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Was this what it was like when the Romeo Curse was alive and kicking in Ghazni? Was it still going, and he was just lucky enough to be on Logan’s hit list before getting injured? He almost felt like a professional hockey player – permanently benched – but still craved the action and excitement.
Gideon took a chair near Houghton, the two heads bent together as his new friend looked up at him curiously.
“You gonna sit down?”
“I thought I might see if they need any help. It just feels weird to sit down when they are still setting the table,” he admitted and saw Lena’s lips pinched so hard that there was a little white line around her mouth.
Ohhh, Miss Priss had a temper and was biting her tongue, was she?Jake could barely contain the urge to rub his hands together in glee and decided to have a little fun.
“Actually, Gideon, I think I’m gonna take your advice,” he began and heard Houghton chuckle knowingly. “I’m gonna park my keister right here and let the womenfolk serve us -like it should be.”
And everything came to a stop.
Gideon let out a soft exclamation under his breath and laughed.
Jake leaned back, sprawling in the dining room chair to give his side a little bit of a stretch without pushing it too much and felt her eyes on him – shooting daggers.
“Yep,” he continued goading her, trying to get a reaction out of the woman that fascinated him, and it was working. “A hundred or so years ago, men worked to provide, and women maintained the home. How did we ever let that slip past us, boys? I mean, what I wouldn’t give to know I was going to have a hot meal when I got home from work, followed by a plump dessert that will make the angels weep,” he uttered and held his hands in front of his lap, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
As Houghton choked on his glass of water.
“You… are… a… cretin,” Lena hissed.
“I didn’t say anythingto youorabout you,” Jake replied baldly, pointing at the other guys. “Themenfolkwere talking, and you need to hustle on…”
She picked up a biscuit and threw it at him – bouncing it off his forehead and into his lap. He caught it deftly and held it up for Gideon, grinning.
“See? … Served.”
“Lena,” Jill interrupted pointedly, looking at Houghton – who shrugged. “Why don’t you sit down here by me, and we can discuss our project.”
“Ooooh,” Jake perked up, looking toward the other end of the table. “What kind of project?”
“We are going to learn to crochet, knit, and quilt a few things,” Daphne volunteered… and winced. “Ow?!”
“Is it gonna be one of those cool-looking macrame bikini-looking getups? Isn’t that what Bo Derek wore in the movie ‘10’?”
Lena made a noise in her throat and stared at her plate.
“Ortega, please…” Houghton said quietly – and he decided to let it go, looking at Lena again, unable to take his eyes off her as her jaw twitched. “Let’s hold hands. Jill, honey, you want to start us off?”
Dang it,Jake thought, realizing he was going to need to sit next to Lena at the next meal. He listened as each person listed something they were grateful for before their meal.
“I’m grateful that even with the cast, I can put a little bit of weight on my leg,” Gideon began… and Houghton quickly joined in.
“Not too much weight, soldier… and I’m grateful to have one more hand here to help out where he can. Welcome, Ortega.”
“I’m grateful for this chance and meeting everyone… especially my new roomie who has the patience of a saint.”
He smiled as he heard the faint noise once more that distinctly sounded like whale song coming from her throat as she clenched her fists in frustration, pinching her eyebrows down, and flattening her lips.
His pretty girl had a very expressive face – and held nothing back.
“I’m grateful for this chance to study the animals and was fascinated to see that they are responding to music, allowing me to milk the cows a little easier.”
… And then came Lena.
“I’m grateful for being in a place I feel welcomed and not mocked. Somewhere where I can see the people around me have my best interests at heart, where there is compassion, that hopefully, my roomie learns it sooner rather than later – and if he doesn’t? I’m grateful for rubber gloves to hide the fingerprints,” she said simply, sounding like she was giving a matter-of-fact announcement… that wasn’t confessing to plotting his demise.
