Who's Your Alpha? by Vicky Burkholder

pamper me all the time. I’m very independent. We wouldn’t work.” Sunny rose from the table. “I hope you’ll be my friend, but I understand if you can’t.” She nodded toward the waitress. “And as your friend, let me give you a little advice—sometimes the perfect mate is closer than you think.”
    His eyes widened. “Carly Simpson? But she works for me.”
    “And you’ve never heard of the boss marrying the help? You and I would never work. We’re too different. But there are others out there who would love to be with you, especially one in particular.”
    “All they see is the dollar signs.”
    “Not all of them. Think about it. Why would someone as bright as Carly with an advanced degree work as a waitress in a small town restaurant, even one as good as this?” To Sunny’s relief, Mack’s gaze followed Carly as she went about her duties. After a few minutes he smiled, and this time the sentiment lit his face. “You might be right. Thank you, Sunny. You very much deserve the title of alpha.”
    “Be happy, Mack.” She gripped his hand lightly, and then left, head high. That had gone better than expected. She only hoped she wasn’t wrong about him and Carly. But all their body language told her she wasn’t. Whistling a light tune, she climbed the steps to her room. Rommy was there, sitting on the floor, her back to the door, a suspicious brown bag at her side.
    “Hey, Rom! You made it.”
    “You’re late,” Rommy said.
    “Am not. You’re early.”
    “Am not.” She laughed and rose easily. It was an old argument between them. Sunny opened her door and waved Rommy in. Rommy handed her the bag as she passed.
    “How’s everything with the family?” Sunny asked as Rommy sprawled on the bed. She opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of sparkling cider, already cold. While Rommy grabbed the plastic cups from the bathroom, Sunny studied the bottle. It wasn’t Rommy’s usual fare. She liked her wine spritzers.
    “Oh you know, same old, same old. When are we going to have kids? When are we moving back?”
    “So when are you moving back?” She poured two glasses and handed one to Rommy, and then joined her on the bed. “And not that I’m complaining, but what’s with the cider?”
    “Um, possibly next May.”
    Sunny choked on her sip of cider and coughed. Eyes watering, she stared at her friend. “Say again? I thought you two were out of here. Like me. For good.”
    Rommy studied the wine in her glass. “Things change. Sam will be finished with his residency then and Doc Reynolds is thinking of retiring. He asked Sam if he wants to come into the practice. And Sam has some ideas about expanding the office, making it a true health clinic with alternatives like massage therapy, acupuncture, nutritional counseling. All that neat stuff.”
    “Oh, Rommy! That’s wonderful. Sam will make an incredible doctor for the town.”
    “Yeah. Plus this is the best place to raise the kid.”
    Sunny choked again. “ What? You’re…?”
    Rommy blushed and nodded. “I’m due in June. We’ll live in my folks’ guest house until after the baby is born and take our time to find something.”
    “I’m so happy for you! Congratulations. And I guess that explains the cider.” She poured two more cups and held hers up. “Here’s to you and Sam and the baby and moving and…oh, damn.” She couldn’t continue as tears clogged her throat. She set the cup down and hugged her friend. “Congratulations.”
    “You said that.” Rommy hugged her back. “But thanks. So what happened with you and Mack? And David this morning? And what’s with the cool suit? I’ve never seen you look that good.”
    “Thanks, I think.” She rose and opened the closet door and showed Rommy her new wardrobe. “Compliments of Mack.”
    “Whew!” She fingered the silk dressing gown. “I don’t think I want to know what you had to do to earn this!”
    “Nothing. The hotel is paying for it because of what Ruby did to my