Page 51 of The Beta's Heart

“Hi! You’re so handsome! Like a prince!” She grinned, her eyes wide with admiration. “I’m Honor Nelson. What’s your name?”

Wesley blushed as he answered her, and the whole table chuckled, the atmosphere instantly light and joyful.

“So, uh, where’s, um, Peri tonight?” I asked, my voice pitching up a little on her name, embarrassing me almost as much as this hated blush stealing over my cheeks and lighting up the tips of my ears. Hurrying to cover it, I asked about the other missing family members, too. “And Wayne and Arch?”

“Wayne and Archer went to the drag races with a group of their friends. As for Peri, she’s—”

“Here!” Peri’s sweet voice interrupted Evie. “And I see my spot has been usurped by a beautiful princess!”

“Thank you, pretty girl!” Honor chirped happily.

With a grin, Peri pulled a free chair over from an empty table and settled in beside me, and I thought my stomach was going to be bruised from how hard the butterflies were beating inside it.

We enjoyed our dinner, me because Peri was sitting so close, and Honor because she was the star of the show, giggling with delight at all the attention the Barlow boys were giving her. Wesley hogged her the most as he told her a couple of stories from school, then went into far too many details about his current model airplane project.

As for Nathan and Evie Barlow, they were making the most of the opportunity to flirt without their children noticing too much, and Wade was busy shoving as much food as he could down the little red lane—and I thoughtIcould eat!

The warmth and laughter at the table reminded me of what a family should be, and I was glad to be a part of it, if only for an hour.

They don’t know how lucky they are to have this,I thought.

Someday, we has it, too, Ty-Ty,River chirped.Find mate, den home, den pups. Pups, pups, pups.

Don’t start, Riv,I warned him.

Pups, pups, pups. Me want pups! Pups, pups, pups. Me want—

Goddess help me,I sighed, rolling my eyes. He’d be singing that for a good hour now.

After a tasty and filling meal of burgers and fries, Honor and I headed off to pick up all the boys at their various activities. By the time we got back to the orphanage, she was yawning and half-asleep, so I waited until she brushed her teeth and got into her jammies, then tucked her in bed, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Goodnight, Honor. Sweet dreams.”

“Night, Beta Ty. Thank you for my date,” she yawned again, already drifting off.

“I’m glad my best girl had a good time.”

“I ateallmy burger,” she mumbled, “and a pretty girl was there … dumb ol’ airplanes … then Prince Wesley—”

And she was out.

I stayed up to wait for Charlie and was glad I did. When she walked through the door, her eyes glowed and her smile was bright.

“How did it go?” I asked, even though I reckoned I already knew the answer.

“It was amazing!” she squealed like a teenage girl and not a thirty-one-year-old mother of three. She wrapped me up in a surprise-attack hug, and I chuckled as I hugged her back. “Thank you, Ty! I really needed this! And—”

“And?” I encouraged her.

“I like him. I like hima lot!”

“I’m so happy for you, Charlie.”

As she went upstairs to check on her kids, I headed for bed, grinning like a possum eating a sweet tater.

I did a good thing,I thought to myself and fell asleep hoping it would work out for them.

13. Sink or Swim

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