Page 53 of Revelry
“It really was,” Kat murmured in agreement.
“Katarina,” Jack sighed, his indignant stare flicking to Kat. I lined up the splint with his thumb and began wrapping a bandage around it.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t deny it. You’re much hotter though,” she added.
Jack seemed pleased with that. I lifted my stare to Gertrude who was watching me intently, her eyes like blue flames, licking me head to toe. I cleared my throat and turned my attention away before my erection appeared again.
Once finished, I surveyed the work. “You might wanna get it checked at the hospital but that should hold it for a while.”
“Ugh, the hospital will be a nightmare today. It feels pretty solid, thanks man. I owe you,” Jack said.
“Hospital, tomorrow,” Kat gestured at him with a knife.
“Yes, ma’am,” he smirked.
I glanced back to Gertrude’s ankle which was twice its usual size now. “Keep icing that and hopefully the swelling will go down. Try and stay off it.”
Gertrude nodded, offering me a small smile, still strangely quiet.
I clapped my hands together awkwardly. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair.”
“No!” Gertrude burst out. “Stay? As a way of saying thank you.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“We’ve got plenty spare and would love for you to join us, right Kat?”
Kat nodded. “Absolutely, Tate.”
I knew what Gertrude was doing. Trying to make me spend time with others so I wasn’t all alone.
Well fine, if she cared that much then I might as well. But only because she was so insistent. Besides, I was only going to go home, excessively clean and then maybe jerk off while thinking about her so I might as well postpone that by a few hours.
“That would be nice, thank you,” I replied. Gertrude’s smile spread across her face, the brightness of it blinding me and I felt myself smiling in return.
“Great! You take a seat here,” Kat pointed to the chair across from Gertrude. “Dinner will be ready in ten.”
Shortly after the table was full of food and people. Tilly and August sat on either side of me, both grinning at me. Leo and Jack sat at the ends with Kat and Daisy opposite me on either side of Gertrude.
“You not with your family today?” I asked Leo.
He winked. “I already am.”
Something about his words hit me deep in the chest and I glanced around the table. Jack didn’t have any family either; I’d heard they abandoned him when he was sentenced all those years ago. The Cartwrights were a big family that kept growing with each person they welcomed into their fold and today, I was lucky to be in their presence.
I listened to them all rib each other over dinner, which tasted delicious. My eyes kept finding Gertrude’s and every time they met, a bolt of electricity shot through me. I think she felt it too judging by how much she blushed and looked away each time.
It came to that inevitable point in the dinner where everyone went round and said what they were thankful for.
“I’m thankful that Maddy has a job she loves, even if it does keep her away from us sometimes,” was Leo’s answer.
“I’m thankful that I had Charlie’s love. Without that I don’t know where I’d be,” Jack said.
“I’m thankful to have lots of big sisters looking out for me,” came from Tilly to which Leo added, “and big brothers.”
“Thankful for nature,” August whispered and tucked a burnished copper strand of hair over her shoulder. I was sure there was a twig sticking out from the depths, but I didn’t comment on it.
“Well, I’m thankful for all the care our resident vet has given me over the years,” Gertrude winked at me and the tips of my ears heated.
