“Right,” I snort with an eye roll, hoping he doesn’t notice my blush. “How could I forget? You’re practically a carnivore.”
“Hey, I eat fruits and vegetables,” he replies with subtle indignation. “I just also need a lot of protein.”
Oh really,I think as a sly smile crawls across my lips.
When we reach the porch, I carefully take each step, no longer worried about hiding my struggle with stairs. In my most innocent voice, I proclaim, “Since you need all that protein. Then you can have the baked beans with breakfast.”
Donovan groans while he follows me up the stairs. He’s surprisingly light on his feet, the wood barely making a sound as he climbs.
“Fine, I’ll eat the damn beans,” he relents, “but you have to eat both our servings of tomatoes.”
“Deal,” I announce, spinning around and holding out my hand to seal the deal. Tomatoes with breakfast I can handle. Baked beans are just weird.
His skin is hot against my cold hands when we shake, and I’m starting to wonder if I should invest in some gloves. Then again, with all these boys around, I can use them to keep me warm.
∞∞∞
I’m bombarded by the smells of fried breakfast foods when we enter through the front door, and my stomach makes another rumbled demand for food. The house is gloriously warmer than outside, and I can’t help the deep sigh of pleasure that escapes my lips.
Donovan, right behind me, leans over and grumbles close to my ear, “Do I have to eat the fried bread?”
For a dude that I’ve seen level an entire large pizza all by himself, he’s being hilariously picky about his breakfast.
Giggling, I answer, “Of course we do. It’s too weird not to try at least once.”
He makes a kind of grunting groan sound as he stands back up, which makes me giggle more. I don’t know why he’s given me this power over his breakfast, but I’m enjoying it immensely.
Feeling better about the day, I quickly kick off the Uggs I’m wearing and put away my sweater.
Donovan follows suit, taking off his leather jacket and hanging it next to my hoodie. His black T-shirt looks painted on, the well-developed muscles hard to miss underneath, and my giggling dies off.I’m so screwed this summer. Note to self: invest in very large, very dark or mirrored sunglasses.
Before coming to Twin Cedar Pass, I paid little attention to the appearances of my fellow students. I may have noticed the attractiveness of my peers, but it was always in a detached, observational sort of way, like looking at a painting that vaguely held my interest. So not the case anymore. I’m not sure if I’m appreciating this part of the thawing process that’s leading toward me becoming a normal-ish teenage girl.
Kaleb and Connor are already sitting at the table with plates filled to the brim with three different kinds of breakfast meat, eggs, fried potatoes, and the previously warned about baked beans, broiled tomatoes, and fried bread.
Nolan winks at me as he walks over to sit at the table, his plate not quite as full as the other boys and missing the baked beans.Maybe his appetite is offset by his liquid diet?
My aunt looks over her shoulder from her position in front of the stove, and a warm smile spreads across her face. Even dressed in her pajamas, she has an air of effortless elegance. Her blonde hair is piled on top of her head, loose strands framing her face, she’s devoid of any makeup but still radiates a healthy glow, and she’s dressed in her silk robe and matching silk, lavender pajama set.
“Good morning,” she greets then motions toward the plates and bowls of food along the counter. “Come now and make yourself up a plate. How do you both like your eggs?”
“Medium,” I answer at the same time Donovan says, “Over easy.”
“Coming right up,” she replies, cracking more eggs into the frying pan. Good naturedly, she adds, “If this is going to be a more normal occurrence, remind me to make larger grocery trips.”
Felix comments while he’s investigating the food on the counter, “My mom made regular trips to Costco. Really saves money to buy in bulk. We even had an extra fridge and freezer in the garage.” Then he mutters under his breath, “I like baked beans, but something about having them with breakfast is just weird.”
I chuckle. “Aunt Mildred, Felix recommends making trips to Costco. He says it’s how his mom was able to keep all the guys fed without going broke.”
She turns and kind of politely smiles at the empty space behind her, and I subtly point in Felix’s direction. Though not quite at him, her gaze is closer.
“Thank you, Felix, for the suggestion. I’ll be sure to try that,” she says into the open air.
He startles, apparently not used to talking to people that can’t see him. He glances over at me, “Tell her, ‘No problem?’”
“He says, ‘You’re welcome’,” I tell my aunt.
Felix crosses his arms and gives me a playful glare. “Is this how it’s going to be? I say one thing, and all of you tell her I said something different?”
