Page 48 of A Snowy Escape

My upcoming heat might be affecting me more than I realized.

“I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be here,” I say to get back on track.

“No rush. I’ll be there whenever you’re done.” He moves Echo’s leash to his other hand and cradles my cheek in his massive palm. “Have fun with Bryant. Don’t let him forget to feed you lunch.” He bends down, kissing my temple.

It’s such a brief point of contact, then he’s gone. My knees get weak, and I find myself bouncing on my toes.

Holy shit.

I’m far too desperate for affection.

If I’m not careful, I’ll throw myself at him, embarrassing us both in the process.

* * *

“How’s your salad?” Bryant asks as we sit in his office a while later.

“So good,” I practically groan. “You were right. Their crispy chicken combined with the honey mustard dressing is freaking delicious.”

I might try it with ranch or blue cheese next time, but it’s one of those salads that would taste divine, no matter the dressing.

It also came with a honey butter croissant that I was depressed when I finished. I’ll be ordering extra the next time I eat at this place.

The salad is bright, with chunky tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, bacon, cucumber, and cheddar cheese. It also had purple onions, but like a child, I shoved them to the side. Luckily they came in a chunk, so it was easy to scoop them up with my fork.

I don’t think I realized how badly my body was craving vegetables. I’ve been eating a lot of junk lately or settling for a can of soup after work.

“I’m happy to know I didn’t steer you wrong,” he says, chuckling. “How are you enjoying Bay Pines?”

“It’s nice. I haven’t really had the chance to explore, but I love it so far.” I take a long swig of my bottle of water before placing it back on the table. “Everyone has been welcoming.”

Except Bev, I add silently.

It sucks, but I might not be cut out to be a server. Her negativity has really taken a toll on my self-worth.

“I mean, the three of you have gone above and beyond,” I say, laughing. “But everyone I run into is polite and helpful. The only downside is that I’m still not confident driving in the snow.”

“You know, it’s something I’ve done my whole life, and I still let Lawson or Luka drive if there’s a choice.”

“It’s nice that you have someone you trust to ride with so you can relax.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “Can I ask how you met Luka and Lawson?”

“Absolutely.” He laughs. “But it’s a long story. Let’s see.” He hums. “I played baseball in high school and got a scholarship to play in college. Only, I jacked up my rotator cuff, and that was that. I knew I wasn’t making it to the majors after that. I stayed in school long enough to get my bachelor’s degree, but it was expensive without the scholarship to cover the majority of my expenses. I got a job at a local boxing gym to help with spending money and racked up a fair amount in student loans.” He shrugs, frowning. “I’d probably still be drowning in debt from that if one of my dads hadn’t been injured at work. The company knew the equipment was faulty, and they failed to fix it.”

“Is he okay?”

“Now? Yeah,” he says, nodding. “At the time, his pelvis, hip, and thigh were decimated. He won a lawsuit against his employer. My family pack paid off their debt, bought a new car, put a little in savings, and the rest they split between me, my sisters, and my brother.”

“I’m glad he’s okay, but God, that must have been scary.”

“It was,” he agrees, closing the lid on his salad. “It was a long recovery. When I came to town, everyone assumed I grew up with money. I didn’t. I never would have been able to buy this place without that settlement. I poured everything into buying the building and equipment outright.” He chuckles. “I was living in this terrible little studio apartment downtown. Eventually, I got close with Luka. Then I met Lawson. The three of us meshed really well, and I moved in with them. I’ve known them for four years, but we didn’t start living together until three years ago.”

“Have you guys ever considered being matched?” The words pop out before I can stop myself from speaking, and I kinda wish a hole would open up and swallow me.

“We’ve discussed it casually, but there aren’t any omega-matching programs close by,” he says. “I think we were all hoping we would meet someone organically.”

“That makes sense,” I say, smiling tightly.

Why is it so hard to tell if they might be interested in me? I feel like I’m putting myself out there. It’s time for them to make a move. That way, maybe I’ll stop driving myself crazy.