Chapter 9 - Randy
Something in my workshop smelled like alpha.
I’d done admin work on Friday in order to give my back a rest after picking up my order from the mill. Then I’d hung out with Kerry on Saturday, and my family on Sunday.
So whatever it was had three full days to fully saturate the air inside my workshop.
I grumbled as I started looking for the culprit. I’d have to set whatever it was outside to air out so that I didn’t have the scent distracting me while I was working with dangerous equipment.
I started near the stacked and stickered boards that I’d gotten from the mill. Craig had helped load, and we’d both been sweaty by the end.
I shuddered as I recalled how good he’d looked. Then I shook my head and reminded myself of my task.
I quickly ruled out the planks as the culprit. They had a bit of alpha scent on them, but nothing strong enough to fill my workshop.
I turned to a delivery that I’d shoved inside without opening—a shipment of my favorite finishing sealant. Maybe one of the employees packing it—or the delivery driver—had saturated the cardboard.
The box was also a miss.
Which took me back to things I’d gotten from the mill.
My shorts shelf seemed fine. Then I approached the bucket of scraps—still waiting to be sorted.
Alpha. It was like the whole bucket was coated in alpha scent.
I grabbed the handle and hauled it outside—where the sun and air could bake it off.
I carried the bucket to the side porch of my cabin. If I spread out the scraps, the process would go faster, then dumped the lot.
I’d arranged about half a dozen pieces when I picked one up, and something felt… off. The cut edges, normally razor sharp, were dull and soft to the touch. Nothing that could be seen, but only felt.
I turned the piece over and noticed slight staining around the edges, almost as if a finishing oil had soaked in.
I sniffed it and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of alpha.
Then it hit me. That was one of the pieces that Craig had set aside.
Though it was clear that he’d more than set it aside. The edges wouldn’t soften, nor would the wood stain like that, from merely being dropped in a bin.
He’d handled it, over and over and over—his skin oils saturating the wood while his fingers compressed the sharp edges into something softer.
I sighed. Set it aside, and resumed spreading out the scraps.
Then I found another, and a third. More scraps, worn from handling and stained with skin oils. How I hadn’t noticed it at the mill could only be attributed to exhaustion.
While the wood itself was fine and could still be used, there were deeper implications.
It meant that Craig was thinking about me more often than for just an occasional scrap. There was no reason for him to spend so much time with what was essentially a waste product… unless he was wondering how I’d react.
Unless he was thinking about me.
I let out a long sigh. I hadn’t been completely oblivious to his flirting, but he seemed like the flirty type. Some alphas were, and I’d long ago learned that it didn’t mean anything.
But this was more… and I knew better.
Maybe he saw me as desperate—a single omega in his thirties surely wanted to get laid, right? I’d be a convenient warm place to put his dick until somebody better came along.
But why go through all the trouble?
I scowled as I finished my task, then pulled my phone out.
“Hey!” Kerry chirped as he answered. “Didn’t expect you to call so soon. Forget your wallet in Callum’s car or something?”
I chuckled. “No, my wallet is right where it’s supposed to be. But…” I blew out a long breath. “You got time today? Something’s kind of come up, and I think I’d like another omega’s opinion.”
“No prob. How about I drive over and check out your new pieces? I’m working with a family buying a second home in Aspen, and they’re going for a mountain chic vibe. Your stuff will fit right in.”
“Sounds good. What time should I expect you?”
“Probably early this afternoon.”
“Ok, come on inside when you get here. I’m airing out the shop, so I probably won’t be on the equipment today.”
“You got it. See you later.”
“Later.”
“Well…” I muttered after a few seconds. “Guess I should do something useful.”
I welcomed the cool of the morning as—instead of turning wood—I cleaned out Russy’s run, and the chickens’ coop and run.
It was approaching noon once I was done, and I hopped into the shower to wash the filth off before Kerry arrived.
I’d finished lunch and had just sat down to sort the morning’s eggs into keep or sell piles when he breezed through my front door.
“I have arrived!” he declared with a grin before leaning down to scratch behind Russy’s ears.
I smiled. “I see that.”
He strode over and plopped himself on the opposite side of the table. “I sure hope you didn’t call me to help you sort eggs.”
I chuckled. “No, but you can take some if you want. As long as they’re the ones that need to be washed.”
He shrugged. “Free eggs are still free eggs, even if I have to wash off a bit of shit before cooking them.”
“Lots of people get squeamish about that.”
“Not that I blame them,” he replied with a nod. “But nature kind of figured it out.”
“Yeah, but when all you see at the store are pristine eggs that were washed before packaging. People get used to it, even if leaving them unwashed is the better choice.”
He laughed. “I hear ya there. So… what did you want to talk about?”
“Did you want to talk first, or check my newest pieces first?”
He shrugged, stood, strode to my counter, grabbed an empty egg carton, and returned. I passed him an egg that would have otherwise gone into my personal stash, and he nestled it into the container.
We fell into silence for several seconds.
“So what’s bothering you?” he started.
I sighed and leaned back to stare at the ceiling. “An alpha.”
“Whose ass do I need to kick?”
I chuckled. “Nobody’s, yet. Unless you decide I need a good ass-kicking.”
“Ooooook?”
I scrubbed a hand down my face, then shifted to meet his eyes. “So there’s a new guy at the mill.”
“Is he hot?”
I paused and thought about Craig—his black hair and short beard; his kind brown eyes. “He’s good-looking.”
He nodded. “Ok, so you have an alpha problem, and it sounds like it’s the new hottie at the mill.”
“I didn’t say he was hot.”
“You said good-looking, which is close enough. Gonna tell me about it?”
“I guess… at first… I assumed he was just a flirt. A bit clumsy about it, but you know how some alphas can’t help but flirt with anybody?”
He laughed. “Oh yeah. Though some can be good for a bit of fun.”
“Unlike you, I don’t jump into bed with whatever dick is on offer.”
“Hey, I’m a happily mated man now.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I’m still getting used to that.”
“You and me both, but I couldn’t be happier.”
“I’m waiting for you to tell me when to plan a baby shower.”
“We’re trying,” he chuckled. “It was just too soon after my last heat when we mated.”
“I’m sure you’re loving every minute of said trying.”
He grinned. “What can I say? The only thing better than a knot, is a knot from my mate every night. Now, back to you.”
I sighed. “So I first met him last month. Like I said, he seemed like a clumsy flirt. Last week he called; the trees I had them process for me were ready for pickup. He helped me load, still flirting, but he got a bit more comfortable.”
“Ok.”
“We get to the last load, and I figure the truck can handle a little bit more, so I do a bit of shopping. That’s when he hits me with this… collection… of scraps that he’d saved for me.”
“That’s nothing new, right. You’ve told me about the mill guys saving you the odd piece before.”
I shook my head. “Not like this. He had a whole plastic bin of them. He said that he felt bad because he didn’t have anything good the first day we met.”
“That’s sweet.”
“One or two is sweet. What he set aside almost filled a scrap bucket on its own.”
“Were they good pieces?”
I nodded. “There were a few that I rejected. Not because they were bad, but because I had enough similar pieces already.”
“Sounds like a crush.”
“Come with me.”
One of his eyebrows went up as I stood, but he mirrored the motion, then followed me out to my side porch.
“I thought you had a shed for drying,” he laughed as he spied the wood pieces spread about.
“I do.” I picked up two pieces, one of the ones I’d selected to fill the bucket, and one from Craig’s stash.
“Careful of the edges,” I said as I handed the first to Kerry. “They can be sharp.”
“Ok?” he asked, taking the scrap and turning it in his hands. “It’s a piece of wood.”
“Yeah.” I handed him one that Craig had handled.
“Ok… another piece of wood.”
“Just… see if you can spot the difference.”
He gave me an unsure glance, but inspected the scraps.
“This one is softer on the edges,” he said after several seconds.
“Smell it.”
He brought it to his nose and immediately shook his head. “Warn a guy next time!”
“Strong, right?”
“The fuck?”
“Look at the edges again. They’re stained.”
He squinted at the scrap for several seconds. “I see it.”
“The soft edges and staining take time. He didn’t pick it up once and set it aside. He had to fiddle with it… a lot.”
“Aw, he was thinking of you.”
“And that’s the problem.”
He set the pieces down, then settled his hands on his hips and glared at me. “Really?”
“What?”
“You’re interested in him.”
“What?”
“You’re interested in him,” he repeated.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I’m here.”
“That makes no sense.”
He snorted. “You have no problem shutting down alphas. You play oblivious until they move on, or you’re direct if they don’t get the hint. If you wanted to tell him to stop, you would have already. Instead, I’m here while you’re freaking out about some weird courting thing.”
“You think he’s courting me?”
“Dude! You said on the phone that you’re airing out the shop, and I think I can guess why. You’ve got pieces of wood that you say he had to have handled over and over—enough that they’re drenched in his scent. Wood that he set aside for you. It’s not wine and flowers, but come on…”
He chuckled. “Hell, it’s probably better that it’s wood.”
“You’re not helping.”
“I’m just having fun now.”
I glared at him.
He shrugged. “Look, man. Like I said, you’re good at shutting down alphas. You’re my best friend, and I love you. But we both know that, deep down, the only reason I’m here is because you don’t want to chase this one off.”
I took a couple steps down the stairs, then sat on the porch.
“What if he gets tired of me, too?”
Kerry took a seat next to me and bumped me with his shoulder. “What if he doesn’t?”
“He’s just a flirt, though.”
“So let him flirt. He’ll move on soon enough if he’s not serious.”
Something ached in my chest at his words.
He rubbed my back. “I haven’t seen you this torn up over an alpha in a long, long time. I think that means something.”
I snorted. “Says the man who went away for work and came home with a fated mate.”
He sighed, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and pulled me close.
“I’m scared,” I whispered as I settled my head on his shoulder. “I can’t do it again.”
“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. Besides, you’re older now. He probably is, too. Unless you’ve got a thing for much younger alphas.”
“Ew,” I replied, scrunching my nose.
He chuckled. “My point is that he’s probably got the maturity that those assholes lacked. Things could go bad, but they could go amazingly too. You won’t know if you don’t give him a chance.”
“So… just… do nothing?”
“For now. You only go to the mill every few weeks, right?”
“Yeah.”
“See how he is next time you go. If he’s still fiddling with wood he sets aside for you, that’s a good sign.”
“Don’t go back tomorrow?”
He laughed. “Don’t go back tomorrow. For him, but also for you. If he’s collecting scraps for you, let him get a nice stash. And if it’s not meant to be, then you won’t have made it obvious that you noticed.”
I nodded. “Ok.”
We sat in silence for several minutes, him rubbing my arm while the sun warmed us. Every so often, the wind would shift just enough to carry Craig’s scent to me.
“Ready to show me your new work?” Kerry eventually asked. “Or do you need a few more minutes?”
“Anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“Natural edges. I can probably talk them into a charcuterie set since they’ll entertain. Then some bowls, maybe a hollowform or vase if you’ve got one that’s really stunning.”
I chuckled. “So you pretty much just want to browse.”
“Yep.”
“Ok.”
I started to stand, but he pulled me back down.
“Hmm?” I asked.
“Changed my mind,” he said. “I think I want to sit here with you for a few more minutes.”
“Why?”
“Because I think you need it.”
I smiled. “You’re not wrong.”
“Let’s go axe-throwing this weekend,” he said. “Just you and me.”
“You hate axe-throwing.”
“But you like it.”
I chuckled. “How about we do something your alpha wouldn’t be interested in. I know you said just the two of us, but that tends to be something alphas like.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“There’s a small art market at that park near the university. I’m not showing at it. So we can go and browse. Maybe you’ll find a new artist for a client, and I can scope the competition.”
He chuckled. “That sounds like work, but fun work.”
“More fun than axe-throwing?”
He burst into laughter. “Ok. I’m in.”
Silence fell between us again—the space filled by the sounds of speedboats on the lake, my chickens clucking to each other in their run, and the breeze rustling the leaves overhead.
“Thank you,” I finally murmured.
“Anything for you.”