Page 62 of Packing for Vacation

“I’m just trying to make things nice for you.”

“You have,” I tell him, a lump suddenly in my throat. “You really have, and I’m so…” I have to stop and blink back the surprise tears. “I’m so grateful. I’m so lucky.” I hold my hand out to him and he pulls me up, kissing me deeply despite the state I’m in.

“I’m the lucky one,” he whispers against my forehead.

I use the shower inside the nest’s small bathroom, tears slipping free when I find all the new products the guys have left for me. A lavender shower bomb. Cute shampoo and conditioner samples from a high-end brand. A matching body wash and lotion set. I take my time, soaping everything twice, shaving my legs, and even let the conditioner sit in my hair for a while like you’re supposed to. Matiu is waiting for me with a huge fluffy towel when I emerge, wrapping me up like a cocoon.

“Thank you,” I tell him softly between slow kisses. “You’re both spoiling me.”

“Yeah. As we should. Once you’re dressed we’ll all have lunch.”

Lunch isn’t just lunch, but a simpler version of the Christmas meal we missed two days ago. There’s a roast chicken overflowing with stuffing, slices of champagne ham served with fried pineapple rings, roast vegetables, and Matiu’s Māori fried bread that I’ve quickly become obsessed with. We eat in the lounge with our plates on our laps, and it’s the perfect post-heat meal. Barry, who seems very pleased to be back with us, gets his own plate of chicken, topped off with an extra serving of treats for being such a good boy at Bob’s house.

“Lucky I can always activate the dessert stomach,” I joke as Scott hands me a bowl filled with equal portions of trifle and pavlova. Everything is covered in whipped cream. “I’m in heaven.”

“Good eh? Not gonna lie, I would’ve cried if I didn’t get my trifle this year.”

“You should start opening your presents,” Matiu tells me once I’ve had a few more bites. He immediately hands me one of the wrapped gifts.

“You guys really shouldn’t have,” I say, but there’s no denying that the omega in me is extremely happy to be given so many courting gifts. There’s candles and chocolates, gift cards, practical items like scent blockers, sexy items including toys and massage oils, but my favourite gift is a photo album filled with pictures we’ve taken since day one when I met Matiu.

I point to a selfie I took of the three of us sitting on Matiu’s deck the night Scott drove up from Wellington. “I can’t believe that was only three and a half weeks ago.”

“I know, it feels like a lifetime ago eh.”

“Speaking of which, Scott and I want to talk to you about something that we didn’t bring up at⁠—”

A loud knock interrupts Matiu, and I turn to find a sturdy older woman with steel grey hair and a weathered face standing in the open doorway, a very familiar pink suitcase at her feet.

“My carry-on! Oh my god!”

“I take it this is yours?” the woman asks, unimpressed.

“Yes! Where did you find it? Sorry, I’m Elizabeth, by the way. Thank you so much for bringing it here.”

“It’s been sitting at the post office for the last week, you were supposed to come pick it up. I live just down the road so I told them I would drop it by. I came by yesterday but…” Her eyes dart between myself and the guys. “You three sounded busy.”

Beside me, Scott chokes on his drink.

“Well thank you for bringing it today.” I can feel the flush creeping up my neck at the insinuation that she heard me mid-heat. Oh god. I know just how loud I get. “I didn’t know it was waiting at the post office or I would’ve gone and picked it up myself,” I explain, doing my best to act like she hasn’t just taken a shot at my dignity. The breeze blows in a gust of her scent and I stiffen further. She’s an alpha. “I didn’t get a notification.”

“Yeah nah, you’re not going to get a notification. If you have something sent to the post office, you just pick it up? It’s a rural post office. This is a rural address. They don’t⁠—”

“That’s my fault,” Scott cuts in, having recovered enough to speak. “Lizzie didn’t know. She’s from Canada, obviously,” he adds, pointing to my suitcase. “I didn’t think to tell her. So thank you, we appreciate it. What was your name, again?”

“Janet.”

“Janet. Well, thank you again.” Scott gets to his feet, gesturing towards the lawn as he approaches the alpha woman. “So you live down the road? This is just my family bach, we used to come here every summer when I was a kid, we…”

“Gift of the gab,” Matiu murmurs in my ear as we watch Scott and Janet step off the deck and onto the lawn, Scott working his charm on her like he does with everyone he meets.

Thank goodness. I’m so embarrassed. “She heard us,” I hiss.

Matiu shrugs. “Gives her something to talk about. A bit of titillation never hurt anyone.”

“I didn’t know I was supposed to go looking for the suitcase, I don’t even know where the post office is.” I cross the room and grab the case, left just inside the sliding door, rolling it back to the couch. “I’d honestly given up on seeing this thing.” I lay it flat on the ground and open it up, snort-laughing when the first two items right there on top are my little clit sucking toy and my ten-inch knotted vibrator. “I really hope she didn’t open this up.”

“You put the sex toys in carry-on?”