Page 7

The woman patiently explained each dish in the silver pans. Macaroni and cheese, green beans, turnip greens, potatoes, rice, fish, plant-based meatloaf… the list was overwhelming to choose from.

“I will take one of each,” she said. “And, that. I want to try your square yellow bread.”

“One super sampler coming up,” the woman replied with a wide grin. “Would you like a super sampler of the desserts as well?”

“What is that?” she asked, looking up from the mouthwatering display.

“Cake, pie, cookies?—”

Jayden nodded. She tried not to show her excitement. This might be the only time she ever ate like this. If it was, she wanted to try everything.

Ben carried their laden trays to the table while she carried the dessert tray. Her mouth watered. She recognized some berries from the forest. The difference was they were mixed in a thick sauce and covered with a white fluff that looked like snow, but tasted better.

She licked the last of the white fluff off her finger off before she placed the tray on the table. Ben pulled out the chair for her and she sat down. Her lips parted to ask him a question when the words died on her lips.

Ben turned to see what she was staring at. His smile widened when he noticed the two men standing inside the doorway, scanning the room. She scowled and looked down at her plate of food when they started forward.

“Why are they here?” she grumbled, picking at the bread on her plate.

Ben gave her an amused look. “Probably to make sure you and your grandparents are safe.”

She grunted her disapproval at the idea and took a bite of her meal. An explosion of flavors burst in her mouth and she began devouring the food. She ignored, or at least tried to ignore, the two men who pulled out the chairs across from her and sat down.

“Van, Peterson. What brings you here?” Ben greeted.

“We were dropping off some more specimens that we collected for matching, and Tracy asked us to check in on Jayden and her grandparents while we were here,” Van said.

Jayden almost looked up when he said her name. She dropped her left hand to her lap and clenched her fist. Her name sounded more like a purr rolling off his tongue.

“Man, those look delicious,” Peterson said, reaching for the dessert tray.

Jayden reached out and slapped the back of his hand when he reached for a cookie. She glared at him when he looked back at her with an amused grin. She pulled the tray closer to her.

“You go talk to the lady. She will give you a sampler plate of your own,” she said.

Both men looked at the tray in front of her, the tray of desserts, then back at her with raised eyebrows. She wrapped her hand around the wooden butter knife, daring them to take any of her food again.

“Uh, I’ll go grab us some food,” Peterson said, pushing back his chair.

She glared at Peterson’s back until he disappeared into the next room where the food was being served. Her head whipped around when she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. Van had snatched a cookie while she wasn’t looking. He grinned at her and took a bite.

“I’ll replace it once Peterson gets back. I’m starving,” he mumbled around a mouthful of the cookie.

“I want one with the brown dots,” she warned.

“If Peterson doesn’t bring back a chocolate chip cookie, I’ll go get you more,” he promised.

“Okay.”

She bent her head and focused on her food. What was it about these two shifters that affected her so strongly? She didn’t react this way with the shifter doctor. She was acutely aware when Peterson returned. He placed a tray on the table and handed a plate of food to Van.

“Damn. I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Peterson groaned as he began eating.

Jayden felt her face flush at his confession. She felt bad about slapping his hand now. The rule of her clan was never to deny another food if you had more than you could eat. She noticed he had no cookies.

“You did not get cookies?” she asked.

Peterson looked up from his plate and shook his head. “They were all out.”

She looked at the plate in front of her. There were three cookies on it. She swallowed. They looked very good, but guilt weighed heavily on her stomach.

“You may have one of my cookies. He already ate one. That will leave one for me and one for Doctor Ben,” she said.

“That’s okay. I have chocolate pie.”

She studied Peterson for a moment. He had blue eyes the color of the mountain lakes and auburn hair. His powerful, sculptured jaw was covered by a light, five o’clock shadow of matching auburn hair. He was built similar to Mitchell, probably six-one or two, lithe and muscular.

Her attention flickered to Van. He was the polar opposite with his black hair and dark brown eyes. He was about the same height as Peterson, but his shoulders were broader. Both men were staring at her as if she were the dessert and not the sweets on the small round plates.

Panic began to seep into her when she felt the familiar pull toward them. She pulled her eyes away to focus on Ben who was watching the three of them with a bemused expression on his face. She lifted her chin in defiance.

“You said you would tell me about my grandfather’s health. He will be… alright?” she asked, her voice hesitating on the last word as her throat tightened in anticipation of bad news.

Ben smiled at her. “He’ll be fine. His blood tests came back pretty good.

His iron is a little low and his white-blood count is still a little high for my liking.

I’m mostly concerned with his lungs, though the antibiotics have kicked in and are doing their job.

He’ll need plenty of rest. I’ve scheduled a respiratory therapist to come in tomorrow. ”

“How long will he be here?”

“I’d like to keep him for a couple more days just to make sure the antibiotics work.

I don’t want to take a chance on him having a relapse.

The test results for your grandmother came in this afternoon.

Elaina asked that I explain the results to you as she was concerned she wouldn’t understand or remember everything.

Her vitamin D is low. I’ll prescribe a supplement to help boost it.

I’ll also start both of your grandparents on a daily vitamin supplement once they are released.

All the other tests came back looking good.

The only one left to worry about is you.

I’d like to run a few tests. A full workup on your blood, an MRI, CAT, and mammogram, and a routine exam,” he added.

She scowled. “Why? I’m not sick.”

Ben sighed and glanced at Van and Peterson. Both men quickly looked down at their plates when she looked in their directions. She rolled her eyes. She knew they were avidly listening.

“None of you’ve had any vaccinations or proper health care—ever. This would be a routine checkup. Think of it as preventive maintenance. At the very least, I’d just like to run some blood tests,” Ben said.

“I cannot speak for the others, only myself. My answer is no.”

She jumped when the table shook. Turning with a frown, she noticed that both Van and Peterson had a mutinous expression on their face. Van’s fingers curled where he had slapped the table.

“Now wait just a damn minute. If Ben says you should be examined, then you should be examined,” Van growled.

Peterson laid his hand on Van’s arm, but kept his eyes focused on her. She didn’t understand why they were so upset. It was none of their business what she did or didn’t do with her body.

“What Van means is what could it hurt? Wouldn’t you like to know that everything is okay?

Hell, both of us go in for a routine exam once a year, don’t we, Van?

In the military, it is required. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

There’s nothing to it, really. They weigh you, take your blood pressure, take a little blood, and listen to your heart and lungs. Isn’t that right, Ben?” Peterson said.

“Pretty much,” Ben agreed.

She looked at the three men with a wry expression. “Pretty much, huh? I talked to my grandmother when she came back. I know what else you wish to do. My answer is the same—no.”

“It isn’t that bad! Why don’t you ask Ella? Ben, you’ve seen Ella, haven’t you?” Van asked.

“Yes—”

“I said no,” she replied at the same time in a terse voice. Rising from her seat, she gathered her dessert tray. “I wish to return to my grandparents.”

All three men rose. Van opened and closed his mouth before he sighed and looked at Peterson with an expression of resignation. Peterson gave him a crooked smile and looked back at her.

“We’ll take you up,” Peterson offered.

She shook her head. “No, I would… I would like to talk to Doctor Ben… in private.”

Ben cleared his throat and nodded. “I’d be happy to escort you back upstairs. I’ll keep you two posted on what’s going on.”

Jayden gripped her tray and turned away. She could feel the eyes of Van and Peterson burning a hole through her back. She bit her lip and kept her eyes focused on the door.

“They only want to protect you,” Ben murmured.

With a mix of curiosity and apprehension, Jayden stole a glance over her shoulder, the feeling of being watched lingering in the air.

Both men were sitting at the table, their eyes still glued on her.

Van’s gesture made her blush, and Peterson’s charming smile only added to the complex feelings swirling inside her.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she averted her eyes.

“I don’t need their protection. I can take care of myself,” she retorted.