Chapter Eight

West

After I sent the money to the company, right on time I might add, a phone call came in from my dad.

He'd never liked Clint.

Not one bit.

"Hey, Dad," I said. I walked out to the porch to sit outside and relax. Since all of this with the cart payment, my body needed a break from the constant stress.

"Hello, Son. I had a feeling you might want to talk about something with me."

My dad Otto had what he called feelings about things. He could always tell when I or my other dad Adam had something on their mind. Even from afar.

He knew his mate was sick even before the doctors did. The morning my dad died, he came to get me from my room before dawn to say my goodbyes.

Sighing, I decided to tell him. "Clint took the last of the money from our shared account. Money that was mine for the last payment on the cart."

"Ah, West. How in the world did he still have access to your money?"

"I forgot he was on the account. It had been years."

A growl ripped through him. He was a protective papa bear if there ever was. My other dad was a deer, and they thought for sure I would be one too. Then I shifted for the first time, proving them wrong. I was a polar bear, just like Otto. "Son, that was…well, it's in the past now. You have money? What are you going to do?"

If I asked, he would've sent me money right away, but I didn't like to take handouts. Taking money from Antoine before I'd posed already seemed like stealing.

"I got a job, locally. It pays well and all up front."

"Doing what? What kind of job pays up front?"

I told him all about the job with Antoine. My parents weren't prudes, and they had seen every one of my modeling gigs because I'd shared them.

"So you've made the last payment on the cart?" he asked.

"Yeah. I took care of it right before you called."

Dad sighed. "Well, then, you go in there and model for him. Make it worth his while. Show him what you've got."

I chuckled. "Dad, there's…something else. What if I disappoint? What if I don't do well and earn the money? I mean, he didn't even ask to see me naked at the job interview."

"I see," my dad said. "So you like him. He's an omega?"

"Yes."

My dad laughed. "Bear?"

"Smelled like a fox to me."

We finished up the conversation after my dad gave me the best pep talk ever but even when we hung up, I was plagued by doubts.

What if I froze? What if I got there, in front of that beautiful omega and lost every bit of self-confidence I had left? What if he didn't like the way I looked now? I had gained some weight, not a lot with my tight budget but some.

Couldn't even remember the last time I'd worked out beyond a few push-ups and a run most mornings.

Even more, I didn't want this omega to be disappointed when he saw me naked.

His approval mattered to me. I thought back to Antoine. I smelled no one else in the house other than him.

He didn't mention a mate.

This would be so hard to keep professional. Splayed out, naked before him.

Controlling my cock around him would be a job in itself.

Tonight, I needed to get some sleep. I showered and put on gray pajama pants, no shirt since it was still so hot even now, after dusk. I grabbed a bowl of soup and made a mental list for my trip to the grocery store the next day now that I had a bit extra. I tried not to think about the cookies…

A knock at the door startled me. I pulled it open to see Antoine standing outside under the flickering yellow light of my porch.

"Antoine?" I asked nearly tipping the bowl over and spilling my dinner. "Come on in before I make a mess."

He laughed and followed me inside. I shut the door and suddenly became acutely aware of my home. All the flaws stuck out like sore thumbs, and I would bet they all got all his attention. My home was simple, and every piece of furnishing was either given to me or bought secondhand.

Nothing like the place he came from.

"Would you like some soup? I can only make about ten recipes, but it's a mean soup," I said, happy to offer him what I had but it wasn't much.

If I could, I would offer him the best of the best, but that was beyond my means at this moment.

"I've already eaten, but if you have coffee?"

I nodded. "Of course."

I made a pot and sat at the table, waiting for it to brew. "What brings you here, Antoine?" I was keenly aware of the fact that I wore no shirt. Goose bumps rose along my arms as the omega's eyes took me in.

I'd never felt something so intimate and yet, we'd made no physical contact.

"Can I be honest?" he asked.

I cocked my head and forced a smile. "I wouldn't want anything else from you."

He gave a curt nod. The coffeepot chuffed and gurgled, signaling it was done, and I poured him a cup, offering him sugar and creamer. One sugar. Lots of creamer. Noted.

"This morning when you showed up frazzled and, well, looking completely different than you had before, I thought…gods, I can't even believe what I thought. I'm going to apologize in advance for this, but I thought maybe you had been on a bender the night before or maybe drugs. That, plus asking for the money in advance, well, it added to my wild theory."

I sat back in my chair. "I can see how you would think that. You don't know me. I'm sorry I gave that impression. Would you allow me to explain?"

He nodded. "Please do. My hypothesis went directly against the impression I got from you when you came to interview. I'd like to know the truth if you would share with me. I won't tell a soul."

Somehow, even if he hadn't stated it, I knew he wasn't a tea spiller.

I sighed. "Long story short. My ex took the money I'd saved up to buy the shaved ice cart. We had a shared account, and I forgot his name was on it. I needed the money because the last payment was due today and I had no other way to pay it. I stayed up all night figuring out how I would explain to you that I needed the money and showed up looking haggard after a lost night's sleep. I'm sorry. All of this is very unprofessional. I should've explained the situation to you."

"No." Antoine held up his hand, palm out. "I understand why you didn't. That's personal, and I had no business prying."

"You didn't." I covered his hand with mine on the table. The instant we touched, power zinged through me.

Antoine moved his hand first. Maybe I was making too much out of this. Perhaps all he wanted was a professional relationship. I hadn't asked, but there was a possibility he already had an alpha.

Gods, I hadn't even asked.

Probably because this wasn't a date. It was a job opportunity.

Mate.

I shook my head. Now wasn't the time for my polar bear to be crying out mate .

"Tell me about this shaved ice truck," Antoine said. "Is it a truck or a cart?"

I chuckled. "It's a truck but sometimes I call it a cart because when I first started to save, I thought all I could afford was a cart. And shaved ice is just what it says. It's ice shaved off of a huge block and then sweet flavored syrup is poured on top. There are variations of it. Snowballs. Snow cones. In the South, they put condensed milk on top and even stuff the snowball with cheesecake. My dads used to take me to a shaved ice cart when I was a kid. Always had fond memories of those times. I hoped to bring some of that happiness to Oliver Creek. Besides, it's hot as balls in the summer. We need an icy treat."

Antoine laughed hard at that. His smile brightened my home and my spirit and so did his laugh.

I hoped he didn't have a mate already because minute by minute, I became more attached to him.

"I think you're right. A treat does sound nice."

He wasn't talking to you, bear, I called out to my animal as he rumbled inside me.

"I'm sorry you had to come here at night. Perhaps I can walk you home?"

Antoine snorted and got up to put his cup in the sink. "Like that? West, you're bound to cause a riot in this small town with no shirt on. I have to go and you need your rest. Tomorrow is a big day for the both of us."

"Will do. Good night, Antoine."

I walked him to the door but before it shut, he looked over his shoulder. The man was so sexy when he did that. "I can't wait to see you naked, alpha."

Shoot! I should have offered him cookies with his coffee.