Page 91 of Scent of Home

Chapter twenty-six

Shane

I stop beside Eustice,and she smiles up at me, though she struggles to maintain eye contact. My mirth is difficult to contain. I guess Finn’s explosion has actually worked. I was wondering how long it was going to go on.

The town had put him in a box and was subconsciously trying to keep him there. The same way they pushed Brayson away. Two sides of the same problem. Oh, I’ve seen the way they’ve watched each other, warily but full of lust and a misunderstanding that neither understood.

I’d seen it, noting it, wrote about it, but it wasn’t my place to say. The one time I had, Finn had gotten so angry he’d almost hit me.

The town is on edge, but it’s quickly apparent that they want to make reparations. Every time we go to leave, we get stopped by someone else who wants to talk. It seems everyone is trying to make sure we’re okay with them.

What is more alarming is the conversation I just had with sheriff Sanderson. People have stayed in town, a couple dozen people, filling up the hotels, leaving few rental homes available.

“Argh, enough of these bad tidings. News spread, and I heard about Finn and Bray.” Sanderson’s gaze grows distant, his wrinkles deeper, and he hoists his jeans up higher on his stocky frame. He’s a good solid beta who loves this town deeply and has been sheriff for what seems ever.

“Yes? What of it?”

The sheriff grunts. “Oh, nothing, good to see. I’m happy for you, too. Knew you were one of us. I always told my dear Jinny before she passed that you three were made for each other. Always. It’s good to see.”

I shook my head and asked him instead about the accidents. Anything to get off the strange musings of our relationships.

There have been multiple accidents around town. Some strange happenings that are twanging my nerves. I don’t like it. The strangest issue was Jess, the girl who has been harassing Locke. She’d tripped down some stairs and was found with a broken leg, unconscious on the last day of the festival.

Holly smiles at me as I approach her and fairly vibrates with nerves. Her crush is adorable but ill-fated. I’m not for her, but she is nice, and I don’t want to embarrass her, so I pretend I can’t see it.

“We don’t want Finn to leave. Everyone’s okay with it, and we’ll be nice to Bray. You’ll tell them, won’t you?”

I nod mutely.

“And,” she takes a breath and lets it out quickly. “I am happy for you.”

I don’t even know what to say to that. It’s so strange. “Uh, thank you?”

She gives me a tight-lipped smile and flutters off.

I turn in a half circle, wondering what the fuck to think of this day. Locke smirks at me, and I head in his direction but pause on the sidewalk when I see Alma dragging Brayson down to the bookstore.

Finn follows behind, saying something and looking concerned. But Erin isn’t worried, she’s laughing. Locke’s laughing. Bray looks panicked. I’m torn between rushing off and rescuing him and waiting here. In the end, I decide to trust.

I scratch my beard and make my way to Locke.

“Are you done causing all this mischief yet?” I ask quietly. He spreads joy everywhere, the town adores him. I don’t even know how he’s been embraced by them so fast. It took years for people to see me as one of them. It’s taken him and Erin days.

Locke smirks up at me and leans against me. I love the way he feels, that warmth, the supple strength of his body. The scent surrounds us and, for a couple of seconds, no one else exists on this Earth but me and this omega.

“You know, now that people don’t know where I am, I feel like I can be me and have fun. Like the threat of something bad happening is just a threat and a distant one. It’s nice.”

His ability to bring me peace is second to none, but to see him in peace brings the kind of contentment I didn’t think existed. That scent of his is a balm to old wounds. His presence takes away every single lonely minute and fear I’ve ever had. Locke makes my world make sense. He brings clarity, certainty that this is my future, that this is my fate.

He is home.

“Locke?”

“Mmm?”

“What is your favourite thing about performing?”

He frowns and steps back, gesturing for me to join him as he walks.

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