Lukas sank to the floor once the door was closed. He heard Miss Mulberry plodding down the stairs, meowing, before climbing into his lap.
He idly stroked his fingers through the cat’s long fur, thinking about the events of the day. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, and at the center of it all was this handsome, caring, kind alpha.
Lukas let out a small sigh. “Yep. I’m doomed.”
Chapter 5
Warm sunlight streamed through the windows as Lukas looked at the clock.
“Already past noon, huh? Guess I was out really late last night.” Lukas yawned and sat up in his bed. Miss Mulberry stretched at his feet.
His body felt hotter and tenser than it usually did in the week leading up to his heat. A dull pain pulsed through his body, affecting every last bit of him.
“Guess it’s true, huh? Can’t wait for this to hit,” he whispered sarcastically. “Damn, all this because of his scent?”
His thoughts wandered back to Owen. He might have looked mean and rough, but he really was an upstanding guy.
He could really pull off that bar outfit too. It was his style. That, and it hugged him in just the right places.
Miss Mulberry meowed from the doorway of the bedroom.
Lukas looked at her from the bed as a dreadful thought crossed his mind.
“Poor thing, you’re probably starving. Did I even feed you last night?
He got up out of bed as quickly as his battered body would allow him to and slowly hobbled to the doorway.
“I must have. Otherwise, you would have been walking on me all night. I swear you’re tenderizing me for a later date.” Lukas chuckled.
After filling her food dish, he sat at the kitchen table and looked at his phone.
“Two missed calls from Archer and four unread messages. Let’s see.”
Checking the messages first, he saw one message from Archer, one from Sienna, one from Sawyer, and the last one…
“From Owen?”
Wakey wakey. I hope you’re able to move without much pain this morning. Hopefully, I was gentle enough with you. You should call Archer and let him know how you’re doing. He’s really worried about you.
Lukas read the message unhurriedly. He felt his cheeks warm up as he reread the text. What the hell was up with that wording?
“He did that on purpose,” Lukas whispered to himself. That damn alpha. He felt heat on his face for a brief second before his gaze softened. No matter what he was thinking, or how he rebelled against his own body, he was thankful for that damn alpha.
He looked for Archer’s name in his contacts and dialed the number.
The phone rang precisely half a ring before Archer picked up. Lukas didn’t have time to say anything before Archer started freaking out.
“Lukas, are you okay? How are you feeling? I was so worried after you left the diner and then I got that call from Mr. Yorke! Shit, what were you thinking? If Owen had been a minute later–” Lukas had to hold the phone away from his ear.
After a moment of silence, Lukas tentatively held the phone back to his ear.
“I’m hurting, but I’ve been well taken care of thanks to Owen. He’ll be stopping by later tonight to check on me.”
Archer sighed, “I still can’t believe you. I told you it was dangerous, and what did you do? You decided to flounce on outside without a care in the world.”
“Really, Boss, it’s okay now. Lesson learned. I’m sorry I worried you. I’m glad you called ahead to the bar, though,” Lukas said.
“I’ll have to send a thank you to Mr. Yorke and tell him to give that man a raise. I don’t care if he just started, that man deserves a bigger paycheck, a brand-new car, or something,” Archer replied with a stressed sigh.
The two men talked for a while longer before Lukas suddenly remembered something.
“Hey, last night when I was… I was reading the plans for the fair, and they kind of…” his voice trailed off, remembering the events of last night.
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Owen let me know what happened. I already sent Sienna over to drop off another copy with Mr. Yorke since she was already in the area,” Archer said.
Lukas heaved a sigh of relief. “Alright. And I’ll work on the pies and cakes as soon as I can.”
“I’ll get you Mr. Yorke’s number in case you need to get a hold of him. I can’t wait to try all those tasty treats,” Archer said dreamily.
“On a side note, could you ask Mr. Yorke what sort of sweets Owen likes? I want to bake him something. And Mr. Yorke too. They deserve good homemade treats…” Lukas’ voice trailed off as he thought about Owen enjoying some treats he put his heart into.
“Well, I know for a fact Mr. Yorke loves anything with pecans in it, but I’ll get back to you on what Owen likes. For now, you should rest. I’ll sic Sienna on you if you don’t,” Archer said forcefully.
Lukas laughed. “You’re no Doctor Atkins, but I’ll take your advice. Is the diner going to be open tomorrow?”
“Yeah, it’ll be open. If you need more days off, just let me know. We need you in tip-top shape for the Heated Hullabaloo,” Archer replied.
“Okay, Boss. I’ll let you know. Talk to you later.” Lukas’ gaze drifted to the clock hanging above the kitchen table.
“See you soon, Lukas,” Archer ended the call with a cheerful tone.
* * *
The hours flew by. Lukas focused on cleaning up his home before Owen came over. Miss Mulberry sat in the window in the bedroom, looking outside.
While folding some laundry on the bed, Lukas heard Miss Mulberry meow. She was carefully watching a bug in the plants in the window boxes, waiting to strike.
“I never got the chance to water yesterday,” Lukas murmured under his breath.
Walking over to his dresser, he quickly took out some worn jeans and an old, light green plaid shirt. He changed into the tattered clothing and went into the kitchen and grabbed his small watering can. Opening the window, he looked over the small plants.
“Ah, you bloomed quite a bit,” Lukas whispered, fingers running over the petals of a purple petunia. “About time.”
He let the water sprinkle over the plants, leaving translucent specks that caught the light of the sun.
He admired the flowers for a moment before closing the window. He put away his small watering can under the sink. He was about to walk up the stairs to his roof when the doorbell rang.
“Six already?” Lukas gasped, looking at the clock.
He walked to the entryway, straightening the collar on his shirt and running his hand through his hair. He quickly replaced his hat before opening the door.
As expected, there stood Owen. The man was in casual clothes instead of the dapper duds he’d worn yesterday at the bar.
He noticed the look of confusion on Lukas’ face and explained, “Mr. Yorke let me have the night off. I brought Mexican food if you’re hungry.”
Owen held up two bags of steaming hot food.
Lukas’ mouth watered.
“Archer told you this was my favorite, didn’t he? Wow.”
Owen laughed. “Yeah, he said you have a huge appreciation for Mexican food, and there’s this amazing joint near my apartment. I figured I’d pick some up for us.”
“Please, come on in. It’s a bit of a mess, but I hope it’s okay.” Lukas stepped back so Owen could enter.
Lukas heard the man’s breath hitch as he walked into the entryway.
“What’s wrong? I didn’t think my house was that dirty,” Lukas joked, quietly closing the door behind them.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Just… you have a gorgeous home, Lukas.” Owen looked around in amazement. A meow came from upstairs, and Owen froze.
At that moment, Miss Mulberry came plodding down the stairs, drawn by the new voice. Owen’s mouth dropped a bit.
“And that is the cutest cat I have ever seen,” Owen whispered, starstruck.
Lukas laughed before taking a few steps
, scooping the little bundle of fluff into his arms, and walking back to Owen.
“Come on, let’s put the food down in the kitchen. I’ll grab us a couple of drinks and then you can hold her if you want.”
* * *
“Nothing like good food, the good company of friends… and Jack Daniels.” Owen sighed, taking a quick drink. “You know, we’ll have to drop by the bar at some point, and I can make you some drinks that will really blow your mind.”
The time passed quickly, each man lost in the company of the other. It was about seven-thirty when Lukas remembered something.
“Damn, it’s this late, and I still haven’t watered my garden.” He stood up, gathering the tin trays from their meal. He quickly washed and dried them, then tucked them under his arm.
“Need some help?” Owen asked.
“Sure. Follow me, squire.” Lukas motioned with his free hand.
Lukas felt Owen follow him closely around the corner to the front entrance. As he headed up the first steps, a shine on the wall caught his eye. Sunlight was streaming in through the glass of the front door and reflecting off a few framed pictures hanging on the wall.
He turned when he didn’t hear the alpha’s heavy steps behind him and caught a glimpse of Owen staring at an old family photo. He waited nearby, watching as Owen’s gaze trailed to the scattered pictures of farm animals, his old family farmhouse, and Miss Mulberry in her early years.
“It’s a wall full of memories. I can tell you all about them later, if you’d like.” Lukas chuckled from his spot on the stairway, smiling as he looked at the frames. “But first, the garden.”
A faint smile appeared on Owen’s face as he looked up at Lukas, as if he finally realized they were heading upstairs.
“And here I was heading toward the front door. Whatever was I thinking?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.
Lukas’ lips turned up in a smile before he walked up one last dark flight of stairs that led to the roof. He opened the door, and the light of the sunset filled the dim stairwell.
Lukas stepped back as he watched Owen step into the center of the garden. The man looked like he was in a trance, suddenly surrounded by a whole new world. Lukas turned and saw the Charles River sparkling in the last bit of sunlight. The pleasant scent of flowers hit him, blocking out the smoke of the city. Standing among it all was this handsome alpha. It was like something out of a fairy tale.
“Lukas, this is amazing.” Owen stood in awe, looking at the splashes of color painted across the patio.
“My home away from home,” Lukas whispered, leading Owen under the arch he had built. It was covered in flowering vines that added a bit of shade to the area. Nearby, a wooden wind chime caught the breeze, helping to block out the hubbub of the city. There were berry bushes planted in raised beds near the edge of the building with trellis walls supporting them.
“So, what all do you have up here?” Owen questioned, looking around in astonishment.
“Mostly vegetables. They’re still growing, but I have tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and peppers in this bed. In this one, kale and snow peas,” Lukas replied, pointing out each plant type.
“You saw all the berries on the trellis walls. I have blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries,” Lukas added.
“What about that bed?” Owen asked, looking back toward the door they had come through. There was a small bed in the area to the right of the doorway.
“Mostly flowers. My friend Sawyer is a florist, so he sometimes plants different kinds here. I think there are snapdragons, petunias, and columbine right now.” Lukas led Owen over to the small flowerbed.
He thought for a moment before whispering, “We also planted catnip in there. Use that info as you will.”
Owen’s eyes lit up as Lukas walked over to the raised beds.
“I just need to check on everything before it gets dark. There’s a bench by the berry bushes if you want to sit for a while. You know, enjoy the nice view up here,” Lukas walked to each of the beds, feeling the soil.
Thankfully, it must have rained last night sometime after he got home. The soil was still damp enough that he didn’t have to worry about watering any of the plants.
Grabbing a small pruner off a table near the doorway, he set to work clipping off dead branches and cleaning up the plants.
Owen walked around, admiring the hard work that had been put into the garden space.
Lukas cut small holes in the tins he’d brought up and threaded twine through them. He carefully hung them near his raised beds, biting his lip in concentration as he made sure they would stay in place.
“What are those for?” Owen asked.
Lukas grinned before saying, “This is my patented hillbilly pest control system.”
“Damn. So, you eat the Mexican food, the Mexican food stops birds from eating your crops, the crops get made into more delicious food for everyone, and then you get enough money to buy more Mexican food. Ah, the circle of life,” Owen quipped.
Lukas laughed, grabbing a small basket from the table, a small smile crossing his face as he carefully examined berries before plucking them and putting them in the basket.
“So, I heard you’re going to be doing a lot of baking for the Hullabaloo. Does that mean this garden is going to supply most of the treats?” Owen asked.
“Yeah, most of these berries will be made into pies, tarts, dumplings, and cakes. I’m just happy this garden is doing so well. I was worried I might have lost my green thumb.”
Owen looked at Lukas.
“What do you mean?”
A sad smile crossed Lukas’ face. “Well, it’s been a long time since I left North Carolina, and this is the first garden I’ve done on my own, even before moving here. My parents owned a farm, you see, and we always had a thriving garden, but…”
He saw Owen stop in his tracks.
“…they died in a car accident when I was thirteen. My older brother, Colton, was seventeen,” Lukas continued. “Damn, it’s been ten years already.”
He saw Owen carefully, almost cautiously, step forward before asking, “So what happened to you and your brother?”
“Colton and I bounced around from foster home to foster home until he turned eighteen. At that point, he was able to access the money our parents left for us. I stayed with him in a small apartment until I turned eighteen, then I left with my share. I couldn’t be a burden on him any longer than I already had been.” Lukas averted his gaze.
“How did you end up here? You’re a long way from home. Do you have any family here?”
“Nah, just me. Last time I talked to him, my brother was living in Atlanta. Well, not Atlanta, but a small community on the outskirts. My Ma actually lived here, in Boston, before she met Pa. This was her old place. She sold it to a family friend when she moved down to be with Pa,” Lukas said. “I got lucky, though. Her friend found out I was looking for a place to stay, and she’s letting me stay here for a fair price.”
He felt Owen’s gaze on him. Alarm bells went off in his head. Too much, too smoldering, too exposed. Lukas trailed his fingers across the brim of his old, faded tan, ball cap before pulling it down to hide his face from the alpha.
“And what about this cap? I haven’t seen you go anywhere without it.”
“It was my Pa’s. Wore it every day when he went out to work on the farm.”
A pitiful, shuddering sigh escaped Lukas’ lips as he felt Owen’s fingers tentatively touch his free hand, slowly intertwining their fingers together.
“You know, Ma loved it up here just as much as she did back home. Every year, she talked about bringing us all up here for a vacation. She wanted to show us the world she knew before she settled down with Pa, but every year it was always pushed off. There was always something to do on the farm, something with school, always something. And now–”
Lukas’ voice wavered as he spoke up. “I’m sorry. I’m making a fool of myself. I just tried for so long to keep it to myself and now…”
/> Lukas suddenly felt himself pulled into a tight hug. He tensed against Owen before a choked noise escaped his lips. He let his arms encircle the alpha and curled his fingers into the rough fabric of the man’s shirt.
Ah, shit. Yep, I’m done for.
“You’re no fool, Lukas. You have beaten the odds. You’re living your own life despite what you’ve been through. You have good memories of your family, and you’re making new memories here. This garden, this piece of art right here? It connects you to the past and the future, and the future is looking quite bright from where I’m standing.”
Lukas was quiet for a time, leaning into the warmth of the alpha before whispering, “You’re right. I like that. A connection to the past and the future.”
Warmth. Strength. Submit to him. His omega voice buzzed in his head, sending waves of warmth down his spine. Lukas took a deep breath, feeling Owen shift next to him.
It had gotten late, and the roof was only lit by the remnants of the sunset. Lukas felt Owen’s arm resting on the back of the bench, his fingers ever-so-slightly brushing against the omega’s shoulder. Looking up at the alpha, Lukas felt his breath hitch. Owen’s eyes were really bright now, almost silver. But no matter how tough and cold those eyes seemed, Lukas felt heat well up inside him every time he found them focused on him.
Damn it. I want to– …but it’s too soon, isn’t it?
Lukas’ thoughts were interrupted by a muffled meow at the door.
“Oh no, we’ve been caught.” Owen sighed before smiling.
“I guess we have been out here for a while,” Lukas replied with a laugh. “Come on, she may just die without attention.”
“We can’t let anything happen to that innocent creature! Come, we will cuddle her.” Owen took Lukas’ hand in his and walked back to the door.
Lukas let himself be hauled back downstairs, Miss Mulberry following.
“So, uh, how would you feel about staying a bit longer for dessert? I can bake something fresh,” Lukas said. “I mean, if you have to go, it’s–
Starry Skies for My Omega Page 5
