Page 61 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

"You planned more?” I asked. Hunter gave me his unreadable smile.

“Oh, you didn’t think we’d waste the one shot we have at impressing you on just a day out? We have more. We’ll always have more for you.” I felt the excitement growing inside of me. Being courted was phenomenal - everything I imagined and more. I wondered just how much more of this I could take before my resolve would break.

Chapter 30

Ronan

This was shaping up to be the best afternoon of my life. Everything, so far, had gone right. And I needed it to go perfectly - I wanted Ivy to see exactly how sorry we were, and what we could offer her if she allowed us back into her life. Because every second I was around her, I just wanted her more.

She spent hours wandering through the botanical gardens with a wonder that showed her endless creativity. She would stop every few steps to smell a flower or explain why one herb blended well with another, and just being in her presence made me feel like I was part of her own personal world. I realized I hadn't seen her look this excited since we'd found her.

It made me greedy - I wanted more opportunities to give her days like this. I didn’t want her occupied with fighting lawsuits or worrying about her family. I just wanted her to be happy. And I hoped our next surprise was even better.

By the time we pulled up outside her boutique, dusk had arrived. The storefront looked the same as always. She looked between the three of us suspiciously.

"So what’s next? Should I be worried?" she asked.

"No," Elias said with a grin. “I think you’ll like it. Well, I hope you’ll like it." God, I hoped she liked it, too. Hunter opened the front door and stepped aside.

"After you," he said.

Ivy walked inside the boutique. We’d had some things delivered while we were out. Fresh flowers sat in every empty corner, and a long table held a charcuterie of meats and cheeses, several bottles of sparkling wine, and several plates of macarons.

She gasped, looking around.

"What is all this? How did you…" She walked around, turning in a circle as she took everything in. There were a few balloons with a belated birthday message. She paused, taking it in.

Hunter stepped beside her, suddenly looking less like the confident CEO of Pack Vale and more like a man hoping with every fiber of his being that he hadn't made a terrible mistake.

"We had these delivered; Nora helped out. We found out that your birthday had passed back when, well.” He swallowed, not wanting to dredge up the past. She slowly turned to look at him.

"We missed it." His blue eyes searched hers, desperately hoping he hadn’t miscalculated. “So we'd like to celebrate it now." For a heartbeat, I worried we'd gotten it wrong.

Then she spoke, her voice cracking. “My birthday? It was so long ago,” She said, looking back at everything.

"We're a little late," Elias admitted. "But we'd still like to try." Her eyes shimmered.

"I don't know what to say." She said, biting her lip.

"You don't have to say anything," I said. "Just let us celebrate you. And enjoy being celebrated." She pressed a hand over her mouth, blinking rapidly before giving us a smile that seemed to heal all my worries.

“This is… incredible.” She said, walking toward the dessert table. “And quite a bit of food,” She remarked.

“We weren’t sure what you liked, so we got everything,” Elias said. “Go ahead, have some.” She grabbed a plate and started picking out various foods and sweets. We let her try a few different things before joining her, waiting until she’d settled into a big comfy chair before grabbing our own plates. Hunter disappeared briefly before returning with a neatly wrapped package.

"I have something for you." He held it out carefully, almost nervously.

She set her plate aside and took it, her eyebrows high as she started opening it. She revealed a beautiful leather journal, her fingertips tracing the embossed lettering on the front, which read “Ideas Worth Protecting.”

Ivy was speechless. “Your ideas built a whole company. And from now on, you can build your own future,” he said. She looked up at Hunter, who suddenly seemed fascinated by the floor.

"I thought," He cleared his throat roughly. "I thought no one should ever take another idea from you." She hugged the journal tightly against her chest.

"Thank you,” She said, her voice barely a whisper. “This means more than you know." Hunter's shoulders relaxed. I’d never seen him this nervous. One grateful smile from Ivy nearly reduced him to pieces.

Elias stepped forward next, his wrapped gift a bit heavier. “Another gift?” She asked, looking surprised. If only she knew. When she tore away the paper, three beautifully restored perfumer's books appeared. She opened one carefully, then looked up at Elias with shock.

"You found first editions!" She exclaimed.