“You’re incredible,” I murmured. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“Anything for you.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and pressed my face to his chest, inhaling his sweet pastry scent and wishing I could dig my teeth into his skin and make him mine forever.
41
OLIVE
I tiltedmy head as a weird scratching sounded at the door. I was alone for the first time in days. My guys had reluctantly returned to work this Monday morning. There was some complicated thing that needed to happen at this stage in the restoration that required all of them to tackle it.
I begrudgingly got off the couch—still cocooned in my large blanket—and shuffled to the door to see what was making the noise. I was unsurprised when I opened it to find Felix, who meowed loudly and head-butted the door so it opened wider.
“Sure, make yourself at home,” I said, trying to sound annoyed but secretly pleased to see my buddy again. I crouched down to scratch his head. “Where have you been lately?”
I didn’t get an answer, but I did lose my balance, falling back on my butt as Felix tried to get on my lap.
“Thanks for that.” I scratched him under his chin as I leaned my head back on the doorframe. We should move inside instead of sitting here with the door open, letting all the cold air in, but my energy was zapped.
Felix fussed when I stopped petting him, but I was distracted by the two figures heading down the path towards me. Asthey grew closer, I realized it was Lucy and Summer. I froze before glaring down at Felix. “You knew they were coming, didn’t you?”
Felix just rubbed himself against me.
Great. Just great. At least my hair still looked okay after sleeping on my French braids, but I was dressed in an assortment of the guys’ clothes and was swaddled in a blanket.
Lucy gave me a wave when she spotted me. She was wearing a green peacoat with gorgeous floral embroidery on the lapels, and I wondered if she had done it herself. Summer looked great in a mustard yellow jacket and a pink striped scarf. Both omegas had big reusable grocery bags on their arms.
“Hey, Oli,” Lucy said, stopping a good six feet away from me. “We were just coming to drop off some lunch and goodies for you. Lars mentioned you were feeling a little down.”
“We’re not here to intrude or anything,” Summer said, pushing her hair out of her face as the wind whipped around us. “But those boys are terrible cooks, and we didn’t want you to starve.”
I swallowed hard. I couldn’t believe they were here. The first time they’d come with the welcome basket, I’d been so rude. And here they were, trying again.
Felix head-butted my chin, and I got the hint.
“That’s really nice of you,” I said, my voice coming out too quiet. I cleared my throat and asked more loudly, “Would you like to come inside?”
Lucy smiled. “Oh, are you sure?”
No, not really.I still wasn’t feeling quite myself, and was afraid I’d say something to drive my new friends away. But after all the care from my guys, and the passage of time, the most brutal part of my storm seemed to pass. Figuratively and literally—it was still overcast today, but the rain had stopped this morning.
Felix hopped off my lap and strutted inside the house like he owned it, and I clumsily got to my feet.
“Yeah, of course. Please come in.” I gestured for them to go ahead of me.
“Oh, it looks so good in here, Oli!” Lucy said. “Oh my gosh, Ilove this new sectional.” She ran her hand along the back of the sofa. “Green velvet? So fancy.”
I furrowed my brow.New sectional?
“I love this armchair and the new dining table,” Summer said. “It’s a great mix of the vintage furniture and these new pieces. You’ve got a real eye for interior design.”
“No, I don’t,” I blurted out. The two of them looked at me, confused. I pursed my lips and looked down the hall at the lighthouse door. I couldn’t believe my alphas. “I was told the cottage would be furnished, but when I got here, it was empty,” I explained. “The guys were upset when they found out. Apparently, they’d put Finn’s grandparents’ things in storage before I moved in, so yesterday, they moved the furniture back. I told them not to buy me anything new, and theyinsistednone of this was new. Besides the table, which Easton made.” I puffed up a little at that, feeling so ridiculously proud to have such a talented alpha.
Summer snorted out a laugh and put her bag down on the kitchen counter. “What liars. Those alphas are obsessed with you. Let them spoil you. That’s what they’re good for.”
I stared at the couch—the soft, cozy couch that was exactly what I would have picked out. I didn’t know if I wanted to tell off my alphas for lying to me or kiss them for finding a way to sneak me new furniture without me feeling guilty.
“Nope,” Lucy said, nudging my side. “I know that expression. You have that omega look in your eyes that says you’re about to run after your alphas. This is a girls-only lunch.” Then her eyes softened. “Unless you need them?”
