Chapter Thirteen

Leaving him in bed was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. He lay there so warm and relaxed, his head on the pillow where mine usually lay. He was on my side of the bed too, and I couldn’t help but love that. But my line of work started early. By the time the commuters stopped in on their way to offices in the city, I needed to have fresh pastries, rich dark coffee, exquisite tea, and all the extras that made us worth stopping for—even if we didn’t have a drive-thru.

I didn’t want to wake him. We’d had a rather late night, and one that left me with some sore muscles. Pike, so far as I knew, had nowhere he had to be, and it gave me pleasure to imagine him there still taking his rest between my sheets.

But that didn’t mean I didn’t miss him. Or take up a habit I thought had ended when Pike walked in the door. The bell chimed every few seconds at our busiest time, and after darting to the front a dozen times, I gave up on whatever projects I had in the back, putting them off until later, and moved to the front to help with customers. Glen was good, but it still took the time it took to pull a shot.

Was he waking up now? Showering in the stall I had specially built for the day my mate came through the door and we’d be sharing the luxurious water flow. Everything he owned was either with him in my house or outside in his truck, and he had no nine-to-five job waiting for him to report. By nine o’clock or so, I was starting to wonder if I should call him. But then I remembered that not everyone woke up before the sun and determined to wait another hour or so before I called.

I tried not to think about the fact that he was a wanderer who made no commitments to me at all. We had a great night together, and maybe that was all he wanted?

Mate.

But it’s up to him if he wants to accept that.

We should have marked him.My bear was a firm believer in mates. Not so much about choice to refuse that, apparently.

We couldn’t—

The bell chimed, and I didn’t need to look up from the milk I was steaming to know who was there. “Good morning, omega.”

“Alpha. I know you invited me for breakfast, but I thought we might want something more substantial than a pastry.” He gave me a wink and a kiss on the cheek before carrying the bag he held toward the back. His jeans cupped his luscious ass cheeks, and I wasn’t the only alpha who noticed. The others were subject to my glare.

“Glen, I’m taking ten.” We were between early morning commuters and those who came in on their breaks, so he should be all right.

“Take twenty,” the sassy barista quipped. “I’ll just be out here pulling shots and telling people you are not to be disturbed.”

I started to reply then decided I didn’t want to be disturbed. Instead, I followed Pike into the back room where he was unpacking a bag holding enough breakfast for four people. “Wow. You stopped at the diner.”

“And I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I brought some choices.”

“Usually I just have coffee, but suddenly I’m starving.” I pulled up a couple of stools to the prep table and took a seat. “This was very thoughtful of you.”

“Not at all. You provided dinner last night.”

“And you made that salad.”

He grinned. “Just chopping up some veggies. Mixing a few things to make a dressing.”

Glen came back with coffees for us and disappeared again, leaving with a couple of pancakes as a reward. Then we dug in, eating as if we had gotten a lot of exercise during the night. Which we had, I thought smugly.

“I need to eat at the diner more often,” I said, leaning back and letting out a sigh. “Or maybe not. My pants are tight at the waist after one breakfast.”

“You’re a big guy, but not in the least overweight,” he said. “And I can say that for sure because I had the full view last night.”

I tried not to preen, but I loved that he felt that way about my body.

Wait until he sees mine.

Soon,I promised my bear. As long as he stays.

I wanted to tell him to work here, move into my home, and never leave my sight, an idea my bear found quite perfect, but we couldn’t hold him hostage. Even if it was just for a short time, would he stay? Making some memories to carry me through?

He was such a bright light in the place, I could so easily see him working here. The customers would love him, and once he’d been in town for a bit and had a chance to meet the other business owners, he could be a handyman if that’s what he’d prefer. Or stay here, working side by side with me. But wouldn’t it be pushy to suggest that? Glen and I had things in hand here for the most part, but we were getting busier, and I’d already planned to hire someone in a while.

The years of watching for my omega to come through the door, the half-life I’d been living… Would I be able to go back to that? I was up for anything he wanted to do, although I really hoped he wouldn’t want us both to drive off into the sunset because I didn’t have the skills he did that made his wandering life possible. Gathering my courage, I balled up the paper my sandwich had been wrapped in. “So, what happens now?”