Page 22 of Knot in Bloom
The compliment sends warmth spreading through my chest. There’s something in his expression—interest, definitely, and maybe something hungrier that he’s trying very hard to keep professional.
We stand there a moment too long, both of us aware that this feels like more than a business dinner ending. His gaze drops to my mouth for just a second before snapping back up.
“I should let you get some rest,” he says, stepping back deliberately. “I’ll see you Tuesday morning for the first arrangement pickup?”
“Tuesday morning,” I agree. “I’ll have something perfect ready.”
He nods, then heads to his car with that controlled precision I’m starting to recognize. I watch him drive away, wondering what kind of man spends a week walking past flower shops before finally coming in. Wondering what he meant about looking for something more connected.
Upstairs in my apartment, I change into pajamas and try to process the evening. The business opportunity alone is exciting enough to make sleep difficult. But there was something else too—a sense that beneath Reid’s polished exterior is someone searching for the same kind of belonging I found when I chose to stay in Honeyridge Falls.
I turn my cell back on and it buzzes with three text messages.
The first is from Levi.Hope you had a good day. Sleep well. - L
Simple and sweet, the way he always is. I can picture him at his bookstore, probably reading until well past closing time, thinking of me before he locks up.
The second is from Caleb.Roof’s holding up well in tonight’s rain. Let me know if you need anything else. - C
Practical but caring, checking on his repair work. Making sure I’m taken care of.
The third is from Reid.Thank you for a productive business discussion tonight. See you Tuesday morning. - Reid
Polite and professional, exactly what you’d expect from a business contact. But somehow I keep thinking about the way he looked when he talked about belonging.
I stare at the three messages. Three different men, three different ways of showing they’re thinking of me. Each one making me feel cared for in their own way.
Saturday night, when Levi and Caleb were both here having dinner, it felt natural. Like pieces of a puzzle fitting together. Tonight with Reid felt different but equally right—like discovering there might be more pieces to the puzzle than I originally thought.
This should probably worry me more than it does. But maybe in a place like Honeyridge Falls, where community means looking out for each other, where people matter more than conventions, maybe what’s happening isn’t so unusual after all.
Pack dynamics are how the world works—one omega with multiple alphas. It’s the natural order of things, especially with omegas being so much rarer than betas and alphas. I see it everywhere in town.
Lila with her three alphas. Callum, Dean, and Julian. All of them completely devoted to her and each other. Mrs. Nelson down at the post office with her two alphas who take turns walking her to work. Even senior Amanda Dunn already has three alphas from her class courting her with her parents’ blessing.
I always thought that wasn’t for me. I was too focused on proving my independence, on showing I didn’t need anyone taking care of me or making decisions for me. But sitting here with lingering traces of three different alpha scents on my clothes, three different text messages showing three different kinds of care... maybe I was fighting biology and common sense.
Maybe some omegas really are meant to be the center of something bigger than stubborn independence.
The thought should feel overwhelming. Instead, it just feels like coming home.
I set my phone aside and try not to overthink what’s developing. Tuesday’s arrangement pickup will help me understand if Reid’s interest is purely professional or something more. And whatever I’m feeling for Levi and Caleb... well, that’s been building slowly enough that I don’t have to make any decisions tonight.
For now, it’s enough to fall asleep feeling appreciated and supported. Like maybe, for the first time in years, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Even if I don’t quite understand what that means yet.
Chapter 8
Levi
Monday at five PM and I can’t concentrate on inventory. The numbers blur together as I try to reconcile book orders with actual sales, but my mind keeps drifting to her across the street.
I set down my pen and lean back in the chair behind the bookstore counter. How long have I been circling around Sadie like some Victorian gentleman conducting a courtship through pressed flowers and meaningful glances? River’s been teasing me about my “coffee delivery service” for weeks now, and he’s not wrong. I’ve been too afraid of disrupting our routine to actually ask for what I want.
Which is more time with her. Real time, not just ten-minute coffee exchanges twice a week.
My phone buzzes against the counter. When I see Sadie’s name on the screen, my pulse quickens.
