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Not with Wade, especially. His presence relaxed me and rarely made me feel pressured at all.
“I knew eggs and bacon would tempt you.”
I frowned at that. I didn’t have a stove—none of us did. When I peered past him, I spotted a hot plate plugged in and set on the counter. He had a large pan on top with slices of bacon and over easy eggs there.
“A hot plate like this is worth its weight in gold.” Wait gestured at a barstool with his spatula.
“Whatare you doing here?”I signed.
“When you’re upset or overwhelmed, you make a blanket igloo and stop showering and hide from the world. The best way to your heart is food.” He paused, as if thinking. “Well, you’d also be won over with the heads of your enemies, but that seems more like a Brax sort of gift.”
Wade’s words eased me, making me feel as if things would work out. He could make the entire world a littleless overwhelming, like if he could laugh through it, so could I.
He used the spatula to scoot the bacon from the pan and onto a waiting plate, then slid the eggs after it. With a flourish, he pushed the plate over toward me. He immediately went about cleaning up while I picked at the food.
Even though my stomach had growled moments ago, actually eating proved more difficult.
“Your appetite is probably off because of Kit’s toxin,” Wade said.
I lifted my gaze to find him not looking at me as he scrubbed the pan. How was it that he could know what I was doing even when he wasn’t looking at me?Despite his attitude as a man who took nothing seriously, his skills of observation impressed me.
“Wendigos don’t eat normal food, so their toxin can cause issues with eating for a few days. The high fat and high protein of a good bacon and eggs breakfast should help, though, so try to eat some of it.”
I didn’t argue with him—I didn’t really see a point in that—so I ate slowly.
He cleaned the whole kitchen without complaint, and I had to admit, he was better at such chores than I was. Then again, he’d lived here at Larkwood for a long time, taking care of himself. It made me want to learn some of the tasks from him.
The thought of me standing in the kitchen as he taught me to cook sounded amazing. It seemed so normal, so domestic. I pictured him laughing about my knife work before explaining how to know when something was done cooking.
Once he finished, he pulled one of the stools from my side of the kitchen island to his. He’d probably done it so he wouldn’t be as close, to make me feel better.
I once again set down the fork.“Did Brax ask you to come?”
He offered me a sheepish grin. “Guilty. Brax stopped by and said you could use my charming personality to cheer you up. Lord knows that Brax’s company leaves something to be desired.” Even as he said that, his voice held an odd fondness, as if he mocked Brax but didn’t truly hate the man.
I didn’t respond and picked up the fork again to take another bite.
“You know, you should have told us what you were planning.” Wade’s gaze hardened, as if he’d made his jokes but now needed me to understand. “If we knew, we’d have been here to support you afterward.”
That sounded all fine and well, but they would have complained about my plan at best—at worst, they would have stopped me.
Though, the way I felt said maybe it would have been right to do so.
Wade let out a rare sigh, the humor of his usual expression sliding away. “You have people who care about you, Hera, people who don’t want to see you hurting. We’re not just working together for our plan—I’d like to think we’re at least friends. You need to learn to lean on us more.”
I looked down at my plate to realize I’d eaten the entire meal. I wasn’t sure when I’d done it, but Wade had been right. The fat in it settled my stomach, made me feel better. Since I’d finished, I set down my fork so I could actually answer him.“I knew I needed to do it and didn’t want to worry anyone.”
“Well, learn to worry us. You’re getting breakfast from me this time—pull this sort of thing again, and I won’t be so friendly.”
“You’re always friendly.”
He let out a soft huff. “That’s not true—I just show you my best side. I’ve got a temper like anyone, and it turns out you hiding things sets it off. However, I’m also the quickest to bounce back, which is why I get the job of looking after you.”
“Don’t you have classes?”
“Nope. Woke up today to find my schedule cleared.”
I frowned. Was that Deacon’s doing? Had he done it so I wouldn’t be alone?
