Page 139 of Caged

Chapter 51

Cate

“Good morning, Mr. Sheppard. I trust you slept well.” I heard from my place in the hall the next morning.

Jay and I had stayed up late talking and must’ve fallen asleep, because when I woke up in the middle of the night, I was curled up in his arms.

“Good morning, Sir.”Damn him. I could hear the smirk in his voice and didn’t appreciate him starting something with my father. “I slept like the dead, you?”

“I slept well on my daughter’s couch. Thank you for asking.”

Subtle. I walked around Jay and put an end to my father’s questions.

“Good morning, Dad. We fell asleep talking and I assure you, Jaden was a perfect gentleman.”

“That’s good to know.” He lifted his coffee mug. “Coffee?”

When I turned to the counter, Jay said, “Sit, I’ll get it.”

“But you don’t know how I like it?” I argued.

He scoffed, “Yes, I do.”

Of course he does, just like I know he likes his black with one sugar.We’d talked about Meg’s enemies to lovers theory and realized we’d been obsessively observing each other for months.

“How are you feeling this morning?”

“Better. I think I’ll cut back on the pain meds.”

“There’s no need to be a martyr, Cate,” Jay said, setting a cup of coffee, the exact caramel color I drank it, in front of me along with my bottle of pain meds and a glass of water.

What the hell?“I’m not trying to be a martyr. I don’t like how they make me feel.”

“Pain free?”

Smartass. “No, loopy.” The first sip of coffee burned a little as it always did if I drank it too soon. You’d think I’d learn, but no. I’d suffer the burn to get the coffee every damn time. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t take any, I said I want to take less.”

“I thought you two liked each other,” my father said, interrupting us.

We did. Loved each other in fact.

Jay grinned. “We do.”

“Then act like it,” he said standing up. “What time do we have to leave to get to SSI by ten?” He meant nine-fifty-five, because on time to a Marine meant arriving at least five minutes early.Preferably ten.

“Nine-twenty,” Jay and I answered in unison. I added, “Earlier if we want to stop by Grannie’s”

“Nine-ten give us enough time?” Dad asked.

“Nine to make it safe. We can’t show up with Gannie’s unless we bring enough for everyone.”

Dad looked confused. “Why?”

“It’s an SSI thing. Remember me telling you about the hazing tradition?”

“Right, I’d forgotten all about it. How many will we need?”

Jaden counted off, “Mom and Dad, Jamie and Emily, Jack, AJ and Blake, Doug and Beth, a decaf mocha for Meg, and a hot chocolate with extra whip for Chase, plus ours… so, fourteen.”

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