Page 6 of The Omega's Fake Mate

“Okay, fine,” she said finally. “If you're not coming, everyone's going to focus on me all evening.”

That was more like it. I grinned. “I'm not making any promises.”

“Don't do it for me. Do it for your precious store.”

Grimacing, I watched her flip her hair and stride out the way she'd come.

Once she was gone, I looked back at my dog, who'd slept through my argument with my sister. The door bells seemed to have roused her, though, and now she was blinking sleepy eyes at me. “You know what? You're the only sane member of my family, old Betty.” I walked around the register to scratch her behind the ear. She sniffed my arm appreciatively.

“Think it's time for lunch? I think it's time for lunch.”

But the bells above the door jingled again before I'd even finished speaking. Conner was back. With sandwiches from the shop across the street. When he held them up to me, I somehow managed to smile and sigh at the same time. I'll admit, I wasn't the biggest fan of children, but Conner was all right.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Yes.” Gratefully, I grabbed one of the sandwiches.

“We can eat around the books?”

“We're far enough away from the books,” I decided. After the conversation I'd just had, I needed something in my stomach.

“Okay then.” Conner tore the wrapping paper off his sandwich and bit into it. The smell of tuna wafted over to me and made me dig into my own lunch. “Did you sort things out with your sister?” Conner asked.

I shrugged. “It's a family thing.”

Conner nodded thoughtfully. “Sounds complicated.”

To be fair, it wasn't all that complicated. My parents wanted me to get a mate and I wasn't interested. We finished the rest of our sandwiches in companionable silence and without any further disturbances. It wasn't until I flipped the sign on the store back toOpenthat I got another visitor. Or rather, Conner got a visitor. I recognized the man only because I'd seen him on magazine covers—and because he'd sung at a wedding I attended some time ago. Kade Ashton was a famous singer-songwriter, and the partner of Conner's father.

“There you are!” he said approaching Conner. “Your father said I'd probably find you here.”

Conner shot him a questioning look. “Is something wrong?”

“What's wrong is that you forgot to walk your dog.” Kade's voice was amicable, even if his tone was firm. “C'mon, he's waiting outside.”

“Sorry!” Conner turned to me. “Thanks for letting me stay!” And then he was gone, hurrying to his dog.

“I hope he wasn't any trouble,” Kade said, looking at me. For a split second, his eyes narrowed as they fell on me.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“Oh, no. I'm sorry.” Kade shook his head. “I thought I recognized you from somewhere.”

“You've probably seen me around town.” Even I had to leave my store every now and then.

“Yes, probably.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Oh well, I better go and check on Conner and the dog. Sorry for troubling you.”

“It was no trouble.” Although itwasa bit odd. Why would someone as famous as Kade have any recollection of me?

3

Nick

Oceanport hadn't changed muchsince my last visit here about a year ago. Hell, it hadn't changed much since I'd grown up here, really. Oceanport was one of those places that always looked the same, no matter how much time passed between your visits... but maybe that was what I liked most about this town. In a sense, it was always going to be home. No matter how far I ran, I would always have this place to come back to, and I'd find it just the way I left it. The post office still needed a new paint job, the old town hall still dwarfed all the other buildings, and the sun setting over the ocean still looked absolutely breathtaking as I drove into town in the old Honda Civic I'd rented at the airport.

I parked the car in front of the house where Kade lived with my cousin and his family. I hadn't been here before, not at this house. My cousin and Kade had built it together after becoming a couple. It had only been finished a few weeks ago.

Only a few seconds after I’d climbed out of the car and breathed in the forest smell in the air, Kade stepped out of the house.