Page 36 of Buck Wild Orc Cowboy
“Max is amazing.” I was gushing already, but I couldn't help it. “He listens with every part of him, like he’s trying to learn the world all over again. It’s hard not to love that kind of openness. It pulls something from you.”
Gracie leaned forward, her bright gaze locked on mine. “And Holly?”
“She’s…” I thought of the woman I was quickly coming to adore. “There’s a steadiness to her. It's not fake strength or pretending. Just…toughness and grace, side by side. She moves like someone who expects the world to fall apart around her at any second, but she still holds her head up. It makes me want to hold back the sky.”
The women shared a long look, their mouths universally twitching upward.
“She's the kind of woman who has stayed kind even after the world gave her reasons not to,” I said, sounding defensive even to my own ears. But I wanted them to understand. “I don't know how she does it.”
“That’s…incredibly sweet, Sel.” Gracie raised her brows. “How’s she fitting in at the bakery?”
The tea warmed my palms. “Amazing.”
“Ah, amazing.” Jessi snickered and nudged Beth's side. Beth appeared to be struggling to keep her face serious, though I wasn't sure why.
“I moved them into my house,” I said. “It's more comfortable than the hotel. I have two bedrooms. They were sharing a bed at the hotel.”
Rosey eyes sparkled. “Girls, we could be dealing with only one bed here.”
I frowned, not sure what she meant. “I have two beds. One is mine, the other is in my second room. Max is sleeping in that one.” I could be missing some kind of human nuance. They kept looking at me like I'd announced we were sharing my room. Was the current arrangement improper?
“Only one bed,” Beth breathed. “Ruugar and I only had one tent, and it was…amazing.” Her bright laugh rang out, echoed by the other women.
My ears burned, and I wondered if I'd somehow stepped into another realm, not Jessi's kitchen.
Jessi sobered first. “Does Holly know?”
I blinked, still feeling lost. “Know what?”
She pointed to my arm. “About that.”
“Holly, right?” Gracie asked with a grin.
I slapped my palm over the mark, but it was obviously too late to hide it from anyone. “She can’t know. Not yet.”
Rosey’s lips parted. “Why not? You’ve claimed her, right?”
“It appeared after we—” I stopped, coughed once. “After we kissed.”
They might be silent for now, but their shared looks told me a lot. I finally figured out what they were talking about.
“I'm sleeping in the barn,” I blurted out. “In the hay loft. Not in the only one bed.”
Gracie nodded, still grinning. “For now.”
“For always.” I grumbled. “Where else would I sleep?”
“If it gets cold…” Jessi glanced out the window above her sink. “Where's a good snow storm when you need one?”
“It's summer.” My frown shot into place again. “It's not going to snow.”
“A hurricane might do it, too,” Gracie said thoughtfully. “Natural disasters are wonderful bonding moments.”
“What are you talking about?” I shouted.
“Now, now.” Rosey patted my arm. “We're trying to help here.”
Alright. Well. Ihadcome to them for help. “No natural disasters.”
