Going to the table with her, Reaper found a spot at one end of bench, opposite from the one Ginny sat on.
“I’m not that hungry.”
Silas set a pot down on table. The aroma changed his mind.
“I’ll show you to your room, then.” Silas started to move the pot toward Ginny.
“I could eat a small bowl.” He reached for serving spoon before Silas could take it away.
Taking a piece of cornbread from a platter, he took a bite before spooning a taste of the mouthwatering stew. The warm stew slid down his throat with a delicious blend of spices and chunks of meat and vegetables. The stew was home in a bowl. It was a meal perfect for a cold night, comforting ….
“Do you like it?” Ginny asked, refilling his bowl for him as he reached for another piece of cornbread.
Reaper could only nod, his mouth full of honeyed bread.
“I’m glad you like it.” Ginny lowered her head as she took a bite from her bowl. “Matthew makes it a couple times a week to use up the meat.”
Taking a drink of water, he noticed brother and sister watching him with amusement. He really didn’t want to know what meat was in the stew.
His appetite plummeted as he looked down at a full bowl of road kill stew, Bambi soup, squirrel goulash … With a mountain as their grocery store, the possibilities were unfortunately endless.
Ginny was the first to break, bursting into peals of laughter.
“It’s beef,” Silas informed him, finally taking pity on him. “But I’m not promising there might be a piece of racoon swimming around in there. Ones been turning our trash cans over, and Matthew promised to take care of it for me.”
“Tell me you’re joking.” Dipping his spoon in the stew, he scraped the meat, trying to determine what it used to be.
Glancing up at a choked sound, Reaper saw Ginny’s head laying on the table with her shoulders shaking in laughter.
The fucker was making fun of him, and Ginny was letting him. He couldn’t even be angry. It was the first time since his rescue that he had been treated like anyone else. Fucking normal.
“Welcome to my family.” Ginny wiped her tears of laughter away with a napkin. “I’m sorry I laughed, but your expression was priceless.” Waving a hand at his bowl, she urged him to keep eating. “Don’t worry, we only serve racoon to guests we don’t want to stay.”
Chapter Thirty
“Do you think you’ll be comfortable?”
“Can’t say I’ve ever slept on a swinging bed before.” He had never slept on one, much less seen one.
Ginny plopped down on the end of the bed, sending it swaying. “Dad built it for me and Leah.”
The bed looked like any other bed, except being supported by four thick ropes hanging from the ceiling.
“We would fall asleep here, watching for falling stars,” Ginny told him as she got off the bed to lower the blinds on three set of windows on each of the walls. “We ended up sleeping in here more than we did in our own room. It was just a back porch until we kept getting eaten alive by bugs, so he enclosed it with the windows and added the heater.” Flicking a switch on the portable heater, Ginny twisted her hands together uncomfortably. “I know it’s not much. If you’d rather, you can have my bedroom and I can sleep he—”
“This will be fine.” The add-on room had a door to the outside, so he wouldn’t have to go through the house to reach the front door. On the other hand, the doorway that led into the rest of the house didn’t have a door. Ginny had told him that Silas had hung up the sheet on a curtain rod to give him privacy when he slept.
“Can I get you anything before I go to bed?”
A door would be nice. Reaper kept the thought to himself, seeing a sleepless night in front of him.
“No, you’ve already shown me the bathroom. Go to bed before you drop.”
“I’m going. I plan on sleeping in late. If you get up early, make yourself at home. Silas laid out some cereals and bread for breakfast in case he’s not around. And feel free to wander around outside. You’re probably sick of being cooped up. Just make sure if you do go exploring, don’t cross over any fences. The Porters and the Hayes shoot first and ask questions later. I really don’t want to be awakened by the sound of gunfire before noon.” There was no amusement in the warning. Ginny was being deadly serious.
“They’re that strict about no trespassing?”
“Wait until you see the notices they posted; you won’t have to ask me that question again. If you get close enough to read them, then you’re too close to their property, and they’ll take you out before you know what hit you.”