Chapter Seven
Charlie
I felt myself blushing under Jamie’s gaze. “Stop it. We’ve been secluded in the cabin all weekend and can finally venture out and have a breakfast date. But if you keep looking at me like that, we’ll end up going back home for another three days.”
“Oh, how I wish we could.” Jamie chuckled but looked away from me, and I felt my body relax just a bit. “I’ll try to control myself. It’s just that you look good wearing my sweater.”
“It’s really comfortable.” I ran a hand over the soft fleece of my sleeve. “I doubt you will ever get this one back, honestly.”
“I figured that out the moment you squealed when you put it on.” Jamie took a sip of his coffee. “I do need to return to work today, even if I do want to go back home with you. Are you going to be okay for the next two days home alone?”
“I should be.” I covered my mouth as I finished chewing my bite of bacon. “I will have Woody after all.”
“Oh yes.” Jamie rolled his eyes. “Our vicious little attack turtle.”
“Besides, if I need anything and you are busy on a call, Isaac can come by and keep me company.” I stabbed a strawberry with my fork. “He’s meeting me at the bookshop down the block today in an hour. I figured I could go shopping with my bestie while you go to work.”
“That actually sounds like a fun plan and makes me feel better about leaving you alone.” Jamie nodded at the waitress to signal we were ready for the bill. “You could even have him stay over and have a couple of movie nights at the cabin.”
“I’ll see if he’s free to have a binge night.
We can grab snacks on the way back and catch up on the latest season of Omega Island.
I haven’t been able to due to work, but I have the next few days free until my next big project begins.
The timing is perfect. And you’re right, being in the cabin is still new without you there; it would get lonely.
Isaac can keep me from freaking out over every little sound I hear at night. ”
“I already texted him this morning and said that you would need your security bear to keep company while I returned to work. The other omegas have now returned to their families, and his sister said she doesn’t need his help this week with the kids, so he is all yours.
” Jamie signed the check and handed it back to our waitress, Stacy, along with a ten-dollar tip.
“You thought of everything, huh?” I finished the last of my coffee and stood. “Do you want to walk me to the bookstore before heading to the station? You don’t have to.”
“Of course I will.” Jamie held out his hand for me. “Every extra moment with you, I’ll take it.”
As we left the café, I heard an elderly omega talking with his alpha about young love and the newly mated.
I loved hearing the warmth in his voice and hoped that one day, Jamie and I would still be gathered at the café having breakfast and adoring the sight of a new generation finding their happily ever after.
The walk to Once Upon A Page was short but fun, filled with Jamie telling me about the time his mother brought him there and said he could only get one.
Later, when she saw a stack of books, she reminded him that she’d said only one.
Jamie argued it was only one. Since she hadn’t specified one book, one series still fit the rule.
He got to keep all the books that day, but his mother learned to be more specific in her wording from that day on.
“Here we are,” Jamie said as we came to a stop in front of the door. Jamie pulled me closer and placed a tender kiss on my lips. “I’ll call you when I get a chance. Feel free to message me whenever. I’m gonna miss you. Maybe I can call in sick.”
“Nope,” Isaac said from behind us. “You promised me time with my bestie. I blocked this time out on my schedule and moved clients around so I could be here. There are snacks, pillow nests, and reality television jotted down in my planner now. Can’t have you changing those plans, even if you are his alpha. ”
Shaking his head and chuckling, Jamie turned around and greeted my friend. “Fine. You two can have your bestie binge night. I’ll go do my job and daydream about being home.”
“Hey, someone needs to go put out fires.” Isaac winked. “Don’t worry, I’m sure this guy will text you a few times. If he’s anything like my brother-in-law, he will be texting you a lot even though he is supposed to be spending time with me.”
“You will understand someday.” I patted him on the shoulder. “When you meet your mate, you will know.”
“Maybe.” A shadow quickly danced across Isaac’s face, but it was gone so fast, I convinced myself I imagined it. “Anyway, let’s go ahead inside and let Jamie head off to work. I have several titles on my list and am ready to grab them all.”
Jamie glanced at his watch and nodded. “Yeah, I’d better head over there. Call me if you need me.”
With another quick peck, my mate was gone, and my bestie was pulling me into the bookstore.
“Are you looking for anything in particular today?” A petite blonde omega greeted us as we entered. “I can offer a few suggestions from our newest arrivals.”
“I have a list.” Isaac held up his phone, his notes app already opened. “And this one over here just likes to browse the shelves and pick up what calls to his current mood. But we will let you know if we need assistance.”
With a wink to the employee, Isaac led me away into the back of the store, where the romance section was located.
“I almost forgot that you were raised down here. Meeting you in the city and seeing how well you fit in up there, I forget you weren’t a native city-dweller.
” I scanned the shelves as I spoke, trying to remember the title of my favorite author’s latest release.
“Of course you would know where all the genres are located already.”
“Of course I do.” Isaac had two books already in his hand and was clicking them off on his cell.
“When I wanted to get away from my twin, I would come here. Not that he doesn’t like books, but he would rather go to the café and write a few of his own, while I wanted to come here and get lost in a random fantasy or apocalyptic thriller. ”
“That does sound like you.” Kneeling on the floor, I glanced at the bottom shelf. I found the book I was looking for and stood. “What is it with you and the zombie obsession anyway?”
“I don’t really know.” Isaac shrugged. “I just know that about four times a year, I feel a strong need to binge one or two series about them overtaking the world and the survivors who remain. Maybe I am preparing.”
“Ha. Like that is gonna really happen.”
“I don’t know. Lately, I wouldn’t put anything into the too-strange-to-happen category.” Isaac raised a brow. “You know what I mean?”
“That’s true.” Sometimes it seemed to be a nightmare in world news lately. Like we were all trapped in some sort of novel and not reality. “But let’s forget all about that and get lost in books. Sound good?”
“Sounds amazing.” Isaac grabbed another book off the shelf and turned to me. “I got everything on my list. Let’s move on to the binging part of our day.”