11. Walker
Chapter 11
Walker
T he knock on my office door made me lift my eyes from the paperwork in front of me. I had been attempting to allocate our budget for the next three months, and it was a complete headache.
Standing in the doorway, holding a plate, was Sunny. Her sweet lemon scent wafted into the room, quickly followed by the smell of something delicious and freshly baked. She had only been in our space for three full days, but I was quickly getting used to having her around.
Wearing one of our T-shirts and a pair of leggings she had picked up on her shopping trip with Rune, she looked much too good. Maybe I was a possessive bastard, but I loved the fact she was wearing our clothes.
“Hey!” I greeted warmly. “Is everything okay? Do you want me to clear out?” I didn’t want to disturb her. For all intents and purposes, this was her space now. I just used my office when she was out and about in other areas of the firehouse.
“No, not at all!” she said, shaking her head. “This is your office. I just wanted to bring you some of these.” She lifted the plate. “They may not be as good as the cookies you have stashed away, but I couldn't tell the guys that I knew about those.”
She walked into the office as I stood, waving her in. “I'm not so sure, those smell pretty damn amazing. Did you make them yourself?”
Sunny nodded happily. “I did. Blaze was buying himself a cartload of those cheap crappy cookies, and I couldn't stand it, so I mentioned that I could bake some and he kind of went insane and cleared out half the baking supply aisle.”
I snorted. “That sounds like Blaze. If he's being too much, let me know, and I will tell him to cool it.”
She shook her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “No, he's sweet. Really. He's got a lot of energy, but I'm used to running around after a toddler.”
“Blaze is essentially a toddler with a 401(k),” I mused, reaching out and taking one of the cookies.
Sunny watched eagerly as I took a bite, waiting for my reaction. They were still warm and gooey from the oven, and I couldn't help but close my eyes with a groan.
“Okay, these totally beat the ones I have stashed,” I said around a mouthful of cookie.
“Really?” Sunny beamed, her entire body perking up.
I nodded. “Mine are a step up from the ones Blaze gets at the grocery store, but these blow them out of the water.”
She smiled. “Well, I'm sure I'll be making another batch in no time, then.”
“I’d like that—you need anything, you can send one of the guys to the grocery store or get them to drive you if you want to go.”
Sunny nodded, a few strands of hair tumbling from the haphazard ponytail she had it in. “Blaze ensured I was well stocked.”
“Good. I have a feeling your baking is going to be very popular.”
“I'll make sure I save some for you from every batch,” she assured me with a painfully sweet smile.
Fuck me, that smile.
“Are you working?” she asked with a frown. “I thought you weren’t back on shift until tomorrow night. Every time I see you, you’re working.”
I laughed wryly. “You’ve got me there. Technically, I’m not scheduled to be working, but while we’re staying here, sometimes it’s hard to switch off.”
Sunny nodded. “You must be so excited for the fumigation to be done with.”
Yes. The fumigation.
The imaginary one that Rune cooked up because he and Blaze refused to leave her side.
I wasn’t complaining, though. I agreed with them.
As the boss, I had to remain professional and pretend to be the voice of reason. I was the captain of this firehouse, and we were her temporary guardians while she was staying under our roof.
Maybe if I'd met her under different circumstances, I would have allowed myself to court her.
Then again, would she want to? Most omegas my pack and I had spoken to hadn't been wild about dating a pack of firefighters. Sure, an omega didn't seem to mind if one or two members of their pack were firefighters, but when all your guys were regularly running into fires, they worried about the lack of security.
Two years ago, I had started talking to an omega, only for them to suggest I leave my pack, which was impossible, and join another pack. She liked that hot ass daddy vibe I had.
Not that I understood what that meant. I swiftly stopped talking to her and blocked her number.
My pack and I were a package deal.
Sunny… she was complete sweetness. Every interaction I had with her left my chest burning with desire. My hands ached with the need to pull her into my arms. I wasn’t an idiot—I knew my pack mates were obsessed with her. Rune hadn’t had a thought in his mind that didn’t involve her since the moment he pulled her out of the fire.
She made cookies, so Blaze was going to worship the ground she walked on.
That meant I had to be the responsible one.
Usually, I didn’t mind, but now I hated it.
I wanted to be the one to throw caution to the wind, to grab her and kiss those tempting pouty lips.
But I couldn't.
I had a duty and a responsibility.
And I fucking hated it.
“What sort of cookies do you like?” Sunny asked, completely unaware of my internal struggle.
Pulling my mind from the gutter, I thought back on the cookies I’d eaten in my childhood.
“Any, but I really like the ones with all the crazy add-ins. I think they’re called monster cookies, or maybe cowboy cookies? Basically, the more you shove in there, the more I'll enjoy it.”
“I can make some like that.” Sunny nodded.
“Other than being dragged into baking, how are you finding it here? Are you both comfortable?” I asked, desperately hoping she was. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I liked having her in my bedroom every night. When she moved on, hopefully her smell would linger for a while.
Sunny nodded, tucking a blonde curl behind her ear. “We've been so comfortable. And thank you so much for getting what you could from my place.”
“Was there anything useful?” I asked.
I had done my best to avoid snooping, but it was hard to ignore the scraps of lace I had seen in some of those clear plastic boxes.
My mind had been thinking about them a little too often.
She grimaced. “Not really. The clothing was all from before I had Luka, so they're mostly too small for me, but we managed to recover all of the photographs and his first outfit and baby blankets, so that’s what really matters.” She smiled. “Also, my ID and documents. Actually, now that I have my purse back, I was going to order a few more basics. Am I okay to have them delivered here?”
I nodded. “Of course, you’re more than welcome to. I’m sorry we couldn’t save more.”
Part of me wanted to give her my card and insist she use it to purchase her clothing, but I doubted she would accept that. Little did she know that Rune had purchased that gift card he had convinced her was about to expire.
For now, my alpha would have to be happy with simply feeding her and having her under the same roof as me.
“You saved me and Luka, which is all that matters. Everything else is just a bonus.” Sunny shrugged.
“How did you end up living there, if you don’t mind me asking? It’s not exactly the best neighborhood…”
Sunny snorted. “It’s not, but it was the only building that didn’t want a stupidly large amount of cash as a deposit. I didn’t have to work while pregnant, but I also didn’t have much, and the last thing I wanted was to beg my brother for more support—he was a college student and didn’t work either because he played hockey.”
“But he did help?” I asked, cocking my head to the side as I grabbed another cookie.
Yes, I was already on my third cookie and had zero regrets about it.
If her brother was a support, then why the hell wasn’t he helping her now? Not that I was complaining, because it meant we got to have her here, at the station.
Then again, the station probably wasn’t the best setup for her and her son.
“He did, he gave me whatever he could. He even offered to let me live with him and his pack, but it just didn’t feel right, you know?”
“Sounds like a good brother.”
“He is. I haven’t exactly told him about all this yet.” She grimaced, waving her hand, gesturing to everything.
I frowned. “How come?”
“My twin has a toddler, not much younger than Luka, and his omega just gave birth. There is a whole story about how they had a one-night stand, then later, after they lost touch, she met his pack mate and got pregnant again.”
My brows rose. “That sounds like one of the soap operas my aunt used to watch.”
Also, she had said she was a twin . Did that mean it ran in the family? Was there a chance she could have adorable little twin babies?
My mind was already running away with me, my cock stiffening at the thought.
“It does, doesn’t it?” Sunny cried in agreement. “Like, what are the odds? Still, it worked out for the best. Kennedy is perfect for all of them, and her babies are so freaking cute. She gave birth only two weeks ago, and I don’t want to disturb them.”
“I’m sure he would want to know.”
“Oh, he would, but he missed the early days with his daughter, and there is no way in hell I am going to call him, because he will come running and miss out on some of the early moments with his son. I’m a big girl, and I can take care of myself and Luka… with a little help from the sweet firefighters who are letting me stay at the station,” she added with a smile.
I was happy to give her all the help she needed.
Even the help she didn’t know she needed.
Fuck. I was whipped.