Page 141 of Married to the Devil

I nod. Ben’s scent is mostly unknown since he’d been wearing the charm nearly the whole time he was here. It would make sense that they don’t quite know who fathered the baby.

“It’s not quite so clean cut…” I trail off.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

My lower lip trembles for a moment, and I shake my head. I don’t want to talk about Ben. Maybe someday it will be easier to talk about, and I’ll go over the whole story, but he’s out of the picture now, and every day he stays gone emphasizes that.

“Were you scared of becoming a mom?” I ask.

“Oh, honey.” Her face softens. “Of course I was, but then you were here, and you were…everything. Just like this baby is going to be everything.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. You’re in the process of wrangling a whole territory. You can do this part. You have help.” She squeezes my hand in comfort.

“Sometimes I feel like if I didn’t have Stoneheart supporting me that I’d spiral out of control,” I confess, but feel better. This was the side of my mom I’ve missed the most.

Mom’s lips curve. “He’s an interesting fellow. A little cold, but it was reassuring when he visited me.”

I frown. “He visited you? When?”

“A few days ago. It gave me quite a fright in my garden at first.” Her mouth thins. “Carl must have been nearby because he made a show like he was going to protect me from his boss.”

She shakes her head. “But Stoneheart apologized for not meeting me before the nuptials and made promises that you would have everything you ever needed.”

Her mouth quirks, and I hang on every word. “He implored me to forgive that you hid so much from me, said that it all came about so quickly. It was a short visit.”

I blink. “I didn’t know.”

A few days ago, we weren’t speaking. While I’d closed myself off in my workshop, he’d reached out to her. We’d just lost Ben, and he’d thought to make sure I had all the other support I needed.

I’m touched.

Mom nods. “I already knew I needed to apologize, but meeting him, knowing that history wasn’t repeating itself, made it all easier. Now if only he’d do something about his watchdog.”

There’s a twist to her mouth that isn’t for Stoneheart.

“You know,” I start. “Carl went against Stoneheart’s orders when he didn’t tell him you were coming home early. He’s obviously very into you.”

She rolls her eyes. “He followed me here.”

I raise my brows and look around, finding him in the back of the café, reading a paper. I feel better that someone is watching out for her, but if she’s uncomfortable around him…

“Do you want Stoneheart to recall him?”

She blows out a breath in frustration, conflict marring her features before they smooth. “No. I…I like him around.”

I tilt my head. “I’ve always liked him. I’m sorry he lied and is Stoneheart’s man.”

She shrugs. “Stoneheart says he’s my man now. I was a little afraid to ask him what he means.”

“Probably that his loyalty is to you before Stoneheart.” Which makes sense with how he moved to protect her from Stoneheart.

She changes the subject to ask about where I’m living now, and I talk about the penthouse and all Stoneheart’s people who are now mine that I live with.

Eventually our cups are empty, and we hug each other goodbye. I have to get back to delivering charms, and she has her emotions about a certain wolf shifter to figure out.

I feel lighter when I climb into the car.

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