I try not to show my surprise. For all the meals we’ve now shared, Emily rarely talks about herself. “Is your grandma still alive?”
“She passed a few years back.” She dips her bread into her mug and chews, her attention fixed on the storm. “Never saw her sick a day in my life, though.”
“Quinn’s come down with a cold,” I offer, thinking of the little girl’s phlegm-filled coughs when I chatted with her on the phone last night. “I’ll let Holden know to stuff her full of garlic.”
She grunts. “I’m sure he has his own family cures. His familial pack is close like that. Good people.”
“I only met them briefly at the wedding. They seemed nice, though.” I reach for another slice of bread. “How’s the Homestead coming?”
Emily leans back, the old chair creaking beneath her. “Flooring is down in finished rooms. We’re just waiting for the baseboards to arrive, so they can go in. We’re ready for appliance hookups in the kitchen, but can’t pull the new lines while there’s standing water around the exterior panel.”
I pick at the crust, savoring the heat in myhands. “I bet Holden can’t wait to be back in his kitchen.”
She huffs. “I imagine he’ll be moving in before the rest of the rebuild is complete.”
I chuckle. “Can’t say I’ll complain if that’s the case. I’m a mediocre cook, and Kyle is very one-track with his meals.”
Amusement flickers across her face. “Fish, fish, and more fish.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I might be salmoned out for at least a year,” I confess. “Don’t tell him that, though. He’s already being so nice, letting me stay with him.”
“Have you given any more thought to moving to Pinecrest?” she asks.
I cast a guilty look toward the pile of brochures I picked up and haven’t touched since. “No, but I need to decide soon. My lease renewal is coming up for my apartment in Mosswood.”
Emily stands and collects our empty mugs, moving to the sink. “What are the pros and cons?”
“I love the idea of living right by the docks. And being within walking distance of the Saturday Market is appealing.” I rise to follow her, using the counter for support, and turn on the kettle. “But if I’m being honest with myself, my knee isn’t always up for long walks, and I’d likely drive to the docksanyway, so is it worth the added expense to live right on the water?”
“Not if the view doesn’t inspire you.” She turns to grab a drying towel and props her hip against the sink. “Does staring at the vast blue water fill you with the desire to put your fingers to your keyboard and write?”
I hang my head. “Can’t say much of anything inspires me to write these days. Maybe I’ve lost the passion for it.”
“Passions ebb and flow.” She leans over to set the mugs back into the insulated bag, bringing her body temptingly close to me. “They’re like the ocean in that way. The tide will come back when you’re ready.”
Her nearness, the warmth of her body, and the faint trace of soap and cedar that lingers beneath the rain stir a desire I’ve been trying hard to ignore. She has no idea what it does to me, especially when her breathing softens as she speaks about tides and time, giving me a calm so real it blankets over me.
When she straightens, our shoulders brush, and the brief, accidental contact sends my pulse stumbling. I’ve known plenty of Alphas, all loud, commanding, or eager to fill every silence, but Emily isn’t like that. Her presence carries agrounding weight that tugs at me until the gravity to move closer nearly wins.
But Alphas are biologically wired to protect the wounded. Her quiet insistence on feeding me and scolding me into sitting down means nothing more. But the part of me not ruled by logic that aches for gentleness and safety doesn’t believe it.
She turns back to me, silver hair catching the lamplight. “You’ll figure it out when the time is right. And if you ever want to explore other parts of Pinecrest, you can always use my number to give me a call. I’d be happy to escort you around.”
The words shouldn’t sound intimate, but my brain whispers that she’s offering more than to act as a tour guide.
But what if she’s not, and I ruin the quiet friendship building between us by asking for more? I’m a Beta, after all, and it’s rare for Betas to end up with Alphas. We’re just not appealing on the same instinctive level as Omegas.
The lights flicker, and the heater stutters, a warning ping echoing through the cabin.
I look upward, as if I can see the storm raging above us. “Uh oh.”
With a snap and a sigh, the power goes out, and the world drops into shadow.
For a second, it’s silent except for the rain pounding on the roof.
Then, Emily cups my elbow, her hand warm through my cardigan. “Let me help you settle, and then I’ll find the lanterns.”
My pulse flutters as her strong, capable hands steady me while she supports my weight over to the sofa. I’m glad for the dark as her easy strength guides me down onto the cushions. I grope for the throw blanket, drawing it across my lap to hide the effect she has on me.