“Eli, set out supper for Charlotte, then get on the grill.” Matthew set a fresh cigar between his lips, striking a match as he corrected his idiot brother. “And Nathaniel, pull it together in front of the customers.”
Stew was ladled up, Matthew lingering to watch her take the first bite, hoping to hear the contented sigh she usually made over his cooking.
It was instant.
Between spoonfuls, Charlie asked, “So Eli, did you make up with Ruth?”
He nodded, straightening his lapels. “And I took her shooting.”
Looking at him with pride, Charlie was pleased to see he’d set his own aside. “I’m sure she enjoyed it.”
The way he colored, it was clear they both had.
“Are you blushing, Eli Emerson?” A spreading impish grin came with the coo, “Was Miss Cormac very grateful?”
The boy grew almost purple, turning back to the grill to flip some patties in an effort to abstain from answering.
Nathaniel seemed only too happy to join in on the teasing, “Why you all red, Eli?”
“Fuck you, Nathaniel, I ain’t red.”
“From the shade of your face, I would say Ruth was very grateful,” Nathaniel jeered. “You should get a present for Miss Charlie, seeing as she’s the reason and all you finally got a hand up that girl’s skirt.”
Leave it to Nathaniel to take it too far.
“She ain’t that kind of girl,” Eli sputtered.
Charlie put her face in her hands, fighting not to snort. “Ignore him, Eli, he’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”
“You been courtin’ that girl for over a year and you ain’t never got a hand up her skirt?” Nathaniel was dumbfounded, appalled.
Eli spoke without thinking. “A gentleman don’t just grab a lady and stick his hand up her skirt!”
Charlie could not bring herself to look at the youngest, and sure as hell couldn’t look at Nathaniel. If she did, she would fall to pieces. The only safe place was right at Matthew.
The man indolently leaned back against the bar, his eyes shining wickedly under the scowl. She glanced at the bar where he had done just that, and then right back at him, her face growing warm. After a breath, Matthew let out a puff of smoke, eyes promising to do a lot more than stick a hand up her skirt next time they were alone.
He continued to watch her color, voice conceited as he muttered, “I think it’s time you went on up to bed, Charlotte. Looks like you need rest.”
Doing as she was told, she climbed from the stool with a nod, blushing something awful. “I think you may be right.”
As her skirts disappeared up the stairs, Nathaniel peered towards Matthew with the devil in his eye. “Eli, from the look on Matthew’s face I would say he might’n just have some advice for you in that department.”
“I ain’t got nothing to say to you,” Matthew grumbled, around his cigar.
“The hell you don’t.” Eli stared slack-jawed at a man who was practically smirking. “How did you keep her from slappin’ you?”
Matthew raised a brow at Eli’s dumb fuck question. “Eli, sometimes a woman don’t need a gentleman. Sometimes she needs a man.” That was the final word Matthew would say on the subject.
Nathaniel nodded. “Yup.”
By the time Matthew locked up and meandered upstairs, his golden girl was fast asleep, head tucked on the new pillow he’d bought for her while she’d been gone. Careful not to disturb Charlie, he slid between the sheets and moved real gently to hold her, thinking it sure was going to be nice to wake up next to something beautiful.
Chapter 5
When morning came, Matthew was wrapped around her, his nose in her hair, the weight of his leg, tangled with hers and the reassuring arm around her middle making her smile. Moving carefully, so as not to disturb him, Charlie tried to slip out of his grasp, only to hear him growl and pull her closer. “Where you goin’?”
She met sleepy eyes, finding them all soft and warm. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”