born, and it had nothing to do with Emily’s talk of changing the female perception of the fey. Though, ironically, that’s what just happened because I’d noted the way his t-shirt clung to every hard muscle he owned and the way his worn buckskin pants encased his thighs. And most of all, how damn sexy all of that was, combined with the fact that he was still carrying Emily’s dish of whatever.
The idea of Emily taking Merdon, and the fear of him actually going, filled me with jealousy. It didn’t matter that he said I was his or I’d told him repeatedly that I didn’t want him. My feelings weren’t listening to my head. And, as much as I wanted to go back to the blind way I’d seen him before, I couldn’t. Merdon was damn near lickable, and that shocked the hell out of me.
First that weird tingle, then the kiss, and now this? Was I Stockholming him? My stomach dipped and refused to settle down the rest of the way to James and Mary’s place.
The door opened when we were two steps away, which I found as odd as James’s serious expression.
“Is everything all right?” Emily asked, obviously noting the same things I had.
He nodded slowly, his gaze flicking to me.
“Yep. Everything’s fine. Come on in. Ma’s got the table set.”
Emily and I took off our jackets by the door while Merdon carried the dish to the table.
“You are such a sweet man,” Mary said from where she was pouring juice into our cups. “Any woman would be lucky to have you. Not just lucky but grateful.”
That last word, spoken so forcefully, had me looking at Emily in question.
She gave me a slight “I have no idea” shrug before joining the others with me.
“Hannah and I were just talking about how I might get a few more volunteers for the dinners,” Emily said chipperly.
“Oh?” Mary asked. The tone and stiff way she motioned everyone to sit made her seem almost angry. She’d scolded me plenty, but I’d never seen her looking this upset.
Emily frowned at her and repeated her earlier question. “Is everything all right?”
Mary gave Emily a quick smile. “Of course, dear. Tell me your ideas.”
“Well, I’d baked the cookies as a way to soften up the ladies I plan to talk to and as an example of the food they’d get if they volunteered to attend the dinners. But Hannah made a good point about not wanting any of them to feel like they’re being forced into a dinner in order to get fed. She suggested offering a canned good for anyone willing just to hear me out. No strings attached.”
“Well, that seems nice. It’s a good gesture.” But Mary’s grandmotherly doting expression fell into a truck stop wayside as she looked at me.
“I didn’t think you had it in you to consider someone else’s feelings.”
The words stung harsher than any of Merdon’s spankings. My mouth fell open in shock.
“Mary, that’s enough,” James said calmly. “What’d you bring to eat, Emily?”
Emily glanced from Mary to me and back again.
“Um, something I was thinking we could serve for one of the dinners. Merdon and Hannah both enjoyed yesterday’s dish. I was going to have them test today’s, too, but then figured we could all do that since it made more than I expected.”
“That’s so sweet of you, honey,” Mary said. She looked at Merdon. “Isn’t she sweet?”
He grunted, his gaze flicking to everyone at the table. His expression might not have shown it, but I could tell he was just as confused as I was by Mary’s behavior.
“She’d make someone a fine partner for sure,” Mary continued. “Kind, caring, nice childbearing hips, and breasts big enough for some decent milk.”
Emily paused in the act of uncovering the dish she’d brought, a flush creeping into her cheeks.
“Ma, you’re making her blush. Cut it out.”
“I just think it’s important to help the fey see what they should value in a potential partner.” She turned to Merdon. “Make sure you let the rest know what I said.”
“I will.”
“The size of a girl’s chest doesn’t equate to milk production,” Emily said hurriedly. “Please don’t encourage false rumors.” She shot Mary an imploring look. “We’re going to have a hard enough time finding any willing girls, let alone ones with large busts and all the curves. Especially when we’ve been starved for weeks and are now barely eating the daily calories we need.”