of earning my place. Grab the drinks and go in the other room. Show Spider how to use that console you brought him. This will only take me a few minutes.”
Spider continued into the front room. There, he found Fletch in one of the recliners, the case he’d been carrying open on his lap.
Spider glanced around then decided the sofa was still the best place for him. It was easier for him to transfer into, and he could prop his leg up.
“Hey,” Jordon said as she stepped around him. “I was thinking, is there some reason you’re sitting in the middle of the sofa instead of on one of the ends?” She handed the water bottle to Fletch then set the two cans in front of the TV as she turned to face him, hands on her hips.
“That gives me access to both my chair and the coffee table. Is there something wrong with it?”
“No,” she frowned and looked at the table then back at him. “I understand the sofa. More room makes it easier to get in and out of the chair. But I’m confused why you’re putting your cast on the table and not using the footrest.”
“There are no footrests on that couch.”
“Yeah, there are. Look.” She went to one end, put her knee in the seat and leaned over so she could see a small plastic panel about the size of a credit card just under the arm rest. She hit something and a footrest moved out, she moved her hand sightly and it moved back. “See?” she said, looking up at him.
“That’s what that does?” He’d seen the panel but had dismissed it as just a place to charge devices when he’d seen the USB port. He leaned closer and noticed two buttons side by side above the port. He’d been wishing he had a footrest instead of the table this morning.
“How did we miss that?” He looked at her, not bothering to hide his amazement.
“It’s easy to overlook if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Mama and Daddy got Mama’s parents a similar sofa when they moved out a couple of years ago.
” She shrugged then moved back, giving him plenty of room to move in closer, then transfer over to the sofa.
Yeah, it would be easier to stay in the wheelchair, but it wasn’t the most comfortable place.
Especially if they were going to be playing for a little while.