Leo
You ok? I’m getting a little worried
The ice in the two lattes had completely melted and the food was cold when I brought them into my shop and set them on the counter next to the bottle of latte syrup I’d convinced Ella to sell me yesterday. Lucy’s shop listed its opening time as nine a.m., but I’d never seen her open right at nine. She usually ran ten to twenty minutes late…sometimes closer to an hour. But it was two hours past opening and she was nowhere to be found.
I hesitated, trying to decide what to do next. Maybe one of her friends had heard from her? Ivy would be at school, which left Summer or Olive. I decided to start with Summer, since her bakery was closer. If she wasn’t there, I’d go to the lighthouse.
I grabbed my cane and crossed Main Street, heading down the block until I reached Suns Out Bánhs Out. I peered through the window and let out a sigh of relief when I spotted Summer. She was having an animated discussion with—I shifted to the side to see better—Felix. Well, it wasn’t like I could judge. I’d had way too many one-sided conversations with the town mayor.
I knocked on the glass door and Summer waved me inside.
“Hey, Leo! Perfect timing. We need you to settle a debate.”
“We?”
Summer gestured between her and Felix.
I cleared my throat. “Right.”
“Felix thinks we should paint the inside of the store orange tomatch his fur, but I think we should lean more yellow to match the awning.”
I glanced down at Felix and took a tiny step back at his expression. The phraseif looks could killdanced through my mind.
“Uhh.” What do I do?What do I do???Yellow would fit the overall theme better, but I didn’t want to give Felix a reason to suffocate me in my sleep, especially since he somehow possessed the ability to walk through walls. At least, I was pretty sure that was the most logical explanation for the other day when I’d walked into my bedroom and found him curled up on my pillow.
“I don’t really know anything about paint,” I said noncommittally. “I’m sorry for interrupting this, uhh, business meeting. I just wanted to see if you’ve heard from Lucy this morning.”
“I actually haven’t. I sent her a text earlier, but she didn’t answer. I know she made it to Boston okay, though, so I assume she’s just doing her errands before heading back. She always forgets to charge her phone.”
“Boston?”
Summer cocked her head. “Yeah. It was a last-minute trip. Why? Do you need her?”
Yes. Desperately.
“No. I was just going to take a look at her ankle wrap and was worried when she wasn’t in her shop.” I tripped over a small stack of boxes on my way to the door. I blurted out an apology and gave Summer and Felix an awkward wave as I left.
Lucy was okay. That was all that mattered.
She’d had to go to Boston last minute and just forgot about our date. It was just a miscommunication, not her rejecting me because I was a beta or used a cane.
Unless…
Had she changed her mind because my suggestion for a date was coffee and wrapping her ankle? It had seemed like a brilliant plan to ease Lucy into dating, but I should have gone all-out.
It was fine. I would track her down once she got home and check in, and I wouldn’t be all pathetic about being stood up.
I headed back inside my shop, slamming the door closed behind me.
22
Lucy
King pulled up to myshop and I was smacked in the face with déjà vu of being in exactly this spot a few days ago with Wilder.
I’d woken up in King’s arms. We’d had slow morning sex and room service pancakes before heading to Boston’s fabric district. I’d expected the alpha to be impatient as I dug through bins of fabric, but he didn’t complain or roll his eyes once. Whenever I found a hidden gem, he held out his arm so he could carry it for me.
Shopping always put me in a good mood, but it had never felt likethis, like I was practically walking on air. I’d fantasized about this for so long—being spoiled and cherished by an alpha even while doing something mundane.
