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In the end, she used all of the different types of sprinkles on the cupcakes and ended up creating an enormous mess. But Zander wasn’t worried. He just cleaned as she created. At one stage, Eli came in and stared at the mess then her. She could swear his grouchy face softened a little.
“You’ve got a little here,” Eli told her, pointing to his cheek.
She reached up to wipe it.
“Nope, that just made it worse.”
“I’ll clean you up after you’re finished,” Zander told her.
Eli’s eyes widened as he took in the cupcakes. “They look interesting.”
“I’m calling them Kiki-cakes,” she told him. Surprise filled her that she’d let that slip out. She thought she’d be more guarded around the grouchy mechanic. But he just nodded.
“Good name. How long until dinner?”
“Thirty minutes,” Zander replied.
“I’ll go wash up then.”
After she was finished, Zander insisted on cleaning her up in the small powder room next to the kitchen. She blushed as she saw how much icing covered her face and had gotten into her hair.
“Someone needs a bath tonight,” Zander commented.
“I might go take a shower now and wash my hair.”
“It’s dinnertime.”
“Yes, but I can have some dinner later.”
He stared at her through the mirror. “I would never allow anyone to harm you.”
It made her feel warm and gooey inside. But she knew that she needed to find some of that inner tough bitch she claimed to have, but which hadn’t made much of an appearance lately. Seems she’d been beaten down over the years.
Time to buck up, buttercup.
She straightened her shoulders. “I got this.”
He kissed the top of her hair. “We do.”
That sounded even better.
* * *
To her surprise,dinner wasn’t that bad. She sat between Zander and Webb. Miles didn’t make an appearance, until Eli went and got him. Ammo sat down one end of the table and Honey at the other, which surprised her since she thought that was where Zander would sit.
Miles and Eli were across from her. She didn’t even have to serve herself. Every time food went past, Zander put some on her plate until it was loaded high. She gulped at the sight. Turning, she caught Honey staring at her. But her gaze seemed to be on her neck.
Keira was puzzled for a moment until she remembered the mark that Zander had given her. It was growing faint now. Had she not seen it earlier? But she guessed the basement was kind of dark.
Everyone talked around her. Well, Ammo didn’t, he just concentrated on eating. And he could really eat. She was amazed by how much Webb put away, too. Occasionally, Zander would check in with her and nudge her to eat.
This was all a bit overwhelming. She’d never sat down to eat dinner at a table. They acted like the families she’d seen on TV. There were arguments, laughter, and lots of affection.
Longing flowed through her. She wished she had this. Had people who cared about her.
When everyone was finished, Webb stood and grabbed his plate, then reached for hers. “Finished?”
“Yes, thanks.” She was aware she still had half her dinner on the plate.
