Page 15 of Alpha’s Sunflower Smiles (Sweet in Silford #8)

Chapter 15

Wilfred

I looked up as the chime above the door sounded.

An unfamiliar young omega man walked in and looked around the shop.

He nodded and came inside, beaming at me.

He had a killer smile.

“Hi, you must be Wilfred. I’m looking for a gift for my niece.”

Before I could ask any questions about his niece, the door chimed again and Gui came inside.

“Jared, you ran off!” he said.

The omega turned to him with surprise.

“I didn’t! We were walking along talking and then suddenly you weren’t there. I assumed you’d sneaked off to see Richard in the workshop.”

Gui blushed bright red, which he did often, and Jared cackled as though that had been his intention all along.

He went over to Gui and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“Come on, you need to help me pick out something for Holly’s christening.”

Ah, at least that gave me an idea of his niece’s age.

Ten minutes later, Gui really had snuck out into the workshop to see Richard and I was talking to Jared about his niece and nephew.

He held up his phone so I could see the picture.

“Aren’t they the cutest?”

“Yes, they are,” I said.

They were adorable children.

One was a boy of five or six, and he was holding the sweetest baby girl I’d ever seen.

“I keep telling Sutton they take after me but he says that’s not possible.”

“Oh? Is Sutton your partner?” I asked.

I’d noticed, obviously, that Jared was Black and his niece and nephew were white, but that wasn’t really my business.

“Yeah, he’s my alpha. He says that technically they’re from his side of the family, but I spend at least as much time with them as he does. They’re just as likely to pick up my amazing habits as his, right?”

I nodded.

That seemed reasonable.

“Besides,” Jared added, “Davis, my nephew, is incredibly confident, which means he doesn’t take after Sutton at all . Sutton needs to be constantly reminded that he’s hot and also he’s mine.”

I noticed Jared glancing down at his left hand as he said that, a satisfied smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

The engagement ring on his finger flashed in the light.

Gui made me jump when he spoke from the doorway.

He’d snuck back in, and one glance at him told me just what he’d been up to out there.

His lips were pink from kissing.

I tried not to smirk that Pete really had been right about that workshop.

“Jared, if you remind Sutton that he’s hot any more than you do already, Milton will have to fire you for indecent exposure.”

Jared stuck out his tongue.

“Milton’s just jealous that he’s not got a totally sexy boyfriend to grope, that’s all.”

Gui rolled his eyes.

“Sure he is.”

I never could mind my own business where people were concerned.

“Who’s Milton?”

Jared said, “He’s our boss. He’s a grouchy alpha with no sense of humour.”

Gui said, “He’s very professional and he thinks Jared has made it his personal mission to drive him crazy.”

Jared stuck his nose in the air.

“It’s not my fault he’s obsessed with me.”

“He’s obsessed with how often you feel your alpha up at work.”

“But Sutton’s so sexy! How am I meant to keep my hands off all that man ?”

Jared actually made grabby hands as he said that, and I couldn’t restrain my laugh any longer.

I decided I liked Jared.

Before I could probe any deeper into this fascinating history, Richard bustled out of the workshop.

He looked much more put-together than Gui did, and I knew he prided himself on always looking professional and businesslike.

It made him feel in control, which he thrived on.

Richard asked, “Are you talking about Sutton’s body again ?”

“Yes, I am. Keep your eyes to yourself. He’s claimed me as his very own and is going to marry me and let me ride his knot every night forever and ever.”

Jared’s eyes went misty and Gui sniggered softly behind his hand.

Richard rolled his eyes.

“I think you still need to work on those wedding vows. I don’t think mentioning your bridegroom’s knot is very vicar-appropriate.”

“No? Are you sure?”

Richard shook his head and I tried not to blush.

Now I knew what it was like to have an alpha I was in love with knot me, I could see where Jared was coming from.

I’d never felt such ecstasy as I had with Pete as he’d made love to me every night this week.

Maybe the vicar wouldn’t mind Jared mentioning it?

Jared looked crestfallen.

“I suppose I could ask her at Holly’s christening. She’s doing both services, so I can find out then.”

“You’re close to your alpha’s family,” I observed.

Jared nodded and seemed to focus.

“Yes, I love them. They’re my family too, now. And baby Holly deserves the best Christening present.”

We walked around the shop together for a while and considered various things.

At last, Jared said, “Richard told me you could personalise things,” and that made us take a whole different route.

It ended up with me sketching out a whole new design to make for baby Holly.

By the time Jared left, I was excited to get to work on it.

Richard kissed Gui by the shop door before he left, but he kept it appropriate, despite the fact I pretended not to notice.

When it was just me and Richard left in the shop, he wandered over to the counter and leaned his elbows on it.

“Do you want me to watch the shop while you get to work on that?” He nodded down at the design.

“Would you mind?”

“Not at all. I can see you want to get started.”

I was so glad I’d hired Richard.

It was the best business decision I’d ever made.

I tried to justify my excitement a bit, so I didn’t seem like a kid who wanted to go and play while Richard did all the work.

“Jared’s so excited about it. I want him to have something incredible for his niece. It’s nice that he’s so close to his alpha’s family. That’s unusual.”

Richard shrugged.

“I don’t know about that. My best friend is really close to his omega’s family and is round their houses all the time. Gui gets on better with my father than I do, now he’s managed to start talking in full sentences. It’s cute, actually, even if they do talk about Architecture, which is boring. Now, you go and get started on that and I’ll call you when it’s time for lunch. You need to remember to eat and I know you’ll forget if you’re invested in making something.”

As I went into the shop, I felt a familiar warm glow from Richard taking care of me.

I had long since stopped feeling weird about that, since I was old enough to be his father.

He was bossy and took care of people, and I liked that.

It worked for us.

However, as I began to gather together everything I’d need, I felt a twinge of unease.

Were people meant to be close to their partner’s family?

I didn’t have any family, so it wasn’t something I could bring to the table.

But if I was meant to be getting on well with Pete’s family, first he’d have to actually introduce me to them.

A stone started to form in the pit of my stomach.

The sneaky thought managed to slip into my brain and linger there, that Pete didn’t want any of his friends or family to know about me.

I couldn’t dislodge the thought.

In the months I’d known him, he hadn’t mentioned his family except that he took his papa a gift.

The stone got bigger in my stomach as I remembered that his papa had also been setting him up with an omega.

Was Pete attracted to omegas as well?

I didn’t mind that, but it did worry me that maybe I wasn’t as permanent a partner as I’d assumed.

He’d asked me out, not told me that he wanted us to be long-term.

Alphas often went for omegas, in the end.

There were still some social taboos about alphas or omegas not dating each other, something which poor Richard had had to fight against already.

Luckily, that kind of thinking was on its way out, but it did linger unpleasantly in certain areas.

Would Pete have his fun with me and then move on?

Maybe he wanted children, which I most certainly couldn’t give him.

I managed to worry all morning.

Even working didn’t soothe the anxiety away, which it usually did.

Normally, I could forget everything once I began work on my crafts.

Distantly, I heard the chime from the door again.

It had gone a few times while I’d been out here but I didn’t pay attention while I knew Richard was taking care of the shop.

Only when the workshop door opened did I look round.

Pete was standing there, holding up a bag from the local bakery, which made the most delicious fresh sandwiches.

“I brought us both lunch. Can I eat with you?”

The stone in my stomach melted.

I smiled, relieved.

“Yes, I’d love that. Let me wash up and I’ll come over.”

Pete took the bag over to the desk in the corner of the room and pulled up the office chair and a stool.

He was so sweet.

And I wasn’t going to worry about him running off with an omega like his papa wanted.