I slip out the back door onto the deck and hurry to my cabin. I run into the bathroom, start the shower, and jump in just long enough to wet my hair. Then I put on my robe, grab a towel, and race to the kitchen as the knocking starts again at my door.
“Coming!” I call as I hit brew on the coffee maker.
I take a calming breath and open the door. Cabe stands there with Axle, who is now wearing a pair of sweatpants, at his back.
“Hey, guys. What’s going on?” I ask.
Relief washes over Cabe’s face as he looks at me. A pang of guilt sinks in my chest.
“My loud-ass brother thought you had succumbed to alcohol poisoning last night,” Axle says.
Cabe glances over his shoulder. “I didn’t say that,” he insists, then looks back at me. “I came by to bring you some breakfast and make sure you were feeling okay this morning. Nothing cures a hangover quite like greasy food.”
He lifts a foil-wrapped plate, and the aroma of sausage and maple syrup drifts in the air.
“But when you didn’t answer, I got a little worried.”
“Oh,” I say, keeping my voice even. “I must have been in the shower and didn’t hear you.”
I open the door wider in invitation, and Cabe walks inside.
My eyes shift to Axle, and our gazes lock for a moment before I ask, “You want to come in too?”
He shakes his head. “Nah, the asshole didn’t bring me breakfast.”
“You can go to the ranch house. You know Grandma made plenty,” Cabe calls to him.
“I guess only the pretty girls get delivery service,” Axle says, his eyes never leaving mine.
“That’s right,” Cabe says, chuckling under his breath.
Axle glances at him. “Reckon I’ll get dressed and go fend for myself, then,” he says, then looks at me. “I’ll see you later?”
I nod subtly so only he notices it, and he turns and walks back to his cabin as Cabe bellows, “Later, Ax. Sorry I woke you up.”
After a quick breakfast and feeling satisfied that I’m alive and well, Cabe heads back to work while I take an actual shower.
I let the hot water wash over me as the memories from last night flood my mind.
What did you do, Jovie?
I groan as the fuzzy memory of my dress slipping from my shoulders as Axle stood in my doorway flashes before my eyes.
I totally seduced him.
And now I have no idea how I’ll face him. I hate uncomfortable situations, and my stomach is in knots as I gather my laundry and head to the shared laundry facility just off the dining hall. Questions torment me the whole way, and by the time I reach the door, my anxiety is off the charts.
How am I going to tell Cabe?
How will he react?
Will he hate us both?
Luckily, several students have decided to spend their Sunday afternoon doing laundry. Their chatter provides a welcome distraction.
But one by one, they finish and head back to the bunkhouse, leaving me to my thoughts.
By the time I’m done folding my last load, I’ve convinced myself that it’s no big deal. Axle and I are both adults, and we enjoyed a night together. What happened between us is no one else’s business.
