She blushes slightly, fidgeting. "How's your arm?"
"My arm is fine." I don't know how she noticed the scratch, but she's been asking about it every time she sees me with this guilty look on her face, like it's her fault it happened. It isn't. I would have risked a lot more than a scratch to keep her safe. The scratch doesn't rate. It wasn't even deep enough to need stitches.
"What the fuck happened to your arm?" Wade asks beside me, shoveling food into his mouth like a goddamn human vacuum.
"Bobcat," I grunt.
"He saved me," Letty adds softly.
"From a bobcat?" Wade's brow arches. "Pity it didn't eat him. Would have saved the rest of us a whole lot of irritation."
I scratch the side of my face with my middle finger, earning a smirk from my pain-in-the-ass brother.
"He's not that bad," Letty says.
Half the goddamn table hears her, staring in shock. They're all well aware that she has not been my biggest fan. Wade and Bishop had a blast telling everyone about the hot sauce and salt she poured into my food.
Frankly, I'd rather that they know. Gossip spreads around a ranch about as fast as it does on the goddamn internet. Every man on the property knows that Toby was fired for disobeying orders about her. They also now know she's mine. They're too busy placing bets on how long it takes me to win her over to try to repeat his mistake.
Letty notices them watching, her cheeks turning bright red.
"Um…I should…" She waves toward the buffet table before scurrying off so fast she trips over her own feet.
"I'll be damned," Wade whistles, watching her go before his gaze drifts back to me. "Maybe you aren't completely beyond help, motherfucker."
"Eat your dinner and fuck off, Wade."
Blaze, Abel, and Bishop all laugh. I just ignore them, tucking into my food like a man who hasn't eaten all day. Christ, she can cook.
I watch her while I eat, noticing the way she flits around the buffet table, refilling dishes, removing empty ones, saying a few words to everyone who approaches. They're polite to her, keeping a respectable distance.
Jensen makes her laugh, and I want to rip his throat out.
When he walks away, she leans against the wall, lifting one foot like it hurts.
Jesus Christ. When did she last sit down?
I toss my napkin down, hauling myself to my feet.
"Where are you going?"
"To handle something," I mutter over my shoulder, already striding across the mess hall toward Letty.
She sees me coming and cocks her head to the side, a tiny smile on her lips. "You need seconds already?"
"No." I grab a plate, working my way down the buffet as I pile it high. She just watches me, her eyes wide until the plate is damn near overflowing. "Come on."
"What?"
I wrap my arm around her waist, holding her plate carefully. "You'll be eatin' with us from now on, Sunshine. No more busting your ass for half the night while we eat. Once the food is out, we can take care of ourselves. That's when you sit and eat."
"Walker, that's not really nece—"
"Don't care, baby. You've done enough. It's time for you to eat," I say firmly. "We can serve ourselves. If something runs out, we've got legs. We can walk to the kitchen and get it."
"You guys worked all day."
"What time did you start breakfast this morning?"
