Page 12 of The Alpha and the Baker

Felicia

Missing the Forest for the Trees

Wow, everyone was so nice.

I was embarrassed out of my gourd that I’d gotten so tipsy from just a couple of sips of a punch, but thankfully no one seemed to be holding it against me.

It was incredibly unprofessional, and they would have been in the right to cancel the whole contract, so I was immensely grateful that nobody seemed to think twice about it.

They also didn’t think twice about it when I stuffed my face with way too much food all at once.

But I wasn’t alone in that. Everyone around me was tucking in with gusto, and I was surprised when even the older folks around me didn’t hold back.

Even the thinner folks around me were on their second plates, including Cas.

Although he wasn’t skinny so much as he was impossibly ripped.

Jeez, I bet he had a six-pack under that shirt of his.

I probably shouldn’t think about his abs when I’m just fuzzy enough to be tempted to run my hands over them.

Drunk Felicia did not have any inhibitions. Luckily, only Tipsy Felicia was around, but I knew better than to push it.

As I was working on my second biscuit smothered in a delicious white gravy with chunks of sausage, I felt something cold and wet press into my arm. Jumping, I turned my head and saw a dog that nearly came up to my shoulder.

Granted, I was sitting, but that was still pretty big for a dog.

“Hello?” I asked cautiously. I wasn’t really scared of dogs, but I knew one should always be careful when being introduced to a new one, especially if there was food around.

“Arietty! You can’t just wander off! Your mother told you we have a h—” A flustered man rushed up, then skidded to a halt when he saw me. “Oh, hello!” he said, smiling nervously. “You’re the baker, right?”

Had everyone heard about me? I hadn’t thought I’d made that much of a splash considering no one had had dessert yet, but clearly I was wrong.

“I am,” I drawled, wishing my tongue was a little more steady in my mouth. It, like the rest of my body, felt so floppy. And when had I gotten so tired? I could really use a nap.

Once I finished my plate.

And maybe half of a second one.

And some dessert too!

Yeah, that sounded good.

“Nice to meet you. Sorry about her, we’re still, uh, training her. She’s a brand-new sh—rescue.” It was probably just in my head, but I could swear multiple people were now staring at me and the dog, like they were waiting for something. “Leave the nice lady alone now, Arietty.”

“Oh, I don’t mind her,” I said, reaching out slowly and letting my hand hang limply so she could smell of the back of it. “She’s beautiful . ”

“She is,” the man said pridefully. “But she knows she’s not supposed to be in the tent where people are eating. So let’s go now, Arietty, or I’m sure your mother is going to have words for you.”

It was kind of funny how he was referring to what I assumed was his partner as the dog’s mom. The large pupper hesitated, but then it let out a huff and turned around to follow the man.

“What a sweetheart,” I said, turning back to the table. And again, it must have been my imagination, but I swore several people around us heaved sighs of relief as if they had been holding their breath.

Weird.

Then again, didn’t every family have their quirks? There was bound to be a lot of that in a family this large, so I just went back to my food.

My delicious, delicious food.

Eventually, however, I was stuffed to bursting and even the promise of tasty desserts wasn’t enough to entice me to put another morsel into my mouth.

I sat back, feeling full and content, and let myself look at the bounty all around me.

Everywhere my gaze landed, there were smiling and happy faces.

The tent was abuzz with all sorts of pleasant chatter undercut by the occasional clank of someone dropping something on the fold-out table.

I couldn’t recall the last time I had felt so relaxed.

Then again, I also couldn’t remember the last time I’d even had a drink to the point of being affected by it. I wasn’t anti-alcohol by any means, but I didn’t really have the time to enjoy it, and drinking alone felt depressing.

Well, I certainly wasn’t depressed at the moment.

Who would have thought that an emergency cake order—which anyone with good sense would have turned down—could turn into something so incredibly lovely?

I certainly hadn’t had a clue. Although initially I’d only done it for the money, and because I’d felt bad for the girl who burned the cakes, I would have done it for free if I knew such a great experience was in store for me.

Okay, maybe that last part was the alcohol talking. Mama needed her bucks after all.

I wrinkled my nose at myself for that particular line of thought. Since when did I call myself Mama? Really wasn’t my vibe at all. But maybe it was Tipsy Felicia’s vibe. She was a bit of a wild card.

What was really surprising was the fact that I still hadn’t sobered up yet.

Maybe I was coming down with something, or was it because I’d had the drink on an empty stomach?

I wasn’t usually so sensitive to alcohol.

Because while yeah, I probably hadn’t drank in ten or so months, it wasn’t enough to make me that sensitive.

I was so deep in thought that I didn’t notice a strange new noise had joined the fray until Cas began to cough from where he was sitting across from me, almost as if he was trying to cover it up. Weird. I closed my eyes and focused on the sound. It was like a strange howl.

Wait…

Was someone yodeling?

Another smile broke out across my features as I listened to the long, low notes that carried across the wind for impossibly long.

It wasn’t expected, but it certainly wasn’t unwelcome.

Where was the singer? I looked around, but I couldn’t see them anywhere.

Man, they had to be classically trained with how far their voice traveled.

I wished I had an aptitude for singing. I could casually carry a melody if the radio was playing, but that was the extent of my skill. Not that it stopped me from having my own personal concert when the mood struck me in the middle of a baking frenzy.

“I’m gonna go handle that,” Cas said quickly with an embarrassed smile.

I wasn’t sure why he looked so flustered.

Yes, at first, I’d been a little startled by the somewhat wild sound, but now I thought it was quite beautiful.

Also, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a culture thing and maybe he was just worried about how it would come across to someone with a different background.

I didn’t think the Irish were known for their yodeling, but I could be wrong. “I’ll be right back.”

“Tell the singer I think they have a beautiful voice,” I said.

I hoped everyone could tell I genuinely meant it.

Sometimes, my dry humor got me into trouble because people couldn’t tell when I was being serious or not.

And I definitely didn’t want any of the McCallisters to think I was being rude or making fun of them.

“What? Oh, right. I’ll make sure to do that.

” Cas strode off in an awful hurry, leaving me with the older folks once again.

Not that I minded. Even though it turned out the whole reason Gammy had hijacked me was a misunderstanding, I had enjoyed my time with her.

It really was quite funny how that whole thing had worked out.

Turning my attention back to the people who had demanded I stick around, I grinned dopily. “So, who has any embarrassing stories to tell about Castiel?”

“And that’s my cue to go on a run,” one of the middle-aged people across from me said, pushing away from the table to stand.

“Pardon?” I asked, sure I had misheard. They’d just eaten, after all.

“Yeah,” another said, joining the first person. Had someone introduced them to me? I couldn’t remember. I felt like I’d heard so many Irish-adjacent names in such a short time that they were all mashed together in my brain.

God, I hoped I sobered up soon. I was having fun, but it would be nice to think clearly again rather than having everything be all fuzzy and blending together.

“Anyone else want to go burn off some of this food so we can eat more?”

A few more people stood up, but I most certainly was not about that life. I needed at least another half hour minimum before I was capable of movement, let alone going on a run. Still, I had to admire their health-consciousness.

“You know, I wish I’d thrown more events like this when I was alpha of my own pack,” Gammy said after everyone had left. “It really makes a woman feel young again.”

“A what now?”

“She means she was the matriarch of her own little community back in the day,” Claudia said quickly, giving me a wink. “Gotta love that old-fashioned slang.”

But I thought alpha talk was a new thing? Was Gammy on TikTok?

“Yup, I sure was,” Gammy said with a nod. “But I retired and had my daughter fill that position sometime back in my forties.”

“Why did you do that?” I asked, more than eager for some Gammy McCallister lore.

“You see, my husband had passed about four years earlier, and there was so much of him just hovering around my old pa?—”

“Family , ” Claudia corrected.

“Right. But then I met Declan and decided to marry into the McCallister p?—”

“ Family. ”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Gammy McCallister gave me a look.

I chuckled and nodded along. I got that Claudia wanted to participate in the conversation, but it would be nice if she stopped interrupting.

“Anyway, married here and been here ever since. Just no one expected me to stick around this long.”

“It’s a pleasant surprise, I’m sure,” I said, reaching for my juice. It was empty. Bummer.

“Depends on who you ask. But I’d like to think I’m one of the biggest influences to encourage Cas’s pappy to challenge the previous al?—”

“Patriarch.”