“Are you saying I’m not romantic, Kiki?” Crew sounds wounded as he climbs into the backseat, but I can see the grin on his face.
“You know better than that. You just don’t know what to do when someone romances you.” She spins around to look at him. “Do you remember that alpha doctor who was trying to woo you?”
I can’t help the growl that slips out. “What alpha doctor?”
Kiara snickers, patting my arm condescendingly. “Nothing for you to worry about, you big bad alpha. This was years ago. It’s actually a funny story. I’ll tell you all about it if you promise to stop being such an alpha.”
“I’m an alpha, so I’m not sure I can stop being such an alpha.” I grin when she sticks her tongue out. “But I’ll try to behave so I can hear the story.”
“Can we not?” Crew whines, but we both ignore him as I pull out of the driveway.
I laugh as Kiara regales me with tales of the alpha who left gifts for Crew for a year before finally getting up the nerve to ask him out. Apparently, he didn’t answer the man, who’d suggested a romantic dinner followed by a romantic carriage ride. No, my scent-matched omega just spun on his heel and ran away before avoiding the doctor in question until Kiara had to be the one to let him down.
“That’s amazing,” I admit, pulling into a parking spot.
“Are we going night hiking?” Kiara asks with raised eyebrows. “Because I promise you, I’m not dressed for that.”
I chuckle. “Not exactly. We’re just going to the lake. You should be just fine in your flip-flops.”
Her eyes widen. “Ugh, I haven’t been to the lake in years. I love the lake. Wait. Are we even supposed to be here after dark?”
“Do you really care?” It’s my turn to lift my eyebrows as I turn to her.
It’s not like this is the first, or even the hundredth, time we’ve come to this exact spot after dark. Every weekend it was warm enough to do so, we’d come to the lake. Sometimes during the day, and sometimes at night. Then, during the summer when she wasn’t visiting Crew, we were here every night. It was the local hangout spot for the high school crew we ran with.
Luckily, kids don’t seem to do the same thing anymore. Probably because the sheriff went to school with us, and he likes to bring his pack up here at night too.
I made sure to post on the town message board to reserve the lake for the night when I was planning our date. It’s not officialor anything, but we started doing that a few years ago when everyone started packing up.
The number of times the guys and I walked into the clearing to find someone we know fucking their pack is insane. Hence, the unofficial system to reserve the lake.
“I guess not,” she agrees. “Although there might already be people there.”
“Already taken care of, Kiki. Now, are we doing this or not?”
Crew opens his door and slips out. “I’m definitely doing this. This is one of the places I was so excited to have Kiki show me. She always raves about it and the hot springs.”
“I’m not planning to dip into the hot springs tonight.” I swing out of the car and wait until Kiara joins us before continuing. “The caves are dark at night, and I have other plans for the night. But we’ll all go together one night.”
“I can live with that.” Crew puts his arm around Kiara, pulling her against his side as he presses a kiss to the top of her head. “What exactly do you have planned?”
Rather than answer, I circle my truck and pull out the basket I stowed in the bed, holding it up. “A picnic and midnight swim with a bonfire.”
“And s’mores? Please tell me there will be s’mores.”
I grin at her adorableness and nod. “I would never bring you to a fire and not bring s’mores. I value my life too much for that.”
Kiara steps out of Crew’s hold and skips to me, tugging on my arm until I lean down toward her. She presses her lips to my cheek, her smile never slipping. “Thank you.”
I flush a little at the contact, but try to hide it by clearing my throat and ducking my head. “You’re welcome, Kiki.”
Not knowing what else to say, I head for the path that’ll lead us to the lake. I pause for a moment to make sure they’re following me before stepping into the trees.
Ten minutes later, we arrive at the empty lake. Luckily, the moon is almost full and lights up the clearing that surrounds the lake. It’s not a large lake, but it’s deep, which is apparently what makes it a lake.
Delilah tried to explain it to me once, but I tuned her out. Rude of me, I know, but she lost me.
I quickly unfurl the blanket and settle onto it with Crew and Kiara before pulling out the food I got from the bakery in town, Back Home Bakery. Croissants and sweets, plus a container of chicken salad and a fruit salad. We talk quietly as we eat, and it’s really nice.