Because of Them

Chapter 13

Winnie placed the last weed of the flower bed into her trash bag, wiping the sweat off of her forehead.

There were a lot of people in her house. Maybe that was an exaggeration. There were maybe four or five warriors and officers in Christian's office. They were finishing the plans to take down the facility she came from.

It just made her uneasy that they were in her space, and each one of her men had been too busy to see her today. She just felt in the way.

She had spent most of the morning planting flowers in the beds. She reserved one bed for vegetables, but it would be a while before she got those.

She made good progress. The yard looked great.

Winnie entered the house, the cool air conditioning froze the sweat to her skin. She hated the feeling and decided to shower and change.

After, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. It hadn't just been her in a long time. Maybe the guys would like some cookies?

Who was she kidding. She didn't know how to bake. Why would she?

But there was no harm in trying. She always wanted to learn.

She found a chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag. She gathered all of the ingredients and found a large bowl.

It took her a minute to figure out how to turn on the oven. She had seen Christian use it a million times, but it was different up close.

She tried really hard not to make a mess. She measured everything very carefully. She didn't want to mess this up.

It wasn't that bad. She spilled some flour, and scooping the dough was tedious. She was a little hesitant to use the oven, but she proceeded cautiously, using the mitts that her guys always did.

They had really nice equipment. She figured it was Christian who cooked the most, but maybe the others did too. Everything was so shiny and expensive looking.

"What's going on in here?" Wilder asked, startling her so bad that she yelped.

She spun around, an automatic smile pulling at her lips. "Wild," she called, holding out her arms.

He tugged her into his embrace and she snuggled happily.

"Missing you all," she mumbled into his shirt.

"We miss you more, princess. It sucks that this has turned into an all day thing, but we want to be able to move past this as safely as possible."

She nodded, agreeing with him. She appreciated their careful planning. It made up for them having Wilder sneak in.

"What smells so good in here?" he asked, pulling away. He opened the oven door, peeking in.

"I made them," Winnie added shyly.

"All by yourself?" he asked. "Where did you learn how to bake?"

She felt a blush trail up her cheeks. "There was a recipe on the chocolate chip bag. I just thought-"

"Winnie, honey," he cupped her cheeks. "I'm not second guessing you. I just thought it was pretty amazing, that's all. I certainly can't bake."

He nuzzled her cheek, his ticklish beard making her smile once more.

"I have to go back up. Do you think you could make a special delivery once these are done?"

She nodded eagerly.

"I can't wait," he said. "Be careful pulling them out of the oven, and also-"

He pulled away, digging through one of the lower cabinets. He pulled out a rack.

"This is what you put them on when they come out so they can cool."

"Thank you," she said, wishing he didn't have to go. She wished he would kiss her. She had been waiting patiently for one of them to take the first step. She definitely wasn't brave enough to do so herself.

"See you in a bit," he said, leaving the kitchen and leaving her in silence.

---

She considered delivering them up to the office like Wilder wanted, but she was so nervous. She didn't want to interrupt, and she knew as soon as she opened the door everyone would be looking at her.

She moved the cookies from the rack to a plate, washing the last of her dishes.

She got a drink and a few cookies and went to her room. She pulled out the book Christian had recommended her, and got lost in the pages. She must've dozed off because she woke up to soft talking near her.

"You woke her up," Christian scolded, sitting on the edge of her bed. He ran his large hand from her hair to the base of her spine in one long soothing motion.

She blinked, clearing the sleep from her eyes. She yawned, sitting up.

"There's my pretty girl," Lex cooed. "I didn't mean to wake you."

She smiled a little, rubbing her eyes.

"What time is it?" she asked, looking up at Wilder who gave her a tender look. She glanced at her window to see the sun starting to disappear.

"Almost eight," Christian said, still rubbing her back. "I made dinner."

She pouted a bit. She had slept for quite awhile.

"I saw someone made cookies today," Lex grinned. "I have to say, they were the best chocolate chip cookies I ever had."

Winnie giggled happily at the compliment.

"Do you want to go eat? I made your favorite," Christian said.

Her stomach rumbled at the thought of his chicken pasta dish and she nodded eagerly.

"Carry me?" she asked Christian, who was more than happy to do so.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, tucking her face into his shoulder.

"Missed you today," she told him.

"I missed you more," he said, kissing her forehead. "Wilder and I are leaving tomorrow night, and hopefully that will be the end of it all."

"I just want you to be safe," she whispered.

"That's all I want for you, love."