“Bank’s closed.”
“It’s two in the afternoon on a Thursday.”
“They close early on Thursdays.”
“Since when?”
Grayson gives me a look that would make most people melt into the pavement. I just grin wider.
My attention shifts back down the street as the door to Caro’s shop swings open again. Out steps Dr. Holly Chang, clutching asmall shopping bag like it contains state secrets. Her face is a fascinating mix of relief and barely contained panic.
The pieces click together in my brain, and I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up. “Look at you stalking our new doc! Who are you, the neighborhood watch?”
Grayson’s jaw tightens visibly, even beneath the bandana. His eyes narrow to dangerous slits.
“Let’s go,” he mutters, grabbing my arm and steering me toward the general store with more force than necessary. “IPA you ordered is in.”
“Ow! Easy on the merchandise,” I protest, though I let him push me along. “I bruise like a peach.”
As we approach the store, I notice a small crowd of irritated-looking customers waiting outside. A handwritten sign in the window says he’d be back in five minutes, but judging by the collective grumpiness, Grayson has been gone for significantly longer than that.
“It’s been over an hour, Lambe!” calls out Mrs. Henderson, waving her empty canvas bag accusingly. “This is ridiculous. I should have dinner on the table by now.”
Grayson ignores her completely, fishing keys from his pocket and unlocking the door. He flips the sign around without a word.
I offer the waiting customers an apologetic shrug. “The customer service here is terrible. I’ve been saying it for years. You should all write strongly worded letters.”
“Inside,” Grayson growls.
I slip past him with a mock salute, the bell jingling cheerfully above my head. The contrast between the darkness of dusk outside and the bright interior of the store makes me blink as my eyes adjust. Heat Mountain General Store is a fascinating mix of practical necessities and bizarre oddities—fishing tackle next to handwoven dreamcatchers, canned goods beside artisanalcandles that smell likemountain courage—whatever the hell that is.
Grayson moves behind the counter, pointedly ignoring the line of customers now filing in with exaggerated sighs and muttered complaints.
“So,” I say, leaning against the counter and watching him sort through a stack of receipts, “what’s your opinion of our new doctor now that you’ve seen her in person?”
His hands pause for a microsecond before continuing their task. “Don’t have one.”
“Oh, come on. You were clearly following her. What’s the deal? You think she’s suspicious? Dangerous? Secretly plotting to overthrow the mayor and establish a medical dictatorship?”
Grayson shoots me a look that would make a lesser man’s blood run cold. I just wiggle my eyebrows at him.
“Drop it, Kai.”
“I’m just saying, if you’re going to stalk someone, at least be subtle about it. Following her into a heat supply store? Amateur hour, my friend.”
Both Grayson and Noah have shown an unusual interest in our new doctor. Noah has been adamant about keeping his distance from anything resembling attachment since he came back to town. Grayson has always treated social interaction like it’s a communicable disease.
Yet here they both are, circling this newcomer like they just can’t help themselves.
It’s not like Heat Mountain lacks attractive omegas. We’ve got plenty, and enough are more than happy to engage in casual fun with no strings attached. The three of us have always had an unspoken agreement to keep things simple—no complications, no weird pack dynamics, no messy emotions. Just friendship and the occasional shared conquest when the mood strikes.
So what is it about Holly Chang that’s got them both so fixated?
“You know,” I say, lowering my voice as Grayson rings up Mrs. Henderson’s groceries, “Noah has been talking about her a lot, too. Like a little more than makes any actual sense. Seems like she made quite the impression.”
Grayson’s shoulders tense slightly. Interesting.
“Maybe I should introduce myself properly,” I continue, watching his reaction closely. “Get to know the woman who’s got you two all worked up.”
