Page 31 of Small Town Shy Omega
The bookstore was owned by Rufus, a fabulous older Beta with a terrific beard. “Layla,” Rufus shouted out, and I smiled at him, asking him how he and his partner, Maxwell, were doing.
Josh growled in my ear, his meaty hand on my back. “Do I have to bejealousof him, dear?”
A laugh escaped me, and I couldn’t help but giggle.
“Rufus is a Beta,” I whispered, liking that Rufus gave me permission to share such a secret, “and he’s getting married to his partner, another Beta, who happens to be a man, at the wedding chapel next September.”
“Ahhhhh,” Josh grunted in understanding. “Gotcha.”
Blake whacked Josh’s arm. “Chill out, broski.”
“Don’t ever call me broski again,” Josh growled, playfully punching Blake.
My Alphas were strong, protective, and they kindly whisked me up the beautiful winding staircase to Whimsical Wonders’s loft-level book nook.
Oversized cozy chairs greeted us, and I plopped down with a Nora Roberts classic that Josh plucked from a shelf. “You have great taste,” Josh growled, flipping through a different Nora Roberts book, sitting in the snug chair across from me.
The chair I was in was too big, and I slipped to the floor.
“Help,” I peeped, my Nora Roberts book falling with aplopon the ground. “Chair’s too big.”
Not one Alpha, buttwowalked over—and promptly lifted me up by the underarms.
“Little Omega,” a deep voice growled, and I recognized it as Dreydon’s at once. “Watch where you’re sitting, sweetheart.”
Blake slid my Nora Roberts book back into my hands, then settled on a bench across from me.
“Look at this beautiful volume of poetry I discovered for you, Layla.La lune est si brillante…Exactly like your eyes. This volume is by Baudelaire. He was a French poet who lived in Paris back before there was even an Eiffel Tower.”
My brow furrowed, and I put aside the wonderful feelings I’d received from Blake reading me romantic French poetry.
“There was a time when Paris didn't have the Eiffel Tower?” I wondered stupidly.
Blake shrugged, setting the book down. “I’m just reading the back flap. Looks like it was installed… in the late nineteenth century.”
Dreydon let out a wolf whistle. “Call me crazy, but I thought the thing had been around forever.”
I shrugged too. “Me too,” I tossed out, going back to my romance novel.
Rufus always baked fresh bread and croissants at Whimsical Wonders, so two of my Alphas went downstairs when they smelled the pastries and brought me a silver tray.
I helped myself to one chocolate croissant, and a jar of clotted cream and jam.
“Allow me.” Blake lifted the small knife and smeared cream and jam on my croissant.
While I ate it, my Omega was the happiest she’d ever been.
“Thank you,” I mumbled through full cheeks, and Blake stared at me… and he laughed.
As we left the bookstore, I realized it was really my first official afternoon in Applewood Falls with my Alphas—we’d whisked through before, eating those steaks and salads at Delilah’s once, but today I was really able to chill out, andseemy hometown through calmer eyes.
Our Main Street stretched at least four quaint blocks, cobblestones lining the pavement. Shops, bakeries, a bar, one café, the bookstore, and even a few cozy restaurants all twinkled in the sunlight, like sparkles were swirling through the air. Each shop was brightly colored, and walking down the street like stepping into a quaint dream.
Cobblestones greeted my feet when we left Whimsical Wonders, and I smiled at how aged, and historical they felt.
Walking down Main Street, we peered into the various antique shops, smelled the delicious local fare, and I ran my fingers over flowers in shop windows. The flowers, each created by planting a crystal in the soil, were comprised entirely of crystals—at least according to local legend.
Blake, Josh, and Dreydon led me to the Public Gardens. We bought a fruit cup from my friend Irene, who sold tangerine-and-pineapple treats to support her grandfather, then headed to the old-school movie theater. When our movie finished, thebingo parlor called our attention. After a few games of bingo, Dreydon was hungry so we decided to grab lunch.
