Page 85 of The Alpha

Melvale ignored them as he entered the kitchen and found his little Pariwink sitting at the kitchen table with Polly and Mary, a hot slice of homemade bread in her hand. She was smiling as he watched her slather it with butter and sighed in contentment. Yes, bringing her here was a good choice.

27

Pari had questions.Lotsof questions. Like, why were these people dressed in old west clothes? They looked like they stepped out of an episode of Gunsmoke. And what was with the old west town?

The enticing smell of fresh baked bread drew her attention as the woman called Mary shoved a crock of what looked like fresh churned butter in front of her.

“Go ahead, dear, help yourself. Would ye like some jam?”

Pari took note of her Irish accent and smiled. “No, thank you, the butter is enough.” She dipped a butter knife into the crock as the kitchen door swung open, and Melvale stepped inside. He smiled at her as she spread butter on the hot bread. She couldn’t wait to take a bite. “Would you like some?” she asked him.

Melvale approached the table, never taking his eyes off her. “Thank you, yes.”

She handed him the slice and before he could take it; Mary was handing her another. Pari smiled and buttered that piece too. Melvale watched her, still smiling. “Aren’t you going to eat it?” she asked.

“You first.” He cocked his head as Mary buttered her own slice while Polly cut up the rest of the loaf.

Pari raised the warm bread to her mouth, inhaled, then took a bite. It was heavenly! “Oh, gosh, this is good.” She didn’t even care that she was talking with her mouth full. Memories of her mother hit, and a pang of sadness mixed with nostalgia followed.

Melvale fidgeted, as if he was uncomfortable, then took a bite of his own bread. “Mmm, Mary, Polly, you’ve outdone yourselves.”

“Why thank you, Melvale,” Polly said then sighed. “Better not let Irene hear you say that. You know how she is.” She reached for the crock of butter and spread some on the last piece of bread she sliced. “We’ve got two more loaves baking. If you plan on being here a spell, we can send a loaf home with you.”

“Pari?” he said then took another bite.

“Yes!” She continued to chew, each bite better than the last. She looked at the two old women. They looked to be in their seventies. Polly had white hair while Mary’s was salt-and-pepper gray. “So, you live here?” she asked between bites.

“After a fashion,” Polly said. “When we’re not out on assignment.”

Pari stopped chewing, her eyes flicking to Melvale and back. He stood looking like a Greek god and had a tiny drop of butter at one side of his mouth. He licked it away before he took another bite.

Her breath caught when she realized she was staring. Why was that so… sexy? Pari looked away, her eyes focusing on the plate of warm, sliced bread in front of Polly. Would it be rude to take another slice?

“You can have more,” Melvale said, as if hearing her thoughts.

Her head snapped to him. “Huh?”

He smiled. “Eat, Kitten.”

“Kitten?” Polly said then smiled at her. “Oh, what a sweet nickname.”

Pari blushed and tucked her head into her shoulders. “Yeah, well, he seems to like it.”

Melvale grinned at them. “It suits her. But so does my little Pari, Pariwink, Pari Mae, little one… I could go on.”

“Does she claw like a kitten?” Mary asked with a laugh. “How about hiss?”

“I do plenty of that,” Pari said then pressed her lips together. She hadn’t gotten feisty with Melvale yet, but he hadn’t pushed her either. He’d done nothing but take care of her since she woke up, and for that she was grateful. Still, she also couldn’t figure out why. What did a hot guy like him, alien or no, see in a girl like her?

She glanced at her arms. No more tattoos, no more short-cropped yellow hair, and no more nose ring. They all disappeared overnight, and he…

“Want something to wash it down?” Mary asked.

Pari nodded, pushing the thoughts aside. “Yes, please.”

Mary left the table, went to an old-fashioned ice box, and opened it. She took out a pitcher of what looked like lemonade, went to a hutch and came back with a glass in her hand. She filled it and handed it to Pari.

Pari thanked her, took a quick sniff of the contents—hey, shehadbeen drugged earlier—and took a tentative sip. “Mmm, this is good.” She drank more and soon gulped down half the glass.

---