The Reluctant Alpha (West Coast Wolves #1) - Susi Hawke Page 0,47
own pack, let alone ones who chose to take Matt up on his offer, to move to a place where even the most basic of utilities wasn't available was unfair. As a new idea occurred to me, I bounced. "While we're assigning housing today, we should take note of special skills. What if people could trade their expertise, and everyone could work together to help fix all the houses? And everything else this town needs?"
His eyes lit as he nodded, already seeming to have been thinking along the same lines. "Obviously, the pack will pay people for their work on municipal projects, but I was going to suggest working together and bartering skills to get the residential repairs accomplished. But trading back and forth to beautify their homes and handle the upkeep we aren't responsible for providing would benefit everyone."
Christina squealed softly with delight. "I was already excited about moving here. Now I'm ecstatic. One more question, and then I'm going to let you get back to work. Are all the homes the same size, or do you have any big enough to enable my parents to live with us? With them getting up there in years, I worry about them living alone. Dad has mobility issues, and Mom's memory isn't what it used to be."
I picked up my clipboard and pointed to a property suiting her needs. "Not only do we have different-sized homes to offer depending on family size, there are several with in-law suites. I think you'd like this one here best. It has four bedrooms, so all three of your pups would have their own room, and there's an apartment with a separate entrance, so your parents could live there without things feeling crowded for either of you. And even better, it's across the street from the community park we're planning to reopen soon."
My clipboard smashed against my chest when Christina spontaneously hugged me. As she squealed in my ear, I tried not to wince. "Thank you, Eli. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This home sounds perfect and way better than anything I could've hoped for. Quick, put my name down before anyone else finds out about it."
After another hug, she left to tell Tony the exciting news, while I assigned the first house of the day, sight unseen. The rest of the afternoon was a blur of showing houses to the people we thought they would suit and making the official assignments. At each home, Jared gave them their key and a small plant I'd provided as a welcome gift. If everybody assumed the plants had come from an order I'd made through a local nursery, the idea was fine with me. Putting my gift to use just felt good.
Matt and I ended the day in our suite, sitting on our small loveseat while a program played on the TV. I was lying back against the opposite arm with my feet in Matt's lap after he insisted on massaging them.
Sniffing in satisfaction, Matt smiled at the fragrance of the peppermint lotion he was rubbing in. I giggled and kicked involuntarily when he hit a ticklish spot. Fortunately, his reflexes kept him from taking it in the chin. I shrank my head down into my shoulders. "Sorry. This could've ended badly."
Matt turned his patient smile in my direction. "It's a risk I'm willing to take, little wolf. I'm proud to have such a strong, supportive mate. And this is the least I can do since you worked so hard after a horrible morning. Although he deserved what he got, I know witnessing your father’s death wasn’t easy.”
He wasn't wrong. Despite everything my dad had done or allowed to be done to me, I'd struggled with what I'd known would happen at the end of the challenge. My father would've been first to call me weak for feeling mercy, even for my own parent. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn't, and I was okay with that. Smiling back at Matt, I responded truthfully.
"No, it was no laughing matter. But given the other option? There was no contest. I will choose you every time."
"Damn straight, and it goes double for me. Not because I'm a better person than you, but I'm twice your size, so everything's automatically doubled, right?" He winked and went back to massaging my foot. "By the way, nice trick with the plants you distributed. Am I correct in assuming the existing pack members also got plants when they returned home?"