“We’re making Christmas cookies.”
“Like gingerbread men and stuff, or horror cookies with a holiday theme?” Kellan opens the refrigerator.
“Maybe both,” I tell him, before I turn back to River. “You feel like doing some gingerbread?”
“I think we have what we need for it,” River says. “But won’t that make you want to do your crime scene investigation cookies?”
Kellan snorts. “Please do those again. The expression on my mom’s face when she realized she was eating a crime scene body shape was priceless.”
“Nah, I think River’s having some cool ideas, so I’ll let him choose how to decorate the gingerbread men.”
“Either way, they’ll be amazing,” Kellan says as he closes the fridge. “Any volunteers to help me out with lunch?”
River smirks at me. Kellan hates to cook, and Frost isn’t much of a chef, either, but it hardly takes an expert to throw together a sandwich. I roll my eyes.
“I thought we were living in a non-stereotypical household?” I ask him, putting a hand on my hip as I turn away from the baking station.
“There’s something stereotypical about an Alpha asking his Omegas to make him a sandwich? Huh.”
“Pass me the ham, the pickles, and the butter,” I tell him. “Make those Alpha muscles useful while I get the bread out.”
River shakes his head at me. He never takes the bait. I fall for those sad, boy-next-door eyes every time. Of course it helps that I enjoy taking care of my mates’ needs.
I grab the bread and a plate as he smiles, heading back to re-open the refrigerator. I use the island to make his sandwich while River starts making dough for the cookies.
“How’s work going?” I ask as I open the butter.
He shrugs. “Kinda slow. I haven’t completely figured out how to make part-time hours work yet, but I’ll figure it out.”
“You know I don’t mind. You like your job.”
“I don’t like it more than spending time with you.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
He could do pretty much anything he sets his mind to. He managed to get to me in Goldcrest because he never once gave up on me. There were so many obstacles, and somehow, we still made it here, together, and with multiple mates. It’s kind of crazy, and also spectacularly impressive.
I finish making his sandwich and slide the plate across the counter to him. “Don’t eat this at your desk. I’ll put on the coffee maker if you sit and talk with us while we bake.”
Okay, so he is a little bit of a workaholic, but we make sure he doesn’t work too hard.
“Lana sent me a text earlier,” Kellan says as he pulls out one of the bar stools at the other end of the island. He sets his phone down on the table. “She was pretty excited that you two finally made a date.”
He sounds kind of amused. I switch on the coffee maker and turn back to him.
“Let me see!”
He hides his screen, raising his eyebrows at me. “Um, have you heard of privacy?”
River laughs. “We share everything, remember?”
“Yeah,” I tell him, knowing he’s only teasing, or he wouldn’t have mentioned it in the first place. I motion with my hand, asking him to hand it over without speaking.
He lets out a fake sigh and hands it over. “Just don’t text her back. She always knows when it’s you.”
“Like I ever would,” I lie as I open his messages.
I’m instantly distracted by a group chat he’s in with the guys.