AllFreeNovel
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Andrew wraps his arm around my shoulder and I grab the hand that’s over my shoulder, interlacing our fingers. He kisses my head and I know my cheeks are blazing, high off the affection he’s showing me.
We walk for a few minutes in silence and I take the time to look around at everything. I try to see it through Andrew’s eyes, as if I don’t like the holidays. It can be a bit much, with almost every inch decorated and fake snow sprayed in almost every storefront window. Some even have mistletoe over the door and I chose one at random, pulling my mate under one and planting a kiss on his lips.
He grins at me when I pull back and kisses my forehead. “I guess I can get used to mistletoe for the holidays.”
I grin at him but feel him stiffen. Turning around, I follow his gaze to an omega that’s about five feet away.
The omega makes eye contact with Andrew and freezes as well. I watch him visibly gulp, then make his way over. “Hey, Drew. How is everything?”
My alpha swallows roughly and pulls me closer to his side. “Carlton.” His voice is colder than I’ve ever heard in just that one word.
The omega notices as well because he winces. “I was … just looking at the floats. I didn’t think you’d want to come. You never went with me.”
“I wanted to come with my mate.”
Carlton nods. “My boyfriend is here somewhere.” Andrew just grunts. “You look good.”
I clear my throat, making sure the omega—Carlton—acknowledges me. He looks over at me, narrowing his eyes slightly. “I’m sorry. I’m Carlton.”
Smiling a saccharine smile, I nod. “I’m aware. I’m Dylan. My brother and I own the bar Winchester’s.”
His eyes grow a bit and he asks, “You own a bar? Like you work?”
“Yep. And I’m a mixologist. I make Winny’s, a local—”
“You’re Dylan Winchester? I love Winny’s! I read your story on the back of your bottle! It’s amazing! That’s really amazing. I thought you were an alpha, though.”
Coolly, I say, “Nope. My alpha brother does the admin side and I do the rest.”
Carlton nods, his eyes sliding back to Andrew. “Don’t let me interrupt. I’m really glad you’re happy Drew.”
Kissing the top of my head—making me swoon—he says, “I am. Take care of yourself.” With that, we walk away, leaving Carlton standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
When we get a few feet away, I pull my alpha into an alcove of a building. “You okay? I didn’t know he still lived in town.”
Andrew nods. “Yeah, but I barely see him. I had a feeling I might today since he doesn’t miss the parade.”
Sighing, I wrap my arms around his waist. “I’m sorry. If I had known he might be here, I would have told you not to worry about coming.”
My alpha smiles tenderly at me, wrapping his arms around me as well. “I wanted to come with you. I knew there was a chance I’d run into Carlton, but I didn’t care. I wanted to come with you. You were who I was thinking of, not him.”
I return his smile and pull him away from the building. “Even so, if you want to go back home, just in case he comes to my booth, you can. You’ve already surprised me by coming out today and actually looking like you’re enjoying yourself.”
“You know what?” he asks, looking around at the parade, the people, and the decorations. “I didn’t think I would, but I am. Thank you for sharing this with me.”
With a happy grin, me and my mate walk hand in hand to the booth, catching treats and enjoying the parade. My favorite part of the holidays in Fair Falls.
Chapter 11
Andrew
It’s cold out but walking with Dylan keeps me warm. He jokes every now and then, pointing out floats that he loves and telling stories of the past few years that he’s been in attendance. He holds up the bag with the popcorn ball, excitement apparent on his face.
“The old omega that makes these has been making them for as long as I’ve been coming. And I’ve been to pretty much every parade since I was a kid. He comes into the bar every now and then. Really nice guy. I love hearing his stories of how Fair Falls changes but has remained the same.”
My omega talks almost nonstop, mostly about the parade and the things he’s experienced while attending them. He likes to take my hand and twirl around, making me laugh more than I have in a while. Other people see his antics and smile, their eyes going soft when they witness his happiness.
While I don’t think I’ll ever love the holiday season, I love how happy he is. How excited he is about every part of it. Even the thought of snow on Christmas Day makes him smile when most New Yorkers know it’s a time of dread.
