Page 5 of His Little Pumpkin (Alphas Fall Hard Collection #2)

ELDON

I t’s a very long, very busy day, but that’s actually perfect. I pick up supplies from several local farmers and plan the menu for the next week in such a way that I can both balance my workload and keep things interesting for the men.

Driving back to the mess hall with a relatively full truck, I chuckle to myself. Talk about Laura keeping things interesting for me! She struck my life like a lightning bolt out of the clear blue sky.

I’ve been a loner for a very long time and become set in my ways. I didn’t exactly plan out my life: it just unfolded. I worked hard, made the best of every opportunity, and was fortunate enough to end up with a career I enjoy at a place I believe in.

But Laura. My poor sweet girl being thrown out of the house like that? If I ever met her stepdad or found her biological father, my right hook would have some strong opinions about what kind of men they were.

I haul in the groceries, stashing the perishables in the oversized fridge and huge freezer. I’ve nearly finished arranging the dry goods in the pantry when I hear a knock on the wall.

“Hey, Boss.”

“Eldon.” He comes in and leans casually on the kitchen island as I continue putting away bags of rice and cans of beans. “That new little assistant of yours. Just wanted to check in…”

“Sure. Ask away.”

“Is she in trouble? A runaway? No judgment, of course. I just want to know who’s under my roof.”

I sigh. “Nothing like that. Just psycho family bullshit. They basically kicked her out and she’s been trying to work her way across the country doing odd jobs online and living in little motels. I think she just needs a soft landing to get her bearings.”

Boss nods. “Understood. Does she actually need a job for an official paper trail or anything? I’m not really in a position to hire anyone new full-time, but if a little part-time work would help, just say the word.”

“I think she’s okay for now. I’ll slip her some cash when she helps me out for an afternoon or whatever. But I’ll tell her about your offer.”

“Good.”

I close the pantry door, then look him in the eye. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. I’m sure she does, too.”

Boss nods again, straightening up. “Hey, we take care of homeless horses. Makes sense that we’re going to end up taking in a few other strays here and there, right?”

After he leaves, I check the kitchen, then start prepping dinner as quickly as possible. I left Laura a lunch she could just heat up, and plenty of snacks. I love knowing that she’s safe and cozy in my house, but not that she’s going to be alone all day.

It’s not that I’m worried about her. We’ve exchanged numbers, and I know she’d call me if she needed anything. It’s that… I miss her, dammit. Her soft smile. The way her eyes light up every time we discover something more we have in common.

As soon as dinner is over and I’ve cleaned up I bring food home to Laura, expecting to find her working at the dining room table on her laptop. Now that she has a safe place and unlimited Wi-Fi, she’s been putting in a lot of hours at her various online jobs.

I set out her food at the end of the dining room table opposite her computer, but don’t see her anywhere.

“Hello?” I call out, toeing off my boots.

Laura emerges from the bathroom with a sweet, gentle smile on her face that makes me feel like more pieces are clicking into place deep inside me.

She comes toward me and takes my arm, then leads me down the hallway.

“I want you to keep an open mind. But I’ve noticed that your shoulders are very stiff, and you spend so many hours on your feet… ”

We come to the doorway, and my heart lurches. She’s run me a bath. The lights are off, the only glow from a flickering flame on a stool next to the tub.

“I hope it’s okay I lit that candle,” she says nervously. “I didn’t know if you were saving it for something special.”

I gaze down at her perfectly angelic face. “That was a gift from Mom, despite knowing I’m not really a candle guy.” My hand slowly runs down her back. “Wow. I can’t think of the last time I took a bath.”

She blinks in surprise. “Really? Then why do you have this gigantic tub?”

I shrug. “Dunno. When I was building the house, it seemed like the thing to do.”

“Well, I think it would be good for you to have a long, hot soak. Relax your shoulders and your poor feet.”

My stomach tightens. This girl really cares about me. I find it a bit hard to believe. “I left your food on the table,” I tell her. “But I could put it in the fridge if you wanted to join me.”

She gives my forearm with a quick squeeze. “I think you’d relax better with no distractions. But thank you for dinner. I’ll go eat now.”

Laura closes the door behind her, leaving me with no choice but to strip off and slip into the tub. I have to admit, it feels amazing. I think she’s put some kind of salts into the water. It doesn’t smell flowery or anything, but the water feels softer, if that makes sense.

After a few minutes, I dry off my hands, then reach for my jeans pocket, pull out my phone, and pop on the old jazz playlist I sometimes listen to on busy days.

With a rolled-up towel behind my head, I actually doze off for a while – I can tell where I am in the playlist that about half an hour has passed. When I stand and towel off, I have to admit that all the tension has drained from my muscles.

I shuffle to the bedroom in just a towel, then throw on pajama pants and an old t-shirt before going out to find Laura. She has her hair tied up in a messy bun on top of her head, which looks beautifully tousled and sexy.

“How was your bath?” Her eyes are so bright and hopeful that even if I’d hated every minute of it, I would never in a million years tell her.

“Honestly? I feel completely invigorated. Like my busy day went down the drain with the water. Great idea.”

I sit beside her on the couch, noticing her laptop is open on the coffee table. “Dinner was amazing,” she says. “Thank you so much.”

“Anything for you.” My hand gravitates to her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. “How is your work going? Did you have some English meeting things today?”

Laura grins. “Yes. And they went really well.” Her smile falters. “The only problem with that program is that they take about a month and a half to pay.”

“What about the one that was supposed to pay you the other day?”

Her bottom lip wobbles. “Still hasn’t come through.”

Part of me wants to put my fist through a wall at the thought of some jackass not paying Laura on time. “Well, I’m glad you’re here with me. Safe, warm, and well fed.”

“Yeah. Thank you again for everything.”

“And thank you .” I look around the room. “You’ve done more of that…cleaning, arranging, making-it-all-look-better thing.”

She giggles sweetly, drawing my attention to her perfect rose lips. “I’ve never had a place where I felt I had free rein to rearrange things. It feels good.”

“Good.” My gaze flicks to the large clock in the dining room. “Tomorrow is my big baking day, so I need to go in extra early.” I reach out and take her hand, threading her fingers through mine. “Shall I tuck you into bed?”

Her eyes light up.

I don’t want Laura to think for one moment that she owes me anything for the food and shelter.

I’m caring for her because it’s the right thing to do, and because she needs someone in this world to keep her safe.

But it’s clear that Laura wants me as much as I want her.

At the same time, I’m not sure how fast these kinds of things usually progress.

We walk hand-in-hand the short distance down the hallway to the guest room. I notice that she has the pillow wedged in the far corner of the foldout couch. “You don’t center the pillow?” I ask. “Is this some new design thing you saw on online?”

She laughs lightly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Then she pats a certain spot. “There’s a metal bar right here. If I sleep diagonally, I don’t get it right in the spine.”

My hand skims along the noticeable protrusion. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Are you kidding?” she says. “This is still one of the most comfortable places I’ve slept in years.”

Another wave of rage with no target lashes through me. How could this precious girl not be comfortable?

“I’m truly sorry – I had no idea. I’ve never slept on this.” I study her eyes. “There’s also the big couch in the living room, if you like. Or… My bed is pretty big. It’s a new mattress, with one of those…what do you call ’em.…sponge top things that you sink into just the right amount.”

Laura’s tongue flicks across her bottom lip so fast I almost don’t catch it. But my body notices, sending blood surging south as I realize how much I want her nestled against me all night.

“I know you need your rest,” she says softly. “But I would feel very safe if I were sleeping next to you.”

In half a blink, I’ve scooped her into my arms, carrying her to the next room.

Somehow, I’m going to sleep with Laura without actually sleeping with her. I need this precious girl to know I want her for her. Not just for…that.

I swallow hard.

As for “that”…

I hope it’s just a matter of time.