“Me?” I laugh. “Not at all. My housemate, Delilah, has basically kept me alive the entire time I’ve been at SVU. Before that, I had a private chef.” I groan and cover my face. “I know how privileged that sounds. Truth is, I never had anyone who could teach me how. Delilah offered, but I’m always so busy working that I’d rather grab something to go.”
“Hey!” Calder snatches a packet of chips from Hale’s clutches before he has the chance to open it. “No snacks before dinner. You can prepare the salad.”
“Fine,” Hale groans, but his grin tells me he’s not really mad. When he opens the fridge, I see that the shelves are filled with colorful fresh produce. Hale must notice me staring, adding, “I asked my parents’ housekeeper to stock up before we arrived.”
“Your parents have a housekeeper?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.
He opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by his ringing cell phone. “Sorry, it’s work.” His shoulders tense as he looks at the screen and draws in a deep breath. “I gotta take this. The salad will have to wait.”
This is the third time he’s had to take a work call on the trip already.
“They seem to be hassling him,” I comment as Hale heads off to take the call, talking in a low, clipped tone. “Surely, they have other workers they can call on a weekend to make deliveries? He can’t be the only one. I thought he took the time off?”
“Hale’s job is a little more complicated than you think,” Calder replies. “But that’s his story to tell.”
I file away that information for later as Riven steps up to prepare the green salad to go with the pasta Calder’s making.
Stepping away from the stove, Calder pours me a glass of wine that he insists will pair perfectly. He watches me take my first sip. “What do you think?”
“Not bad.” I play down how good it is. “It has a sharp bite of raspberry and cherry, followed by vanilla and maybe a dash of dark chocolate. Very layered.”
“You know your wines,” Calder grins, impressed.
“After going to many dinner parties with my dad, I learned a thing or two.” I shrug. “Although half the art of wine tasting is trying to sound as pretentious as possible.”
Riven snorts, opting for a black cherry seltzer instead.
“Sorry about that.” Hale returns, breathless.
“You arrived just in time.” Calder starts plating up our food. “I’ll put Ezra’s in the fridge for later.”
Even though there’s a table, we all sit on barstools around the island to eat. Between mouthfuls, I learn more about how they met. Calder and Riven met at school, Calder and Hale’s parents are friends—so they met through years of family parties—and Hale’s parents basically took Ezra in as another child when hemoved to town as a teenager. The four of them becoming a pack after learning their designations felt like a natural fit.
“You’ll have to give Delilah your arrabbiata sauce recipe,” I tell Calder. He’s a surprisingly good chef.
He winks. “Only if she trades her muffin one.”
“I don’t know. If she does that…” I lower my voice, “she’d have to kill you.”
“Why don’t you sit down and relax, Kady?” Hale says when we’ve all finished eating and I stand up to clear our plates. “We can clean up before dessert.”
“It’s okay.” I remain standing. “I can help.”
“We’ll manage.” Hale’s tone is firm, like there’s nothing I can say to change my mind. “You’ve had a long day. Just relax.”
I narrow my eyes. “What’s the catch?”
Hale laughs. “Are you always so suspicious?”
“I’m a reporter and law student,” I remind him. “It comes with the territory.”
“We have a gorgeous omega staying with us for the weekend.” Hale folds his arms over his chest. “Is it really so hard to believe we want to take care of you?”
I purse my lips. It’s true that it’s in an alpha’s nature to care for an omega, but I still struggle to believe people act without hidden agendas.
“Go.” Calder shoos me with a tea towel. “That’s an order. From your boss.”
“Fine.” I roll my eyes. “But know that I’m not following your orders, I just want to snag the best spot on the sofa.”
