Page 63 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

“What ingredients are you looking for?” she asked as we wandered toward the first row of booths.

This side was the actual farmers market that had produce, fruit, and herbs. Every stand overflowing with fresh ingredients. Thankfully, they hadn’t sold out on me.

“I’ve actually been taking some cooking classes, trying to make sure I can properly provide for the pack,” I admitted, not quite meeting her eyes. “We’re supposed to be practicing different risottos.”

“You took a class for me?” Her voice cracked just a little. That was enough to have me looking up, my hand drifting to rest against her cheek.

“Yes. I want to be able to cook what you crave when you’re getting ready for a heat or are simply having an omega moment. I want to be able to make you and our pack happy and provide for Gavin,” I explained.

“I’m a lucky omega,” she whispered. Dhara stretched onto her toes and pressed her lips to mine. I’d almost expected the kiss to be clumsy, but she took the lead. I soaked in every second of her confidence as she showed me, without words, exactly how happy I’d made her.

My alpha was practically bursting with pride. This was exactly why we’d been sticking to the classes and making the new packhouse a real home.

My omega gave me a shy smile as she pulled away, gesturing toward the produce stand in front of us.

“So... what should we get?”

“I was thinking peppers, some shallots, maybe some fresh garlic...”

The beta behind the stand moved forward when he heard me listing ingredients.

“I think we’ve got you covered,” he said with a cheerful smile. He gathered everything I’d listed, even suggesting a few vegetables that would work well with the risotto. When he was satisfied he looked between us. “What else can I grab for you?”

“Anything you or Gavin might want?” I asked.

Dhara surprised me by not turning me down. Instead, she looked around the stand.

“Could we actually get some strawberries? They’re my favorite. And Gavin really likes blackberries," she said, giving me a soft look as I beamed down at her.

The beta added both to our growing pile, carefully picking through the berries to make sure we got the best ones. I had a feeling I’d be back here often as I experimented with more recipes.

We ran our bags back to the SUV, loading everything into the back before heading back into the market.

“Oh, something smells amazing,” she said as we walked further into the market. Her steps picked up a little as we entered the section full of home bakers and artisan goods, with the food trucks spread out just beyond them.

I genuinely hated that such simple things were so new and exciting for her. Something as simple as going to a farmers market and not having to worry about whether you could afford anything shouldn’t have been a foreign concept.

I tried not to let that frustration ruin our day. I wanted to soak in every moment of her sweet smile.

It was a little too easy to spoil her. Every time she lingered a little too long over something, I bought it. Unfortunately, she caught on far too quickly to what I was doing and started trying to control her expressions.

Thankfully, I’d been watching her long enough to recognize the mask she put on. Even when she tried to look indifferent, I added it to our growing pile anyway.

“You can’t keep buying me things,” she finally growled. Her fiery voice hit me right in the chest. It meant she felt safe standing up to me and that fire only turned me on.

“Watch me, Omega,” I said, my voice dropping just a little deeper. “I’m not trying to flaunt my money. I just want you to experience things for once in your life.”

That seemed to cool down her frustration. “Fine, just don’t go crazy with it.”

“No promises,” I said, stealing a kiss and tucking her into my side. We continued forward and she thankfully stopped trying to hide her reactions from me.

“Oh my gosh... are those cinnamon rolls?” She pulled away but grabbed my hand to drag me toward one of the bakeries.

They had cinnamon and sweet rolls of every variety imaginable, along with little samples.

Her expression was adorable and serious as she studied the samples and descriptions. Finally, she picked one up and popped it into her mouth.

Her eyes rolled back as she chewed before she grabbed a second sample and held it out for me. I didn’t hesitate to lean forward and wrapped my lips around her fingers. My tongue brushed across her fingertips as I licked away the sweet icing before grinning at her when her face flamed red.