Page 41 of Buck Wild Orc Cowboy
Something eased in my chest. A small thing, but it made space to breathe.
We worked together after that. Croissants began to take shape again along with scones, and though the tremble hadn’t fully left my fingers, Sel’s quiet made me feel safe.
After a while, he paused and glanced my way. “Do you want to learn to defend yourself? I offered the other day.”
I paused mid-fold. “What, you going to get me a sword too?” It came out half-laugh, half-choke.
He didn’t blink. “I could. My brother, Hail, works with metal. Pottery. All sorts of things, actually. But we can ask him to make one your size.”
My mouth opened, then shut. Surprisingly, the thought didn’t scare me. It filled up a corner I hadn’t known was empty.
“I’d like that,” I said. “Not to, like, become some warrior or something.” If I knew how to hold my ground physically, I could stop flinching every time a stranger’s voice sharpened. My body still hadn’t figured out the war was over, but maybe one day, it would. “Learning could boost my confidence. Give me techniques I can use if I'm ever in a similar situation. I assume you mean you'll teach me?” I couldn't look his way, or he'd see how hopeful I was thathewould be my teacher.
“I want to do this for you.”
And that made my heart flip over.
“We’ll start tonight. Max too, if he wants.”
I liked that more than I expected. It scared me a little, how much I wanted Sel around. How fast my mind had worked him into our future. Me and Max and Sel, under a big blue sky with no threats in sight.
Max would learn strength beside me. We’d be doing it together.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
“Of course.”
We worked in a rhythm after that, taking turns handling customers before returning to start getting the bread ready for the next day. He kneaded while I used the industrial mixer. My breathing settled. The sounds of the kitchen soothed me like always.
So did Sel.
I wasn't fine. Not fully. But I wasn’t broken, either. Perhaps it would take more than two jerky guys to defeat me.
Later, while we cleaned, he asked, “Have you seen the streaming imageOklahoma?”
I glanced up from wiping the counter. Streaming image… “Oh, you mean a movie, the musical?”
He grinned. “Yes.”
“Yeah, a few times,” I said. “My foster mom had this old DVD collection. Musicals, mostly. She watched them on weekends. She'd sing along and try to get me to do it as well.”
Sel set down a tray and leaned against the island. “What's foster care?”
“State-assigned parents, I guess you could say. My parents died in an accident and since I had no relatives who wanted to raise me, I became a ward of the state. They placed me in a foster care home. She was nice. I liked her a lot.” The memory of that little house, the scent of lemon cleaner and popcorn shot through my mind. “She was one of the good ones. She got sick when I was in high school. Multiple sclerosis. She deteriorated fast and couldn't be a foster parent anymore. I was able to finish my last year of school, and I got a job. I was fortunate to find one in a restaurant with an owner willing to give me training. I wouldn't be here now, making chumble croissants, if he hadn't.”
“You've had kindness in your life. I'm glad.”
I shrugged. “If only I hadn't met Melvin. Fallen for his slick ways. Slept with him without protection. But I guess if I hadn't, I wouldn't have Max, and I wouldn't trade that for anything, not even if I could skip what happened after.”
His soft growl echoed in the room. “Iwillkill him. Orc justice is swift and permanent.”
A chill wracked through me. Sel was big. Strong. And clearly good with a sword. But the thought of him challenging Melvin and maybe getting hurt pinched my heart. “Leave him to fate.”
“The fates like it when we help them. Truly, Holly. Believe that.”
“I do. Thank you.” It felt good to have a champion standing by my side. Or between me and the threat, I supposed.
Maybe after I'd learned some self-defense, I could nudge him tomyside.Thatwas true empowerment. “Tell me why you asked about the movie—streaming image.”
