Page 110 of Scent to the Feral Cowboys

The clock tolled again. Seven.

Not long after the seven knells, there was rustling in the hallway. Voices murmured, then a soft knock sounded.

“Nelly, we’ve got some dinner for you.”

I didn’t say anything, waiting for their retreat.

“Can you put the other tray out here when you get this one? I’ve only got the two servers.” Cooper. I think this was Cooper’s voice.

I still refused to speak.

They whispered with each other again. I tiptoed to the door and inhaled. There were three of them. How could I make them leave? How could I make them drop their guards?

Steeling myself, I moved over to grab the empty tray and dishes, unlocked the door and opened it slowly.

On the other side I found Cooper, Levi, and Boone. The first donned a silly apron boasting cinnamon rolls and‘you checking out my buns?’. The second chewed on a pencil, or had been before I’d opened the door. Now, it hung limply between his lips, threatening to tumble to the floor. And the last held an identical tray heavy with food.

They’re gazes widened in surprise.

I gave them a soft smile.

And their faces went slack.

“Thank you for the food,” I said quietly, pushing the tray over the threshold, waiting for someone to take it.

They stood frozen, unable to move, eyes locked on me.

“Um,” I bit my lip, thinking. “Should I just put it on the floor?”

I started lowering myself, bending at the knees because if I leaned over in the dress, my breasts would probably pop out.

“No, no! I’ll take it.” Cooper stumbled forward, gripping the other side of the tray and lifting me and it back up. “I’m so glad you ate,” he tumbled out the words. “I hope it was okay. We weren’t sure if you were a vegetarian or had allergies.”

I wanted to bitterly say, ‘You’d think Eros would tell you how to keep your livestock alive.’But I swallowed down the words, hands dropping off the tray.

“Not a vegetarian,” I widened the smile, hoping it met my eyes. “But I do eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, fish, and whole grains. Protein shakes and bars. Things like that.”

Cooper frowned. “We eat a lot of bread, meat, and eggs here.” He looked down at the empty tray in his hands, then over at the one Boone supported. My gaze followed his. Dinner seemed to be mashed potatoes with butter, pork chops, and mac and cheese. Not a single vegetable in sight. “I’ll make up a grocery list.”

“This is great, really. It looks amazing.” I took a tentative step out of the room, testing the waters of their reaction. All three seemed to flush with color, and hope. My eyes roved over their faces, until they settled on Boone. “May I have that?” I asked, flicking a look down at the tray.

“Oh, right. Of course.” He closed the small gap to me, offering the tray. I took it, hands involuntarily lowering at its surprising weight. Boone shoved his hands back beneath the server quickly, keeping it from tilting. His fingertips grazed mine, and the barest blush gathered in the cheeks of his lovely sun-brown face. “Sorry,” he murmured, “It’s heavy.”

“I’ve got it,” I repositioned my hold, settling the tray against my forearms, fingers curling around the outer ridge.

We all stood, not knowing what to do.

They still seemed to be in shock that I’d come out of the room.

“I’m going to eat…” I glanced down at the hearty dinner, knowing that it was too much to put on my gut before a run. I’d nibble on the pork chop at least. “Then maybe just sleep. I’m still so tired.”

Would that make them sympathetic? Would they lower their defenses?

“It’s really too bad one can’t catch up on sleep.” Levi had tucked the pencil above his ear, his hands shoved into his pocketas he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. “It’s one of those things that when you lose hours, you can’t add them back in again.”

“Getting shut eye doesn’t need a math problem,” Cooper chuckled, moving towards Levi and bumping their shoulders together teasingly.

“Yes, I know,” Levi said, arching an eyebrow.