Page 37 of Harvest Moon

“We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet,” he said. His voice was low and deep, strangely pleasant and so calm I’d wager he never got upset about anything. “I’m Birch Wilson, Claudia’s husband.”

“Ridge Paterson.”

He had an easy handshake, for an alpha. Alexis had told me he was a teacher—weird profession for an alpha, when it required so much patience and gentleness—but when Birch smiled at me, I didn’t doubt he was great at it.

“I’m here to pick up Alexis, Mr. Wilson. We’re going apple picking.”

He chuckled. “Oh, I heard. Come on in. I’m sure he’ll just be another minute. Can I get you anything? Something to drink maybe?”

“A sip of water would be mighty nice, sir.”

I was taking a cold drink when Alexis came through from the hallway. In the bright light of the kitchen, his tight green T-shirt highlighted the contours of his chest, no doubt formed from hiking and climbing and running and—

And my mouth went dry just looking at him, taking in the way the greenish flecks in his eyes caught the light.

I swallowed hard, though there wasn’t any water left in my mouth.

“You ready to go?” he asked, grabbing a hoodie off the coat rack.

I nodded. “Soon as you are.”

Claudia came in behind him, a hand low on her belly and a soft, amused smile on her face.

“Mrs. Wilson,” I said with a nod. “’S a pleasure.”

Her hand flew to her chest. “Oh god, that accent. You’re too much. But please, call me Claudia.”

“Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Claudia.” I looked between her and her husband. “Can we bring you anything back from the orchard?”

“Pie,” Claudia said without missing a beat. “Pie, please.”

Alexis gave her a narrow-eyed look, but Birch smiled like she hung the stars.

“You two have a nice time,” Birch said, clapping Alexis’s shoulder on the way past, trailing after Claudia like the besotted wolf he so clearly was.

I cocked a brow at Alexis and his plump, pursed lips.

“The pieisreal good,” I said.

With a huff, he stuffed his arms into his hoodie. “Oh, I know. It’s great pie. So I guess we’ll get one.”

I grinned, holding my arm out for him to go and lead the way back to my truck. “See, all I’m hearing there is you’re a sucker for pie.”

“Sucker for a couple things,” he said, glaring over his shoulder at me.

And if my heart skipped at that, well, who could blame me?

21

Alexis

It was a weird combination of comfortable and new, getting into Ridge’s truck in front of Claudia’s house.

The truck was the same. Okay, maybe it was a little more worn, the seat cover a little more faded from the sun, but it was Ridge’s truck. I’d spent so long there in that cab, it felt like home.

A decent number of my teenage sexual fantasies had involved that truck, in fact.

For Ridge? I wouldn’t have minded losing my virginity with a gearshift jammed into my kidney at all.

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