5. Claire
The last week had been nothing short of a whirlwind.
If I wasn’t daydreaming about Riley’s promise that we’d find a pack, something I was both terrified and excited about, I was being run ragged in the shop.
Tourists flocked to Holiday Hollow quite consistently, and since a lot of couples and packs wanted a romantic small town getaway this time of year, we were packed.
My crew had been hustling non-stop this week and we were growing at a pace where I needed to seriously think of bringing on another full time baker and possibly additional staff to help keep up with the needs for the cafe and help with our production orders.
I liked being on the floor, interacting with everyone, but more and more I was having to pull double duty in the back of the house. Which was exactly where Riley found me when he popped in the backdoor.
“Is everything okay? I thought you had that meeting at the orchard with your staff today?” I asked.
“Everything’s fine, Claire Bear,” he reassured me. “Although you did forget your phone at home today. How am I going to send you hilarious memes to keep you smiling if you don’t have it?”
Riley cracked a warm smile, my heart lurching in my chest just a little bit as he came closer to give me my phone.
“You’re going to get your shirt all dirty,” I warned as he pulled me in for a hug, my apron covered in flour.
“Mmm, dirty is a state of mind,” he said saucily, squeezing me a bit tighter before stepping back. “Plus these are my work clothes. I’m not going to get tarted up until dinner tonight.”
“Ah yes,” I said sagely. “It’s meet the husband night. Any clue who he is?”
“None,” Riley shrugged. “But I know Vance has great taste.”
He gave me an over the top pointed look, clearly referencing the attempts Vance had made to include me this past week.
In all honesty, I was extremely busy. Vance, the kind alpha he was, decided to let me know that he was just going to become my most loyal customer ever so we could get to know each other more.
He was absolutely gorgeous, but it was that balance of assertiveness and understanding that had me thinking of him as I lay in bed at night, images of him and Riley, of us, entwined in bed together.
Sure I had my toys, but I had never been with an alpha before, and it was more than just my curiosity that made me think of him more and more. My only prior experience was with a couple of tourist betas, one who I had dated briefly on his extended stay, and I realized very quickly that no one could measure up to Riley in that regard.
“You don’t think it would be weird?” I asked Riley. “All of us together? I mean if we do this and we both date Vance and his partner, we’re bound to wind up in the same bed together at some point.”
“It wouldn’t be the first or fiftieth time we’ve slept in the same bed, Claire,” Riley said, reaching out and pulling at one of my curls that was peaking out beneath my scarf.
“It’s different and you know it. Don’t be cute with me right now Riley Ortiz. I’m being serious.”
“I can’t not be cute, Claire,” he pouted. “That’s physically impossible.”
“Ri—“
“I don’t think it would be weird at all,” Riley said, finally dropping the humor he often hid behind. “You’re my best friend in the entire world Claire, my other half. Anything that makes you happy and brings you joy or pleasure is going to do the same for me.”
“You really want this? Us to try finding a pack together? Even if I’m…me?”
“Especially since you’re you,” he confirmed. “There is no other woman or omega I’d want to pack up with Claire.”
He paused, his breath catching in his throat momentarily and something passed between us that wasn’t there a moment ago. Before I could ask him more he looked down at his boots, blowing out a rough breath. I’d never seen him look so serious.
“Hey,” I said, knocking my shoe against his boot to get his attention again. “I can tell you’re being sincere about this and what you said means a lot to me. I’m down to give this a try if you are, Ri.”
My words had my favorite beta perking right up and throwing his arms around me in a hug that put even my coziest blanket to shame.
There were different kinds of omegas, sure, but I was one that craved physical touch and it was these life affirming hugs that made me realize that even if Riley was never attracted to me in that way, that it didn’t lessen the relationship we had. We both loved each other with our whole hearts and that was something to be embraced. We would find our way through this, together.
“I won’t make you regret this, Claire Bear. I promise. I’ll be the best pack mate ever and lord knows we need an alpha like Vance to help keep us in line. He’s going to have his hands full with us but I know for a fact he wouldn’t want it any other way, he’s basically told me as much. Hopefully this husband of his is up for the task.”
“Woah there lover boy, I haven’t even been on an official date with him yet,” I said with a laugh.
“You’ve been having mini day dates all week, don’t you even try to deny it,” Riley countered, the amount of joy radiating off of him contagious. “Say you’ll come to dinner tonight. I want us to start this on the right foot together.”
I mentally cataloged the list of orders I had to fill, including the prep I needed to do for the Dates Delicacies Auction this weekend. It would be tight, but if I focused and buckled down I could get out on time and be able to duck home and clean up beforehand.
“I’ll try my best,” I said, nodding my head. “But that means you need to get out of here and stop distracting me oh sassy one. Shoo, I’ve got treats to make.”
“Yes, my omega pack mate supreme,” he said, backing away with a laugh.
“If you try to make that nickname happen then I’m going to change my mind,” I warned him, holding up my spatula threateningly.
“So bossy,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “Love you, Claire Bear. See you tonight! Wear that cute emerald wrap dress I bought you for Christmas.”
My heart swelled further at his words as I watched him slip back out the backdoor, more content than I had been in a long time. Sometimes a change in perspective was all one needed.
Getting back into kneading dough after my encounter with Riley was not quite as easy as I anticipated. My thoughts kept drifting back to his face when he’d gone quiet. Something was going on there, something he was holding back, and I was dying to know what it could be.
I trusted Riley and knew he wouldn’t say all this, get my hopes up, just to back away. He truly believed we could make this work and I wanted to believe him too.
“Claire, we just sold out of the chocolate covered brownie hearts again,” Bailey called out. She was another of my loyal workers and right now, looked like she could use a break.
“I’ll handle it. Go have Corey switch out with you and take ten.” Her shoulders sagged in relief and she rushed off after giving me a grateful smile. The last thing I wanted was for them all to burn out when we still had four days to go before the big auction.
“Corey took over,” Bailey said. “And we’re out of scones too. All of them.”
“Holy hell,” I muttered. We usually did our mid-day bakes so I was already on it for our afternoon resupply but this was madness. “Thanks.”
Bailey practically ran out the door as I turned to wash the flour off of my hands and get started on an extra batch of dough. It seemed as if this was going to be a never-ending day.
The moment I turned the water on, a loud groan echoed from the faucet in front of me.
“No, no, no,” I growled at it. “Don’t you dare act up today.” It was the fastest I had ever washed my hands but the moment I touched it to turn it off, the entire faucet burst into the air. The water shot out in all directions, showering down on me as I let out a strangled scream.
This would only happen to me. What the hell was today?!
“Claire?!” Corey’s voice echoed through the thundering of water as I fought to get down under the cabinet. There was about three seconds of panicked fumbling before the pipe here burst as well, spraying me right in the chest and face. It was impossible to see through the waterfall but a long arm reached in next to me, shutting it off before I could struggle any further.
“That’s not good,” Vance mumbled. “Are you alright?”
I blinked over at the alpha as water dripped down every inch of my skin. A startled laugh escaped before it turned into pure panic.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I managed before turning to Corey. “We can’t use the water back here. Check the sink at the coffee bar please?”
“On it,” he said as he rushed back out front.
“Is there anything I can do?” Vance asked. For the first time he seemed uncertain but I just smiled softly.
“No, thank you. You can’t do much back here, you’re a customer and not covered under my insurance. I’ll get this cleaned up and us back on track.”
I could see the conflict in his face, his instincts probably warring with him to help take control of the situation.
“At least let me get you a towel,” he said reluctantly, grabbing one from the shelf and passing it to me. He hesitated in the doorway, clearly not wanting to leave.
“It’s fine, Vance,” I assured him. “I’ll let you know if there”s anything you can do okay?”
He nodded, heading back out the front and I quickly grabbed the phone.
It rang three times before Ralph answered. “Hello?”
“Ralph, it’s Claire. I have a water situation here. It looks like a busted pipe and faucet. Tell me you can help me out here?”
“Oh, no,” Ralph said in his gravelly tone. “I’m at the school getting their bathroom fixed right now. I can’t make it until tomorrow morning at the earliest.”
“No,” I whispered in horror. We’d have to shut down for the afternoon. “I mean, yes. Thank you Ralph. Give me a call and I’ll meet you here.”
Tears burned at my eyes as I hung up. If I missed an entire afternoon, especially after already agreeing to donate so much of our product to the town, I’d be cutting into profits. But more than that, I had to meet my quotas for production and there was still the auction to consider. Shutting down wasn’t exactly an option.
“Think, Claire,” I told myself, looking like a psycho as Corey poked his head back in, looking concerned.
“We’re good out here still,” he reassured me. “Can I help?”
“No, we need you out front,” I said quickly. “I’ll figure it out.”
Thankfully we had floor drains that were easily cleaning up the flood. But it had successfully ruined all of the dough I’d just worked on and everything would need to be thrown out, surfaces sanitized, then product remade. But if I couldn’t use the water, I couldn’t accomplish any of that.
What I needed was a commercial kitchen and a damn miracle.
The diner would be too busy, that would never work. There was only one other shop around that had the kind of equipment I needed and that was Adrien’s.
Could I really ask that stoic alpha for help? Would he laugh me out of Holiday Hollow for trying?
Swallowing down my pride I picked up the phone and dialed Adrien’s shop, using the business card I had tacked to our bulletin board.
“The Confectionery, this is Adrien speaking.” The French accent was strong still and I could listen to him speak for hours. If he didn’t hate me at least.
“Hello Adrien, this is Claire,” I started.
“Claire?” he seemed confused.
“From the coffee shop and bakery,” I started but he cut me off.
“No, I know who you are of course, but why are you calling? If those trumpet-wielding ladies are up to something more–” he started to get worked up and I quickly cut him off.
“No, no. It’s just me. I…” My words cut off as I fought with my own pride to finally ask him. The worst he could do was tell me no and I’d have to suck up the loss and pull an all-nighter tomorrow.
“What is wrong?” he asked. The fact he sounded alarmed finally had the words tumbling out.
“My pipes just burst over here in the kitchens and I’m running out of product and can’t afford the downtime in production. I know you have ovens and was wondering if I could come over there and get my afternoon batches done. I can put in extra time the next couple of days to make up the rest. I’ll clean up the mess and bring all of my own product of course. That’s just a lot of production time to miss out on and people are still here, and…” I trailed off, finally running out of breath.
“You can use my kitchen,” Adrien said simply. “I’ll clear the counters. If you need help carrying things over, just call me back once you know what you’re bringing.” He hung up and I blinked at the phone.
Adrien agreed. Just like that.
That shock quickly turned into relief. The beautiful French alpha had no clue what he’d just done for me.
Maybe I had read him all wrong.