Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,76

apparently trashing the place.

Once she was out of earshot, everyone exhaled, and Jacob rounded the corner, headed towards me. He pulled me away from Kemper and embraced me in a hug that border-lined on the gray area between friendship and something more. I coughed uncomfortably, still feeling unsure how to act around them all.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Jacob whispered. I wanted to reply. I wanted to reassure him and make him feel confident, but words escaped me. How could I make him see what was so plainly in front of him? They chose him.

“Let the party begin!” Patrick shouted while clapping his hands loudly. The tension was too much, and as usual, he was trying to diffuse the ominous fog that had settled over us. The sudden shift caused Jacob to extract himself from me and a strange chill took his place. I liked hugging him, all of them, way more than I should.

Jacob moved over to the corner of the kitchen and leaned against the wall. He felt separate from us, and I wanted to make him feel included again. His eyes were downcast, and I assumed that he was once again questioning how they were handling the Jules situation and if there was something he could have done differently.

Maverick opened the oven, and a spicy scent filled the air, which made my mouth water. “I made a traditional Ethros dish; I hope you don’t mind. We just started a trade agreement with them,” he explained. Ethros was a hot southern province with spicy foods and temperamental people. Josiah frequently told me about his brief adventures there.

“Smells delicious. I could get used to someone else doing all the cooking,” I joked, trying to follow Patrick’s lead and lighten the mood. Maverick’s eyes snapped to mine.

“Oh dang. I didn’t think this through at all.” He scratched his neck. “I should have made something disgusting, so I wouldn’t have to cook ever again.” He threw a look of terror towards the others, causing loud laughter to echo throughout the room.

“You and I both know that I won't let anyone else do the cooking. Especially since I’m here to simply ‘manage the household, ’” I scolded, hoping that someone would provide a sliver of reassurance that me being hired help wasn’t the only reason the guys let me stay around.

“Does our little Ash need to hear how much we appreciate her?” Patrick cooed while walking over and ruffling my hair. He then sat down at the large kitchen table and leaned back in the wooden chair while scooting his hips forward. I watched his shirt ride up and swallowed.

“Would you feel better if I gave you a spot on the leadership council? What’s a good title you could have?” Cyler mused. He had resumed tying the strings together to make a streamer, but it looked more like a tangled mass of yarn.

“Chief Officer of Chocolate Cakes?” Kemper suggested while icing his own sad attempt at dessert. Uncooked batter oozed over the sides of the pan and mixed with the watery icing. My fingers itched to take over.

“How about Captain of Walker Relations?” Maverick offered. He seemed to take Cyler’s suggestion seriously as he sprinkled shredded cheese over the top of his dish in meticulous and equal proportions. I half expected him to get out a ruler to make sure there was no section of the dinner with more cheese than another.

“I don’t need a spot on the leadership council. I just need . . .” I paused searching for the words that accompanied my feelings. When I first moved to Dormas, I was content being hired help. I reveled in it. But now? Now I wanted to know that I meant more to them. “I need to feel like you like having me here.”

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing to stare at me. The earlier playfulness seemed to dissolve into my ridiculous statement, and I wanted nothing more than to travel back in time and swallow my words.

“JULES!!” Cyler bellowed causing my eyes to widen. I felt a growing panic of self-consciousness consume me. Soon, high heels clacked angrily across the wooden floor until Jules entered the kitchen. She was still scowling, and her hair was all out of place. She looked wild. Feral.

“What the hell do you want now?!” she asked while clutching a broken lamp.

“I just wanted to add, in case there is any confusion, Ashleigh is allowed to stay here ‘cause we like her.”