Page 14 of Her Grumpy Alpha

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the cozy breakfast nook. I had awakened with a sense of determination, resolute in my decision to finally share the truth about Gregory with James. But as I watched him across the table, his demeanor had shifted, and that commitment began to waver. He wasn’t in the same mood as before. He wasn’t all happy and smiling with me, which made it hard for me to bring up something so important. Something I wanted him to take well.

It wasn’t my fault, I reminded myself as I attempted to gear myself up for a very challenging talk. Neither of us thought about protection in the heat of the moment, and we didn’t share contact details. I couldn’t have told him anything about the baby, even if I wanted to.

But none of that made me feel any better. I still kinda knew I was about to unleash something very awkward.

“James,” I began, my voice tentative, “there’s something important I need to tell you.”

He looked up from his plate, his expression growing more guarded. “What is it, Sadie?”

I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. But before I could say a thing, there was a hard hammering at James’ door that immediately dragged his eyes away from me. As he rose to his feet, I tried to grab him, to keep him with me in this conversation, but he was distracted.

“I need to see who that is,” he muttered. “It might be clan related.”

Work, again. Business, again. I folded my arms protectively across my chest as it hit me that I wasn’t going to drag his attention back to me. Even if I was about to tell him about his son. If James couldn’t make time to even spare me five minutes to hear me out, how the hell would he ever have time to get to know his son? No man around was better for Gregory than someone who couldn’t get to know him properly and care for him.

“I suppose I better go then,” I said as I stood up quickly.

“No, you don’t have to…”

“I wouldn’t want to get in the way of clan business.” I shoved my bag over my shoulder as my expression darkened. “I wouldn’t want to be in your way at all.”

“You don’t have to be like that,” he insisted, but it was too late, and I had made my decision.

With that, I turned and headed for the door, my steps growing quicker, and the tears that had threatened to spill over were now streaming down my cheeks. I had hoped for a nice, honest conversation, but instead, I was met with a stoic version of James that only cared about business. As I left the breakfast nook and stepped out the door, I couldn’t help but stomp away in frustration, determined to distance myself from the painful encounter.

“Oh, Brian,” James said with disappointment as I pushed past the stranger. But that didn’t affect the man at all. He simply smirked at me, like he’d caught me in the middle of something embarrassing. Maybe this happened all the time and I was just another notch on James’ bed. Great.

But I kept on going because I didn’t care about this Brian or whatever business he had with James. I just wanted to go. The early morning sunlight felt cold on my cheeks, and I wiped away the tears that continued to escape. My heels clicked against the pavement, echoing in the quiet neighborhood.

What is that? There was a strange paranoia trickling down my spine. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge, and it felt like someone was watching me and I didn’t know who. Maybe I was just paranoid and freaking out, but I couldn’t shake it off.

I carried on toward my own home, a quaint farmhouse not too far away. The streets were empty, and the quiet of the morning seemed to magnify my every step. But the nagging feeling didn’t go anywhere. I glanced over my shoulder, scanning my surroundings. I saw nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual picturesque countryside. But as I continued walking, the nasty sensation of being watched persisted. I quickened my pace, unable to shake the feeling that someone was tailing me.

My heart began to race, and I cursed myself for my paranoia. Maybe it was just the tension with James playing tricks on my mind. But when I reached my home, I decided to remain vigilant, peering out through the curtains, trying to spot anyone suspicious. I wasn’t about to have my life in Maple Creek ruined over whatever this was. Even if it was nothing.

EIGHT

JAMES

As time passed, it became increasingly evident that the connection between Sadie and me was far from fading. If anything, our feelings for each other had grown stronger with each encounter, no matter how hard I tried to rationalize it in my mind. I couldn’t deny the magnetic pull she had on me, her vibrant personality, and the way she breathed life in o even the dullest of moments. There was an undeniable spark between us, one that had ignited during our time in Cancun and seemed impossible to extinguish.

Yet, I continued to try and remind myself that we still had issues, convinced that our incompatibilities were insurmountable. My rigid, structured life clashed with her free spirit, which was definitely still there, even if she had grown up, and her unyielding determination too. It was frustrating because, in my heart, I knew I was the one putting up barriers between us.

Despite our disagreements and the times we butted heads, our love life remained a passionate, intoxicating affair. We were drawn to each other like moths to a flame, unable to keep our hands off of one another. There was a longing in our eyes whenever we were apart, a yearning that grew stronger by the day.

“James,” Sadie would say, her voice a breathy whisper after one of our intimate encounters, “I can’t help but think about you all the time.”

I’d chuckle, unable to keep from smiling. “The feeling is mutual, Sadie. You’re on my mind constantly. I can’t seem to get enough of you.”

But as we lay entwined in each other’s arms, I still couldn’t totally help but feel the weight of the issues that still separated us. Sadie was determined to pry me out of my shell, to show me that life could be more than just responsibility and structure. Yet, I was resisting, convinced that our differences were too great to overcome. These moments were lovely, but the arguments and disagreements kept happening as well. It was so hard to find the right balance.

We both knew that we were on a precipice, teetering between the undeniable love we shared and the insurmountable hurdles that stood in our way. And I couldn’t help but wonder if, in the end, our desire would be enough to bridge the chasm between us.

It had been a few weeks since Sadie and I had officially started dating, and despite our differences, we were navigating through the complexities of our relationship. However, something had been gnawing at me, a nagging feeling that Sadie was keeping something from me. That was another issue I was facing. Every so often, she would get a look on her face like she wanted to tell me something, but nothing would come out. I couldn’t force her to tell me, I wasn’t the type to push if I wasn’t wanted. And more than that, I had all of my own issues to contend with. I was still struggling with Brian and the power he seemed to have over people. Especially the women. If I didn’t figure it out soon, I was going to lose everything…

But I did sometimes wonder what it was that she was keeping to herself.

One sunny afternoon, as I was driving past the daycare, I spotted the antagonist in my life, Brian, the same man who had become a constant thorn in my side, openly flirting with Sadie as she stood outside of her workplace. She was smiling at him, looking a little like she might be under his spell as well. A rush of irrational jealousy surged through me, and I couldn’t keep myself from pulling over and storming into the daycare with a clouded mind.

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