Page 103 of Claiming Their Omega

I frown. “What are you carrying?”

It’s the gigantic pink bear I pointed out. Easton hands it to me. “It’s for you.”

I clutch the bear to me, my heart swelling with joy. I know that it’s just a silly bear, and I’m not a nine-year-old kid anymore. But it still means so much to me that he went out of his way to get me something, especially something that he instantly knew would mean a lot to me. No hesitation, he just… did it.

Easton’s so kind that way. So thoughtful. It means the world to me.

I clutch the bear to my chest. It’s almost as big as I am. “Thank you Easton, seriously.” I get up onto my tiptoes and brace a hand on his chest to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“Easton?”

We all turn in time to see none other than Easton’s grandparents walking up to us. They’re wearing some strings of colorful beads that I know are a prize for a fishing pool game, and have big smiles on their faces.

“Nan! Grandpa!” Easton strides over and hugs them both. “I didn’t know you’d be here today.”

“As if we’d ever miss the county fair,” his grandmother says. “We might be retired, but we still like to get out and enjoy life. And this is one of our favorite events of the year.”

“It’s lovely to see you both,” I say earnestly. “I’m glad you’re having fun.”

“And it’s good to see you all having fun!” She winks at Easton. “Someone here is clearly having fun. Did you win that bear?”

“I bought it,” Easton admits, a bit sheepishly.

“Bought!” His grandfather fake gasps in outrage. “You’re supposed to win the prize for your girl, did we not raise you right?”

I laugh and the other three men grin wolfishly at Easton, who glares at them. “Oh, don’t you all start.”

“We’re so glad we ran into you,” his grandmother continues. “You seem so happy and goodness knows you could use a lot more of that! I wonder why…”

She winks at me, and I can feel myself blushing. When I glance at Easton, he looks like he wants to blush too and is trying valiantly to hold it back.

“Well, it is nice to have her around, I suppose,” he says. “Another pair of hands to help with the chores.”

“Hey!”

“Oh, that’s why he looks happier than we’ve ever seen him,” his grandfather teases. “He finally found someone else to do the laundry. He always hated that.”

I know they’re teasing, but I can’t help but stop breathing for a moment when I hear him say happier than we’ve ever seen him. I don’t think they’re kidding about that.

And that makes me happier than I can say.

We chat for another few minutes, then Easton’s grandparents excuse themselves, saying they need to get home and go to bed. It is starting to get late, dark all around us, the fairground lit up like an oasis of light in the wide dark of the country.

After playing some more games and finally having a tie breaker with Jesse, I’m hungry again, and so are the men. So we head to get something else to eat, then we decide to go watch the musical performances.

As we walk, Jesse teasing Hendrix for being unable to decide what to eat so he got five different things again, Easton pulls me in close with an arm around me. “It’s true.”

I look up at him. “What?”

“What my grandparents said, about—about how happy I am.” Easton’s face is a little flushed, his eyes soft and vulnerable. “It’s true.”

My heart thuds in my chest. “Me too,” I whisper back to him.

I really can’t remember a time I’ve felt this happy. This content.

Before I can examine that or start to worry about what that means, I hear a low whistle that sends a shiver down my spine. “Well, well, well, look what we have here.”

I suddenly wish I hadn’t eaten so much as I look over and see the McAllisters standing there. All three of them look both disturbingly happy and angry to see us, and I find myself pressing in close to Easton instinctively. But I don’t want these men to notice that I’m uncomfortable, so I force myself to square my shoulders and stand strong.

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