Page 106 of The Pack Next Door
“Not quite.” With a long sigh, I told them exactly what’d happened.
Chapter 52
Gideon
“This isn’t a good idea,” I told my brothers the next morning. “You said you’d be there for breakfast with Briar, not me. We can’t start chopping and changing things, just when we’re starting to build trust.”
“No trust to lose right now.” Jace pulled on a t-shirt and sprayed himself with deodorant. “Mads, are you ready? I wanna be at the art supplies place when it opens.”
“Coming!”
I hated this. Them yelling at each other, rather than coming into the same room to talk civilly to one another. The change of plans. The way my mind concocted a very realistic scenario where Briar looked up, initially pleased, then her face fell when she saw me. Yeah, I hated that most of all, because it was the most likely end of this so-called plan.
But, I’d said I’d back my brothers’ plays, and so I was forced to agree to this.
“How do I…?” I said. Mads came in, hopping as he dragged his jeans up. “How do I know what Briar wants for breakfast?”
“Ask her.”
For Mads, everything was so damn simple, but that was because rejection didn’t frighten him in the least. He’d faced it every day in our family unit and that forced me to moderate my irritation. If he could bear that, I could do this.
“Or ask the cafe staff.” Jace shot our brother an incredulous look, as if he couldn’t believe Mads hadn’t thought of that. It hadn’t occurred to me either, so there was that. “The one near the warehouse. They know the team well and are good with suggestions.”
“So what’s so important that you need to go to the art supplies shop straight away?”
I tried to ask that casually, but by my brothers’ snorts, it was clear I’d failed.
“Not sure yet.” Jace pulled on his boots. “I’ve got a hunch I can do something about the whole cracked pottery thing, but I need to do some recon first.”
And with that, he had my support.
Unpacking each item was a miserable process, because with each damaged item, I knew how much this would hurt my mate. It was only that she’d requested the information that kept me going. If Jace could… I wouldn’t get too far ahead of myself, just happy someone was thinking of a possible solution.
“OK, I’ll grab a cab over to the warehouse and see you two there later.”
At that, I grabbed my wallet and room card and then exited the building.
Everything was sobusy in the city. The cafe was full when I walked in and I eyed the line with trepidation.
“Hey!” Emma saw me and waved me over. Some customers behind us did not look happy, but she just smiled. “Wasn’tsure if you’d be back today.” With a peer over my shoulder, she glanced back my way. “Though not with your brothers?”
“They have an errand to run.” The line moved forward and I was greeted by a glass case filled with possible options. Muffins, croissants, sandwiches… Then there was what was on the menu above it. How the hell…? I looked down at Emma, hating my first impulse, but not sure what else to do. Men relying on women to do all the emotional labour was excoriated on the social media posts I’d been reading, trying to work out a way forward with Briar. “So, if you were getting breakfast for your boss, what would you buy?”
Her grin turned knowing.
“You got put on Briar duties this time, huh?” She glanced back at the glass case. “Well, if you ask her, she’d say a bran muffin or an overnight oats.” I picked them out easily in the offerings. Both were brown and uniform looking. “But…” My focus shifted back to Emma. “If you want to make her happy?—”
“Yes, that.”
She laughed at my abrupt response.
“I’d get her a toasted sandwich with extra cheese. She loves anything melty. That and a dirty chai tea, and the most chocolatey muffin you can find. Always trying to suppress the omega in her, but Briar never met something sugary she didn’t like.”
“Next!”
I was aware I was jumping the queue, but I couldn’t seem to care. I faced the woman serving and then rattled off my order. “And anything Emma would like as well.” I placed my card with a snap down on the counter.
“Hey, thanks.” When she had her coffee and fruit salad in hand. “So I’ll see you at work then?”
