Chapter Nine
Rook
I offered to drive, but Franklin insisted that having a car and driver was included in the weekend package. The free package…but pointing that out seemed pointless. As did arguing with the man whose pleasure in life seemed to derive from helping mates find the joy he once had with his.
Not many people were that kind.
The town car waited in front of the Victorian, driven by a local in a casual jeans-and-polo shirt ensemble. He didn’t get out to open the door for us, but I didn’t want him to. Instead, I opened the back door and allowed Idris to precede me inside.
“Shouldn’t one of us ride in the front?” he whispered. “It feels weird to sit back here together while he’s alone in front.”
“No, it’s fine. Like a taxi.” I slid in next to him. “And this is much nicer than having to sit apart, don’t you think?”
He looked up at me through long, thick lashes. “I cannot disagree, alpha.”
“You keep that up and I’ll have to kiss you again.”
Idris glanced toward the driver and shrugged. “Is that a good idea with…”
“I’m not looking,” the man in the front seat said. “I get paid to mind my own business, so that’s what I do.”
I didn’t point out that he was not doing that at the moment, but on second thought, he had just been trying to reassure us, and what could I gain by disputing the fact?
Nothing.
“Omega, he’s not paying attention. May I kiss you?”
Idris’ arms came round my neck and just before my lips descended onto his, I heard a throat clear. Maybe the driver could pretend to shut out everything in the back seat, try not to peek in the mirror, but he wasn’t deaf.
And I couldn’t bring myself to care with my omega in my arms; the rest of the world’s actions or opinions were meaningless.
But when the car came to a stop, I reluctantly let him go. “Time for our date, Idris.”
“Wasn’t this already our date?”
I stepped out and held a hand in for him. “You’re right. Maybe we should just drive up and down the road and make out.”
“Franklin set up this nice day for us, so I’m thinking we shouldn’t be that ungrateful.” He sighed. “Let’s go eat all that pie.”
The entire town embraced the fall in a way I’d never experienced before.
I’d visited every town in the area except this one, saving it to share with my date for the weekend.
No sooner were we on the sidewalk, telling the driver we’d call him when we were ready to be picked up, than we were surrounded by the golden colors of the season.
Trees planted along the street were in full leaf, blazing with reds, golds, burnt umber.
I didn’t know what type they were, but they could vie with my beloved aspens for bright hues.
Each store participating in the pumpkin-pie tour had the same image of a pumpkin in the window, and it was most of them, including some of the most unusual choices for a dessert.
Like the hardware store and the stationer’s.
Fortunately, the samplings were tiny enough that we weren’t getting stuffed along the way.
Rather, we were able to nibble our slices or tiny cups of pumpkin filling and crumbles of crust while comparing the flavors and the textures.
Each one was assigned a number, and at the end of the whole thing we were to note our favorite number and drop it in a box at the health-food place.
We didn’t get the one at the pet shop because all their samples had been gobbled up, and we had to content ourselves with a quick cuddle of the rescue kittens before moving on to the children’s boutique and their pumpkin-pie mini scones.
In the end, we both selected a parfait offered by the crafts shop for its layers of flavors and textures.
“The maze, then?” I asked as we sipped hot cider by a small bonfire attended by the volunteer fire department. “Or are you cold?”
“No, it’s nice,” he said. “I’d love to try the maze.”
Fingers entwined, we entered the corn maze and wound our way through the twists and turns. “Don’t let go of me,” he pled. “We might never find one another again.”
“I’ll never lose you,” I promised. “You’ll be fine—” My phone rang then, and I glanced at the screen. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”
“Go ahead.” He stepped a few feet away and around a corner. “I’ll give you privacy.”
“It’s just business.” Although the maze wasn’t as easy to get lost in as we had been pretending. “Hello?”
The voice on the other line was someone from the new ownership of the company asking about advertising that had been ordered before I sold. It was to have been changed over to their new logo, etc., but they’d lost a digital file.
“When I sold you Colefax, Co, you were given access to all of the cloud as well, correct?” I redirected them to the information they needed, reminded them of the accountant who they had been supposed to call for such things, and disconnected, unhappy to have been interrupted with my omega but glad to be done.
I shoved my phone in my pocket and stepped around the corner he had turned.
But he was gone.
Puzzled, I scoured the maze then the town before calling the driver and learning Idris was in the car and ready to go home.
What happened?