Page 20 of My Knight

A knock sounded on the door.

“You good?” Mac called.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. “I’m just counting all the bruises. I should be done in about a year.”

Mac’s laugh echoed through the door. “I think you should just say you’re one big bruise and call it a day.”

That… was accurate.

I pulled on the clothes she’d given me: black cotton shorts with a stretchy waistband (bless her) and a dark blue Fleetwood Mac shirt that hung off one shoulder. I didn’t even attempt a bra. That would’ve been a losing battle.

I cracked the door open and stepped out. Mac was right there, leaning against the wall like a guard. The others were all still here scattered around the room.

Sloane, Olive, and Dove were lounging on the bed—which they had made before claiming it. Poppy, Adalee, Fallon, and Dani were crammed together on the couch, and looked entirely too comfortable.

I took it all in, and felt like I had walked into some kind of sleepover-turned-intervention.

“Why does this feel like I’ve walked into an intervention?” I asked and raised a brow as I took in the room full of women sprawled out like it was their weekend retreat.

“It’s not,” Fallon said with a smirk. “Promise.”

“We just wanted to hang out with you,” Adalee added and lifted a mug of coffee from the couch like she was toasting me.

“You’re the guest of honor,” Poppy grinned. “This is practically a slumber party. We just forgot the snacks and wine.”

“Dani dropped the ball on that one since wine is her specialty,” Olive said and stretched her legs across the end of the bed.

Dani gasped. “Rude! I had no idea we were going to do this. I can always call Stan and ask him to bring some over.”

I laughed and lowered myself slowly to the bed beside Dove, who immediately fluffed the pillow behind me like I was made of glass. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“Maybe,” Sloane said, “but you’ll get used to it since you’ll be staying here. So now you’re stuck with us.”

“You say that like it’s a punishment,” I muttered with a smile.

It wasn’t. Not even a little. I liked all of the girls. I had been able to observe them the past two weeks or so since Mac and I had gotten here. I would willingly hang out with each of them if it wasn’t my job.

Mac leaned against the wall and sipped from a bottle of water. “Pirate didn’t want to leave you alone, but I told him we had it handled. He looked like he wanted to fight me.”

“That man is feral when it comes to you,” Poppy chimed in, and tucked her legs beneath her. “He’s gone mega-protective.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s just looking out for me.” I tipped my head to the side. “Not like I know why, but he has.”

Fallon shot me a knowing look. “That man wants to do more than look, and you know it.”

“As if,” I said and shook my head. “I am not that man’s type.” All of the ol’ ladies had the same type of look to them, and I did not fit into that at all.

That earned a wave of laughter and a few raised eyebrows. I didn’t have the energy to explain what I hadn’t even figured out myself yet.

“Anyway,” Mac said, drawing the focus back, “since you’re awake and moving, you eating or what?”

“I probably should,” I admitted. “But I just showered, and I don’t want to move again unless I’m being bribed.”

“I could be persuaded to bring you a muffin,” Adalee offered with a grin.

Dove’s head perked up. “Wait, which kind?”

“I still have some of the lemon-poppy seed ones,” Adalee said, and already slid off the bed. “And I might have one of Dove’s favorite chocolate chip banana ones, too.”

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