When I looked up, the first thing I saw were his eyes across the table in the candlelight. That solemn grey, pinned intently to my face. Had he been looking at me the entire time?
When the other men had sought out their wives, the women they loved, had Warden Hallum sought out me?
“Do you know where my plate went?” My voice crackled pitifully.
“Yes. I’ve got it.” He held it up, then reached over the table to put it down in front of me. It was piled high with meat and vegetables.
His own plate remained empty before him.
He’d filled mine for me. Filled minefirst.
“What about you?” I asked.
“You keep asking me that.”
“Do I?”
“You did that first night.”
“Yes. Right.”
When he’d given me his shirt in the cold wagon. I’d said the exact same thing to him then.
“I just don’t want to be an imposition, that’s all.”
“I am not in the habit of letting anyone impose upon me, and I do not intend to start now.” Warden Hallum’s eyes sharpened. Silver blades. “When you are hungry, I will be the one to feed you. When you are cold, I will be the one to clothe you. This is no burden. It is as you said before – a beautiful responsibility. And it is a responsibility I will forever stand by as your-” Hehesitated, stiffening, his mouth quirking downward. “As your warden.”
“Oh,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. It felt like someone had shoved their fist down my throat. “Thank you.”
I became newly aware of the silence around the table then. The other couples were no longer looking at each other. But looking at us.
Vulnerability and embarrassment grabbed my guts and twisted. It was a bit like somebody had just pantsed me in the middle of the saloon.
Getting pantsed probably would have been better, in all honesty. At least I knew my ass looked fantastic. I wasn’t so sure I could say the same about my face right now. It felt all tight and wobbly at the same time. Like I was going to cry, but hadn’t quite let myself.
“So!” I said, far too loudly. “How was everyone else’s day today?”
“Tenn and I spent most of the day packing,” Tasha answered at once, seeming to intuit that I needed rescuing. “We’re going to head back to our province in the next three or four days.”
“Need to check on everyone,” Warden Tenn said. “Make sure nobody’s died. Or killed anybody else.”
I chuckled. “At least you can be sure that Fallon and Darcy are doing well. Will you guys let Warden Hallum take you home in the new ambulance? It would certainly shorten your journey.”
“Probably not,” Warden Tenn said. “Then we’d have to tow our own slicer back.”
“Besides, I kind of like going on long road trips and camping with this guy,” Tasha said, her cheeks dimpling.
“Even in the winter?” I asked on a gasp.
“Yes!” Tasha said. “If you can believe it!”
Her husband looked very pleased with himself. “Hallum is not the only warden at this table capable of keeping a woman warm.”
Well. That certainly sounded dirty.
With Shiloh giggling, Tasha blushing fiercely, and Warden Hallum still watching me from across the table, I finally tucked into my food.
14
