Page 13 of Mating With My Grumpy Alphas (Hollow Haven #2)

Rhett

I ’d been staring at the same carburetor for twenty minutes, telling myself I was focused on work when really I was thinking about storytime yesterday and the way Willa had looked watching Elias with those kids. Soft. Unguarded. Like she’d forgotten to keep her walls up for a few minutes.

Not that it mattered. I’d slipped out yesterday before she could even realise I was there. Not that I had any reason to see her again. The bookstore’s heating system was running fine, her car was in good shape, and I wasn’t the type to manufacture problems just to have an excuse to talk to someone.

Except I’d driven past Pine & Pages three times this week on my way to lunch.

Except I’d volunteered to pick up parts in town when I could have had them delivered.

Except I was currently rebuilding a perfectly functional carburetor because sitting in my garage gave me a view of Main Street and the bookstore’s front door.

“Pathetic,” I muttered, wiping my hands on a shop rag. “Absolutely pathetic.”

The sound of footsteps on gravel made me look up, and I felt my heart do something stupid when I saw Willa walking toward the garage.

She was wearing dark jeans and a cream-colored sweater that made her look soft and approachable, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.

In her hands was a paper bag that looked suspiciously like it came from the bookstore.

“Rhett?” she called out, stopping just inside the garage entrance like she wasn’t sure she was welcome.

“Yeah,” I managed, standing up and trying to look like I hadn’t been thinking about her for the past hour. “What’s up?”

“Hollis asked me to bring this over.” She held up the bag, looking slightly puzzled. “Said you’d ordered a book and it came in?”

A book. I hadn’t ordered any books. I could count on one hand the number of books I’d read in the past year, and none of them had come from Pine & Pages.

“Must be a mistake,” I said, but I walked over to take the bag anyway. Our fingers brushed as she handed it over, and I caught a hit of jasmine and rain that made my alpha instincts sit up and take notice.

I opened the bag and immediately felt heat crawl up my neck. Inside was a paperback romance novel with a shirtless man on the cover, his muscles gleaming as he swept a woman into his arms. The title, in flowing script across the top, read “The Duke’s Forbidden Desire.”

“Oh God,” I said, staring at the cover in horror.

Willa leaned forward to see what had caused my reaction, and I watched her eyes widen before she pressed her lips together like she was trying not to laugh.

“Well,” she said carefully, “Hollis did say you were very specific about wanting this particular title.”

“I did not order this,” I said quickly, probably too quickly. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with people who read these books, but I definitely did not order a book about a duke’s… forbidden anything.”

Willa lost the battle against her laughter, a sound that was warm and genuine and made something in my chest loosen. “Rhett, I think Hollis is matchmaking.”

“What?”

“He’s been dropping hints all week about how I should get to know more people in town, especially you.

” Willa’s eyes were bright with amusement.

“Then today he suddenly had this urgent book delivery that absolutely couldn’t wait until you came into the store yourself.

I’m guessing he thought getting me to walk over here might create an opportunity for conversation. ”

The pieces clicked together, and I felt my face burn even hotter. Hollis had set me up. Sent Willa over here with a romance novel like some kind of ridiculous romantic comedy setup.

“I’m going to kill him,” I muttered.

“Don’t.” Willa was still smiling, and it transformed her whole face. “It’s actually kind of sweet. In a meddling, slightly embarrassing way.”

We stood there for a moment, both of us grinning at the absurdity of the situation. Willa looked relaxed in a way I hadn’t seen before, like Hollis’s ridiculous matchmaking attempt had broken through some of her usual guardedness.

Ask her to lunch, a voice in my head urged. She’s laughing, she’s here, she’s not running away. Ask her.

“You want to get lunch?” The words came out before I could second-guess them. “I mean, since you’re already here and I haven’t eaten and there’s this whole ridiculous book situation…”

I watched her expression shift, the easy laughter fading into something more careful. She was weighing the invitation, and I could practically see her internal debate playing out across her face.

Too fast, I realized. Too much. She’s not ready for anything that feels like a date.

“Never mind,” I said quickly, stepping back toward my workbench. “You probably have to get back to work. Thanks for delivering the book, even if it’s not actually mine.”

“Rhett.” Her voice stopped me mid-retreat. When I turned back, she was looking at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “I’d like to have lunch. If the offer’s still open.”

The relief that flooded through me was probably embarrassing. “Yeah. Yes. The offer’s definitely still open.”

“Good.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture that seemed unconscious and nervous and completely charming. “Where did you have in mind?”

“Maggie’s Diner?” I suggested. “Nothing fancy, but the food’s good and it’s quiet enough to actually have a conversation.”

“Perfect.”

I locked up the garage and we walked toward Main Street together, the romance novel tucked under my arm like evidence of Hollis’s scheming. The afternoon was crisp and clear, with the kind of autumn light that made everything look warm and golden.

“So,” Willa said as we walked, “do you think Hollis is going to ask for a full report on how the book delivery went?”

“Absolutely.” I shook my head, still slightly amazed by the whole situation. “He’s probably watching us from the store window right now, taking notes.”

“Should we give him something to write about?” Willa asked, and there was something almost flirtatious in her voice that made my pulse quicken.

“What did you have in mind?”

“We could pretend to have a heated argument about the book’s literary merit.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “I don’t think I’m qualified to discuss the literary merit of ‘The Duke’s Forbidden Desire.’”

“No? Not even the complex character development of Duke Ravencrest and his journey from brooding rake to devoted lover?”

“You’ve read this?”

“The series has twelve books,” Willa said solemnly. “Duke Ravencrest’s character arc is surprisingly well-developed.”

I stared at her for a moment before she broke, laughing at what must have been my shocked expression.

“I’m kidding,” she said. “Mostly. I may have flipped through a few pages while Hollis was explaining his plan to get you into the store.”

“Hollis told you about his plan?”

“He’s not exactly subtle.” Willa’s smile softened. “He means well, though. He thinks you’re lonely and I’m too isolated and we’d be good for each other.”

“And what do you think?”

The question hung between us as we reached Maggie’s Diner. Willa paused with her hand on the door handle, looking at me with those gray eyes that seemed to see more than I was comfortable with.

“I think,” she said carefully, “that Hollis might not be entirely wrong.”

We found a booth by the window and had just ordered when I noticed Kit Lennox approaching our table with a warm smile. Charlie was trailing behind her, carrying what looked like a coloring book.

“Excuse me,” Kit said, stopping beside our booth. “You must be Willa. I’m Kit, and this is Charlie. I work part-time at the community center.”

“Nice to meet you,” Willa said, looking curious.

“Hey, Kit,” I said with a nod. “How’s it going?”

“Good, thanks.” Kit turned back to Willa with an apologetic expression. “I actually wanted to find you to apologize for Mrs. Vaughn’s behavior earlier this week. She can be… overly enthusiastic about getting new omegas involved in community activities.”

Willa’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Oh, that. It’s fine, really.”

“No, it’s not,” Kit said firmly. “She had no right to make assumptions about your interests or push you into anything. We’re not all like that, I promise.”

“I appreciate that,” Willa said, and I could hear genuine relief in her voice.

“Actually,” Kit continued, “if you’re ever interested in meeting some of the other omegas in town in a much more low-pressure setting, we have an arts night on Thursdays at the community center. Very casual, no expectations. Just a chance to meet people if you want to.”

Willa looked interested but cautious. “That sounds nice.”

“No pressure at all,” Kit said quickly. “But if you’d like more information, here’s my number. You can text me if you have any questions.”

They exchanged contact information while Charlie chattered about the drawing she was working on. I watched Willa carefully, noting how she seemed drawn to Kit’s warmth while still maintaining her usual careful distance.

“We should let you get back to your lunch,” Kit said finally. “It was lovely meeting you, Willa.”

After they left, Willa was quiet for a moment, playing with her napkin.

“She seems nice,” she said finally.

“Kit’s good people,” I agreed. “Charlie’s her stepdaughter, but you’d never know it from how close they are.”

“The arts night sounds interesting,” Willa said, though I could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

“You thinking about going?”

“Maybe.” She looked up at me. “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything creative with other people.”

I wanted to ask why, wanted to know what had made her so careful about creative spaces, but I could see she was already sharing more than usual. Instead, I picked up the romance novel Hollis had sent over.

“Well,” I said, “at least we know what Hollis thinks about creative partnerships.”

Willa laughed, reaching across the table to turn the book so she could see the cover again. “I have to admit, Duke Ravencrest does have excellent bone structure.”

“Should I be jealous of a fictional duke?”

“Definitely,” Willa said solemnly. “He’s very dashing. And he has a tragic past that makes him brood attractively.”

“I can brood,” I protested. “I brood all the time.”

“True,” Willa agreed, her eyes sparkling. “But do you brood attractively?”

She’s flirting with me, I realized with a jolt of something that felt dangerously like hope. She’s actually flirting with me.

“I guess you’ll have to stick around long enough to find out,” I said.

The words came out more serious than I’d intended, and I watched something shift in Willa’s expression. Not retreating, exactly, but acknowledging that we’d crossed into territory that felt more significant than casual banter.

“Maybe I will,” she said quietly.

Lunch was actually fun. We ,sighed and joked, spending time getting to cautiously know each other without any of the usual date pressure because we both knew this wasn’t really one.

When I asked her on a proper date I was going to sweep her off her feet just like deserved.

She wasn’t ready for that yet. But she wasn’t running away either. And that was something.

As we reached Pine & Pages, Willa turned to me with a smile that made my chest feel warm.

“Thank you,” she said. “For lunch. For not making fun of my Duke Ravencrest commentary. For being patient with Hollis’s ridiculous matchmaking schemes.”

“Thank you for giving me an excuse to leave the garage,” I said. “And for delivering romance novels with a straight face.”

I was still grinning as she disappeared into the bookstore, the romance novel tucked under her arm. Through the window, I could see Hollis practically bouncing with curiosity, ready to interrogate Willa about every detail of our lunch.

My phone buzzed with a text as I reached my truck. Unknown number, but I had a feeling I knew who it was.

I hope you don’t mind but Hollis gave me your number. Thanks again for lunch. Next time, I’ll bring my own romance novel recommendations.

I stared at the message for a moment, then typed back.

Looking forward to it. Fair warning though, I might actually read the Duke’s book before then.

Her response came quickly.

Excellent. We can discuss his character development over dinner sometime.

Dinner sometime. Two words that shouldn’t have made my heart race, but did. I pocketed the phone and headed back to work, already planning when “sometime” might be.

You’re in trouble, Callahan, I told myself. Deep, deep trouble.

But as I thought about Willa’s laugh and the way she’d looked at me when she said maybe she’d stick around, I found I didn’t mind being in trouble at all.