Page 61 of Breathless Recruiter

“Janet!”

For the longest time, I thought she wanted to fight every man she found handsome. It took a while before I learned wreck had multiple meanings. Despite that, I feared Janet’s idea of sexy time included more than a little physical prowess.

Arthur let go, stepping between me and his sister. “I think we’re done with your evaluation.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder. “Consider it an outstanding job.”

“Evaluations? Why wasn’t I informed?” Janet’s eyes narrowed as she shoved her brother out of the way. “I need to do an evaluation of my own.”

Arthur waved his arms, blocking his sister from reaching me. “Run, Wyatt. I’ll hold her off as long as I can.”

A moment later, she had Arthur slung over her shoulder. He kicked and screamed as she spun him about. I stepped into the hallway and pulled the door shut. Drew had poked his head out of his office, a curious eyebrow raised.

“Janet.” As if it explained everything, he nodded his head and returned to work. “Humans are odd creatures,” I mumbled as I headed toward my office. As I shut my door, I checked the clock on the wall, counting the hours until my next encounter with Dustin.

I spent so much time hiding amongst the humans. Maybe it was time I exposed him to my origin? This would require a trip north.

“Where are we heading?”

Dustin rolled onto his back. He had his arms crossed as we soared through the skies. I couldn’t help but smirk at the burly man. It was odd seeing him flying without his costume. For what I had planned, there wouldn’t be any need for secret identities.

“It’s a surprise.”

After twenty minutes of zipping through the air, we reached the mountains. We descended until we sped along an old logging road. We slowed our approach and took a turn down a gravel road. Nestled deep within the woods, away from the bustle of city life, we approached the most important place on the planet.

We landed on a stone path leading through raised flower beds filled with vegetables. I made a show of sucking in the air, savoring the scent of pine mixed with lavender.

“Where are we?”

“I wanted you to meet?—”

“Wyatt!”

Walking down the porch steps, Earth Mom covered her face. Behind her stood the large log cabin she and her husband had built. She said they designed it to blend in with the surroundings, to bepartof the forest. For me, it’d always be home.

She opened her arms, inviting me into a hug. I had debated calling ahead, but I wanted it to be a surprise. Charging up the path, I wrapped my arms around my favorite person on the planet. I squeezed as our feet left the ground.

“Let me get a look at you.” She had her hands on my face, turning my head this way and that. “Are you eating enough?” Before I could reply, she added, “More than chocolate?”

Her hair had always been a dull gray, but since I saw her last, it had turned a vibrant white. It flowed down her shoulders to her light blue sundress. The freckles on her cheeks were more pronounced, and I counted extra lines around her eyes. Even though I hadn’t seen her in almost a year, she remained a beautiful woman.

“Who do we have here?”

“Earth Mom?—”

“Mom.”

“Er... Earth Mom.”

“Fine.”

“Earth Mom, I want you to meet Dustin.”

She didn’t hesitate as she let go and gave him a hug. “Let me guess, he didn’t tell you that you’d be meeting me.” She kept anarm over his shoulder. “I don’t think my son understands the significance of introducing somebody to Mom.”

My head cocked to the side, unsure of what she meant. I had wanted Dustin to meet my favorite human. The way they grinned, I didn’t need to ask. I had unknowingly waded into a human tradition.

Dustin laughed. “It’s part of his charm.”

“Wyatt, humans consider introducing your man-friend to your mom a big deal. That’s a huge step in the dating process.”

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