Page 12 of Nesting With My Three Alphas (Hollow Haven #1)

Jonah

I stood on Kit's front porch Monday morning with a loaf of cinnamon bread wrapped in one of my dish towels, feeling more nervous than a simple neighborly gesture warranted.

She'd left it behind after yesterday's nesting session and pizza dinner, and while I could have just texted her about it, some part of me had wanted an excuse to see her again.

The woman who answered the door looked different from the anxious omega who'd first arrived in town over a week ago.

Kit's hair was loose around her shoulders, she wore a soft burgundy sweater that brought out the warmth in her eyes, and there was something lighter in her scent.

Less sharp anxiety, more settled contentment.

The kind of peace that came from a good night's sleep in a proper nest.

"Jonah," she said with genuine pleasure. "You didn't have to bring that by."

"Charlie insisted," I said, which was only partly true. "She was worried you'd miss having something sweet with your morning coffee."

"Where is Charlie?" Kit asked, taking the loaf and immediately unwrapping a corner to smell it. "This smells incredible, by the way."

"Still getting dressed. We're heading to the pumpkin patch this morning, and she's trying to decide between her dinosaur sweatshirt and her witch costume."

Kit's face lit up with interest. "There's a pumpkin patch here?"

"Best one in three counties, according to Charlie. The Corbin family runs it out on their farm, every October. Hayrides, hot cider, the works." I paused, then took the leap. "You should come with us. If you want."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude..."

"Kit!" Charlie's voice called from behind me as she came tearing down the street, having apparently escaped the house wearing both the dinosaur sweatshirt and a witch hat. "Are you coming to pick pumpkins with us? Please say yes, please, please, please ?"

Kit looked between Charlie's hopeful expression and my carefully neutral one, and I saw the moment she made her decision.

"Just for a little while," she said. "Let me grab a jacket."

Fifteen minutes later, we were driving through the countryside in my truck, Charlie chattering excitedly in the backseat about pumpkin-picking strategies while Kit watched the scenery roll past her window.

The October air was crisp enough that our breath fogged slightly, and the trees were showing off their autumn colors in shades of gold and crimson.

"I don’t think I’ve ever been to a pumpkin patch," Kit said softly.

"Really? Not even as a kid?"

"My parents weren't big on seasonal activities. Too messy, too unpredictable." Kit's smile was wry. "They preferred indoor entertainment."

"Well, you're in for a treat," I said. "The Corbins go all out."

We pulled into a gravel lot already dotted with families and couples, the air thick with the scent of woodsmoke and apple cider.

The pumpkin patch stretched out across several acres, orange globes scattered through the field like fallen suns.

A red barn served as the main hub, with signs advertising hayrides and a cider stand.

Charlie was out of the truck before I'd fully stopped, bouncing with excitement. "Come on! We need to find the perfect pumpkins before all the good ones are gone!"

"Charlie," I called after her. "Stay where we can see you."

"I will!"

Kit laughed as we watched my daughter dash toward the nearest cluster of pumpkins. "She's got a lot of energy."

"That's putting it mildly." I fell into step beside Kit as we followed Charlie's meandering path through the patch.

"She's been looking forward to this all week.

Usually we manage to convince her Aunt Emma to come with us, or Micah and Reed.

Last year it was just the two of us, and she kept talking about how much more fun it was with more people. "

"Did you used to come here with..." Kit hesitated delicately.

"Sarah? Yeah. This was her favorite fall tradition.

We always tried to come back to Hollow Haven around this time of year.

" I glanced at Kit, checking for any signs of discomfort, but she just looked genuinely interested.

"She always insisted on finding the most perfectly round pumpkin, and Charlie inherited that particular obsession. "

"That sounds lovely. Having traditions like that."

There was something wistful in Kit's voice that made me want to ask about her own family traditions, but I'd learned to recognize when she wasn't ready for certain questions. Instead, I just said, "Well, now you're part of this one. Fair warning, Charlie takes pumpkin selection very seriously."

As if to prove my point, Charlie called out from across the patch: "Dad! Kit! Come look at this one! I think it might be perfect!"

We made our way over to where Charlie was kneeling beside a medium-sized pumpkin, running her hands over its surface with the concentration of a scientist.

"See? No soft spots, good stem, nice round shape." Charlie looked up at Kit expectantly. "What do you think? Does it pass the test?"

Kit crouched down beside Charlie, examining the pumpkin with equal seriousness. "Well, the color is excellent. Nice deep orange. And the ridges are very symmetrical." She gently lifted one side. "Good weight to it, too. I think you've found a winner."

"Yes!" Charlie pumped her fist in the air. "One perfect pumpkin acquired. Now we need to find one for Kit."

"Oh, I don't need..." Kit started, but Charlie was already off, scanning the field with renewed determination.

"Everyone needs a pumpkin," I said. "It's practically a law."

Kit smiled, and I caught a thread of something warm and pleased in her scent. "In that case, I better start looking."

We spent the next hour wandering through the patch, Charlie leading the expedition with military precision while Kit seemed to relax more with each passing minute.

I watched her interact with other families, accepting compliments on her sweater from Mrs. Carrington and listening patiently to old Mr. Corbin's explanation of optimal pumpkin-growing conditions.

"You've got a natural way with people," I observed as we watched Charlie attempt to lift a pumpkin nearly as big as she was.

"Do I?" Kit looked surprised. "I always feel like I'm pretending to be normal."

"You're not pretending anything. This is just you." I paused. "You fit here, Kit. I hope you can feel that."

Something shifted in her expression, vulnerable and hopeful. "I'm starting to."

"Kit! Dad! I found the perfect pumpkin for Kit!" Charlie called from a few rows over. "Come see!"

We found Charlie standing proudly beside a pumpkin that was smaller than hers but perfectly shaped, with a curved stem that gave it character.

"It's beautiful," Kit said, and I could tell she meant it. "Are you sure this one's for me?"

"Positive," Charlie said firmly. "It's got personality, just like you."

Kit looked touched by the simple compliment, carefully lifting the pumpkin and cradling it like something precious. "Then I guess this one's mine." She paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "I wonder what Micah and Reed will think of my choice. They both have such good taste."

"They'll love it," I said, ignoring the small twist of happiness in my chest at the mention of my friends. "Excellent choices all around. Ready for the hayride?"

Charlie cheered, and even Kit looked excited by the prospect. We loaded our pumpkins into a wheelbarrow and made our way to the barn, where a tractor was hitched to a large wagon filled with hay bales.

The wagon was already half full of families, everyone bundled in jackets and scarves, kids wiggling with excitement. We found seats near the back, Charlie between Kit and me, as the tractor rumbled to life and began its slow circuit around the orchard.

"This is perfect," Charlie sighed contentedly, leaning against Kit's side as we rolled past rows of apple trees heavy with fruit.

I found myself watching Kit more than the scenery, noting how naturally she adjusted to accommodate Charlie's weight, how she pointed out interesting things along the route with genuine enthusiasm.

The afternoon light caught the auburn highlights in her hair, and when she laughed at something Charlie said, the sound went straight to my chest.

You look like you belong here, I wanted to say, but the words felt too loaded, too much like a confession I wasn't ready to make.

Halfway through the ride, Charlie's chatter began to slow, her eyelids growing heavy in the warm sunshine. Within minutes, she was fast asleep, her head pillowed on Kit's lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Kit looked down at my daughter with such tenderness that something shifted inside my chest. This was maternal instinct, protective care, the kind of love that came naturally to someone with a generous heart.

"She trusts you completely," I said quietly, not wanting to wake Charlie.

"The feeling's mutual," Kit replied, gently smoothing Charlie's hair back from her face. "She's an incredible kid, Jonah. You should be proud."

"I am. But I can't take all the credit. She's just naturally good at seeing the best in people."

"Like father, like daughter."

The simple words hit deeper than they should have. Kit was looking at me with something soft and warm in her expression, her free hand resting on the hay bale between us.

Without thinking, I reached out and covered her hand with mine.

She didn't pull away, just turned her palm up so our fingers could intertwine properly.

Her skin was warm despite the cool air, and I caught a subtle shift in her scent, something that spoke of contentment and maybe the beginning of trust.

"You look like you belong here," I said finally, the words coming out quieter than I'd intended.

"I didn't think I'd ever feel that again," Kit replied, her thumb brushing across my knuckles. "Belonging somewhere."