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“I’ll take some,” Boone agreed. “Hunter doesn’t like eggs.”
“I’m good today, thanks though,” I added in.
She turned the sausage grease back on before cracking a few eggs into the pan. Seeing her in my kitchen, in my shirt… man I needed to talk to these guys, get their head in the game. If we kept things at this level, purely friendly and fun, then we’d lose our chance.
I couldn’t let that happen.
Not with her. She’s too perfect. Well, no one was really perfect, but she was perfect for us.
Boone was slowly coming back to life, something I wasn’t sure would ever happen. Hunter was showing the softer side of himself, spending more time at home and with all of us again, while I, for the first time in a while, was looking forward to my days. I loved the patch and my pack, but I’d fallen into those things. Autumn was the first thing I’d ever chosen myself, and it was all but impossible not to, she had wormed her way into my heart and I never wanted to let her go.
The pack we’d built, then let get fractured, was mending. Dating separately was a stupid plan, one built on desperation when we realized we liked different things but also liked being a pack.
And then came Autumn.
She had the loyal, fiercely caring side that Boone loved. She was confident and could banter easily with Hunter. His snark was met with some of her own and he was loving it despite refusing to see it. And for me, well she was the entire fucking package. Beautiful, intelligent, motivated, and she loved Holiday Hollow.
“You with us?” Hunter asked. He caught me in my head again and the sound of his voice had me jumping.
“Yeah,” I muttered. With a quick glance around to see where Autumn was, I continued. “But I want to talk when she goes out today.”
He frowned but nodded. “Alright.” If it wasn’t for the concern already there, I don’t think he would have agreed so easily.
“So, what do you guys do for the Fall Festival?” Autumn asked as she brought over the eggs she’d cooked up. Hunter wrinkled his nose at the sight and shifted his chair away, making her laugh at his expense.
“I mainly do behind the scenes,” Boone said. “Help build booths and go where Janet needs me.”
“Which means he puts the whole thing together. Mom’s a bit of a perfectionist,” I laughed.
“Oh my god, remember the year she decided we needed a fall fashion show?” Hunter asked. “She had us building a full runway.”
“I think it’s still in storage,” Boone chuckled.
“Wait… who were the models?” Autumn asked, putting down her fork, fully invested now. “Tell me that Beatty got up there.”
“Oh, she did. If I remember correctly hers was a huge poncho that practically swallowed her, but she strutted proudly,” I explained, all of us laughing at the memory.
“So what’s this year, just the festival?” Autumn asked.
“Why, want to shake your ass on stage?” Hunter teased. She smirked at him.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” They stared each other down, the sexual tension rising enough I quickly answered to get us back on track. As much as I’d love to crash the dishes to the floor and lay her out and feast on her, that wouldn’t be right. Not yet at least. I mean she didn’t mind when I splayed her out in my bed last night once we’d come inside, but I’d save the dining room table for my mental bucket list.
“She’s having the Junior Deputies put on a skit,” I said.
“About what?” She wasn’t shocked to learn about them so she must have heard about Hunter’s crew of kids.
“About a lost kid,” was all Hunter gave away. He’d explained a little but had been a bit mysterious about the details, even with us.
“Oh, interesting,” she said with a small smile before digging back into her breakfast.
“I’ll be doing the pie contest and then we always have a booth. Selling some pumpkin products and of course the pumpkins themselves. We also set up the smaller ones for the kids to paint or carve,” I jumped back in, answering her original question. “Thankfully we have a great team here at the farm that handles the crop and pumpkin patch side of things. I like going out and helping and overseeing when I can, but it’s nice to have them this time of the year, something I’m sure you’ll see with the new ones Riley hired.”
“They’ve been amazing, but don’t try to distract me with those sparkling blue eyes of yours. You’re my direct competition?” she challenged. Her attempt at a game face had me shaking my head.
“Never. We’ll both sell out,” I promised. “Though the pie… I have that in the bag.”
“We’ll see,” she said before glancing at her watch and wincing. “Shit, I have to run. Thanks for breakfast and I promise to handle dinner dishes. I’m sorry. I have a meeting with Carl at his office in town.”
