Chapter 19 - Randy
I paced beside my cabin’s large front windows as I waited for Craig to arrive—looking out for his truck every few steps. I wrung my hands, unable to stop myself.
By the time I had arrived at the gender reveal, Michelle and Marco had already excitedly told my parents about my friend who’d been over for a slumber party.
The news quietly spread, even when everybody was busy playing ‘guess the gender’ games.
A few relatives tried to chastise me for not bringing Craig, but Jessie shut them down. She explained that she’d invited him, and that he’d said he didn’t want to pull focus from Yazmín and the baby.
I didn’t know if it was true, at least the focus part. Craig had told me that he’d been invited, but had left it up to me to decide if I was ready to make such a big introduction.
I wasn’t, and I was grateful that he’d stepped back.
The questions were bad enough, and I couldn’t imagine how much more intense they would have been if he’d been there.
However, the existence of our relationship was out there, and my family wanted more. Before the party was over, I’d been badgered into a dinner—where they would meet Craig.
I still wasn’t ready, but I couldn’t hide it any longer.
The sound of Craig’s truck outside my cabin. A few minutes later, he strode in, and I walked right into his arms.
He folded me in his embrace and kissed my hair. “You ok?”
I shook my head into his chest. “It’s too soon.”
“Do you want to cancel?”
I swallowed. I did, but I knew it wouldn’t solve anything.
I sighed. “I wish, but we can’t.”
“You sure? I’ll be the bad guy. I got the stomach flu or something.”
I closed my eyes and savored his scent. “It’s just delaying the inevitable,” I whispered.
He tucked his fingers under my chin and tilted my head up, then he pressed his lips to mine.
I melted into the kiss. It was gentle and reassuring. It told me without words that Craig was there for me.
The kiss ended, and he tucked me against his chest again before resting his head against mine.
His scent wrapped around me, and my racing heart started to slow. Tight muscles loosened, and I slumped against him.
“Beautiful Randy,” he murmured against my hair. “I’m here.”
My eyes fluttered shut again. He was right—my alpha was there.
My alpha…
I stiffened—my pulse thundering in my ears. Craig immediately straightened.
“You ok?” he asked.
I swallowed and nodded. I had enough to deal with, and would face that thought later.
He studied me for several seconds. “We have a few minutes before we have to leave. Do you want to cuddle on the couch?”
“That… sounds nice.”
“Come on,” he murmured as he took my hands and guided me to the couch. Then he sat, and I curled up against him.
I was safe there.
Craig held me, but he didn’t ask me to talk—to discuss my fears.
What I needed wasn’t a sounding board, but a rock. And he seemed to understand that.
His scent surrounded me, and his fingers trailed up and down my arm. My racing heart slowed to its normal speed, and my hands stopped shaking.
Exhaustion seeped in as the tension left my body, and he shifted to support me better.
“The offer to say I’m sick still stands,” he murmured as he kissed my hair. “I’ll be the bad guy if it’s really too much.”
I shook my head. “No. I think it’s better to get it over with.”
“Ok.”
We stayed that way for several minutes, until my phone alarm sounded.
My leg bounced on the ride into town, and I was grateful that Craig had offered to drive.
Jessie’s SUV was already parked outside when we arrived at my parents’ house. Craig pulled up behind it, parked, then reached over to take my hand after he turned off his truck.
“Whatever you need,” he murmured, “I’m here.”
“I’m supposed to be introducing you,” I countered.
He snorted. “I don’t care about that. You’re my focus.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
We got out of his truck, and he laced his fingers with mine as we strode to the front door. He leaned in and kissed my temple.
“Hello,” I called as I led him inside.
“Come in,” Mom called back.
We walked through the living room to the open arch that led to the kitchen.
Papa stood at the stove, stirring something while chatting with Yazmín. Mom and Jessie were deep in discussion while standing at the counter.
Craig squeezed my hand where he still held it.
“Hi,” I murmured.
Jessie was the first to break the fake nonchalance. “Hey, Craig.”
“Good to see you,” he replied. Then he looked around. “Where are the kids?”
Yazmín turned from the stove. “Mi Mamá y Papi return to Mexico tomorrow. Mis hijos are with them.”
“Oh,” Craig replied. “Well, I hope they’re enjoying their time with Grandmama and Grandpa.”
“They are.” She grinned, then stuck out a hand. “Me llamo Yazmín, but everybody calls me Yazzy.”
Craig accepted the handshake. “Nice to meet you, Yazzy.”
My brain caught up to expected pleasantries. “Yazzy… this is Craig.”
She burst into laughter. “Gracias, Randy.”
“Mom,” I said, turning to her. “This is Craig. Craig, this is my mom, Eleanor.”
They shook hands, then Papa came over from the stove. “Papa, Craig. Craig, Bruce.”
Craig stuck out his hand, but Papa pulled him into a hug instead. “So you’re the man who was finally able to get through our Randy’s walls. That’s something special.”
Craig shook his head. “No, sir. Randy is the special one. I’m just stubborn. I saw the most incredible man, and had to keep trying. Respectfully… of course.”
One of Mom’s eyebrows went up.
“He saved me the good scraps,” I said softly, wringing my hands again. “At the mill.”
There was a moment of silence before both Mom and Papa burst into laughter.
“That’ll get his attention, all right,” Mom said. She turned to Craig. “So you work at the mill?”
He nodded. “I started several months ago.”
“What did you do before that?”
“I worked as a faller.”
She studied him, then nodded. The half smile on her face told me she approved.
She flung an arm across Craig’s shoulders. “Come on, I’ll show you where Randy got his love of woodworking from.”
He glanced at me, and I chuckled, then nodded.
Craig allowed Mom to lead him to her workshop. While it was smaller than mine, I’d spent countless hours there as a kid, and she had plenty of stories that I was sure she was dying to tell.
Papa strode over and hugged me. “Your Mom likes him. I think you got yourself a good one.”
I smiled, and the nerves started to settle in my middle.
“Come on,” he said, guiding me to the stove. “Dinner is almost done. Let’s finish it up, then we can all get to know your new alpha.”
“Ok,” I murmured as I took a spot next to Yazmín to help finish dinner.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
But part of me hoped they wouldn’t get attached. History had a way of repeating itself.
∞∞∞
“Hey Randy,” Harrison said as I walked into the mill. “Craig got sent on a last-minute quote, so he’s not here.”
“Oh… Ok.” My heart sank a bit at not seeing him there, even though we had a dinner date planned for that evening.
“I’ve got your dowry, though.”
“My what?” I squeaked, choking on air.
He laughed and grabbed the bin from under the counter. He turned it so that I could read the side that I hadn’t been able to before. ‘Craig’s Dowry’ was scrawled on it in black permanent marker.
“Wh-what?” I managed.
Harrison chuckled. “I think it was the boss, maybe Oscar. It appeared a few days after the boss okayed Craig keeping the scraps for you. You’ve never seen it?”
“I’ve seen the bin,” I replied. “Craig always kept the writing on his side.”
Harrison leaned on the counter with a chuckle. “I can’t say I blame him. We all gave him shit. Cause you know how things are.” He paused, and his smile faded slightly. “To be honest, we all expected you’d turn him down like every alpha we’ve seen flirt with you before.”
My cheeks heated slightly. “I thought about it… sometimes.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” he replied.
“Hmm?”
He shrugged. “This is the first time I’ve seen you since you two became a thing. But you seem more relaxed.”
“Huh?”
He shook his head. “It’s the way you carried yourself—like tension had seeped into your bones. But you’re different today. It’s nice.”
I blinked.
“And Craig,” Harrison continued. “He’s fucking glowing every Monday after the weekend with you.” He laughed. “We give him even more shit now.”
“Does he… Does he talk?”
Harrison shook his head. “Naw. We all know you’re pretty private, so anything he shares is the nice stuff. Maybe a project you showed him, or how much he likes walking Spud with you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He’s got it bad, but it’s sweet. It seems like just spending time with you is enough.”
Warmth spread through my middle.
“Anyway, just know we’re rootin’ for ya. We’ve all known you long enough that we want to see you happy.”
“Thanks.”
He slapped the counter a couple times. “I’ll let you dig through the dowry and get to your shopping. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Ok.”
He stepped away as I started inspecting the pieces that Craig had set aside for me.
I kept every one.
∞∞∞
“Hey! There they are!” Kerry said as he opened the door for Craig and me.
I hugged my best friend and noted how his small baby bump was just starting to be visible. “Excited?”
He grinned. “Yeah.”
“What are you hoping for?”
He shook his head. “I don’t care. I’m just happy I’m going to be a papa.”
“Speaking of which… Where do you want this?” Craig asked, using his head to motion to the gender reveal cake in his arms.
“Mama left a spot for it on the table. Let me show you.” Kerry said, turning to Craig. Then, “I’m glad you’re here. Randy wasn’t sure if he was ready.”
“I’m glad he wanted me here, too,” Craig replied.
We followed Kerry through his house toward where the party stuff had been set out.
“You’ve got a lot of art,” Craig stated as we walked.
Kerry chuckled. “I should hope so.”
“He’s a fine art acquisition consultant,” I said.
“Umm…” Craig replied.
Kerry laughed. “Rich people ask me to find and buy art for them. Mostly for decoration, sometimes for investment.”
“So buying art is your job?”
“Pretty much.”
“Is that why you’re always out of town?”
Kerry nodded. “Yep. My clients aren’t just here, and I need to find what fits them. We don’t have a bunch of lighthouse or coastal paintings here, for example. I can get an idea of what might work from websites. But it’s better to see things in person.”
“Where are some of your favorite places to shop?”
Kerry shrugged. “It depends. I’ve enjoyed Hilton Head recently. And Harris Cove is coming up as an emerging art market, though I need to get out there more often.”
We reached the table, and Craig set the cake box to one side so that the contents could be moved to a pedestal.
“Hello dear,” said Kerry’s mama—Sherry—as she wrapped me in a hug. “How are you?”
“I’m good. You?”
She grinned. “Excited. I’d settled into the idea that Kerry was going to stay a bachelor, so him getting mated and pregnant is a nice surprise.”
“You’re going to enjoy the heck out of that grandbaby, aren’t you?”
She laughed. “Of course.” She turned to Craig. “And who is this?”
“Sherry,” I started. “This is Craig. We’re… courting. Craig, this is Kerry’s mama, Sherry.”
Craig held out a hand, and she immediately pulled him into a hug.
“This day just gets better!” she said. “I’m finding out the gender of my grandbaby, and meeting your alpha! I’m so happy for you!”
My alpha…
“Come on,” Kerry said, grabbing my hands once the cake had been situated. “Callum’s parents are here, and I want to introduce you.”
I chuckled as he led me to where the guests were mingling, Craig on my heels.
It was the first large gathering that I’d felt ready to include him, and I was glad to see him so welcomed.