Page 11 of Small Town Shy Omega
“Every word out of your lips is a miracle,” Josh hummed, and he tilted my jaw toward his…
And he kissed me.
I’d been talking about my feelings, my problems, and when Josh touched his lips to mine… For thatmoment,at least, certainly not for a lifetime or in general or anything, but for thatmoment…
My worries faded.
It was just me, Josh, and the moonlight, and the hands of the clock. The cicadas hummed outside, and all of Applewood Falls was asleep.
Of course, I did start thinking about my former mother-in-law again a few days later, but Blake, Josh, and Dreydon had a way of taking my mind off her, like I’d never had the misfortune of knowing her.
I was afraid to cross a little eddy in the river, a place where the tree that I’d used as a bridge a few weeks earlier had broken.
Blake looked at me, and instead of frowning, instead of growing cross or worse yet—telling me toHurry upandJust cross already, Layla—he simply removed his coat, and used it to pad the second trunk that he’d felled, laying it across the eddy. A second tree bridge.
“I used my coat to give you better footing, Layla. That way, you won’t slip on the damp bark.”
I walked across the tree, and I felt like I was floating. “Thank you,” I blushed, and my big, strapping Alphas all charged across the eddy, not even bothering with the bridge. Blake lifted his coat, like a man, and shook it off, and then slid it on.
We walked to a little glen, and Dreydon laid a blanket and spread a picnic lunch. We had fine cheeses, toasty bread, grapes and wine, and for dessert, chocolate raspberries.
I rested my head against Dreydon’s shoulder, and Blake reached out, rubbing my thigh.
“You remind me of a character from Shakespeare,” Blake said poetically, and I ticked my eyebrow up because I couldn’t believe his poetry.
“Oh, which one?”
“Cleopatra,” Blake said softly, his blue eyes on mine. “You give queen energy, baby… You have a beautiful soul, and you captivate all the men in your vicinity.”
All the men, I thought, and I let out a laugh. Even in my glasses, Blake thought I was… a queen.
“Oh, you know that’s not true.” And I ate a slice of cheese toast.
Dreydon looked at me seriously.
“Blake is right, Layla. You’re the fairest, most exceptionally beautiful Omega we’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“It’s an honor to be with you,” Josh growled, issuing me a nod. “To serve you. To perform work on your cottage. To perform manual labor tasks for you, and keep your land safe.”
My Alphas kept their word.That afternoon, after they safely guided me back home, they escorted me to my safe, cozy porch chair, and they worked.
They re-fenced my garden, tilled weeds, cut my grass, and even swept up the trimmings. They fertilized my lawn, and when a little deer and her faun came trotting by later, even the two animals were impressed by the changes.Like Bambi,I thought.Bambi and her mama like the work my Alphas have done to my garden.
The entire time my Alphas worked, I leaned back in my porch swing, novel in hand.
So lazy,I thought guilty, too busy effortlessly turning the thick paper pages, to be of much help.I am a lazy lazy girl… But they don’t mind.
My garden fence was mended, and the weeds had been plucked. My yard looked spic and span, and if there were fairies in the forest you bet they’d sprinkle some magic dust here.
“My cottage is presentable now,” I said, so grateful for the help. Tears actually welled in my eyes: and I hugged my chest, trying so hard not to appear weak.
Vulnerable… like I couldn’t maintain this property myself, like I thought I could when I inherited it from Grandpa.
No Omega wants to feel that she’s not self-sufficient.
“Hey,” Blake said softly, walking up to me upon seeing my damp eyes, flickering with tears behind my soda-bottle glasses.He wrapped one arm around my waist, holding me snug. “You could’ve done this yourself, Layla—I believe in you, and Iknowyou could.”
“You’re strong,” Josh growled, walking to my other side. He held my hand. “You just… didn'twantto do this work, perfect girl. You like to read, it’s not that youcouldn’tre-fence your garden, with all these big, heavy logs—"
