Chapter Seven
Eddie
I’d been to Diamond City before, but it had been a while. It was still an exciting prospect after being stuck in Silver Valley most of the time. The first half of the ride was quiet. I guess it was awkward because of the hug Hollis and I shared, but I optimistically hoped the embarrassment would pass.
Eventually, I couldn’t take the silence anymore and decided to break it. “We moved to Silver Valley because Ted got a job teaching at the high school,” I said. “But I’m guessing you probably already know that.”
“Yeah, I did,” Hollis said without taking his eyes off the road. “I’ve heard he has a great reputation with the kids too.”
“Yep,” I said. “Everybody likes Ted. He’s a good guy.”
“I’m glad you have a man around the house to look out for you.”
“He’s not an Alpha like you,” I said. “He’s a beta. So is my mom. I guess I got some recessive genes.”
“He doesn’t have to be an Alpha to be a strong man and a good steward for his family.”
Soon after, we pulled into a little bistro that had a farmer’s market attached. Apparently, the owner had the chef use Hollis’s produce in the daily specials, and then he sold the vegetables used in the dishes in the farmer’s market next door. I would have said it was pretty brilliant if you’d asked me.
As soon as we stepped out of the truck, the owner of the bistro market rushed out to greet us. I hadn’t expected him to be so excited to see the lettuce delivery truck.
“Mr. Rivers, it’s so good to see you,” the man said as he took Hollis’s hand and shook it heartily. The whole greeting ended with a half hug and the owner slapping Hollis’s back enthusiastically. “It’s been too long.”
“Ernest, it’s good to see you too. I’ve got fresh butter lettuce for you today,” Hollis said. “This is my new assistant, Eddie.”
“Nice to meet you, Eddie,” Ernest said and pulled me into the same half hug-back slap combo. I couldn’t help but smile. “This is the most beautiful lettuce I have ever seen. I will sell out in the market before dinner,” he declared with enthusiasm. “The way you grow the produce is amazing. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted, and my customers agree.”
“Thank you, Ernest. I appreciate it. We’ll get this unloaded for you.”
Hollis and I unloaded the lettuce. We took some of the clamshells into the kitchen and left them with the chef. He was delighted by the quality of the lettuce and told Hollis that a salad using it would be the special for the day. We took the rest into the farmer’s market side of the business and put the clamshells on the shelves Ernest had cleared for our goods.
“You should stay for lunch,” Ernest offered. “My treat.”
“Thank you,” Hollis said. “But we’ve got to get back. I do appreciate the offer.”
“Okay, well thank you for bringing the lettuce. Make sure you bring me another delivery soon.”
“I will. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve got something ready.”
And then we left.
“Why didn’t we stay to eat? Do we really need to get back? I am hungry,” I said.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t sit there while people eat my produce. It freaks me out for some reason.”
“I understand. Well, we could still grab something to eat in the city,” I suggested.
“Sure. I’m hungry too,” Hollis said to my surprise. “It’s a date.” He winked at me.
I must have been standing there for a good ten seconds with my mouth completely agape before I collected myself enough to respond. “Where should we go?”
“I know a place,” Hollis said casually as he walked around and got in the driver’s side of the truck.
The only thing I could figure was that he was on a high from the bistro owner’s compliments. I couldn’t believe how relaxed, and dare I say flirtatious, he’d just been. It was as if I was getting a look at the real Hollis Rivers. Happiness had peeled off the grumpy layers hiding his true self, and I vowed right then and there to find out if I could keep that genuine version of Hollis with me.
He took me to a little restaurant on the edge of downtown. I must have lit up when I read the sign. Vera’s Vegan Vistro.
“What do you think?” Hollis asked as he pulled into a parking spot.
“I think I’m excited to try it out,” I said and got out of the truck.
We walked up to the restaurant side by side, and I swore I felt Hollis’s pinky brush against my hand. For a moment, I thought he would actually take my hand in his. He didn’t, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed.
The lunch rush was over, so there weren’t very many people in the restaurant. A waitress sat us in a corner booth away from the other two tables and took our drink orders.
We both ordered hand squeezed lemonade and the waitress handed us each a menu to look over while she grabbed our drinks. I wasn’t sure how I was going to choose, but Hollis just glanced at it and set his menu down.
“That was fast,” I said.
“I’m getting the vegan chili cheeze tater tots.”
“Oh gosh, that sounds good,” I said. “I think I’ll get that too.”
“You won’t regret it,” Hollis said.
“You’ve eaten here before?”
“A few times. I like to come in when I get a chance after deliveries. Never had someone to bring with me before,” he said. “I hope you enjoy it.”
“I think I’d enjoy it even if the food was terrible,” I said before my brain-mouth filter could kick in.
“Me too,” Hollis said, and I blushed furiously.
Our eye contact broke, and I took in the surroundings. The restaurant was decorated in shades of aqua and cerulean blue against butter yellow walls. The tables were a mix of white pine and a dark wood. It was a relaxing, and yet vibrant, atmosphere.
“What can I get for you two?” the waitress asked as she stood at the head of the table. I hadn’t noticed her approach us and I jumped a little. I don’t think anyone noticed.
“We’re both going to have the chili cheeze tater tots,” Hollis said and handed her his menu. I followed suit and handed her mine.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“Not for me,” Hollis responded.
“Nothing right now,” I said.
When she left the table, I noticed that Hollis had rested his hand about halfway across the table. I wondered if he was working up the nerve to hold mine.
“So, what are we going to work on next?” I asked.
“We don’t have to talk about work over lunch,” Hollis said, and I noticed that his hand creeped ever so slightly closer to mine.
“You’re right,” I said, but I wasn’t sure what to talk about next. The last thing I wanted to do was mention something sensitive and get Hollis’s guard back up. He’d been opening up to me, and I wanted that trend to continue. “Is this a date?” I blurted out without nearly enough thought.
“Do you want it to be?” Hollis was doing his best to sound nonchalant, but I could see a hint of anticipation in his eyes. It made the butterflies in my stomach go crazy.
“Yes,” I practically whispered, but before I could say anything else, the waitress came to the table with our orders.
Before we started eating, Hollis’s hand came the rest of the way across the table and squeezed my hand quickly. I was a little taken aback, but he just smiled cheerfully and dug into his food. I believed it was the first time I’d seen him looking that happy, and I wasn’t about to risk ruining it. Instead of saying something or asking him a question, I smiled back and wordlessly dug into my food as well.
The chili cheeze tater tots were amazing, and Hollis didn’t stifle his chuckle when I couldn’t hold back a moan of pleasure. My eyes flicked up to meet his, and a look of pure desire flashed across his expression. Again, I blushed like a dumb school Omega, and looked back down at my food quickly.
Intense desire had come over me, and I wanted to ask Hollis to take me into the bathroom and fuck me. I couldn’t do that, though. That would require more bravery than I possessed, and I was afraid that Hollis would be put off by such a brazen display of lust. Plus, I wanted more than just sex from him, and I was afraid that if I asked him for sex in that context he’d think that’s all I wanted.
The check came before I could make a fool of myself, and Hollis paid it before the waitress could leave the table again. “We should get back,” he said, and I saw him shift uncomfortably in his seat.
I knew what was wrong with him. I was having the same problem. The difference was that Hollis had to have a huge Alpha cock stuffed into his jeans, but I couldn’t allow myself to think about that too much. It would be a long ride back to the farm if I came in my pants in the restaurant where we’d just eaten lunch.
When we got out to the truck, Hollis opened the door for me. Instead of climbing in, I turned around to face him. For a moment, Hollis still had his hand on the door, so he had me pinned. I was almost face to face with him.
I was surprised, but Hollis didn’t pull back. My lips parted and a small gasp escaped my mouth, and that’s when he moved in for the kill. It wasn’t so much a kiss as Hollis claiming my mouth with his.
His arms went around my middle and I felt Hollis’s hands cup my ass. He pulled me to him and, for a moment, I could feel his erection pressed against my lower abdomen.
Then, he pulled away suddenly and walked around to the driver’s side of the truck. “Let’s go,” he said shortly.
As he started the truck, I tried to talk. “Hollis, it’s okay. What…”
“Not now,” he cut me off curtly.
We didn’t talk again on the drive back to the farm. I felt completely cut off, and I couldn’t deny that I was upset. The way he’d kissed me and then just walked away had me completely confused. I wanted to ask him about it, and I’d hoped he relax enough to have a conversation when we got back.
Unfortunately, the town vandals had a different plan for us. As we pulled up to the barn, the afternoon sun made the ground around the main warehouse look like a sparkling sea. Why? Because every single window on the first floor had been broken and the glass was littering the ground around the building.
There was also red spray paint everywhere. The word bastard was painted ever few feet, and in between that were spray-painted pictures of dicks.
Hollis pulled up and got out of the truck quietly. He called the sheriff and then went into the building to survey the damage inside. There was a lot of glass on the concrete floor, but there wasn’t any damage to the plants or equipment.
“Can you stay around long enough to help me cover the windows?” Hollis asked. “I hate to ask, but it’s going to take two of us to get it done in a reasonable amount of time.”
“Of course I will help you,” I said. “You don’t even have to ask.”
He nodded at me and signaled for me to follow. We went to a storage area and retrieved plywood and plastic sheeting. Hollis went back in for a toolbox and then met me at the nearest window. Before we got started, Hollis went up to the house to check on Jada. I started cutting the plastic sheeting while he was gone.
We’d covered the windows and had begun to scrub off the paint when Sheriff Tyler pulled up. I could tell he had a chip on his shoulder about having to come out to Hollis’s farm as soon as he stepped out of his cruiser.
“What seems to be the problem, Hollis,” Bran asked with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes and had to bite my cheek to keep from unleashing a stream of obscenities at him.
“Look, Bran, I really need your help here. This has gone too far. Someone could have been hurt,” Hollis said.
“Were you here when it happened? I’d think if you were then you’d have a better idea of who did this,” Bran said.
“We weren’t here. We were delivering lettuce in Diamond City,” Hollis answered.
“Well, I guess that nobody could have been hurt then.”
“Jada could have been if they hadn’t left the house alone,” Hollis said. “She’s probably going nuts right now. Eddie, can you go up and check on her again.”
“Yeah, I can do that, but first I need to say something to the sheriff,” I began. “You’re a disgrace. Aren’t you supposed to serve and protect the citizens of Silver Valley? Yeah… you are. And Hollis Rivers is a citizen of this town. You’re letting some old beef between people who aren’t even involved in the vandalism keep you from doing your job. What kind of man doesn’t do his job because of drama from a generation ago?”
“Hollis, you better get a handle on your employee,” Bran said ruefully.
I was about to say something else, but Hollis put a hand on my shoulder. “Go back in the warehouse,” he commanded in a voice I hadn’t heard from him before. It was him using his Alpha voice, and I was pretty much powerless to resist his wishes.
As I walked inside, pissed off at the world, I heard the sheriff get in his vehicle and drive away. I wasn’t sure who I was more angry with as I reluctantly entered the warehouse and slammed the door behind myself.