Harper’s [POV]
I don’t wake up screaming.
It could be a coincidence, but I’d like to think it was a combination of mind-blowing orgasms from Grey and my plan to work at the aurora Inn that kept the night terrors at bay.
They come and go, though they’re aggravated by stress.
According to Michael, I’ve had them forever, but I have no idea if that’s true.
Wilson purrs on my chest, another reminder of the many lies he told me.
I scratch his head and chin, and he nuzzles into my hand.
I’m excited to have more time with him and to grow the cat grass Beau promised to help me with.
Now, I’ll be able to see him enjoy it.
My heart swells.
I don’t know how to thank the brothers enough. Knowing that I’m safe and that I can stay here is enough to make me cry. I’m overwhelmed by their generosity, and I can’t wait to head down to the garden and learn more from Beau.
But there’s still a nagging insecurity that plays in my mind.
They’ll find an Omega, eventually.
It will hurt like hell when they do, but it’s inevitable.
Eventually, I’m going to need to accept that, but not today.
I feel eons better than I did yesterday. My skin isn’t as flushed and the cramps aren’t as bad.
That sore spot between my shoulder and neck has grown worse, though.
I make a mental note to talk to Charlotte later and ask her exactly what she gave me.
Wilson leads me downstairs, and we eat breakfast again outside in the garden. This time, Beau joins me, giving me his signature kind smile as he sits down with his plate.
His massive frame barely fits at the small cafe style glass table, and I fight a laugh as he squeezes himself into the chair.
“Morning, beautiful,” he murmurs, his foot brushing against mine under the table. “I heard a rumor you’re my sidekick in the garden.”
I blush. He’s as handsome as ever in his college sweatshirt and faded jeans, his hair slightly mussed.
I want to kiss him.
I nod. “I talked to Grey last night. Thank you so much for offering me this.”
He chuckles, his eyes bright with delight as he flashes me his dimples. “You love it here, I can tell. There’s no one else I’d rather have.”
My stomach does a flip.
After we finish breakfast, we start in the greenhouse, shutting the door and leaving a reluctant Wilson to glare at us.
“Heknowshe’s not allowed in here,” Beau adds, as he hands me a small trowel and gloves. “He’s been acting up since you arrived.”
I laugh. “I think he’s just spoiled,” I say.
“Charlotte prepares him a fresh breakfast every morning, so yes.”
I grin.
We work side by side, pulling up garlic, cutting heads of broccoli, collecting herbs, and filling up baskets of produce.
“I love doing this,” I say. “I haven’t felt this calm in a long time.”
Beau nods. “You’re nurturing a living being,” he says. “It takes a certain amount of care and respect. You know they couldn’t survive without you, and that’s a powerful thing.”
I still, but he continues his work, moving from one planter bed to another.
“That’s a sweet way of looking at it,” I murmur finally.
He looks back at me and nods. “It may be sweet, but it’s true. You give something that it needs to thrive, and suddenly you become their world.”
The air shifts with tension. I squirm under his gaze, unsure how to respond.
But he turns back to work on a trellis of snap peas. “I didn’t have a lot of friends as a kid,” he admits. “I was teased a lot for being so scrawny.”
Which is insane, because he’s massive.
“James was my foster brother, but he could only protect me so much from other kids. So, I spent a lot of time alone, outside. I picked up a book on gardening and the rest of history.”
My heart aches.
I try to imagine Beau being bullied as a child, yet still turning into the kindest, most gentle person I know.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur.
He shakes his head. “Nah. It all worked out in the end. Besides, now I have a pretty girl as my gardening partner.”
I laugh, unable to control the flush on my face. “Stop it.”
“No, even covered in soil, you’re still a vision.”
“Gross.”
“Come on, Princess. That compost is an aphrodisiac, and you know it.”
I flick a bit of soil at him.
I spend a few hours with Beau, enjoying his presence.
I purposely stand too close to him a few times, our sides touching, and he smiles every time I do it.
The sexual tension between us is palpable, but I force myself to focus on the plants.
His eyes drop to my lips occasionally, and I find myself licking them unconsciously.
I want to taste him.
Dirt and all, I want him.
But as we’re walking back, the sun set, and he asks me a question that makes my heart flutter.
“Do you want to go to dinner with me? If you’re feeling up to it?”
There’s a hint of nervousness in his voice as if he’s not sure I’ll say yes.
It’s adorable.
“Am I supposed to have dinner with my boss?”
He snorts. “I’m not your boss. None of us are. Well, maybe Grey, but only because he’s the boss of everyone.”
I keep walking, and spot Wilson watching us from the dining room window, tilting his head inquisitively.
“You don’t have to,” he adds quickly. “It was just an idea. There’s a local restaurant that uses our vegetables”
“Beau. Of course, I’ll have dinner with you.”
I mean, why would I say no?
I want him.
Just like I want James and Grey.
And fuck it. With this new start, it’s time I take what I want.
Good things are allowed to happen to you. Grey’s words from last night replay in my mind.
“Great,” Beau says, as he opens the back door for me. “It’s a date.”