Page 22 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“I’ll get it,” he said.

When he handed me the bottle and sat back down, he turned to me. From the look in his eyes, I knew what was coming next. Doing my best not to hold my breath, I met his gaze.

“I want to stay,” he said. “I really want to get to know my dad.”

The air fled my lungs in a rush, but I managed to smile. “Okay. Okay, yeah. Sounds good,” I said, though I could hear in my own voice that it wasn’t entirely good. Of course, none of the decisions Ashton could have made would be good.

He frowned. “Are you going to be all right? I spent half the night worried about what you’d think.”

It touched me that he considered my feelings. It also sent a wave of shame through me. A parent’s job was to ensure their children grew up happy, healthy, and well cared for. It should have beenmeconsidering his feelings. This was more than any fourteen-year-old should have to shoulder.

Clearing my throat, I gave a more genuine smile. “I’ll be totally fine. I promise. I’m happy with your decision.”

“You say that, but you’ve had this sort of sad look on your face since we got here. I don’t want you to be unhappy. If it really makes you too uncomfortable, we can go. Today if you want. It’ll be fine.”

A hard knot formed in my throat, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to prevent the tears from falling. I didn’t deserve this kid. He was the best thing to ever happen to me, and somehow, I’d managed to raise him into a man already. Even after all the shifter puberty issues he’d had, from angry outbursts to painful growth spurts, he was still a good person. The best person I’d ever known.

I put a hand on his thigh. “Baby, I’ll be okay. I promise. And I’ll be here the whole time.”

He chewed on his lip, then glanced away. “I promise I won’t let my father hurt you again. I’d like for you guys to be friends, but if I have to choose between him or you, I’ll… I’ll always choose you, Mom.”

That was it. It was over. The tears came then, hot and fast. My face twisted into the most unattractive sobbing mess ever, and I yanked him toward me by the collar of his shirt, hugging him hard. He chuckled and patted my back lamely while I sobbed into his shoulder. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cried orbeen on the verge of crying so much in my life. Honestly, it was most likely fifteen years ago when Cole left.

“Don’t worry about your dad,” I said, wiping my hands down my face. “He and I will come to some sort of understanding. All I want you to worry about is getting settled. Let me and Cole figure out the parenting parts, all right?”

“Okay,” he said, then dug into his food.

My appetite returned, and I cleared my plate in no time. As Ashton got up to do the dishes, I said, “Can you promise me something else?”

He froze, looking up at me. “Sure.”

“When you start dating…” I paused, trying to think of the best way to put it, then went on. “Be mindful. When two people fall in love,twohearts are involved. Yours, and the one placed in your care. Always remember the other heart, the one that’s been entrusted to you, and don’t do something dumb to break it.”

He nodded, but I wasn’t sure he understood. As far as I knew, Ash hadn’t yet had a girlfriend. Hopefully, that little lesson would stick in his head, though. Years from now, he’d remember it and be kind to whoever he ended up with.

After the dishes were done, he went to take a shower, leaving me to give Cole the news. Sitting there, I stared at my phone for several minutes, putting off the inevitable. I wondered how long he’d sat outside my house last night, watching. The only reason it wasn’t creepy was because he’d done it so much when we were young. A force of habit that had come back now that he knew I was back.

Grunting in frustration, I picked up my phone and started texting. There was no way I could handle saying this out loud. Texting gave me an extra layer of separation, and I could be more clinical and detached when I told him.

Avery:Good morning. Ashton says he wants to stay and get to know you and the pack. What do we do from here?

I hit send before I could back out and released a shuddering breath, awaiting Cole’s response. The return text came less than a minute later.

Cole:That’s amazing, Aves. You don’t know how relieved that makes me. Why don’t you guys come over for dinner tonight? We can get to know each other a little better.

Dinner? That was a fairly low-drama affair. I supposed that could work. It would be awkward as hell for everyone involved, but it was probably the best way to start.

Though, I had one very specific request if he wanted us there.

Avery:What time? We’ll be there. But Farrah better not be anywhere near your house. Is that understood? This is the first promise I need from you, and it better happen, or everything else is off the table.

I couldn’t trust myself not to claw Farrah’s eyes out when I saw her again. At the moment, I didn’t even want Ashton seeing her, much less talking to the woman.

Cole:I promise she won’t be there. You have my word. What do you guys want me to make for dinner? Burgers? Spaghetti?

Breathing a sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to see Farrah, I thought about his question. It was petty and a little childish,but he’d put me through enough over the last fifteen years. No reason to make thistooeasy on him.

Avery:Actually, Ashton’s favorite food is steak with baked potatoes. Filet mignon if you can. If you really want to get on his good side, have a cherry cheesecake for dessert as well.

---