Page 76 of Talk About… History

We ordered our coffees, I paid before she could, and stepped aside to wait for them to finish. She was still quiet as we waited and I didn’t push her.

“Mason, Avery,” the barista said, sliding our drinks over with a smile. I slid some money into the tip jar and led Avery outside.

“You know what,” she said, taking a breath then turning to me. “I can do this tomorrow. I don’t want to miss out on pack things and bury myself in work. What should we do?”

“Are you sure?” I countered, wanting her to be positive before getting my hopes up. “I don’t want you to feel guilty and not enjoy something. If you have to work, you have to work.”

“Positive, alpha,” she said firmly. “Actually, there’s a farmers’ market nearby, can we go? I’ve wanted to check it out but I’ve been too busy.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and taking a sip of my coffee. “My car is over here.”

I could feel her melt into the touch and I grinned, happy to have her fully in. It wasn’t a test, I truly would have followed her, but seeing her push it aside to focus on us was a pleasant surprise. It felt like she was letting me in just a little more.

The drive to the market was short. It was simply a row of tables set under a long pavilion that were lined in fruits, vegetables, and some handmade goods.

“The Artisan Fair that used to be run by my dads had this kind of stuff. It was just a lot bigger. These popped up more after that fell through,” she said. “It was one of my favorite memories, just walking up and down the aisles and seeing how proud everyone was of their work. I convinced myself I wanted to do something like that.”

“Really? What were you planning to sell?” I asked, eager to hear more about her past.

She snorted. “I convinced myself I could grow things like my mom. It was a silly dream, I literally kill every plant I try to raise. Mama banned me from her gardens years ago unless I am helping her pull weeds. Even then she keeps an eagle eye on me.”

“I love that your parents were super involved in the community. My family was kind and obviously took Ford on as a second son when he needed us, but we’re not close anymore and they aren’t the ‘go out and do things’ types.”

“I think that’s why I love Rockwood Valley so much,” Avery said as we walked down the row of tables, taking it all in. “It always felt like one big family. Everyone knew far too much about us and I hated those expectations when I was a kid, but now I love that I know I have people looking out for me. It made me feel a lot less alone when I moved back.”

“I’ve definitely noticed that. I see the same people, we exchange nods and small talk, which I used to hate, but here it feels like quick conversations that just continue in a few days. It’s strange, but kind of nice,” I admitted.

I could see how raising a kid there would mean we would have a whole village behind us.

“Oh my god, look at these,” Avery said, grabbing my arm and pulling me behind her. The alpha behind the table chuckled at us and gave me a wink that said he understood clearly. His omega greeted us and she and Avery chatted about pieces. The bracelets were leather and mixed with gems and beads in varying styles.

“Can we get a matching pair of these?" Avery asked, holding up one that was more delicate, the leather braided and dark with a mix of blue-green glass beads. The second was a thicker band with the braided one in front, a set of two glass beads in the middle.

“Actually, we can customize the beads. One that matches your eyes, another that matches his,” the omega said, holding her bracelet up to her face and the alpha doing the same, showing a gray bead that was the same shade as her eyes and a brown one that matched his.

“Let’s do it,” I said. If Avery wanted something that was just for us, I was happy to do it. The bracelets were well made and tasteful, and having something on me that she chose? That was another way to show the world I was taken by my omega.

"Darcy here will have you set in a moment,” the alpha promised, giving her a smile that spoke of years of love and adoration. It was something I might not have noticed before, but now I felt it in my soul. That was how I always wanted to look at Avery. She deserved nothing less.

We wandered the other tables while Darcy worked on our bracelets.

“We’ll have to bring Cohen here, he’d love this selection,” she said as we passed the herb section. “Oh, should I not mention the others when we’re together?”

Her frown was not something I wanted to see on our little date and I pulled her close, kissing her until she was smiling again.

“Baby, we’re pack, you can mention them anytime. I don’t feel slighted or ignored, in fact, they were the ones who suggested we make sure to have one on one time with you. There’s no jealousy, we just want you happy,” I promised.

“It’s so easy with you guys that it almost feels…wrong,” she admitted, chewing on her lip. I tugged her abused lip free and gave her a soft kiss.

“That’s because your comparison is with an awful relationship. This is supposed to be easy. Not to say some things won’t take work and communication, but right now we’re happy and want to give you everything we can so you feel safe, secure, and loved.”

“Who knew that the grumpy, quiet alpha would be so sappy,” she teased, laughing when my jaw dropped and dancing away. I followed after her, my laughter quiet because I knew she was right and didn’t care.

By the time we made it back to Darcy, the bracelets were done. She secured them on our wrists and Avery pulled out her phone, taking a picture of our arms resting against each other.

There was something about the intimacy of our matching set, knowing our eye color was on the other and a subtle claim was in place, that made me want to bite her here and now.

But I’d wait until she was ready… I just hoped we didn’t have to wait long. The sooner I could show the world she was mine, the better.

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