Chapter Two

Leon

When my fingers cramped, it was time to call it a day. I was almost done with the jacket. I draped it over the hanger and took a look. No one expected or wanted perfect symmetry or no flaws, which was good for me. Leatherwork was never perfect. That was the beauty of it. Every piece was one of a kind. Not replicable like the ones hanging in retail stores.

The customer had no requests. He simply wanted a one-of-a-kind Leon Lincoln jacket. Ever since social media marketing came on the scene, my business had blown up. I had orders, with no time constraints, that would take me years to complete and more coming in every day.

I reached for my phone on the tripod and turned off the live stream. For some reason, my customers liked to see my process as much as they liked the finished project.

And the paycheck that came in from TikTok and YouTube ? Well, I wasn't offended by it at all.

I rubbed my hands before turning off the lights and locking up my shop for the evening. I had a long commute home and by that, I meant, a walk between the shop and my back door.

I bought this land years ago and built this house with my own hands. I'd intended this place to one day be a home for myself and my omega and, if I had my way, a half dozen children.

But Fate had other plans.

I turned on the twinkly lights and observed my yard at night. I'd had a local landscaper in and when he promised me he would make me a relaxing oasis, he hadn't lied. If I hadn't worked so late into the night, I would take a long nap in my hammock while I gazed at the stars and inhaled the fragrance of the lavender beds. Chuckling, I crouched down to check on the lone pumpkin growing in a patch off to the side. I always grew one this time of year and then carved it into a jack-o'-lantern for the front porch.

Eventually its carcass would go to the next-door neighbor's chickens. He claimed they loved my pumpkin remains every year and would give me eggs in return. I loved the cycle of giving and receiving and especially in Oliver Creek.

We were more than just a destination for tourists coming to enjoy our growing food experiences. We were a community.

My stomach rumbled and I went inside, determined to make some dinner, but hunching over my work had given me aches that put a halt to my cooking plans.

So…what to eat? Cold cereal held no appeal.

Oh, there was that new Greek place in town. I'd gotten a flier in the mail, and there was another one posted on the community board at the coffeehouse.

I found the mini poster stuck to my fridge with a magnet and called in an order for a chicken souvlaki plate, along with extra pita and hummus for the next day. I was tempted to order a triangle of baklava, but something sweet this late at night would only make me have bad dreams.

Yeah, I was at that age where I had to watch those things.

While I waited, I showered and got dressed in a black T-shirt and gray pajama pants. It was cool enough for a hoodie, but my jackal would rev my body temperature up to comfort level.

I was about to go to the fridge and grab a cheese stick to tide me over when a car pulled up the driveway, its headlights shining in the front window. The doorbell was on my list to fix or replace, so I tried to get to the door before the delivery driver pushed the button.

When I opened the door, my heart stopped in my chest.

Walking up the stairs was quite possible the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. He was dressed in a T-shirt that read All Taste, No Togas . He had short brown hair and big brown eyes. My jackal stirred inside me.

He wanted him. Instantly.

That had never happened before.

"Leon, correct?" His eyes widened. I looked down to see another thing on my list, a warped porch board, catch the man's foot and, before I could stop it, the man was flying toward me.

The fear in his eyes made me reach out, but his trajectory couldn't be stopped. I managed to get in front of him and keep him from hitting the hard porch boards, but in the meantime, my food went flying, painting me with hummus and salad and chicken in the process.

"Are you okay?" I asked.