Angus frowned. “I’d help you, but I was going to mend those fences we found that had been weakened by the flood waters.”
“I’m just doing some boxing up and throwing away today. You can help me another time,” I said, giving him a peck on the mouth that Maddox pretended not to see, busying himself organizing the tack.
“Colt!” I heard Ben call to me as I was climbing into my Outback a moment later. I turned and put my hand out to steady him when he reached me.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Just down to my cabin. I’ll be back around dinner. Why have you run out here barefoot?” I pointed to his feet. “You could step on a rusty nail.”
“Can I go with you?” Ben asked. “Please?”
“I’m only going to be throwing stuff out and packing boxes. You’ll be bored.”
Ben’s face lit up. “So, you can move in with us? I won’t be bored, I promise. Angus is going to be busy all afternoon, and I don’t want to be alone.”
I started to point out that he wouldn’t be alone when he held up his hand to stop me. “I won’t have either of my alphas.”
“But Jackson’s visiting.”
“David is teaching him to sew. I hate sewing.” Ben wrinkled his nose in distaste.
“Okay, if you really want to spend the day in my little cabin. Go put your shoes on, and I’ll tell Angus you’re going with me.”
Ben’s smile illuminated his face. Turning, he ran to the house.
It took less than ten minutes on the pot-holed road for us to reach the group of cabins, most of which were inhabited by single people like myself.One of my neighbors, Audrey Benson, was outside working in her garden, and Ben and I greeted her as we walked up the path to my front door. Her white and gray cat was sitting on the gate several feet away, swishing her tail.
“Hello, Ben. How are you? Colt, I’ve hardly seen you in the past couple of weeks. Where in the world have you been hiding?” Mrs. Benson adjusted her wide-brimmed hat on her head.
“I’m fine, Mrs. Benson, thank you,” Ben said, smiling at her. “May I pet your cat?”
“Of course. Pansy would love that.”
“Nice boy,” Mrs. Benson said when Ben was out of earshot.
“Ben’s helping me pack up my things,” I told her. “I’m going to sell the cabin.”
My neighbor was visibly surprised. “What? Is anything wrong? Where are you going, dear?” She knew my mother and I were estranged.
“Don’t worry, I’m just going to move in with Angus. We, uh, we’re mated now. Angus and me and Ben.”
I didn’t think Mrs. Benson’s eyes could get any wider. I’m sure it was a shock to her; after all, she hadn’t known I was gay. And I’d suspected for a while that she had a bit of a crush on Angus. I’d stolen her man. Throw Ben the omega as a third into the mix, and the woman had to be reeling.
“If you’ll excuse us, we’ll get to packing.” I called to Ben, and we went into my cabin.
“Why did Mrs. Benson look like she saw a ghost?” Ben asked when we were inside and I’d closed the door.
“I told her I was mated to you and Angus and moving in.”
“Oh,” Ben said. He walked to the front window and looked out. “She’s still staring this way with her mouth open.”
“I think I shocked her on a lot of levels,” I said.
Ben looked around the cabin, peeking into my bedroom, then the little bathroom, and lastly the small kitchen that was open to the living area. While he did this, I grabbed some boxes out of my storage closet.
“If you’ll start taking books and other stuff off the shelves, I’ll decide which pile to put them in—keep, giveaway, or throw away,” I said.
Ben nodded and walked to the large shelf unit that spanned one wall.