Chapter 19 Violet #2
I sink into the couch, clutching my book tighter than necessary. The silence in the apartment feels accusatory, like it's judging me for caring so much about a stupid poker game.
The past has me more paranoid than someone charging their phone overnight and worrying during the day that they will run out of battery.
I gave up working in the bakery, to have more free time and be away from Garrick, but it's as if my mind is playing tricks with me and all I want to do is be around him.
I shake my head at my own contradictions and decide a grocery run might help clear my head. At least it'll get me out of this empty apartment.
The bell over Brennan's Market door chimes as I enter, and I'm immediately enveloped by the familiar scents of fresh produce and cleaning supplies.
"Morning, Violet!" Caroline calls from behind the deli counter, wiping her hands on her apron. "How are things?"
"Fine, thanks," I reply, grabbing a shopping basket.
Caroline nods knowingly. "It's quite an adjustment, I'm sure. Especially with all the... new social dynamics you must be navigating."
My stomach tightens at her loaded tone. Everyone in this town seems to know more about my business than I do.
Does no one talk fucking English here? Without the poetry and mixed messages. Just say what is on their mind.
I pause in front of the apples, my omega instincts picking up something in her tone. "Social dynamics?"
"Oh, you know." Caroline waves her hand vaguely. "Making new friends, figuring out where you fit in. Must be nice having such... attentive neighbors looking out for you."
I select a few apples and move toward the dairy section, very aware of Caroline's gaze following me.
At the milk refrigerator, I run into Tom Brennan himself, his scent a familiar mixture of motor oil and honest sweat. "Violet! Good to see you. How's that car running?"
"Great, thanks to you," I say, selecting a gallon of milk. "You fixed it up nicely."
Tom grins. "Just doing my job. Though between you and me, Garrick was pretty insistent about making sure we got you back on the road quickly." He leans in conspiratorially. "Man barely left the garage while we worked on it. Kept finding excuses to check on our progress."
I duck my head, pretending to study the milk labels while my heart does something fluttery and embarrassing in my chest.
My cheeks warm. "You're so funny!"
Garrick has been sweet and hiding it under his grumpiness from day one. The first time I met him, I thought he hated me, now I'm learning more and more, that's just his defensive mechanism. To hide what he's feeling, like a gentle bear.
"Yep. Real concerned about your... mobility. Independent woman like you needs reliable transportation." Tom's eyes twinkle with amusement. "Course, some folks might say having three capable alphas in town means you'd never be stranded anyway."
"I'm a lucky girl!" I straighten my shoulders, lifting my chin with false confidence. If the whole town is watching anyway, I might as well own it.
I'm going to own it. Why not? I do love having them around and even them not inviting me to poker bothers me.
It makes me feel as if they're bored of me already.
Everyone needs space right? That's all they're doing for me, giving it to me.
Tom did say that I am an independent woman.
It's funny that. I never thought of myself ever being able to do anything alone till I met the guys.
"All good men. Very... attentive to community needs." Tom's grin widens. "Especially lately."
Mrs. Henderson appears around the corner pushing a cart loaded with library books and grocery items.
"Violet, dear!" She beams at me, her librarian scent crisp with the smell of old books and lavender soap. "I was just telling Dorothy how wonderful it is to have a new omega in town. Really balances things out."
"Speaking of which," Tom adds, "you should come by the garage sometime. Not for car trouble," he clarifies quickly, "but Garrick's been working on this beautiful restoration project. 1967 Mustang. Real labor of love. Might be interesting to see what... drives his passion."
"I should finish my shopping," I say weakly, edging toward the cereal aisle.
"Of course, dear," Mrs. Henderson says. "Don't let us keep you. Though if you're looking for something to read, I just got in a lovely new romance collection. Very... educational."
I grab a box of cereal I don't need, just to have something to do with my hands while my face burns with embarrassment.
I escape to the relative safety of the breakfast foods, but I can hear them continuing their conversation in low, amused voices. Words like "natural progression" and "obvious compatibility" drift over, making my cheeks burn hotter.
By the time I reach the checkout, I'm already flustered from trying to remember why I came to the store in the first place, that I knock over an entire pyramid of apples.
Jenny, the teenage cashier with braces that sparkle under the fluorescent lights, starts scanning my groceries with a grin that says she's been dying for this moment all day.
"So..." she leans in conspiratorially. "How come you're in here alone?"
I blink. "Um. Because I needed groceries?"
"No, I mean..." she drops her voice, eyes wide with faux innocence. "You're never in here by yourself. Like, ever."
Heat creeps up my neck. "I'm perfectly capable of buying groceries on my own, Jenny."
Her smile turns sly. "Funny. Because the first time you came in? You were with Liam. And he paid."
My stomach twists. Oh God.
"And the second time," she continues, clearly enjoying herself, "Xaden was with you. He paid, too."
Jenny smirks, popping her gum. "Last week? You had Garrick and Xaden. Double coverage."
I can feel my face blazing hotter than the rotisserie chickens behind me. "I'm good, thanks. Totally good. I can... buy my own groceries."
I don't want them to know that I had no choice today. The guys ditched me.
Violet stop being so dramatic!
Jenny slides my bag across the counter, her grin wider than ever. "If you say so, Miss Violet."
I snatch the bag and bolt like my dignity is on fire, praying no one else in town has been keeping score of my checkout history.
Murphy's Tavern is my last stop before heading home, and I'm hoping a quiet drink will help me process everything I've learned today. The tavern is a cozy place with dark wood paneling and the comfortable scent of beer and fried food. Usually, it's my kind of atmosphere.
Today, however, I walk into what sounds like a heated debate.
"I'm telling you, Xaden is the frontrunner," says a voice I recognize as belonging to Joe Murphy, the owner. "He's got that whole mysterious professor thing going. Women love that."
"Are you kidding?" That's definitely Tom's voice. "Garrick's the obvious choice. Alpha mechanics are classic romance hero material."
"You're both wrong," interrupts another voice. "My money's on Liam. Young, eager, absolutely devoted. Plus he's got that boy-next-door charm."
I freeze in the doorway. They're talking about... me. And my supposed love life. Again.
"What about a threesome?" suggests someone else, and I nearly choke on my own saliva.
"Four-some," Joe corrects. "Don't forget about all three alphas."
"I thought there were a limit as to how many alphas can have an omega?" Pete wonders.
"It's about natural pack dynamics. Omega's choice, alpha acceptance. Classic formation," a voice I don't recognize says.
I should leave. I should definitely leave. Instead, I find myself creeping closer, hidden behind a wooden pillar, straining to hear more. This is like stumbling into the world's most fascinating sociology experiment.
"So what are the current odds?" Tom asks.
There's the sound of papers rustling. "Let's see... Garrick as primary alpha is currently at 2-to-1. Xaden is 3-to-1. Liam as primary is a long shot at 8-to-1."
"What about all three?" Joe asks.
"Pack formation with all three alphas? 5-to-1. Popular choice among the romantics in town."
"And what's the over-under on timeline?"
"Dave's got it at six weeks until official bonding. Most people are taking the under."
My heart does a little flutter. They're not just gossiping, but the whole town is rooting for us, and making money from it.
"Course, there's also the wild card," someone else adds.
"What?"
"Violet takes off running. Gets scared by all the alpha posturing and heads back to the city."
A chorus of "boos" follows this suggestion.
"That's not happening," Pete says firmly. "You didn't see how she looked at that car when we fixed it. Or how she's been settling into the apartment. Liam spilled it last night when he was here. He said that she's nesting."
Nesting. I press my hand to my mouth to keep from giggling. They're right, I have rearranged furniture, bought throw pillows, and made the space feel like home.
"Nesting?" Joe's voice perks up with interest.
"Classic omega behavior. Making a home, establishing territory. She's not going anywhere."
Tom says, "Garrick came by the garage this morning asking about engagement rings."
My heart stops completely. Then starts again at double speed.
The entire tavern goes quiet.
"Engagement rings?" Joe's voice is barely a whisper.
"Yep. Wanted to know what kind of stones omegas prefer. How soon was too soon to propose. Whether he should talk to the other alphas first."
I grip the pillar so hard my knuckles go white. Garrick. My grumpy, sweet, protective Garrick is thinking about engagement rings. I want to squeal like a teenager.
"Holy shit," someone breathes.
Tom chides automatically. "Yeah. Man's serious."
"What'd you tell him?"
"To slow down and let things develop naturally. But between you and me, he's worried about Xaden making a move first."
Smart man, that Tom. But the fact that Garrick is worried about timing, about doing things right, makes my omega heart practically purr with satisfaction.
"Is Xaden making a move?"
"Hard to say. He's been at the library a lot lately, 'researching.' But Mrs. Henderson says he's been checking out books on omega psychology and pack dynamics."
Of course he is. Xaden would research the hell out of this. Probably has a whole strategy mapped out with footnotes and citations.
"And Liam?"
"Liam's been asking everyone in town for advice. Poor kid's so nervous he can barely string two sentences together around her."
My heart melts a little. Sweet Liam, getting advice from the whole town like this is a community project.
More rustling of papers. "Okay, I'm adjusting the odds. Garrick's anxiety drops him to 3-to-1. Xaden's research bumps him up to 2-to-1."
"Wait," Joe interrupts, "what about the group approach? What if they all make a move together?"
My breath catches. The idea sends a thrill through me that I wasn't expecting.
Silence falls over the tavern as everyone considers this.
"Coordinated pack courting," Tom muses. "That would be... efficient."
"And romantic as hell," someone else adds. "Omega's dream scenario."
Yes, I think, surprising myself with how much I want exactly that.
"New bet," Joe announces. "Coordinated pack approach. What odds?"
"Even money," comes the immediate response. "It's risky but potentially very effective."
I bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. They've turned my love life into a strategic analysis, and honestly? I'm impressed by their thoroughness.
I slip back from the pillar, my mind buzzing with everything I've learned.
The guys aren't out avoiding me or getting bored - they're out being normal men with normal friendships, probably getting advice about how to court me properly.
Meanwhile, Garrick is shopping for engagement rings, Xaden is researching pack dynamics, and Liam is asking half the town for dating tips.
It's adorable. They're adorable.
And suddenly, everything clicks into place.
The poker game I wasn't invited to? That wasn't them excluding me - that was them having a normal guys' night, probably while being interrogated by their friends about their intentions toward me.
The distance I thought I felt? That was them being careful, respectful, making sure they didn't overwhelm me.
I practically skip out of the tavern, my heart light for the first time all day.
The entire town is invested in our happiness. Three amazing alphas are seriously considering a future with me - one is already ring shopping! They're researching, planning, asking for advice because they want to do this right.
I'm not being excluded. I'm being courted. Properly, thoughtfully, with the whole town as their advisory board.
As I walk home through the snow, I can't stop grinning.
I'm going to have to work very hard to pretend I don't know any of this.
I'll have to act surprised when Garrick gets nervous around jewelry stores, or when Xaden starts dropping casual questions about pack preferences, or when Liam asks increasingly specific questions about what I like.
It's going to be the best performance of my life.
Life isn't just good - it's perfect. And it's only going to get better.