Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
Conrad
It was my turn to check on Dhara at the diner. We couldn’t save her from her house quite yet but we’d sure as hell make our presence known.
We’d been trying to subtly introduce ourselves into her life, showing that we were a steady fixture with no intention of going anywhere.
Now it felt like we’d abandoned all pretenses of taking this slow.
Dhara’s face lit up when she saw me walk in. I was struck by just how beautiful she’d become over the past few days while her mom had been gone. She was thriving, not just surviving. The dark circles had gone down significantly. Even her skin was glowing now.
We were finally seeing what Dhara looked like when she was unguarded, and I wanted more of it.
“I’m assuming you’re here for me,” she teased as she walked over. Even that was more bold than she’d ever been.
“I don’t know. Are you on the menu?”
That blush was gorgeous.
“It could be arranged.”
Fuck, I was in trouble. This omega was the embodiment of temptation and I couldn’t give in yet. She wasn’t ready.
“I was going to see if you wanted to go on a date after work. The guys said they’d pick Gavin up from the bus stop.”
“Then I’d love to,” she said without even hesitating this time.
“Perfect,” I said, my smile wide as she chewed on that plump bottom lip of hers. I wanted to pull her close and kiss her senseless but I held back, knowing our time was short at the moment.
“What can I get you?” she offered, gesturing with her order pad and shaking herself out of her trance.
“I’ll just take a soda and some fries,” I ordered so I didn’t look like a stalker sitting here for the next hour while I waited for her shift to end.
“You got it,” she promised. She didn’t even have to ask what kind of drink I wanted now. I liked it more than I should have that she knew me well enough to do that now. It felt like we were finally getting somewhere. I was no longer the stranger waiting on the sidelines.
I was so fucking proud of our omega for letting us in. She didn’t question our intentions with every move now, she just knew that we were here and wanted to be a part of her life.
The fries came up quickly, and I nibbled on them while I watched her work.
I could see the difference now between the smile she gave customers, the one she gave her best friend, and the one she gave me.
“Dhara, you’re good to go. I think we’re slowing down,” Lydia called out as she passed with food for the last table that’d come in. She usually cut her when the post-breakfast slump hit.
I cleared what I could from my table, stacking everything neatly while I waited.
Dhara disappeared into the back, where she traded her apron for a more comfortable outfit. When she walked back out her honey blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail. She looked cozy in an oversized sweater, and I found myself pulling her into a hug the moment she was close enough.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I was thinking the farmers market. I’ve been trying to work on my cooking skills, so I could use a few fresh ingredients. And I hear they have plenty of bakeries so you can try some sweet treats.”
“That sounds perfect, honestly. Hopefully, they have a coffee shop. I could use a little boost.”
“If not, we’ll find one,” I promised.
“Oh, you brought the SUV.” Her eyes lit up as we walked closer. I wanted to always put that look on her face.
“Did you like driving it the other day?” I asked as I nuzzled into her neck, breathing in my omega.
We’d told her about the house, but I hadn’t had the chance to explain that the SUV was hers, too.
“Yeah, it was great.”
“The name on the title is yours,” I admitted as I pulled away, wanting to brace for her reaction.
She started to open her mouth, and I could already tell she was about to argue, so I held up a hand.
“It’s just one more thing in our favor. A working vehicle is important when you’re raising a kid.”
“Fine. But you guys can’t use this custody thing to get away with giving me expensive things.”
“No, that’s what courting gifts are for,” I teased.
Her eyes dropped to the bracelet around her wrist, and she let out a little huff of laughter.
“I don’t know how to take all of this,” she admitted.
“Just know that we’ll never give anything that makes us uncomfortable. If we’re giving you something, it’s because we genuinely want to.”
“Okay, okay,” she sighed, finally giving in.
Dhara rolled down her window and turned on the radio, a smile fixed on her face as she looked out the window, one hand surfing through the breeze. She looked so unburdened and free that it was hard not to stare.
Unfortunately we only had a little time left before the farmers market closed, so I couldn’t sit here and watch her.
At least we arrived after the morning rush. There were still people milling around but it wasn’t overly crowded.
“How did I not know this was here?” she wondered as we climbed out of the SUV.
“I don’t think it’s been here that long. Plus, you’ve been working every single day.”
She smiled sadly.
“I do what I have to. Gavin gets to eat there every morning.”
“Someday soon, you won’t have to,” I promised. “You’ll be able to wake up and let your pack take care of you.”
“Sounds nice,” she said, not dwelling on it as we walked toward the entrance hand in hand.
“What ingredients are you looking for?” she asked as we wandered toward the first row of booths.
This side was the actual farmers market that had produce, fruit, and herbs. Every stand overflowing with fresh ingredients. Thankfully, they hadn’t sold out on me.
“I’ve actually been taking some cooking classes, trying to make sure I can properly provide for the pack,” I admitted, not quite meeting her eyes. “We’re supposed to be practicing different risottos.”
“You took a class for me?” Her voice cracked just a little. That was enough to have me looking up, my hand drifting to rest against her cheek.
“Yes. I want to be able to cook what you crave when you’re getting ready for a heat or are simply having an omega moment. I want to be able to make you and our pack happy and provide for Gavin,” I explained.
“I’m a lucky omega,” she whispered. Dhara stretched onto her toes and pressed her lips to mine. I’d almost expected the kiss to be clumsy, but she took the lead. I soaked in every second of her confidence as she showed me, without words, exactly how happy I’d made her.
My alpha was practically bursting with pride. This was exactly why we’d been sticking to the classes and making the new packhouse a real home.
My omega gave me a shy smile as she pulled away, gesturing toward the produce stand in front of us.
“So... what should we get?”
“I was thinking peppers, some shallots, maybe some fresh garlic...”
The beta behind the stand moved forward when he heard me listing ingredients.
“I think we’ve got you covered,” he said with a cheerful smile. He gathered everything I’d listed, even suggesting a few vegetables that would work well with the risotto. When he was satisfied he looked between us. “What else can I grab for you?”
“Anything you or Gavin might want?” I asked.
Dhara surprised me by not turning me down. Instead, she looked around the stand.
“Could we actually get some strawberries? They’re my favorite. And Gavin really likes blackberries," she said, giving me a soft look as I beamed down at her.
The beta added both to our growing pile, carefully picking through the berries to make sure we got the best ones. I had a feeling I’d be back here often as I experimented with more recipes.
We ran our bags back to the SUV, loading everything into the back before heading back into the market.
“Oh, something smells amazing,” she said as we walked further into the market. Her steps picked up a little as we entered the section full of home bakers and artisan goods, with the food trucks spread out just beyond them.
I genuinely hated that such simple things were so new and exciting for her. Something as simple as going to a farmers market and not having to worry about whether you could afford anything shouldn’t have been a foreign concept.
I tried not to let that frustration ruin our day. I wanted to soak in every moment of her sweet smile.
It was a little too easy to spoil her. Every time she lingered a little too long over something, I bought it. Unfortunately, she caught on far too quickly to what I was doing and started trying to control her expressions.
Thankfully, I’d been watching her long enough to recognize the mask she put on. Even when she tried to look indifferent, I added it to our growing pile anyway.
“You can’t keep buying me things,” she finally growled. Her fiery voice hit me right in the chest. It meant she felt safe standing up to me and that fire only turned me on.
“Watch me, Omega,” I said, my voice dropping just a little deeper. “I’m not trying to flaunt my money. I just want you to experience things for once in your life.”
That seemed to cool down her frustration. “Fine, just don’t go crazy with it.”
“No promises,” I said, stealing a kiss and tucking her into my side. We continued forward and she thankfully stopped trying to hide her reactions from me.
“Oh my gosh... are those cinnamon rolls?” She pulled away but grabbed my hand to drag me toward one of the bakeries.
They had cinnamon and sweet rolls of every variety imaginable, along with little samples.
Her expression was adorable and serious as she studied the samples and descriptions. Finally, she picked one up and popped it into her mouth.
Her eyes rolled back as she chewed before she grabbed a second sample and held it out for me. I didn’t hesitate to lean forward and wrapped my lips around her fingers. My tongue brushed across her fingertips as I licked away the sweet icing before grinning at her when her face flamed red.
“Delicious.”
“Oh, girl, you lucky omega,” the omega behind the booth grinned at her. “If you guys want to do more of that later, I have a variety pack right over there.”
She pointed toward one of the shelves lined with baked goods.
“Perfect,” my omega declared, immediately snatching one off the shelf.
I stepped forward to pay, leaving a generous tip before ushering my omega onward.
Thankfully, one of the earlier vendors had sold tote bags because I kept tucking each new purchase inside.
By the time we reached the end of the market, it was practically overflowing.
I’d discovered that while my girl definitely had a sweet tooth, she leaned more toward fruity pastries and cinnamon than chocolate.
I filed every little detail away for later. I’d need to know what made her happy and how to cook her favorites. Especially as my cooking classes progressed.
“Okay, now I’m officially starving,” she announced.
At least ten food trucks stretched out in front of us, and thankfully the picnic tables were mostly empty.
I set our bags on one of them.
“Does anything sound good, or should I just get a little bit of everything?”
She considered it for a moment. “I’m here for variety.”
“Perfect. We can divide and conquer.” I pulled out my wallet, counted out a few bills, and handed half to her. My omega plucked those bills from my hand and glanced around before pointing to the right.
“I’m starting over there.” She took a few steps before stopping and turning back around. “Do you think our stuff will be okay?”
“Yeah. We’ll keep an eye on it,” I promised.
I watched her walk away. She turned back once, smiling at me over her shoulder. I wished I could freeze that moment forever. My omega was gorgeous in the afternoon light, her honey blonde hair practically spun of gold and her blue eyes sparkling with happiness.
Once she turned away again I made my own rounds through the food trucks, ordering a couple of dishes from each one.
She was already waiting when I made it back to the table, nibbling on a fry and watching me just as intently as I’d been watching her.
“Looks like you found some good things,” I said as I sat down, taking in the mix of fried food, stir-fried noodles, tacos, and a dozen other things spread across the table.
We had at least five different cuisines sitting in front of us now.
“You, too,” she agreed as she reached for a crab rangoon.
We ate for a few moments just enjoying the afternoon. It was nice to slow things down for a moment. Between courting, classes, hockey, and trying not to lose my mind worrying about her, there weren’t enough moments like this.
“I know Lachlan has been playing Twenty Questions with you but I’d love to know more about you, too.”
She looked down for a moment, considering the question.
“I’m afraid I’m sort of boring. I never really got a chance to figure out who I was... or who I wanted to be. She stole that from me.”
“Was she always like that?” I asked quietly.
She took another bite of her taco before answering. “I remember being alone a lot before Gavin was born. I was cooking for myself before I really should have been. But the physical stuff didn’t start until after he was born.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, reaching for her. She gave my hand a squeeze but shrugged. I hated that she was used to this. No one should be used to this kind of neglect and abuse.
“I thought it would get better as he got older but it just got worse.” She gave me a sad smile. “Maybe when all of this is over, I can finally figure out what I want to do for myself.”
“We’ll figure it out together. You can try everything you’ve always wanted to try and find something that you’re passionate about.”
“I’d like to find something flexible so I can travel with you guys. I don’t always want to be stuck behind and waiting on you to come home our whole lives,” she said. “With Gavin it’s a bit different. But someday, he’ll be in college and have his own life. I want that, too.”
“We’ll make that happen,” I vowed. Hockey was a part of our lives. We would have away games and constant practices and games, but I also wanted to balance that with keeping her happy and cared for. It may take work, but we were all committed and willing to put in the work.
She picked up her fork again when her phone suddenly rang. August’s name flashed across the screen and she answered quickly.
“Hello?”
“Firecracker… Gavin didn’t get off the bus after school.”
“What?”
She shot to her feet so fast she almost toppled off the picnic table. I moved around quickly to steady her, frowning down at the phone.
“I pretended to be his uncle and called the school. They told me he was picked up early today.”
“Oh god,” she breathed out in horror.
I didn’t even bother cleaning up the table as I snagged the bags and grabbed my keys.
“Come on.” I wrapped my hand around hers and started running. “We’ll find him.”