4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Calder
Denni walked around the main room of the vacant restaurant space, gesturing animatedly.
“We’ll set up the tables on the front side and then have the display case here.
We can do a mix of table service and self-seating, so the atmosphere is casual.
” He blew out a long breath over the ancient wooden counter, stirring up a cloud of dust. “The kitchen is in good shape. It needs work for sure, but the ovens are fine, and that’s the important part. ”
Calder smiled at his husband. Ever since Denni saw the For Sale sign outside the old Tiller’s Restaurant four months ago, he’d been unstoppable.
“We should open a bakery,” Denni had said. “You’ve been so irritated at the restaurant lately, and I miss working in a kitchen. The kids are getting older. This is the perfect time for us to have our own place.”
Calder was intrigued. He had been frustrated with his position as manager of a high-end steakhouse for a while. The owners were unwilling to be creative with the menu and insisted on a stuffy environment that didn’t fit the vibe of the neighborhood.
Denni’s plan seemed like an ideal solution.
With their own bakery, they could make all the decisions about what to sell and how to sell it.
Now that their boys were five and seven, both in school, Calder knew his husband was eager to get back to work full-time.
And since Denni was thirty-four and his last heat hadn’t been a breeding heat, more children were unlikely.
That made Calder sad, not that he’d risk upsetting his beloved omega by admitting it out loud, but the thought of being their own bosses eased the pain.
Two months ago, they put in an offer on the old Tiller’s, and as of this morning, they were the proud owners of a charming yet dilapidated building with loads of potential.
Calder and Denni had assumed the property contained only the restaurant.
They’d been delighted to discover that it included a spacious living area behind the industrial kitchen.
The real estate agent described it as an “attached apartment,” but it felt more like a detached house, and was large enough to accommodate their family.
Luckily, the apartment was in better shape than the restaurant, so they sold their old home to help finance the purchase.
Standing with the keys to the front door in his pocket, Calder grinned. It was the beginning of a whole new chapter in their lives.
“Let’s call it Felton’s Bakery,” Denni said. “After your daddy.”
Calder’s eyes teared up. His omega father had passed away the year before, and everyone missed Felton’s quiet, caring presence.
“He would have loved that,” Calder said. “Papa too,” he added, remembering the alpha father he’d lost twelve years ago.
“Then it’s settled,” Denni said. Turning toward the kitchen, he wobbled and fell hard against the edge of the counter.
Calder was there in an instant, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Are you alright?”
“Fine. Guess I got too excited. Tripped over my own feet.”
“Maybe you should sit down.”
“I’m good.” Denni straightened and brushed his thighs. “It still feels like a dream that we’re doing this.”
Calder streaked his fingers across a nearby wall. They came up smudged with grime. “I think it will feel a lot less dreamy once we actually start having to clean this place to make it presentable for opening.”
They had hired a contractor to handle the structural changes to the building. Since Tiller’s had been a restaurant and not a bakery, the set-up wasn’t exactly what they needed. But the bones were in place, and they were ready to put in the work to fix it up and get it open for business.
Between the two of them, Calder was the more pragmatic one. He was grateful that, this time, he’d allowed himself to dream as big as his husband.
He had just turned eighteen when he got a job working in Denni’s parents’ bakery. Meeting the owners’ son, a brash twenty-three-year-old omega, changed him. Calder had still been mourning the death of his alpha father, and Denni’s infectious laughter brought him back to life.
Less than two years later, when Denni’s fathers decided to sell their business and retire to the other side of the state, Calder asked Denni to marry him.
Felton had been concerned because he was so young, but Calder explained that he loved Denni and couldn’t just stand by while his omega moved to Warburton Province with his parents.
Denni had taken some convincing but ultimately admitted he wanted to stay with Calder. And now that they had Ked and Jordie, Calder felt like the luckiest twenty-nine-year-old in Bellwether. He had a loving husband. Adorable kids. His own business. There was nothing more he could want.
Over the next few weeks, Calder and Denni worked nonstop to get Felton’s ready for its grand opening.
They put up display cases and painted the walls butter-yellow.
They installed pink-and-white checkerboard flooring and gray laminate tables.
Mismatched yet complementary chairs gave the space a homey vibe, and wood accents completed the picture.
Behind the scenes, Denni perfected the recipes for the bakery goods.
They set up a coffee bar and wrote out a small menu of food and drink items, figuring they’d expand it later based on what sold well.
They hired two part-timers, a cashier and a barista, and when opening day arrived, they were ready.
A few hours before they were set to greet their first customers, Calder watched as Denni hung up pictures drawn by Jordie and Ked.
“We’re using those as decorations?”
“Yep.” Denni climbed up on the stepstool. “This way, everyone will know it’s a family business.”
Calder’s answering smile faltered when Denni tripped getting off the stool.
“I think it’s time to see a doctor about those dizzy spells,” he said.
“Probably,” Denni conceded. “It’s been so busy lately.” He steadied himself against the wall. “I’m sure it’s just the stress from getting Felton’s ready to open.”
It was a reasonable explanation. After all the last-minute tasks, they were both running on empty. Still, Denni had dark circles around his eyes and he’d lost weight. His heat was not due, so it wasn’t that. He’d definitely been working too hard.
A twinge of shame mixed with Calder’s concern. Denni was his omega, and he was supposed to look after him. What kind of alpha let his partner overextend himself like this? It was rare for him to feel his alphaness in this way, but observing Denni’s taut features, he did.
Hopefully, after today, he could convince his husband to rest.