Page 11 of The Knotty Clause

She shrugged.

“I had to work a lot to provide for Liam. It didn’t leave much time for anything other than quick meals. And at the mining camp we were given an allotment of food.”

A far too small allotment. From the way he looked at her, she suspected he realized that as well. She’d always been thin but now she was verging on gaunt.

“Where is your mate?”

His voice sounded stiff but when she looked over her shoulder, his face was as expressionless as ever.

“If you mean Liam’s father, he died. Two years ago now.”

And for the two years before that he’d been around so rarely he might as well have been dead. But at least he’d sent her money occasionally. It wasn’t until after he died that she realized how much those irregular payments had helped.

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged again as she started ladling the batter onto the griddle, watching it bubble and spread.

“I’ve learned to make it on my own. The job at the mine was a mistake, but I’ll find a way to take care of Liam and make a life for us.”

Her hands trembled a little, her words sounding false even to herself.

“You do not have any other family?”

“No. My mother died not long after we were married and Tom didn’t have any family.”

He remained silent as she flipped the pancakes, then plated them, adding some dried fruit and sweet syrup from his stores. She found herself holding her breath as she placed the plate in front of him.

He nodded thoughtfully as he took the first bite.

“This is very good.”

Relief flooded through her, and she smiled. The praise shouldn’t have meant so much, but it did. Maybe because he seemed like someone who didn’t give compliments lightly.

Without thinking, she reached across the table and placed her hand over his massive one. His fur felt softer than she’d imagined, silky against her palm.

“Thank you. Not just for the compliment but for everything. For saving us from the storm, for giving us shelter.”

He turned his hand beneath hers, and her breath caught as his fingers curled around her own. The short, dense fur on his palm was even softer, velvet against her skin. Heat bloomed in her cheeks as their eyes met. The kitchen seemed smaller suddenly, more intimate. Her pulse quickened, and she became acutely aware of how his thumb brushed against her wrist, sending tingles up her arm.

Oh.Oh.

The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. She was attracted to him, no matter how different he might be. The knowledge should have frightened her, but instead it felt…right.

CHAPTER 6

Yede stared unseeing at the component in his hands as the soft murmur of voices drifted down the corridor—Gemma’s warm laugh mingling with Liam’s excited chatter.

Two days.They had only been here for two days and already they sounded as if they belonged.

He set the component down with more force than necessary and grabbed his tools. The work needed to be done—the auxiliary power coupling wouldn’t fix itself. But instead of focusing on the delicate circuitry, he found himself straining to catch snippets of their conversation.

Liam burst into laughter and his hand slipped. He growled as he scraped his knuckle against a sharp edge. He’d worked alone for three years without incident. Now he couldn’t even manage basic repairs.

The smell of fresh bread wafted from the kitchen and his stomach clenched, remembering how Gemma’s fingers had felt wrapped around his. That memory had played over and over inhis head despite his best attempts to dislodge it. He’d come so close to using that hand to pull her closer. To seeing if she tasted as sweet as the food she’d made for him.

“Stay focused,” he muttered to himself as he picked up his tools again, determined to lose himself in the familiar routine of repairs. But nothing could stop him listening for their movements through his house, tracking their presence like stars in his personal sky.

A rustle at the door caught his attention, and he looked up to find Liam peeking around the doorframe, green eyes sparkling.

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