Chapter 4
I was wiping down the counter when the bell over the door chimed. I looked up expecting to see one of the usual lunch crowd, but instead saw Caspian Blackthorne standing in the doorway, looking completely out of place in his expensive dark suit.
Every conversation in the diner stopped. Mrs. Peterson choked on her coffee. Tommy poked his head out from the kitchen and stared.
Oh God. What was he doing here? Everyone was staring, and I could feel the gossip wheels already turning. In this small community, everyone knew everyone's business, and this was the last thing I needed.
"Hi," he said simply, walking to the counter like this was the most natural thing in the world.
"Hi," I managed, hyper-aware of every eye on us. "Can I... help you?"
"I'd like lunch. Whatever you recommend."
I blinked. "Lunch."
"Yes." His mouth twitched like he was fighting a smile. "I hear the food here is excellent."
He was really doing this. Sitting in my diner like a regular customer, pretending yesterday didn't happen, pretending we didn't have this complicated history involving contracts and his grandmother's medical examinations.
"Um." I grabbed a menu with shaking hands. "We have today's special—meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Or burgers. Sandwiches."
"Meatloaf sounds perfect."
I wrote down the order, trying to ignore the whispers starting up around the room. "Coffee?"
"Please."
When I poured the coffee, he leaned closer, lowering his voice. "How's Evie?"
The gentle question caught me off guard. "Better. Much better. Treatment started yesterday. The doctor says she's responding well."
"I'm glad." And the way he said it, I believed him.
Felix chose that moment to burst through the back door, still in his school clothes.
"Mommy! Mrs. Chen said there's a fancy car outside and—" He stopped when he saw Caspian, his eyes going wide. "Whoa."
Great. Now I had to explain to a seven-year-old why an Alpha who smelled like power and money was sitting in our diner. How did I even begin?
"Felix, this is... Mr. Blackthorne," I said carefully. "He's having lunch."
Felix walked closer, studying Caspian with an intensity that made me nervous. Kids had no filter, no sense of social boundaries.
"You smell different," Felix announced.
Oh God.
Caspian's eyebrows raised, but he seemed more amused than offended. "Different how?"
"Like... forests. And something strong." Felix tilted his head. "Are you why Mommy got flowers?"
Kill me now. Just strike me down with lightning because this conversation cannot be happening. My seven-year-old is interrogating one of the most powerful Alphas in the city about flowers he sent me.
"Felix," I said quickly, "why don't you go start your homework?"
"But I want to know about the forest man."
Caspian laughed—an actual laugh, not a polite chuckle. "Forest man? I like that. You can call me Caspian."
"Caspian," Felix repeated, testing the name. "That's a weird name."
"Felix!"
"It's okay," Caspian said. "It is a weird name. My grandmother chose it. She likes old-fashioned things."
Ruby appeared then, bouncing through the door like she always did, but stopped when she saw the stranger. She was more cautious than Felix, hanging back behind the counter.
"Who's that?" she whispered loudly.
"This is Caspian," Felix said importantly. "He smells like forests."
Ruby's eyes got big. "Cool. Can I smell him too?"
These children are going to be the death of me. Who asks to smell strangers? Although... in their world, scent meant safety. They were applying their own logic, not knowing about Alpha/Omega dynamics.
"You can smell me from there," Caspian said gently. "What do you think?"
Ruby closed her eyes and breathed deep. "Safe," she declared, then ran to him. "Are you going to be our friend?"
The simple question hit something in my chest. Kids saw the world in black and white—safe or dangerous, friend or stranger. They'd decided he was safe.
"I'd like that," Caspian said seriously, like he was making a business deal. "If it's okay with your mom."
Three sets of eyes turned to me. I felt trapped.
"We'll see," I said weakly.
After the lunch rush ended, Caspian still hadn't left. Instead, he'd helped Felix with math homework (apparently he was a patient teacher), listened to Ruby's long story about playground drama, and washed dishes when I got overwhelmed.
Now we stood at Evie's bedside, watching her sleep peacefully for the first time in weeks.
"She looks better," Caspian said quietly.
"The treatment is working." I adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. "The doctor says two more weeks of this medication, then surgery. But the prognosis is good now."
"I'm glad I could help."
I looked at him. "Why did you? Really? This wasn't part of the contract."
He was quiet for a long moment. "My grandfather died when I was eight. Cancer. I remember watching him waste away, watching my grandmother try to stay strong for the family." He paused. "If I could have helped them... if money could have made the difference... I would have done anything."
There it was again. That glimpse behind the Alpha facade, a reminder that he was a person with losses and memories. It was easier when I could think of him as just a wealthy Alpha slumming it for entertainment. But this... this was real.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"Don't be." He touched my hand briefly. "I'm glad the contract gave me a chance to help someone else's family."
I wanted to pull away from the touch, but I didn't. His skin was warm, calloused in places (from what?), and completely gentle.
"Isla?" Evie's voice was weak but clear.
"Hey sweetie," I moved to her side. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Much better." Her eyes found Caspian. "And who's this handsome man?"
Even sick, Evie had radar for attractive men. She'd been trying to set me up for years, claiming I was "too young to live like a nun."
"This is Caspian," I said, shooting him a warning look. "He's a... friend."
"Friend," Evie repeated, eyes twinkling. "Uh huh. Well, friend Caspian, thank you for the flowers. They're beautiful."
"You're welcome, Mrs..."
"Evangeline. But everyone calls me Evie." She struggled to sit up. "And don't you dare call me ma'am. I'm not that old."
Caspian smiled. "Evie it is. How are you feeling?"
"Like I might live after all," she said, then looked between us. "You two have that glow."
"What glow?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"The glow people get when they're trying not to look at each other but failing miserably."
Evie and her romantic notions. She read too many romance novels, thought every interaction between a man and woman was the beginning of a great love story. But maybe... maybe she wasn't completely wrong.