Page 26 of Whispering Waves

Nina sat and watched everything from baby pictures to five-year-old her hauling Drake around in a little wagon with her parents chasing them.

Her pushing Drake on the baby swing in a bunch of pictures turned into him activating as an alpha and pushing her on a swing. She was about to turn eighteen. Then, it was martial arts with the other class parents taking photos for them. Then there were combat trials and the final one where Nina had been dropped to her back and the wind was knocked out of her.

She hadn’t seen this particular angle. She remembered everyone shouting. Her team was running for her, three adults were holding a seventeen-year-old Drake back, and the adult alpha who had flattened her was down with five little betas kicking the crap out of him.

Nina winced. “Yeah, that was my last event on the team. After that, I just made snacks.”

Drake grinned. “She became team mom.”

There was Nina at his graduation, holding a huge, glittering sign with his name on it.

Then the trip to the tropics, the snorkelling, and spearfishing.

It was a super cute photo of them and their catches. Hers was three times the size of his, and then there was dinner when the server set it out and mixed them up, so Drake fixed the plates with a grin, and they got to eating.

Drake said, “She does still have that bikini.”

Another carrot was launched.

“What? You do.” He laughed.

She looked and was distressingly out of carrots. “We need more carrots.”

Kimo took her grasping hand in his. “Use a cucumber.”

Tono opened his mouth, and Drake hurled the rogue carrot stick at him.

Kimo laughed. “I see what I accidentally did there.”

She snorted. “So, Kimo, do you have any baby books so we can share in the embarrassment?”

He wrapped his arms around her. “I will ask my parents to have one handy.”

“One?”

“My father is an enthusiast. Oh, speaking of family, your grandparents are eager for contact, as is your aunt.” He held up his phone and brought up the messages that had been received in the last hour.

She blinked rapidly. They were enthusiastic and ready to hop in a boat right that moment.

“Drake, when do you want to meet with Dad’s side of the family?”

“I have a day off next week.”

Kimo smiled. “What if they come here, or you take one of the helicopters?”

“If they come here, that’s great. I mean, if you don’t mind hosting.”

Kimo chuckled. “I made the house for family. I am not fussy about which family occupies it.”

Reg spoke softly, “And there is always the guesthouse.”

Kimo nodded. “That, too.”

Nina frowned. “Guesthouse?”

“I will show you tomorrow during the tour.”

She chuckled. “Sure.”

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