I knew right then and there that I was in trouble. There would be no amount of time that was enough for me. I’d never get my fill of her.
It had been ages since I’d had my mind set on something, but Autumn Cedarwick was it, and she better be prepared for what it meant to be my girl.
Chapter13
Autumn
Boone told me that just because I did the asking, that the date wasn’t my job to plan. I’d let him get away with his bossiness for now. Mainly because I knew he was a teddy bear down deep and this little show of his romantic side would just prove that point.
The fish fry the night before had been a treat and I ended up sprawled out on the couch with the boys and stuffed, the three of them taking my mind off of things perfectly.
A soft knock on my door had me rushing over and pulling it open. His eyes lingered and he swallowed hard as his eyes ran over my robe clad body before he cleared his throat and frowned.
Hey, at least I have my hair and makeup done already.
“Don’t give me that look, bear, you didn’t answer your text,” I told him. He narrowed his eyes but pulled out his phone and checked his messages.
“It’s cool out, I’d go for the sweater,” he said, stepping back out and gently closing the door before I could drop the robe. I changed quickly into my favorite chunky sweater. It was super soft and cream colored, going perfectly with my dark skinny jeans and brown boots.
What I didn’t expect to find was Boone waiting by the front door with a flannel blanket over one arm and a basket in his other hand.
“Stop it, a picnic?” I asked excitedly. He shifted uncomfortably and frowned.
“Well it was,” he muttered, clearly taking me wrong as he started to turn away.
“It better still be,” I said with a huff. “I think it’s perfect. And Boone?”
“Yeah?” he asked as he met my eyes. The poor guy was more than just out of touch with dating, he was stepping out of his comfort zone to do this. The fact that he was doing this for me, meant and showed me a lot. Actions really did speak louder than words sometimes.
I still hoped I got to meet the bitch that did this to him one day. Resorting to violence wasn’t exactly my style, but I’m just petty enough to rub in her face all she lost.
“I’m an honest person. If I don’t like something or it makes me uncomfortable, I will always tell you. Please don’t stress yourself out about me liking or not liking something. I’m fairly easy to please,” I promised him.
He took a deep shaking breath before nodding his head. His brown eyes softened as he gazed at me, a small smile finally forming on his perfect lips.
“Okay,” he agreed. “Shall we?”
“Here, let me carry this,” I told him as I grabbed the blanket from him before he could protest. He opened the door and ushered me outside with a hand on my lower back. He dropped the basket and blanket in his pickup truck before opening my door for me. His scent filled the cab, all warm woods and wild berries, as he leaned over me to buckle me in.
I’d never liked when alphas acted like omegas couldn’t function, but having him do these small things, ensuring I was taken care of, was different. He needed to know I was safe and it was his way of caring for me. And it had my chest warming from more than just the pheromones.
“There,” he said as he stepped away. I could tell he hesitated, waited for me to complain.
“Thank you,” I told him. “Now let’s get this heat on, the nights are chillier here than I remembered.”
He smiled at that and shut the door, waiting to answer until he’d walked around to the other side.
“It’s because as kids we could spend hours outside and not notice it at all,” he answered. “I remember when I was ten, spending the entire day out playing with the guys. We ended up going for a hike and it took way too long. By the time we got back to Holiday Hollow they had the whole town looking for us. They were acting like we’d frozen to death out there and here we come back full of jokes and just fine. Until our asses got in trouble at least.”
“I bet they were pissed,” I laughed as I imagined all three of these guys causing chaos together as kids. “I’m thinking I need to see some pictures of you guys when you were growing up. I bet you were troublemakers. Or at least Hunter was and you guys just followed along so he didn’t hurt himself in the process.”
He barked out a laugh. “First of all, no chance of seeing those. Second, that’s painfully accurate. I believe that hike was his fault too.”
“So how far are we going?” I asked when he turned away from town and started down a winding back road. His concentration while driving was intense, especially now that it was dark and deer could run out at any moment.
“Not far,” he said finally as he slowed down around a curve. It was crazy how safe he made me feel. I just leaned back and enjoyed the cozy ride, studying him openly since he was so focused on the drive. His eyes were furrowed slightly in conversation and he chewed his bottom lip absently as he went. The white on his knuckles as he gripped the steering wheel gave away the anxiety I’d noticed in him.
Boone made a turn that had me tensing, the night making it look like he was going right into the middle of a farmer’s field. I yelped as the truck bumped along the makeshift road.