Page 138 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

“What?” Brandon asked.

“She’s exhausted. I don’t want her slaving away all night cooking you meals.” Cole said back to him.

“She offered besides you can’t wrap her up in cotton wool.”

“I know that.” Cole replied.

“Then stop trying.” He said getting up to join Maddie in the kitchen.

Brandon watched as she got the ingredients out and started cutting the onions.

“Do you like cooking?” He asked her and she shrugged.

“I like the process of it. The fact that once you have a recipe nailed you don’t really have to think about it. It’s almost cathartic in a way.” She said before bending down to grab a pan from the drawer and putting it on the ring.

Cole walked in, seeing her bent over and half stared before he realised what he was doing and looked away, feeling like he needed to be more respectful now, more considerate.

She chucked the onions in and browned them off before adding the mince and then bit by bit the other ingredients while Brandon chatted away, asking her questions and Cole sat silent, watching.

Once it was all constructed she put it in the oven, set the timer and went to get a bottle and some glasses.

Cole raised an eyebrow when she returned.

“What?” She asked him.

“You sure if that’s a good idea?” He said quietly and she huffed then.

“I’m not an idiot Cole.”

“I’m not saying you are.” He stated.

“Then let me make my own decisions.” She replied before opening the bottle and pouring out three glasses and then taking one and deliberately looking at him as she took a sip.

He rolled his eyes and took a sip of his own. Brandon looked between them smirking.

“Charlotte might pop round in a day or two.” Cole said and Maddie raised an eyebrow.

“How come?”

“She was pretty put out about the no show on the riding. She thought I’d deliberately stopped you from going.” Cole stated.

“Oh I forgot about that.” Maddie said.

“She didn’t.” Brandon said and Cole shook his head slightly.

“What happened?” She asked looking between them because clearly something had.

“She came storming into the office.” Cole said.

“Oh.”

“I think the entirety of BlackWater heard her mouthing off at you.” Brandon said to Cole now laughing.

“She needs to learn to be less hot headed.” Cole replied and Maddie laughed.

“Says you. The most hot headed man in the world.” She teased.

“I am not.” Cole snapped back and she laughed again before taking another sip of her drink.

Normally he’d be giving her a look right now she realised, a look that said she was going to pay for that comment, that he was going to punish her later, but the look didn’t come and she realised that he was stepping on eggshells around her, that he was holding back, almost as if he was unsure how to treat her now that he knew and she sighed because that was the exact reason she’d not said anything, that she never said anything; because of the way people treated her afterwards. She wasn’t any different, she was the same so why couldn’t they be too, she wondered as she took another sip of her wine.

Maddie made a salad and they ate it with the lasagne while Cole and Brandon did most of the talking. She was tired she realised even though she’d slept most of the day and by the time the meal was over she was more than ready to slip back into bed.

Brandon said his goodbyes and Cole sent Maddie off while he cleared up.

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