Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
All he wanted was to show Alexa that he was capable. That he wasn’t some loser who didn’t know how to handle himself.
The rest of the day didn’t go well. The complaints were endless, and even as he tried to resolve them, no one was happy. In the end, his father had no choice but to take over, and he actually sent him and Alexa back home.
They were walking together toward their honeymoon house, and Alexa suddenly tugged at his hand. The next thing he knew, she was hugging him. Her arms felt so good. Resting his head on her shoulder, he breathed her in.
“I think you did awesome today,” she said.
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m not lying. I think today has been hard, and you’ve done amazingly well.” She rubbed a hand down his back.
“My dad has never sent me off like that.” He felt like a fucking failure.
“You did good.”
He wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t know how long they stood like that several feet away from their home, just holding one another. This was his day to feel like a fucking pro, and instead, he felt like a damn loser.
“So, I was thinking tonight we can grill some steaks,” Alexa said. “What do you say?”
“You want to?”
“Yeah, I want to.” She pulled away and laughed. “Come on, we got through a day bound together. We can do whatever we want.”
“You’re positive tonight.”
She groaned. “I hope tomorrow we can get through my day.”
“We will,” he said. “We’ll get through it together.” They locked hands together and walked side by side toward their home.
****
Marcel watched as Landon and Alexa walked toward the house.
Today had been hard on his son.
He knew it wasn’t fair what he was doing, but their lives needed to be challenged. Alexa and Landon spent too much time focusing on their fake hatred for one another. It was his mission to make them see that it was fake, that they could work as a team.
“Do you think you pushed him too hard today?” Gertie asked.
“No, he didn’t cave to the pressures today. He stood up and held himself like an alpha.”
“And Alexa?”
“She showed that she is an alpha’s mate. There was no judgment, she was by his side, encouraging him. This is good, Gertie, I promise you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Chapter Six
The sound of another plate falling to the floor had Alexa cringing. She knew this was going to happen, but she had hoped it wouldn’t be as bad as it actually was. First, several customers complained they got the wrong order. She prided herself in never getting an order wrong, and yet, that was exactly what was happening.
Landon was in a uniform, and they had to work together. She’d nearly pushed him over, and her strength had started to slowly return.
This was a nightmare, and she was so close to crying.
The dropped plate earned a round of applause.
She had to clean it up, and she led Landon to the cleaning closet. With the door closed, she leaned up against the wall, trying to compose herself. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes when she felt Landon close.
“I don’t know what is happening,” she said.
“I do. We’ve got this, Alexa.”
“I have never messed up an order. I have never dropped a single dish. What is wrong with me?” she asked.
“We’re being challenged.”
She took a deep breath. “I … this is … a nightmare.”
“No, it’s not a nightmare. We’ve got this. We need to hold our head high, and just, be ready, you know?” He grabbed her hand, locking their fingers together.
Landon’s touch was comforting. She felt a welcome relief from being close to him.
With the dustpan and brush in hand, they headed out, along with the mop. Together, seeing as their hands were cuffed together, they cleaned up the mess, taking their time.
She knew people watched them, judging them, and she was so annoyed with everyone. No, not with them, but with their alpha, who she knew was the reason they were making their lives difficult.
As with the previous day, she was sent out of the diner with Landon following close behind her. She didn’t even make it to the dinner shift.
They left the main town square and headed toward their home.
“How about a swim?” Landon asked.
“Huh?” She tucked some hair behind her ear.
“We’ve had a shitty day, and I know the steaks last night were for me. I think it’s only fair we do something for you. I know you love to swim. It helps to clear your head.”
She smiled and glanced down at her uniform. “But we can’t get changed.”
“Who cares? It’s not like anyone is going to be able to stop us.” He took her hand. “Come on, let’s go.”
She gave his hand a squeeze, and they took off, heading toward the lake.
No one was around, and for that, she was relieved.