Page 34 of Knot in Bloom
She’s quiet for a moment, and I can see something shifting in her expression. The joy from our kiss still glows in her cheeks, but there’s worry creeping in around the edges.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, exactly. It’s just...” She sighs, absently straightening stems that don’t need straightening. “I had a meeting with Tessa Lang yesterday about the Harvest Festival. The state tourism board wants to evaluate us for their marketing campaign, and Mountain Living magazine wants to feature the town.”
“That’s incredible news.”
“It is. And it’s also completely terrifying.” Her hands still on the flowers. “They want me to handle all the floral displays—festival grounds, main street, vendor booths, plus a signature installation for the magazine shoot. It’s about triple what I normally do, and I only have two weeks.”
I can see the weight of it in her shoulders. How she’s already trying to figure out how to manage something that big.
“Two weeks is tight but manageable with the right planning.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself. But what if I can’t deliver? What if my suppliers let me down again, or something happens to the arrangements?” She worries her lower lip between her teeth. “The whole town’s economic future could be riding on whether I can pull this off.”
She takes a shaky breath, then looks up at me with determination mixed with fear. Watching her ask for help when she’s fought so hard to be independent—something hot and possessive burns through me.
For a moment, her expression shifts to something almost wondering, then worried. “I keep thinking about this morning. Levi and Reid both showing up with coffee, and now you’re here wanting to help with the festival. Three alphas actually wanting to... to take care of me.” She shakes her head like she can’t believe it, then her scent sharpens with anxiety.
“What if I mess this up? What if I’m not... enough for all this attention? A month ago I couldn’t even get my insurance company to return my calls.”
Something possessive flares in my chest hearing her put it like that—three alphas, including me. But instead of jealousy, what I feel is satisfaction. She’s starting to understand what’s happening, that she’s worth this kind of attention.
Hearing the fear in her voice makes my chest tight. She’s figuring out that she’s got multiple alphas interested in her, and instead of being excited about it, she’s terrified she’ll let us all down.
“Caleb, I need to ask you something, and you can absolutely say no.”
“Ask me.”
Mine, my alpha side growls again. She’s trusting me with something that matters, and every protective instinct I have is roaring.
“You said you don’t have a job lined up yet. And I know you have organizational experience.” Her hands fidget with a ribbon, and I can smell the nervous energy in her scent mixing with lingering arousal from our kiss. “Would you... would you consider helping me with the festival? I know it’s a lot to ask, and I know I should be able to handle it myself, but?—”
“Yes.”
She blinks. “Yes?”
“Absolutely yes.” I step closer, breathing in her sweet relief as it blooms in her scent. “You don’t have to convince me, Sadie.”
“You’d really want to spend two weeks planning festival displays and coordinating vendors?”
“I’d want to spend weeks working with you on something that matters to you,” I correct. “The festival part is just logistics.”
Her scent shifts, stress giving way to something warmer. Hope, maybe. Relief at not having to face this alone.
“I’ve never asked anyone for help with my work before.”
“How does it feel?”
“Terrifying. And... kind of amazing.” She reaches up to touch my face, her fingers tracing my jawline. “With your help, I think we might actually have a shot at pulling this off. I’m going to tell Tessa yes, but...” She bites her lip. “What if it’s still not enough? What if we’re both in over our heads?”
“Then we’ll figure it out as we go,” I say, covering her hand with mine. “You and me. That’s how teams work—you adapt and overcome.”
“You and me.” The words seem to settle something in her expression, though I can still smell lingering worry in her scent. “Thank you. For saying yes before I could talk myself out of asking.”
“Thank you for trusting me with something that important.”
“So we’d better start planning. This festival is going to be spectacular.”
