“No.”
This has gone on long enough. Lia’s crowded, I’m crowded, everyone is much too crowded. Her scent is agitating my Alpha. She’s supposed to smell sweet and bright, not heavy and burnt.
“Mom. Dad,” I say as I slip in front of them. “Let me walk you out.”
Mom holds up her finger. “But?—”
“No,” I say as I level her with a look that lets her know I mean business. “I love you guys. I hope you have a fantastic trip. I’ll make sure to eat dinner. But I have to get back to my schedule and you two have to remember what it’s like to have a life outside of this place.”
I don’t give them a chance to ask any more questions or interject anything else with Lia. With my hands on the middle of my parents’ backs, I usher them out of the kitchen and down the hallway. I weave through the main building of the vineyard, sticking to the back corridors so that none of the staff stop me with any of their questions.
I have to get back to Lia. She’s the one that needs me right now.
“She’s beautiful,” Mom says with that coy smile of hers as I get them out to their car.
“She’s using the kitchen for her freelance baking business. Nothing more, nothing less,” I say as I open her car door for her.
“Keep telling yourself that, son,” my father says with a cheeky grin.
I shoot him a look. “Travel safely.”
I get the two of them into their car and wave them off, but the weight on my shoulders doesn’t fall off the way I would have hoped. I tilt my head side to side, cracking my neck before I reorient myself. I wrap around the back of the vineyard and enter through one of the side entrances, quickly making my way back to the kitchen where Lia, Eli, and Knox are gathered.
I don’t know what to say, so I simply clear my throat. “If you’re ready, I can show you around the kitchen.”
Lia nods quickly. “That would be great.”
I hold my hand out, ushering her in. I walk her around, explaining the layout, the storage, the ventilation, the dual ovens. There’s a microwave if she needs it, but all she does is wrinkle her cute little nose at it. I even show her the walk-in that she can use for anything she may need to store. I keep it practical. Neutral. Businesslike.
I’m honestly just glad my parents aren’t following us around.
“I fixed up this oven for you,” Knox says as he comes over and slaps his hand down onto the stovetop. “It was producing heat unevenly, but now it works like a charm. If you have issues with it, though, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Doesn’t take me long to get here from my place in town.”
Lia’s fingers brush the stainless steel. “I appreciate that, Knox, thank you.”
“There’s plenty of counter space,” Eli adds casually. “You’ll have a lot of space here. No more dropped trays of cinnamon rolls. And it’s quiet back here. Good for your focus.”
Lia turns slowly, taking it all in. I watch something akin to hope, or maybe relief, flicker behind her breathtaking eyes before she reins it in.
Good.
She needs some relief after what just happened to her apartment.
“This is… more than I expected,” Lia admits.
I meet her gaze. “You’re welcome to use it as long as you need.”
Lia peeks up at me. “Are you sure you don’t need me to pay anything for it? If there’s a fee, I can?—”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Silence stretches between the two of us. That nervousness of hers has crept back in again. She’s fiddling with her fingers. Shuffling side to side on her feet.
“This kitchen isn’t currently in use, anyway,” I say, keeping my tone as even as possible. I don’t want her to feel forced into any of this. “Kitchens need regular use, otherwise you get things like what Knox had to fix on the oven. In all honesty, you’re doing me a favor. As of right now, the vineyard doesn’t have a purpose for this kitchen. This would give it purpose, at least for now.”
She searches my face. “Are you sure?”
