17. Jack

Chapter 17

Jack

W ith Max cursing at me for walking away, I shove my hands in my pockets and stride away from the café, my mood as sour as a lemon soaked in… something else sour. Max and Sam keep blabbering about finding an omega for our pack, but we're just chasing our tails. I couldn't even bring myself to mention Lily. It's like there's a lump in my throat every time her name sits on the tip of my tongue. And yeah, they both know she's more than just a fuck buddy to me, though neither would say it out loud.

I blow out a breath and make my way to the garden centre. A bag of custom soil mix is waiting for me, I ordered it specially for Lily. She doesn't know about it. I like surprising her, seeing that spark in her green eyes when she realises someone's thought of her.

"Here for the special mix?" asks the lad at the counter, a spotty teenager who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else, so I'm surprised he remembered me ordering it two weeks ago.

"That's right," I affirm with a nod.

"Got it ready for you here." He hauls the hefty bag onto the counter with a grunt. The label reads ‘Bloom Booster Extraordinaire', and I can't help but chuckle at the thought of Lily reading it.

"Cheers, mate." I hand over the cash, hoist the bag over my shoulder, and head back out. I'm almost buzzing with anticipation, imagining Lily's reaction—the way her nose scrunches up when she's trying to figure something out, her freckles doing a merry dance across her cheeks.

It's not just about the flowers; it's about making her smile.

Heading back to my car, I ignore my phone buzzing in my pocket. It'll be Max. Lily is set to a ringtone, so if she needed me, I'd know straight away it's her.

Throwing the bag into the boot, I settle down for the short ride back to Keeley.

For once, I don't get stuck behind a tractor, which I take as a good sign. The universe isn't holding me up.

Pulling up outside, I frown when I see a customer waltz straight into the shop without ringing the bell.

"Lily," I growl and get out of the car, going around to the boot to grab the bag.

I step into Forget Me Knot. My grip on the bag tightens as I see Lily and George at the counter, both of them grinning over some private joke. A knot forms in my stomach, watching them so at ease with each other. It's stupid, this prick of jealousy when George is nothing but Sam's kid brother, but it needles me all the same.

"Jack! You're back!" George's voice booms.

"Hey, Jack!" Lily's voice cuts through the fog of unwanted emotion, her smile bright enough to light up the gloomiest of English days. "Perfect timing! I was just about to send out a search party."

"Why is the door open?" I grit out.

Lily and George exchange a look, and George holds his hands up. "That's all on you, Lily."

She shifts her gaze to me with a sheepish smile. "I can't do business all locked up like that. It was dead and I might've lost a customer like Emily if I'd kept it that way. Not happening."

"Dammit, Lily. It's not safe."

"George was here," she says. "And now you are." She beams at me, and all is forgiven. She could confess to murdering the entire village, and I'd forgive her if she smiled at me like that.

"Fine," I grouse, knowing I can't push it without annoying her.

Lifting the bag slightly, I smile. "Brought you something."

"Ooh, the gardener returns with secret treasures," she teases, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Secret dirt, more like."

"Looks like my cue to exit." George claps me on the shoulder with a chuckle. "Later, Lily, Jack."

"Thanks, George," Lily calls after him, then turns her full attention on me, that infectious energy of hers making the room seem brighter. "So, what's in the bag, then?"

It's just soil in a bag, but with Lily, even the simplest things become extraordinary.

"It's something special for your flowers," I say as I plonk the bag onto the counter, its weight thudding down between us. "This mix should have them blooming like mad."

"Really?" Lily's eyebrows arch, and she leans in, her interest clearly piqued. She brushes a lock of hair behind her ear, her scent drifting across to me, doing funny things to my insides.

"Yep. It's got all sorts, including a slow-release fertiliser. It'll boost growth and get the scent cranked up a notch."

"Sounds fancy." Her fingers dance over the bag's surface, tracing the lines of text that explain the contents. "What else is in it?"

"Ah," I lean closer, too, our heads almost bumping. "That's top secret. But there's a bit of bone meal, some kelp... Magic stuff."

"Magic, huh?" She grins, eyes glinting with mischief. "You sure you haven't just nicked some compost from the village green and slapped a label on it?"

"Hey!" I feign offence, but I'm grinning right back. "I'll have you know, I take my soil very seriously."

"Clearly." Her laughter is like music, light and lilting. "I can't wait to see what this ‘magic' can do."

"Trust me, your roses will be the envy of the county." I wink, and for a moment, we're just standing there, sharing a look that says more than words ever could. It's comfortable, familiar, and a little bit thrilling all at once.

"Aren't they already? You wound me, good sir."

Chuckling, I reply. "Well, they'll be even better now."

My elbow catches the corner of the bag, and it wobbles precariously.

We both dive for it at the same time, but too many hands and all that. We knock it flying off the counter to splat on the floor with a big split, spilling soil everywhere.

"Fuck," I mutter.

For a moment, we're statues, eyes locked on the expanding mess. Then, the absurdity hits us, and chuckles bubble up from my chest, soon joined by Lily's infectious giggle.

"Fuck is about right," she gasps between laughs, reaching to snatch up the broom and dustpan that are always within reach—Lily's preparedness never fails to impress me.

"So delicate with the flowers, so clumsy in other areas," Lily chides with a twinkle in her green eyes, resting her hands on her hips.

"I didn't hear you complaining about me being clumsy last night," I murmur, shifting the atmosphere up a level.

She pauses, cheeks flushing, and glances away for a moment. "That was different," she mumbles with a coy smile.

"Was it now?" I lean in closer, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering just a bit longer than necessary.

Her eyes flicker back to mine with a spark that sends a thrill through me. "Yes. And now we've got dirt to clean up."

I laugh, the sound mingling with hers when I take the brush and dustpan from her to sweep up the mess. I steal glances at her as I do. The way she bites her lip when she's concentrating, the way her fingers skilfully handle even the smallest of tasks—everything about her just draws me in.

As we work together, the spilt soil becomes less of a disaster.

"We do good work," I note, standing up to survey our handiwork.

" After we've made a mess," she says. Her smile is as bright as the blooms that surround us, and for a moment, everything else fades away—it's just Lily and me.

I reach down into the dustpan, gathering a pinch of soil between my fingers. With a flick of my wrist, the dirt lands with precision on the tip of her nose.

"Jack!" she squeals, her hands coming up to her face in mock horror. There's a twinkle in her eyes, brighter than the morning dew on fresh leaves.

"What can I say? It was begging for me to do it," I say with a shrug, but I'm already bracing for retaliation.

And it comes—a handful of soil arcs through the air toward me, most of it hitting its target with a satisfying thud against my chest. The soil trickles down my shirt, and we both freeze for a split second before erupting into another fit of laughter.

"Right, you asked for it," I warn.

"Bring it on," she dares, her stance challenging, one hand poised with another scoop of soil.

We dodge and weave, tossing little clumps of earth at each other, laughing too hard to aim properly.

"Watch out, Jack, I've got—" she starts, but her warning is cut short as she stumbles slightly, sending her intended payload off-course and hitting Sam in the face as he strolls into the shop.

"Oh, my God!" Lily squeaks, her hands hovering over her mouth. "Sam! I'm so sorry, we were…"

Sam stands there, blinking, soil clinging to his face and hair. He looks between us, the absurdity of the situation dawning on him as he wipes at his face with a bemused expression.

"Hmm," he says dryly, shaking his head and sending more soil tumbling to the floor.

Lily bursts into another fit of giggles, and I join in. Sam rolls his eyes, but with a hint of a smile.

"You two are like kids in a mud pit," he says, stepping forward. "Need some help cleaning up?"

"Actually," Lily manages between laughs, "we could use an extra hand now."

Sam grabs another broom from the corner and starts sweeping up the mess we've made. The three of us work together, the atmosphere light and carefree despite the chaos around us.

"Any particular reason you two decided to redecorate with compost?" Sam asks.

"It was an accident," I say defensively. "One minute, we were talking about magic soil, and the next... well..."

"Jack knocked it over," Lily finishes for me with a teasing smirk.

"Traitor," I mutter, but I'm grinning like an idiot.

"Magic soil, huh?" Sam says, raising an eyebrow. "Sounds like something out of a fairy tale."

"It's special stuff for Lily's flowers," I explain. "Supposed to make them bloom like crazy."

Sam nods appreciatively. "Well, I guess we'll see if it works."

We finish tidying up the last remnants of our impromptu soil fight, and I notice the camaraderie between the three of us. It feels natural, like we've been doing this all our lives. A sense of ease settles over me that startles me. Looking between Lily and Sam, I see the smile they share and it's like things just click into place.

Fuck. She is the one .

Lily claps her hands together, a satisfied smile on her face. "Right then, with our farmyard antics finished, anyone fancy a cuppa?"

"Water for me," I say, clearing my throat and wiping my hands on my jeans.

"Same here," Sam adds, placing the broom back in its corner. "But don't think you're off the hook for hitting me in the face with dirt. You owe me a shower."

The air between them zings with electricity as their gazes meet, and neither one seems able to tear it away.

"Uhm," Lily mumbles and moves quickly towards the back of the shop. We follow, keeping our distance. It's clear to both of us that Lily's scent has deepened, and it's affecting us both in a similar way.

Watching her, I'm struck by how effortlessly she moves; even grabbing bottles of water, she looks graceful when she does it.

"So," Sam says, "how's Emily?"

"About as well as can be expected," she replies.

She hands us both our bottles, and I take a long gulp, trying to focus on anything other than the sweet, alluring scent that seems to be growing stronger by the second.

Sam clears his throat. "So, magic soil aside, what's next on the agenda?"

Lily frowns at him.

I glare at him, and he picks up on it and shifts his not-so-innocent gaze to me. "Why do you want to know?" I snap.

"Thought I'd stay the night," he says, almost daring me to challenge him.

"Like fuck you are," I growl.

"Try to stop me," he growls back.

"Stop it!" Lily exclaims over us. "What are you doing?"

We both turn to look at her, caught off guard by the assertiveness in her voice. She's got her hands on her hips, and the sharpness in her eyes tells me we've crossed a line.

"Just having a chat," Sam says nonchalantly, but there's tension in his voice.

"A chat?" Lily scoffs. "That sounded more like a challenge. This isn't some testosterone-fuelled alpha pissing contest. Emily does not need that bullshit around her right now, and quite frankly, neither do I."

Her words hit me like a bucket of cold water. I glance at Sam, who looks equally chastised. We're both completely captivated by the same omega, and it's time I came to terms with the fact that if I want this to go anywhere at all, to have any kind of future with her, I need to start getting my stubborn, jealous head around to thinking of her as ours . Assuming Max will even entertain the thought. He doesn't know her. I've kept her close. She only knows Sam because she's seen him around the village a few times.

"Sorry, Lily," I say, my voice softening. "You're right. We didn't mean to stress you out."

She sighs and rubs her temples.

Sam steps forward, his expression sincere. "Of course. We'll behave."

I nod in agreement, though my insides twist with the urge to keep challenging him. But for Lily's sake, I push it aside.

"Thank you," she says softly, her shoulders relaxing a bit.

"We're here to help, not cause more problems," Sam adds, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Lily nods slowly, her eyes softening. "I appreciate that. Things have been a bit overwhelming lately."

"Yeah," I say, trying to lighten the mood. "You'd think running a flower shop would be all sunshine and roses, but it's got its share of dirt, too."

Lily chuckles, and I feel a small triumph in getting that laugh out of her. Sam smirks and shakes his head.

"You're such a dork," he says, but there's no malice in his voice.

I shrug. "Someone's got to be the comic relief around here."

Lily takes a deep breath and gives us both a grateful smile. "Right, let's focus on what we plan to do about tonight. We don't need both of you here, but I suppose an extra alpha on the premises might give Nigel second thoughts."

"Whose Nigel?" Sam asks before I can.

"The idiot enforcer after Emily."

"He's a complete tool," I grouse.

"Well, no arguments there. Uhm, Sam. Is there any chance you could follow up with George about having Emily stay over there? I don't mean to be pushy, but… she will be safer there."

I notice the hesitation before the word ‘she' and catch her gaze. She gives me a weak smile, but Sam doesn't notice or comment if he does.

"Yeah, I'll chase him up. I'm sure it will be fine." Sam gives her a reassuring smile.

She smiles back, angling her body towards him, and I shake my head. This has spiralled, but maybe that's the only way I will get what I want. It's time to start thinking of the bigger picture and that means having Lily as our pack omega.