Page 36 of Two Wrong Turns

It was very obvious that Barrett was trying to suck up to the woman. She didn't care because she was getting her way.

So dad and I each took a seat and listened while Barrett regaled her of how he was on this journey to find himself and how he had stumbled upon this tiny town when his GPS didn't work anymore. He told her about our first meeting in the diner and how he had drawn the bear on the napkin.

He explained how when I shifted for the first time, he made the connection between me and his drawing. About how he felt such a sense of relief and completion.

Every single word he said was true — even the slight exaggerations.

I could feel it through the bonds. I could smell the rightness of it in the air. And my heart simply melted with every single word he spoke. I fell more and more in love with him.

I couldn't imagine life without him, nor could I picture a future in which this never happened. Where I’d have gone on with just my day-to-day work life, getting lost in the monotony until I died.

Would I have eventually found someone and mated with them purely to settle? Or would we have found each other another way? Would we have inevitably wound up together because Fate didn't give up?

I had to believe that was the case. The circumstances were odd, sure, but there was no doubt in my mind just how aligned we were; how perfectly everything was timed.

By the time Barrett finished his story, it was time to start dinner. As I went into the kitchen to start cooking, Mom joined me, leaving Dad and Barrett to bond.

She bumped my hip and whispered, "I like him. He's a great son-in-law, and I can see you're smitten."

I smiled. “I am, Mom. I love him so, so much. He's my family. That's my child in his belly. Soon, you’ll be a grandma.”

Her smile grew a million times wider. “I will be, and I'll be the best damn grandma this town's ever seen.”

I raised my brow.

“Does that mean what I think it means?”

She threw the towel over her shoulder. “If you think it means that we're moving back here so I can be close to my very first grandchild and also get to see my son and bond with his mate, then yes. If you think it means anything else, then no.”

I laughed loudly at her sarcastic tone at the end.

“Do you have a place, or will you be staying here until you find one?”

“I figured we'd last about a week here. Really give you a chance to get to know us better.”

“Mom, I already know you. I lived with you until I was grown.”

She shrugged. “That was mom-me. I’m different than adult-mom. You know this.”

We'd gone out to drink once. It was meant to be a little mother-son time where she wasn’t the parent, and I wasn’t her child. Dad didn’t come because he wanted to catch up on some reading. Either way, it was very different to see her throw a shot back rather than tell me to take out the trash.

I nodded as I went to work on the burgers I had been marinating.

“That's true, but it's still just an odd way to say it, Mom. Besides, the baby will be here soon, so no point in holding back.”

A gasp drew our attention to the living room.

Dad's head whipped our way. “Soon might be sooner than you think, son. Your mate's water just broke.”

Mom pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh, what perfect timing. The baby is coming. Quickly, let's move, gentlemen. It's time to hustle.”

In typical Mom fashion, she got us all outside in the car and to the hospital in no time.

I put on my scrubs and went into the delivery room. Mom had asked to come with me, but I told her it probably wasn't a good idea, considering she only met my mate a couple of hours ago.

“Modesty is still a thing for the humans,” I’d said.

She agreed to stay behind and wait with Dad. With them settled, I went into the room where my mate was laid out across the inclined bed.

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