Chapter Four

 

The knock at the door startled Winnie, and she hesitantly went to answer it. Not that she thought anyone bad was going to sneak past the desk downstairs, but who would knock on her door? No one knew she was here, except Sawyer and her landlord. Had the wolf forgotten something and come back?

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing him again.

Winnie pulled open the door and blinked at the couple standing on the other side. They were both loaded down with bags, and she couldn’t figure out what they were doing here. She was certain she’d have remembered meeting them before.

“May I help you?” she asked.

“We come bearing gifts,” the man said with an easy smile. “My name is Lucas, and this is my mate, Aria.”

“Mate? Oh. You’re part of Sawyer’s pack?” she asked.

“Yes. We brought you a little housewarming present, gifts from the pack. May we come in?”

Winnie stepped back, and they entered the small apartment. The woman went over to the couch and set her sacks down on the coffee table. When she removed the contents, Winnie's jaw dropped. There had to be at least ten or more movies in the stacks she was forming on the table. The guy joined her and emptied his sacks on the floor, pulling out several games. Tears sprang to her eyes at the thoughtful gesture, and she wondered if Sawyer was behind it. It was exactly something he would do.

“We heard you might be a little bored until you get cable hooked up,” Aria said. “So, we got some movies for you and some games. It’s not much, but it’s something to get you started.”

There was another knock at the door. Now what? Winnie was still reeling from the couple’s generosity when she opened the door and found what she assumed were more wolves standing on her doorstep.

“My name’s Connor,” the man said, “and this is my son, Zachary.”

She eyed the bags he held. “Let me guess. You came bearing gifts too?”

He chuckled. “Yes, we did. Sawyer mentioned you had a little boy and Zachary insisted that he wanted to bring a few things over. We hope he likes Legos and books.”

Winnie smiled. “He loves both.”

She stepped back and let them inside. Benjamin let out an excited whoop when he saw what they’d brought for him. Zachary looked a few years older, but he still sat on the floor with her son and starting building one of the Lego sets. With so many pack members in such a small space, Winnie didn’t know what to do. The doorbell rang again and she wondered just how many more people would fit into her studio apartment.

A scarred man and a stunning, very pregnant, redhead stood on the other side. The woman looked like she might burst at any moment. Winnie hoped she didn’t deliver her baby in the apartment. Talk about a house warming!

“I’m Gabriel, and this is my mate, Autumn. We just wanted to drop by and see if you needed anything.” He peered over her shoulder and grinned. “Seems we’re late to the party.”

She stepped aside and let them enter. Gabriel set a box down on the kitchen counter, and Winnie looked inside, nearly gasping when she saw the contents.

“I wasn’t sure how much girly stuff you had,” Autumn said, “so I threw together a little care package, and tossed in some things your son might like.”

“This is wonderful!” Winnie smiled. “Thank you.”

Aria nudged her. “What did the alpha bring?”

Alpha? She looked at the scarred man. Yes, she could see him acting as alpha. He had a certain air about him that commanded attention.

“Girly stuff,” Autumn said. “Nail polish, facial masks, bath beads. Anything that seemed like it might make her stay here a bit better. And then we tossed in some bath toys and bubble bath for the little boy.”

“Benjamin,” Winnie said. “And I’m Winnie.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Autumn said, smiling. “I hope we’ll get to be great friends. If there’s anything you need, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call us. There’s a little notepad in there too, with some of the pack numbers on it. Ours is at the top.”

“I appreciate it,” Winnie said. It had been so long since she’d had anyone offer help, and now everyone seemed to want to help. Her head was spinning. Would it always be like this if she were to mate with Sawyer? She’d go from having no one to having an entire pack.

“You should come over on Saturday,” Autumn said. “It’s supposed to be nice, and we’re having the pack over. Gabriel just put in a pool. It’s not a huge pool, but there’s plenty of room for the kids to have a good time.”

“I’d like that,” Winnie said. “Is there anything I can bring?”

“Just yourselves and your swimsuits.” Autumn smiled. “Everyone usually brings stuff, and we’ll have more than enough. You’ll be our honored guests.”

Winnie visited with the wolves and their mates a little while longer but began ushering everyone out the door when Benjamin asked for dinner. She hated to be rude, but something told her she was a curiosity to them, and they would linger until she put her foot down. Once it was just the two of them again, she dug through the fridge to see what Sawyer had bought for them.

It took a little while to sort out the meats and freeze the items she wouldn’t use right away, but a half hour later, she had seasoned some pork chops and put them in the oven before starting a pot of herb flavored rice. She pulled out a second pot and dumped in a can of green beans, adding salt and pepper for a little flavor. While dinner cooked, she helped Benjamin pick out a movie.

“Can I watch the whole thing before bed?” he asked.

“Since you don’t have school, I suppose you can stay up late, just this once. But after the movie, it’s bath and then bed. Understand?”

He nodded before stretching out on the floor and watching the movie with rapt fascination. Even before they’d lost their home, there had been so much she hadn’t been able to give him. It seemed Sawyer, and the pack, was intent on changing that. They’d gained so much in just one short day.  A place to stay, food to eat, and Winnie hadn’t missed the money someone had hidden in her silverware drawer. Her sweet little boy had toys, books, movies, and had even made a new friend. She didn’t know why Sawyer had followed her to the parking lot last night, but she would be eternally grateful that he had.

After dinner was finished, and Benjamin had been bathed and tucked into bed, she curled up on the sofa with a soda and a magazine she’d found tucked into the box the alpha had brought over. It had been so long since she’d been able just to sit down and relax. Yes, she still needed a job so she could keep this nice place for them, but she didn’t have to stress over it right this moment. For once, she could enjoy herself and do something just for herself.

She finished her drink and pulled out some of the items in the box, carrying them into the bathroom. Winnie filled the tub with hot water and added some of the scented bath beads. She’d also found two candles and a lighter in the box and placed the candles in the corners of the tub. After she lit them, she turned off the light. The water beckoned her, but she checked on Benjamin one last time, then gathered her pajamas and shut herself in the bathroom.

As she eased down into the water, she sighed and closed her eyes. Nothing had ever felt better. With her head tipped back against the tiled wall, she wondered if this was a small taste of what heaven was like. She didn’t know how she could ever repay Sawyer for everything he’d done, but she knew she wanted to do something nice for him. By the time the water had grown cold, she’d decided she was going to thaw the steaks she’d put in the freezer and invite him for dinner tomorrow. She could make baked potatoes and glazed carrots to go with it, and she’d seen a bag of rolls in the freezer. They wouldn’t be as good as homemade, but they would do.

Winnie got out of the tub, dried off, and pulled on her pajamas. She yawned so wide her jaw cracked as she draped her towel over the curtain rod to dry, then padded across the apartment to her bed. It had been a long time since she’d slept in a twin bed, but she honestly didn’t mind. The mattress was soft, and the sheets felt like silk against her skin. The apartment might not be large, but in her eyes, it was perfect. It had everything they could ever need or want, and for the first time in a long while, they were safe. She didn’t have to worry about someone kidnapping Benjamin at the shelter, or breaking into the crappy apartment she’d had before that. She had peace of mind, and that was the greatest gift Sawyer could have ever given her.

As she looked out of the window at the darkness that lay beyond, she wondered if Sawyer had been serious at his house. The kiss had replayed in her mind several times throughout the day, but she wondered if it had meant more to her than him. Any guy who looked like Sawyer, and had a steady job, had to have women falling at his feet. And, he was kind too! A deadly combination.

He’d said he wanted her to consider becoming his mate. She touched her lips, still feeling his pressed against them. What would it be like to be Sawyer’s mate? She’d thought his house was charming, even if it had needed a new coat of paint. It was a home any woman would be proud to call her own, and he’d offered to get a pool for Benjamin. He was saying and doing all the right things, but she had to be careful.

Benjamin had been hurt when his father died, and she wasn’t certain her little boy was ready to accept another man into their lives. If she weren’t careful, her son could come to resent her, thinking she was replacing his father. Nothing could be further from the truth, but there were things Benjamin had been too young to understand. He hadn’t noticed all of the fights or the late nights when his father hadn’t come home until after midnight. He’d not seen the lipstick smears on his father’s work shirts. The heartache she’d felt when she’d realized she wasn’t enough, wasn’t something that would easily go away. If she hadn’t been enough for the man who had professed to love her, why would she be good enough for Sawyer?

Lightning flashed in the distance and Winnie closed her eyes as thunder rumbled across the sky. Maybe the storm was the Fates way of telling her that it was a time of new beginnings, and to stop living in the past.

Maybe it was time to let go and move on.