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“Yes, I think so,” I said into his chest.
Everyone else was asleep when we got home—all except for Princess, who acted as our unofficial welcome-home committee of one... mostly because she wanted a cat treat from the bag safely hidden in the fridge.
Then, the following morning, it was our turn to sleep through Luca and the alphas leaving for work, after I fell asleep on Nat’s bed with him still holding me. It wasn’t until Monday evening that we all ended up awake and in the same place at the same time.
I had a pot of French onion soup bubbling on the stove, a salad of roasted winter vegetables waiting in the fridge, and Nat was helping me cut hollows out of six sourdough bread bowls as they trooped in, talking quietly.
“Evening, you two,” Zalen greeted. “Whatever that is, it smellsamazing.”
“Come back down as soon as you’re ready,” I told him. “It’ll only take a few more minutes to melt the cheese. Also, we have news to share.Bignews.”
Zalen and Byron exchanged a look, but it was Emiel who spoke.
“Us too,” he said. “But you can go first.”
“We’ll be right back,” Luca put in. “News can wait until I’m stuffing my face. I’mstarving.”
“Hurry up, then,” I told them, about to burst with the need to relay Shani’s proposal, now that the opportunity was at hand.
They were good to their word, coming back down to the dining room just as Nat and I were ferrying in the hollowed sourdough rounds filled with fragrant onions and thick broth; each one topped with bubbly melted Swiss cheese, barely browned on top.
As soon as everyone was settled with their soup and salad, Zalen gestured with his silverware. “Emiel’s right—you first. Good news, I hope?”
“If it actually materializes, then absolutely,” Nat began.
“One of the chefs at the Elderflower Inn wants to buy it,” I said. “Shaniqua Jones, my second in command. Her pack is in the construction industry, and apparently they could afford to do it, if she can convince them.”
“Oh.” Zalen sounded taken aback, rather than immediately enthusiastic. “I didn’t realize you’d be able to find a buyer that quickly.”
A prickle of unease shivered down my spine. He’d made it sound like if there was any outstanding debt left after the sale, he’d be willing to clear it for us. Had he needed more time to get the funds together?
“Is that going to be a problem?” I asked cautiously.
Byron grunted. “Nah. You’re just gonna force him to modify his grand proposal, that’s all. He had it all worked out in his headbefore.” He broke through the crust of cheese over his soup and blew on a spoonful before lifting it to his lips.
I glanced back at Zalen, a question in my eyes—but Nat beat me to it. “What kind of grand proposal are we talking about, exactly?”
“Well,” Zalen began, sounding uncharacteristically uncertain. “I thought that maybe...”
“He wants to start an in-house culinary school at the Hope Project,” Emiel interrupted. “We’ve been talking for ages about trying to arrange some kind of college degree program for the kids, but we could never quite make it happen.”
Zalen nodded. “I thought, if it was going to take a long time to find a buyer for your restaurant, that maybe we could collaborate on a work experience program of some kind.”
For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, I was rendered speechless as new possibilities unspooled themselves inside my mind, paving a path into the future.
“Maybe we still can,” I said faintly.