Chapter 11 Beth
Beth
When Arthur, Knox, and Mason offered to take me out and show me the town properly last week, I really thought we were turning a corner.
They haven't mentioned it since.
Waking up to my alarm on Saturday, the reality finally sets in: their sudden urge to be my personal tour guides was fake news brought to you by good vibes and alcohol. Possibly the horchata.
Along with that promise, whatever olfactory illusion I experienced that night has vanished, too. It leaves me wondering if my brain just fully invented the whole thing.
I try to push the sting of it away as I take another sip of my tea.
The bridal boutique is bright and packed with tulle. I'm sunk into a pink velvet sofa, flanked by Maren and Luna. The complimentary fruit platter on the glass coffee table has plump strawberries, and if this is how the wedding-industrial complex buys your loyalty, I understand why it's working.
A few feet away, Harper is standing on a circular pedestal, completely encased in ivory silk and Chantilly lace.
"I still can't believe Ben actually pulled it off," Harper says, looking over her shoulder as the seamstress pins the hem of her train.
She meets my eyes in the massive three-way mirror, beaming.
"He spent three hours last night drinking cheap beer with the town council, and he talked them into letting us use the VFW hall for the stag and doe.
They even agreed to send over some guys to help us set everything up. "
A stag and doe, I learned, is essentially a massive, booze-fueled community party designed to help raise money for the couple's wedding. Because Harper is half-Canadian on her mom's side, she absolutely refused to get married without importing the tradition down here to Lakeview.
"Ben could charm a bear out of its honey," Maren says, leaning forward to snag a strawberry from the platter.
"And speaking of big wins—I need to formally thank my two acolytes.
" She points the strawberry at me and Luna.
"Those cardamom scones you guys taste-tested? They're already a Lakeview favorite."
"So I've heard," I say, feeling a genuine smile break through my week-long funk. "Told ya."
"And I'm glad you did." Maren laughs, popping the fruit into her mouth.
"Oh, and by the way, Luna." Harper claps her hands together carefully so she doesn't ruin the seamstress's work. "I want to hear about the mystery alpha."
Luna positively beams, her cheeks turning the exact shade of the sofa we're sitting on. "His name is Derek. He lives in the next town over, so he's only a 30 minute drive away."
"And how is he?" Harper prompts. "What does he do?"
"He's gorgeous," Luna sighs. "And he’s an architect."
She fills us in on their first real date, which was dinner at an Italian restaurant in Ridgeville.
"And then," Luna says. "After dinner, he drove us up to this overlook he knows. And we just sat there for, like, an hour. Talking. About deep stuff."
"Aww, Lu," I say, my heart warming for her. "That's amazing."
"It really is," she says, twisting the edge of her skirt. She lets out a bright, airy laugh. "He was practically pouting this morning when I left. He just wanted to keep me all to himself."
"Ooh, so you stayed over," Maren says teasingly.
"What can I say, I'm not in the habit of waiting," Luna says, popping a strawberry into her mouth.
Maren and I coo while Harper smiles softly in the mirror. It's a happy day.
"And since we're on the topic of alphas," Harper says as the seamstress adjusts the bodice. "How is pack life with Lakeview's most eligible bachelors, Beth?"
The spotlight swings to me. And Harper, Maren and Luna exchange a quick, teasing glance.
"It's good," I say, dropping my voice and offering a convincingly fond smile for the seamstress's benefit.
"Really good. Everything's going great at the apartment, and the guys took me to Carlo's last week.
" I turn to Luna and Maren. "Right after you guys left actually.
And then we hung out at a spot near the lake. "
"Oh, Carlo's!" Harper, Maren and Luna somehow gasp at the same time.
"So how come you guys never told me about this place?" I ask.
"I don't go nearly as often as I should myself," Maren says. "So it never crossed my mind to mention it."
"Yeah, it's been forever for me, too," Luna says, tilting her head like she's doing the math. "But I'm seriously overdue."
"Same," Harper says. "And honestly, I just assumed Grant had already taken you there."
A small, awkward silence settles over the velvet sofa, and I force myself to swallow past the sudden knot in my throat.
"Yeah, well. He didn't." I offer a tight smile.
"The alphas were actually pretty surprised he never took me, either.
They actually said they'd show me more of the town in response, since I've apparently barely seen any of it. "
I decide on the spot to keep the strangest part of that night to myself: the way I thought I could smell them. I mean, I haven't caught even a hint of it since, so I've firmly categorized it as a glitch in my brain brought on by a few drinks and a fair intake of delicious Latin food.
"Anyway," I continue, tracing the rim of my cup, "it's been a week, and they haven't mentioned it once. We haven't spoken much at all, to be honest. I think they just offered in the moment and then forgot about it."
"I don't know Beth, I'd be surprised if that was the case." Luna reaches over and nudges my knee.
"Yeah, don't sweat it," Harper adds with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Considering Mason finally landed a new carpentry gig, Arthur works in the evenings when you're home, and Knox always has a lot on his plate at his job, I'm not surprised. They're just busy."
"Right," I say. "Right, you're probably right."
"Alright, ladies," the seamstress claps her hands together. "I think we have the everything perfectly pinned. If the bride would like to do a little walkthrough, now's the moment."
Scene 2
Being surrounded by Harper, Maren, and Luna leaves me with a lingering, comfortable warmth.
But as the door of the boutique chimes shut behind us, that warmth is quickly followed by a sting of guilt. It feels like a betrayal to even have mentioned I was considering leaving Lakeview when I have friends like this.
"Alright, I've got to run," Maren says, pulling her keys from her purse. "Got a meeting with my vanilla supplier."
"And I need to go meet Ben to finalize details for the wedding catering," Harper adds, giving me a quick hug. "Thank you girls so much for doing this with me."
She hugs Maren and Luna and we wave her off, a chorus of of courses and it was so nice. Once Harper and Maren head off down the street to their cars, I turn to Luna. "What about you? Any plans?"
Luna is already staring down at her phone, a massive, goofy smile on her face. "Derek just texted," she announces, practically glowing. "I might be heading to Ridgeville yet again..."
With a quick hug, she scurries off, leaving me standing on the corner, preparing myself for a quiet walk back to the apartment.
Except, when I turn toward the crosswalk, I see a very familiar dark truck parked halfway down the block.
Mason is leaning against the driver's side door, wearing a worn flannel and jeans, arms crossed over his chest, watching me.
My heart does a stupid, erratic flutter. I walk up to him, clutching my purse strap. "Mason? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine," he says. His voice is a low and steady rumble. He pushes off the truck. "Just wondering if you were busy right now."
"Busy?" I repeat, my brain struggling to catch up.
He shifts his weight, looking down at me with a startling amount of focus.
"I was thinking about last week. About showing you around.
I talked to Arthur and Knox, and the thing is, we all have different spots we like.
" He pauses, rubbing the back of his neck.
"We figured it would make more sense to show you around individually.
And this way, we'll also get to know each other better.
I mean, we've been living together for a little over a month but never had a proper one-on-one conversation. "
I stare at him, feeling a knot in my chest suddenly unspool. I spent the entire week bummed out they didn't mention showing me around again, so, you know. Noice.
"I know it's last minute," Mason continues. "And I know I didn't exactly consult you before showing up. If you have other plans, or whatever, we can figure out a better time."
My schedule is so entirely empty this weekend that my backup plan was to maybe go to the shop and work on flower arrangements for next week, just to kill time.
"So where are we going?" I smile.