Page 36 of Not Looking
I quickly ruled out the planks as the culprit. They had a bit of alpha scent on them, but nothing strong enough to fill my workshop.
I turned to a delivery that I’d shoved inside without opening—a shipment of my favorite finishing sealant. Maybe one of theemployees packing it—or the delivery driver—had saturated the cardboard.
The box was also a miss.
Which took me back to things I’d gotten from the mill.
My shorts shelf seemed fine. Then I approached the bucket of scraps—still waiting to be sorted.
Alpha. It was like the whole bucket was coated in alpha scent.
I grabbed the handle and hauled it outside—where the sun and air could bake it off.
I carried the bucket to the side porch of my cabin. If I spread out the scraps, the process would go faster, then dumped the lot.
I’d arranged about half a dozen pieces when I picked one up, and something felt… off. The cut edges, normally razor sharp, were dull and soft to the touch. Nothing that could be seen, but only felt.
I turned the piece over and noticed slight staining around the edges, almost as if a finishing oil had soaked in.
I sniffed it and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of alpha.
Then it hit me. That was one of the pieces that Craig had set aside.
Though it was clear that he’d more than set it aside. The edges wouldn’t soften, nor would the wood stain like that, from merely being dropped in a bin.
He’d handled it, over and over and over—his skin oils saturating the wood while his fingers compressed the sharp edges into something softer.
I sighed. Set it aside, and resumed spreading out the scraps.
Then I found another, and a third. More scraps, worn from handling and stained with skin oils. How I hadn’t noticed it at the mill could only be attributed to exhaustion.
While the wood itself was fine and could still be used, there were deeper implications.
It meant that Craig was thinking about me more often than for just an occasional scrap. There was no reason for him to spend so much time with what was essentially a waste product… unless he was wondering how I’d react.
Unless he was thinking about me.
I let out a long sigh. I hadn’t been completely oblivious to his flirting, but he seemed like the flirty type. Some alphas were, and I’d long ago learned that it didn’t mean anything.
But this was more… and I knew better.
Maybe he saw me as desperate—a single omega in his thirties surely wanted to get laid, right? I’d be a convenient warm place to put his dick until somebody better came along.
But why go through all the trouble?
I scowled as I finished my task, then pulled my phone out.
“Hey!” Kerry chirped as he answered. “Didn’t expect you to call so soon. Forget your wallet in Callum’s car or something?”
I chuckled. “No, my wallet is right where it’s supposed to be. But…” I blew out a long breath. “You got time today? Something’s kind of come up, and I think I’d like another omega’s opinion.”
“No prob. How about I drive over and check out your new pieces? I’m working with a family buying a second home inAspen, and they’re going for a mountain chic vibe. Your stuff will fit right in.”
“Sounds good. What time should I expect you?”
“Probably early this afternoon.”
“Ok, come on inside when you get here. I’m airing out the shop, so I probably won’t be on the equipment today.”
