Page 88 of Truth or Pack

"I like her," Bea told me as we walked outside. I took a deep breath, loving the fresh air out here.

"Same, that's why I couldn't put her out of business and didn’t want to compete with her. I want us both to thrive," I said as I climbed back into the passenger seat.

"Like I said. You are too sweet for your own good, but this is one time I agree," Bea told me. "Now get on that phone and do your magic."

Without letting myself overthink, I uploaded the video to all my normal accounts and made sure to use all the hashtags I’d laid out. I’d brainstormed catchy titles, so all I had to do was copy and paste it all.

Bea was watching over my shoulder and when I hesitated to push upload, she reached over and did it for me.

"There, now pocket it and let's find you and Dani the perfect place to get this business up and running," she said as Dani hopped in the back. "Buckle up, bitches, we have a long list of places to look at."

Willow Lake wasn’t big enough for us to have many options, but somehow Bea and her realtor, Jack, had managed to find several.

Unfortunately, every one was worse than the last. They were all in desperate need of upgrades, and I didn’t want to dish out insane amounts of money before we’d had a chance to be successful.

The entire time, my phone was going insane in my pocket but I refused to look at it yet. Though, I definitely wanted to. It was driving me insane.

Jack watched our faces fall again as we walked into the old hardware storefront. I guess the couple that owned it thought it would be cheaper to move than renovate. It was clear that was the right choice from the outdated, cracked tiles and the questionable foundational integrity of the building.

I swear I even saw some mushrooms growing in the storage room. I’d hate to see what a place like this would do to books.

“Okay, this is a no,” he said with a chuckle. “I saved the best for last, though.”

His confidence really didn’t reassure me. Dani, Bea, and I exchanged a look that said as much, but we diligently followed behind him as he walked down main street.

“Now, this one isn’t even listed yet, but it is an insanely good price,” he rambled on as he walked ahead of us. “Great view, perfect location, and plenty of space. The vaulted ceilings are to die for.”

I raised an eyebrow as he came to a stop in front of an old bank. Two stone lions rested outside the grand entrance, the stairs themselves were in good condition and two glass doors were at the top. Jack was already there, putting in his keycode before pushing open the doors.

The inside was gutted, the only structure still standing in the lobby was the long counter where the tellers used to sit.

Everything else was open and he wasn’t kidding about the raised ceilings. They were gorgeous and between all the marble and thick, wood accents, it was a gorgeous space with a ton of character.

When I finally took a second to look at Dani and Bea, their smiles were beaming. They loved it as much as I did.

“Okay, we’re going to need the details,” I said to Jack.

“I hear we’re in need of celebration,” Holt said as I stepped out of the car with Bea. We’d just dropped Dani off at her car, but she was heading our way soon. “And just in time, my parents just pulled in.”

“Wait, what?” I asked, eyes wide as I looked around. Of course they would arrive when I was covered in grime from all of the old buildings we’d toured.

“Don’t worry,” Mathias soothed. “You have plenty of time to get ready. We’re going to have a celebration cookout and bonfire. Ash is already at the store grabbing the very extensive list Holt made for him. You can clean up and breathe.”

“Okay,” I said as I let out a breath. Then a smile took over. “We found the most amazing building. Hopefully, the financials all work out.”

“They will,” Holt said with confidence as they led me inside. It took everything in me to not get all mushy with my pack with Bea trailing in behind us.

Holt’s phone rang, and he was off dealing with something, Mathias going with. That left Bea and I with some girl time and getting ready while we waited for dinner.

Dani showed up right as we finished, all three of us heading for the main house together.

“This ranch is gorgeous,” Dani said. Her voice was wistful, like she’d had this once and missed it.

“Did you grow up on one?” I asked, curious to know more about her. Honestly, that probably should have been the first step in starting this business relationship, but I was, apparently, all about following my heart these days.

“Yeah, I did. My dads were big country guys. I moved out this way for college and only make it home every few months or so. I miss it sometimes, though I love Willow Lake so much more than the town I grew up in. Her eyes darkened, a sign that she had some bad memories in that town.

Now I was even happier we’d become friends. Being alone too much is awful for an omega. Between Bea coming here and Dani living and working with me, I knew the three of us were going to be each other’s family soon enough.

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