Knowing I couldn’t eat only red meat and nothing else, I took another swig of my beer before standing up and heading for the kitchen. Cooking was always something I loved. That’s why I went into sports medicine in the first place. It fueled your body and kept you strong and full of energy if you ate the right things.
There was just as much importance in a proper diet for an athlete as there was training. They couldn’t run on empty, and I had a feeling their coach would not approve of today’s food selections.
I started opening the fridge and cabinets, looking through what few supplies they had. Shockingly enough, there was an array of fresh vegetables inside. I pulled out cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce, washing them up and chopping them slowly. It took a few minutes to search through the cabinets until I found a proper bowl, but I eventually found what I needed.
I may as well familiarize myself with this kitchen.These guys were in dire need of my help.
The steaks wouldn’t take long, so I didn’t have time to prepare much more than this. At least I would get some vegetables in them.
“You do know that we are capable of taking care of ourselves, right?”
I glanced up at the sound of Cade’s voice. He had a small smile on his face before he walked past me, reaching into one of the cabinets for a platter.
“I’m not convinced,” I admitted. I was mostly teasing, but we both knew these men had some work to do.
“There’s salad dressing in the fridge as well,” he tacked on, giving me a wink before walking back outside.
Ugh. These men were far more charming than they needed to be.
I snagged the two bottles of dressing that were waiting in the fridge, that thankfully weren’t expired, before heading outside. I put the bowl on the table.
The chopping had taken what little energy the nap restored, but it was worth it.
The guys didn’t exclude me from the conversation, but the moment it turned to hockey players and upcoming games, I pulled out the laptop I’d brought outside with me, firing it up and doing some online shopping that was more than necessary. I could hardly wear the same outfit for several days in a row.
I hadn’t realized the conversation had started lagging until Conrad rapped his knuckles next to my laptop.
“Sorry, what?” I raised an eyebrow at my brother.
“I was asking what all you needed to replace.”
“Yeah, we hear you literally threw away everything you owned,” Lennon said.
I forced a tiny smirk. “When I cut people off, I do it thoroughly.”
He looked a bit surprised at my answer.
“I tried to warn you,” Conrad sang out.
“Yeah, yeah,” Lennon muttered, rolling his eyes. “We get it. Your sister is a badass.”
I snorted. “Hardly. I’m just not the type to take shit.”
I had only eaten my salad so far, so I finally set my computer aside, picking up my fork and knife. I gritted my teeth when my hands gave out on me, my muscles still so fucking weak. I hated feeling like this.
All I could hope for was that they didn’t notice the struggle as I managed to cut off a single slice. I’d only chopped a few veggies, it shouldn’t be this hard to function.
The guys’ conversation continued around me as Kieran slowly slid my plate toward himself. He chimed in occasionally, making sure the conversation kept flowing, cutting my steak discreetly before sliding it back. He didn’t look at me, didn’t make a big deal about it, simply handled it.
My chest warmed, and I felt even more pathetic for that reaction. Something so simple meant far too much to me after being on my own for so long.
I ate the rest of my food quickly, hoping it would perk me back up. The guys were done, but waited until I finished before taking the dishes back inside.
Such small gestures, done without fanfare, felt like such a foreign comfort.
I followed them in, heading for the sink, but I should have known better.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, princess. What the heck are you doing?” Mason said when I tried to start dishes.
