Page 2 of Shopping for His Omega (Omegas of Oliver Creek #15)

Maverick

“You can’t be serious. Maverick, I’ve known you since you were no taller than a fire hydrant.”

I almost laughed at the hydrant comment, but Mr. Bryant’s death glare and pursed lips suggested he would not appreciate it.

Life and finances had become more difficult for everyone but, as a pharmacist, I saw the price hikes in the worst way possible.

People making choices between food and medicine shouldn’t be a thing, ever.

“I don’t dictate the prices, Mr. Bryant. You know that. It’s the drug companies and the insurance.”

The older man gripped his cane tighter. He was a proud man.

Always dressed in a button-down shirt and sweater vest along with slacks and perfectly shined shoes, he dressed like he was going to church every single day.

His wife had always looked nice, too, before cancer claimed her life.

Mr. Bryant hadn’t been the same since. His light dimmed by the month.

His inability to afford the rising cost of his medicine—nearly doubled what it had been—was threatening his life.

I’d have given it to him free, him and so many others, if I could.

People should be able to focus on getting better and healthier instead of panicking about whether they could even fill the prescriptions their doctors gave them.

“I guess I’ll have to cut back to half the dose, then. Make it last longer.”

My heart dropped. Blood pressure medicine wasn’t to be taken lightly.

There were consequences for dropping your dose.

Mr. Bryant had been on these meds for years and years.

He would be putting his life at risk by taking half, and I told him so.

“Can your kids maybe help?” I already had a premonition about how the rest of this conversation would go.

“No. Tim and Ellis have their own families and bills. Plus, they don’t even call, since Eloise…” It was all I could do not to round the counter and hug the frail man. “I’ll have to wait until next week when I get paid.”

“Do you have enough until then?” I clicked on some information in the system to see the last date he refilled.

“I’ve got three days.”

Not thinking twice, I tore the slip of white paper from the bag and slid it across the counter.

“You can’t go any length of time without this, Sammy.

” I thought maybe calling him by his first name would get his attention, though both of my papas would’ve dressed me down for doing so. It was a respect thing.

“I’ll pay you next week.”

“Don’t worry about it. I just want you to take your medicine. Please.”

Tears welled in the old man’s eyes. He pulled a hankie out from his pocket to wipe them away before they dared run down his cheeks. “You’re a good man, Mav. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. This is between you and me, okay? No reason to spread the news.”

He got the point and left with a nod. Mr. Bryant kept to himself. He was friendly enough but he wasn’t one to gossip.

I was glad for the lack of customers at that moment.

Times were tough for everyone and, while I wished I could help the masses, that wasn’t possible.

If word got around that I was incurring the cost of medicine for those who couldn’t afford it, well, I was afraid those who weren’t in need would take advantage and unfortunately, I had a penchant for people-pleasing.

Maybe it was the rabbit in me. Never wanting to cause a stir or take the chance of being gobbled up.

The regular rush of customers came in after work.

They were all in a hurry but took every chance to groan about the cost of things.

I did the best I could to eat some of the uptick in costs, but I did have a business to run.

That was why I started selling some snacks near the register, to make a bit of extra profit so that things like Mr. Bryant’s blood pressure meds didn’t put me in a bind.

I liked to help people, but I needed the means to do so.

The rest of the night was pretty slow. I stayed open until eight, and the last hour was mostly spent stocking the shelves and making sure things were clean.

I was a one-man show for the most part. I was only open for a half day on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

I received some complaints about that, but everyone needed a day off and there were no other pharmacists in Oliver Creek.

Last on my list was to restock my small snack and drink section.

I’d purchased a tiny fridge for the counter with a glass door and stocked it full of canned drinks and bottles of generic water.

Underneath that were some candy bars and individual bags of chips.

It wasn’t much, but people bought them, and I sold those things for three times their cost, giving me a bit of profit.

My phone alarm went off at eight and I let out a sigh.

Some people loved to get off work and go home, but lately I dreaded it. I loved my home and could relax there but, as I got older, I wanted a companion. A mate. A partner. Someone to share dinner with and wake up to.

I grabbed my lunch bag and walked out the back door after making sure everything was locked up out front.

As I turned to lock the back door, I noticed Daniel a few doors down was doing the same thing as me, but to his grocery store.

Pausing with my key in the lock in case I was caught, I took a moment to gaze at him.

He was a beautiful man and I would bet an equally beautiful wolf.

He was an alpha and while we had only spoken a handful of times, my rabbit heart fluttered every time he was near.

If I didn’t know better, I would think he was my mate, though I hadn’t been around him long enough to know for sure.

His voice cuddled me like a warm hug.

I could’ve easily gotten lost in his brown eyes and had once, making him chuckle and ask me if I was okay.

Danny and I were in a silent struggle. I had started it, I supposed, but when I started stocking the snacks and drinks at the pharmacy, I didn’t think anything of it.

It wasn’t like I’d carved out a place in my shop for fresh produce and canned goods.

It was off-brand bottles of water and mini cans of soda.

But word made it back to me, as small-town gossip did, that the wolf who owned the grocery only a few doors down wasn’t pleased about it.

Maybe because I didn’t buy the product from him?

I purchased the items from one of the big-box stores. It made sense that way. Buy for cheaper, earn more profit. It was a business strategy as old as time.

It wasn’t like I was real competition for his soda and chip sales.

Plus, I shopped in his store. Whatever he thought I was poaching in profit, I certainly spent in his store. He never stopped in my store. Then again, I was glad for that. If he didn’t visit my pharmacy, it was because he didn’t need anything and was healthy.

Knowing he was healthy made my chest warm.

When I first found out Danny was upset about me selling chips of all things, I considered taking the display down, not wanting to rock the boat of a peaceful life in this town, but then I thought better of it.

There were plenty of pharmacies that sold candy and chips and sodas, and no one blinked an eye when a grocery store had bandages and cough drops.

We could coexist in the same town without tension between us.

Look at me. Turn around. Just look at me. I mentally begged the wolf.

He didn’t. He whistled while walking down the alleyway to his vehicle.

I hoped he had a good night and would go home to his den and rest. He worked so hard.

Like me, he didn’t have much help. On Saturdays, I had a young woman come in and help at the register, but I was the only one who could dispense medicine.

He also had some young people to cashier and stock but as was with any small business, the brunt of the work fell on the owner.

I walked home that night, needing the fresh air to clear my head. I heated up some food from the freezer. I spent Sundays bulk cooking and freezing meals in portions so that my life during the week was easier.

While eating at the counter, I sighed. Dinner would be so much better with a mate.