The Alpha’s Surgeon

18

The smell hit them the second they stepped onto the porch—spiced sausage, onions sizzling in butter, and that unmistakable scent of beignets frying golden in the back kitchen. Inside, the old shack buzzed with the morning hum of conversation, the hiss of the griddle, and Momma Anna’s commanding voice cutting through it all like a general leading her troops.

“Rae, sweetheart, grab that pot of coffee! Del, sugar, don’t you dare touch that skillet—it bites!”

Del laughed, dodging her hand as she reached for a plate. “Yes, ma’am! I’m just trying to help!”

“You help by sittin’ and eatin’,” Momma Anna shot back, wagging a spoon in her direction. “And you,” she added, turning to Rae, “quit actin’ like you ain’t about to fall asleep standin’ up. Sit before I swat you.”

Rae sighed but obeyed, plopping down at the long wooden table while Aspen curled under her feet, tail thumping lazily. Trey, Elijah, Will, and Remi followed, trying to look useful but immediately realizing they were out of their league in Momma Anna’s kitchen domain.

Will leaned toward Remi, smirking. “You think she’d let me help wash dishes at least?”

Momma Anna answered without even looking. “Not unless you like doin’ it twice! Sit your tall self down, baby.”

Del snorted into her coffee. “Told you.”

Rae tried to stifle a yawn, mumbling, “She runs this place like the military.”

“Military?” Momma Anna repeated from the stove, grinning. “Oh, cher, the military couldn’t keep up with me.”

Before anyone could reply, the back door creaked open and in shuffled Papi Sam—tall and lean, with silver hair tied back and a weathered face that always seemed to be halfway between a grin and a scowl.

“Well, look what the river dragged in,” he drawled, voice deep and warm. “My girls, back in one piece. Mostly.”

“Papi!” Rae jumped up, her tiredness forgotten. She hugged him tight, and he chuckled, patting her back.

“Still workin’ too much, huh?” he said softly.

Rae rolled her eyes. “Don’t you start, too.”

“Wouldn’t be me if I didn’t,” he teased before pulling Del in for a hug next. “And you, chère—no new kayak bruises this year?”

Del laughed. “Not yet, but give it time.”

“That’s my brave fool,” he said fondly.

Momma Anna slid a skillet of steaming jambalaya onto the table, the aroma filling the whole shack. “Alright, y’all eat before I decide to send you back to bed!”

The boys didn’t need to be told twice. Elijah reached for a bowl and immediately burned his fingers. “Hot! Hot!”

Rae grinned around a mouthful of food. “Rookie mistake.”

Papi Sam chuckled. “Guess y’all ain’t used to Cajun cooking done right.”

Will nodded, impressed. “I think I’m gonna need the recipe for this.”

Momma Anna raised an eyebrow. “Baby, I don’t write my recipes. I just listen till the pan tells me to stop.”

Elijah blinked. “The pan talks?”

Del smirked. “You’ll learn not to question it.”

Aspen barked under the table, nose twitching. Momma Anna reached down and slid him a scrap of sausage without missing a beat. “There you go, baby boy. Don’t let them tell you no.”

Trey pointed at Aspen, mock glaring. “You’re spoiling him.”

Momma Anna shot him a look over her shoulder. “You hush. He’s the only one here with good manners.”

That set everyone laughing.

Rae wiped a tear from her eye, shaking her head. “You really missed your calling as a queen, you know that?”

“Queen of this shack suits me just fine,” Momma Anna said proudly, setting down a tray of powdered-sugar-dusted beignets. “Now eat up before I start lecturing again.”

Del leaned toward Rae, whispering, “Too late.”

Rae grinned. “I heard that,” Momma Anna said without turning around.

The breakfast turned into the usual chaotic harmony—everyone talking at once, Aspen begging for bites, Del stealing Rae’s coffee when she wasn’t looking, and Will trying to keep Elijah from feeding the dog powdered sugar.

At one point, Papi Sam leaned against the counter, eyes warm as he watched them all. “You girls brought a storm with you,” he said softly, amusement dancing in his voice. “But it’s a good one. Feels like life in here again.”

Rae smiled at that, a rare softness flickering across her face. “That’s kind of the point, Papi.”

He nodded. “Good. Just remember to breathe, chère. The world’ll still spin even if you rest a little.”

Rae rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. “Yeah, yeah. I hear you.”

Momma Anna snapped her towel playfully at Papi Sam. “Quit gettin’ sentimental and grab the syrup, old man.”

He grinned, saluting her. “Yes, ma’am.”

The room filled again with laughter, clinking dishes, and the smell of sugar and spice. Aspen barked happily as Rae slipped him a tiny beignet bite, and for a moment—just one bright, quiet moment—it felt like the world had paused, wrapped in warmth, food, and the love of a found family.