Page 18 of How to Trust a Hellhound
“Ok. We can figure this out. We’re hellhounds. We can make coffee. It’ll be easy.”
A half hour later, after I’d changed my shirt, mopped up the spilled coffee, and Liam and Quinton had come to fix the “espresso machine,” I finally made my way to the cabin.
Quinton had ended up making the coffee, and there had been only a little hissing about us almost breaking “his baby.” There’d been quite a bit of muttering, too, but that was just Quinton, and Liam had stared adoringly at his mate while the man cursed under his breath.
I hadn’t baked the snacks or made the drink, but I was still providing for Josh, and that was what mattered. Quinton had offered to stop in to see Josh, and he’d only looked a little pissed at my insistence that I do it. Luckily, Liam had started sniffing his neck, distracting him, and I suspected that they were going to have a fun morning.
I could smell Josh inside the cabin. He smelled like sunshine and warmth, and the tangy, citrusy smell of fear and pain was much more faint than it had been two days ago.
I knocked, and Josh’s footsteps came closer as he opened the door. His face turned a pretty pink color when he saw me, and he stepped back, clearing his throat.
“Ah, hi. Come in. I mean, obviously, since this is your place and all,” he said.
I handed him the container of baked goods and the coffee, saying, “I brought you over some treats from Aiden and Quinton.”
He blushed again, murmuring a soft thank you, and I let him walk ahead as I came in and shut the door behind me. Josh set the stuff on the small island that separated the kitchen area from the living room, turning to look at me.
“Can I offer you some? Or something else? There’s eggs and bacon and sausage, and I could make you some breakfast. Or I could make a sandwich for lunch, since it’s later,” Josh offered.
I smiled at him. “No, I’m good—I wanted to make sure you had something, though.”
He got even pinker, which was adorable, and looked down at the container to fiddle with it. It was terribly sweet that he wanted to provide for me, and I thought I might have my work cut out for me in being the one to provide for him. I was up for the challenge, though.
He finally looked up, and he drew in a breath as he walked around to the other side of the kitchen island. It was clear he wanted to say something, and I wondered if he even realized he’d put a barrier between us. I wanted to growl about his ex, but I just put a pleasant smile on my face and sat in a stool, my body loose and open.
Josh took out plates and a cup, then he cut the pastries in half, arranging them on the plates neatly before sort of pushing one in my direction. I could sense that Josh had a giving and kind nature, but I felt like it was fear driving him to share his food. There was a hesitance to him that I felt wasn’t natural, but I wouldn’t upset him by turning down his offering.
Josh backed up a step when he looked up. I knew my face was calm and placid, but he still looked nervous and unsure.
“Thank you, Josh. I love that you want to share your food with me,” I said, pulling the plate closer to me and taking a bite of themuffin. I groaned in approval, and Josh looked down, fiddling with his own food before taking a bite.
He finished chewing before speaking, still looking down at his plate. “I want to thank you. For everything. I’m sorry I was a bit of a mess, and I really appreciate being able to stay here and you guys getting my stuff.”
“No apology is necessary, Josh,” I said softly.
He looked up and cleared his throat, seeming to straighten up. I could see him putting on his organized, take-charge persona. Not that it was an act, but it wasn’t all there was to Josh, despite what he wanted others to think.
“Yes, well, I wanted to thank you all for letting me stay here for now.”
“You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you want, Josh,” I told him. I didn’t like the “for now” part. “This cabin is empty, and we’re happy to have you here. In fact, I think your friends would probably insist on it.” I didn’t add that I would also insist on it.
“Oh. Well. Thank you,” Josh said, looking down at his food again and picking at it. He seemed to be bracing himself. “I’d like to discuss rent, and I’ll pay you back for the stocked food and the Legos?—”
I cut him off. “Josh.” I waited until he looked up at me before continuing. “Those were a gift. Do you like them?”
“Of course! Thank you! I didn’t meant to imply?—”
I cut him off again. My poor Mei Ume was flustered and nervous at my question, which was not my intention. “You didn’t imply anything. I’m glad you like them. There are so many options that it was hard to decide.”
“Oh, yes, there really are,” Josh said, getting animated. “I haven’t built anything in ages, and I spent the evening working on the plum blossom after Toby and Sebbie left. It’s really beautiful.”
“Did you finish it? Can I see it?” I asked.
Josh seemed flustered but still excited. He blushed, turnedtoward the bedroom, turned back, then seemed to come to a decision and practically marched into the bedroom. He came out with the plum blossom tree, placed it in the center of the table, and looked at me with a hint of defiance in his face. I quite enjoyed the look.
“It looks lovely on the table. It fits in nicely with the cabin’s look,” I commented.
That seemed to take some of the stiffness out of Josh, and he looked at it. “Thank you. It was a lot of fun. I still have the camera to do, and I’m looking forward to it.”
