Page 21 of Daddy Frost

Which was why he was in over his head with Leo. His mom had taught him from a young age that a man was only as good as his word. It had become a code Delta lived by, and just might die by if he couldn’t figure out a way to get Leo to leave him the hell alone.

Chapter Six

Kalen had felt Delta’s gaze on his ass so hard his mate’s eyes should have left behind retinal imprints on his skin. Not that Kalen was complaining. Why would he when he’d enjoyed his mate ogling his body?

As soon as Delta tore his gaze away, Kalen glanced over his shoulder and saw the elderly woman standing there, the one who’d been seated on the bench with her husband.

“Your order will be right up,” the female behind the counter said.

Kalen gave her a single nod but remained standing at the same window and listened to the conversation going on behind him. He heard the woman’s pearl of wisdom and agreed with her.

Relationships required constant care and attention. Finding one’s mate was like Fate presenting a seed already planted in rich, fertile soil. But it was the couple’s responsibility to nurture and tend to the seed, ensuring that it grew into a beautiful, blooming flower. Every moment spent together was like adding sunlight and water to the delicate plant, watching it thrive and flourish before their eyes.

As Delta started showing off his skills to the boys, the adult supervising them walked over. “Your friend is quite impressive,” the guy said with a nod toward Delta. “Does he play professionally?”

Kalen saw his order at the other window and walked over to it, the guy following him. “He doesn’t play professionally.”

If Delta had, he wouldn’t need a job at the diner. As Kalen sipped his water, he watched Delta, extremely impressed with his skills but even more enthralled with the look of pure joy on his mate’s face as he bounced the ball around.

“Name’s Jeremy.” The guy stuck out his hand, and Kalen shook it, providing his name. “I could use someone like him to help me whip my team into shape. They used to be motivated, but their enthusiasm has worn off. That’s why I added extra practices to the schedule.”

Kalen was getting a straight-up dick vibe from the human. He bet Jeremy was one of those coaches who thought of himself as a drill sergeant.

“As long as the kids are having fun,” Kalen commented, his gaze riveted on Delta. His mate’s cheeks were bright red from exertion and excitement, his green-gray eyes sparkling with joy.

Despite having spent some time with his mate, Kalen knew there was so much he didn’t know about him. Their conversation this morning had been filled with benign topics that hadn’t helped Kalen discover who his mate truly was on a deeper level.

But as he observed Delta with the soccer ball, Kalen knew in his gut there was more to his mate than met the eye.

He watched as Jeremy walked over to the boys just as Delta had spiked the ball high into the air, impressively catching it with one hand. Kalen chuckled when his mate dropped to one knee and presented the ball to the kid.

Delta’s silliness only made Kalen’s smile widen. He loved his mate’s playfulness.

“Son, that is what you call a hustle,” Jeremy said with a grin. “Maybe next time you shouldn’t be so self-assured and cocky.” He pointed at Delta. “That’s what commitment and dedication looks like.”

His mate appeared uncomfortable as he looked at Kalen, causing Kalen’s smile to fade. Delta was trying to convey something. As Kalen tilted his head to the side, understanding dawned on him. His mate wanted him to get the coach away from the boys, so the guy would stop wrecking their fun.

Shit. Kalen wanted to spend time with Delta, not the asshole coach. But this afternoon was all about his mate, so he gave a slight nod.

He wished he hadn’t.

For forty-five minutes, Jeremy talked non-stop about his glory days as a high school soccer player, the proper way to clean a pool, and the benefits of reverse mortgages—which Kalen knew to be a scam.

He tried not to judge people based on their interests or personality. Everyone had their own story and struggles, but he would rather have listened to Damon and Elvine argue. Hell, he would rather fight a horde of vampires than endure this form of torture.

Listening to Jeremy drone on was almost unbearable. The guy didn’t even attempt to make it humorous or engaging.

Kalen was so bored he ended up eating Delta’s pretzel and ordering other items just for an excuse to escape from Jeremey’s monotonous chatter for a few minutes at a time.

Finally, Jeremy walked over to the boys. Kalen had a fucking migraine now. He’d been tempted a few times to retrieve the roll of duct tape he had in one of his saddlebags so he could seal the man’s mouth shut.

After Jeremy had given Delta a schedule of their practice and game times, the guy finally left, taking the boys with him.

“How bad was it?” Delta winced.

“No big deal.” Kalen just prayed he never had to suffer Jeremy again.

“You are so lying.” Delta grinned. “I was lost in the zone, but I was peeping out your situation with him.”

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