Page 24 of Talk About… History

“I stopped for gas, then had lunch at Starlight Diner. The woman who greeted me treated me like family and answered just about a million questions about the town. When I heard that it used to be full of artisans, I just knew this was my sign.”

“Did you always want to run a shop like this? Was that plan in place before you found Rockwood Valley?”

“I used to spend summers out at my uncle’s farm. He taught me how to make mead. Maybe not the best for a preteen but I loved mixing everything. It felt like making potions or something. When he realized how much I loved it, he taught me everything he knew to the point I spent every school break there so I could soak it all in.”

“I bet he’s proud of you for all this,” I said, gesturing around his packed shop.

His smile fell and my chest ached sharply in response, like seeing his pain caused me physical pain as well.

“He would have been,” he agreed with a sad smile, not divulging more and I was definitely not going to press for details.

“What is your favorite thing here to make, and what is your least?”

He let out a chuckle. “Mead is definitely my favorite. Least would have to be the lotions. I swear, one wrong move and you’ve ruined a whole batch. The trial and error period is always a war zone.”

“Do you have a secret warehouse around here where you make all these concoctions… or potions, rather?” I asked, teasing him a little.

Our chemistry was finally kicking in, both of us leaning closer and words coming so much easier.

I didn’t feel nervous, just curious. There was an instinctual urge to know everything about this beta. It was strong enough that I wanted to keep the conversation going.

He laughed, the sound rich and smooth, wrapping around me and sending an involuntary shiver down my spine I knew I’d have to edit out later.

“When I bought this place, I also bought this cute little house on the outskirts of town. There was a huge barn on the property and I had it converted into my mad scientist workshop,” he explained. “I’ll have to give you a tour soon, show you where the magic happens.”

We both fell silent, sharing a smile that was far too intimate for this moment. My stomach was full of butterflies being this close to him. Even though we were awkward, I didn’t have any of the usual insecurities that crept up when meeting new people.

He felt safe.

And holy fuck that terrified me.

The bell above the door rang and we both jumped apart like we’d been caught. The old woman smirked at us but waved us off, snagging a basket from the front before going off to browse.

I cleaned up the counter so he could do his job, taking the time to poke around a bit. I’d missed the mead selection the first time around, or likely overlooked it because I wasn’t a huge non-social drinker, but I was curious now.

The older woman and I met up right as I stopped at the shelf. She gave me a knowing look and I let out a chuckle.

“That obvious?”

She shrugged. “I know blossoming love when I see it. Just make sure that boy treats you right. Us omegas get enough shit without dealing with jerks, too.”

She sounded like she was speaking from experience.

“Oh, I learned that one recently,” I admitted before sneaking a look at Cohen. “But I think he just might be different.”

“Don’t let one asshole ruin your chance at finding a pack, either.” Her wise words were followed by a wink before she snagged a bottle. “If you like tart, the cherry pomegranate is phenomenal.”

“Done,” I said, snagging a bottle for myself. “Actually, I’m recording some footage for the mayor. Would you mind if I got your name and recorded you shopping and checking out? I might include it in the final footage if you’re open to it.”

Her smile lit up at that. “I always knew I’d find my fifteen minutes. It’s my time to shine!”

I laughed as she opened up her purse and pulled out a pocket mirror, primping in front of it for a second before snapping it closed.

“My name is Sadie Meyers. Video away,” she encouraged.

Following Sadie around the shop was hilarious. She would pose every so often and it was long enough I knew I could snag some stills for the site as well. Eventually she stopped working the camera and continued browsing, offering little bits of her favorite selections and sage advice. This was exactly what I needed. Seeing real people and getting real insight into the town and its people.

By the time we got to the front, Cohen was relaxed and ready, chatting with her like an old friend while I filmed. She cracked a few jokes that had him throwing his head back as he cracked up.

---