Page 66 of His Innocent Omega
My mother tapped her foot, looking at her nails. She didn’t fool me one bit. “You wanted to see Julianna, Father. Mother wanted to try to get me to come home, and to convince me to work on the military contract. The one I’ve turned down twice already. But we can go to lunch, and you’re welcome to stay in my guest bedroom tonight.”
I was being more than generous and offering more than I wanted to. I wanted nothing more than to tell them to leave. But my father’s eyes lit up every time he looked at Julianna, and I just couldn’t take this time away from either one of them. Maybe it was what my mother would need to finally get her to see I was living my life on my own terms now.
“We’d like that very much,” Father smiled, running a hand over Julianna’s dark head of wild curls. Despite what my mother had said, those curls were all from me–with a little from Grayson’s family tree– so there was something of me in Julianna.
“Let me just grab her bag and I’ll be ready to go. You can follow me to my house and drop off your luggage, and then we can grab some lunch.” Plus, I needed a few seconds to text Grayson. His shift was over at five and he was planning on making dinner tonight for us. He was making his spaghetti bake, meatless for me, and it was yummy. My mouth watered just thinking about it and I’d been looking forward to it for days.Luckily, it made a huge pan so there would be plenty.
Me:My parents are here! This is NOT a joke! Feel free to bail on dinner tonight, if you want. I won’t hold it against you. We can grab dinner at a restaurant or something. I might need you to come rescue me later, though.
When there was no immediate answer, I figured he was on a call. He would see it when he was able and respond then. Giving Julianna a look, I kissed the top of her head.
“So, those are your grandparents. I’m just going to apologize for them now. Thank the Goddess you won’t remember their visit.”
Chapter Thirty
Becks
Wrapping the towel around my hips, I slicked the wet hair back from my face, swiping a hand across the fogged-up mirror. Grinning at my reflection, I snorted. If someone would have told me a year ago that my morning would involve a pissed off bull, a hyper Australian Shepherd, and falling on my ass in mud and manure, I would have laughed my ass off and told them they were nuts.
But here we were.
Opening the door of Wyatt’s upstairs bathroom, I let the steam waft out into the hallway. A door slammed downstairs, followed by footsteps and the murmur ofvoices. Cocking my head, I stilled, listening intently with my wolf ears.
Wyatt shouldn’t be home yet. I knew he wasn’t planning on being home until around six. I had dinner waiting in the fridge, ready to pop in the oven after my shift today.
“Wyatt,” a woman’s voice sounded horrified, “we can’t possibly stay in this hovel.”
What the fuck? My brows hit my hairline. While Wyatt’s home was on the older side, and the two bathrooms could do with a remodel, they were perfectly functional. The kitchen was newer, and while the rooms were a bit choppy for my tastes, and the closets could be bigger, it was far from the hovel the woman claimed it to be.
“Mother, there is nothing wrong with my house,” Wyatt sounded exasperated and on edge. I could practically feel his nerves screaming across our bond.
“And why is there a police car in your driveway?”
“Grayson must be here.”
“Grayson?” inquired a softer male voice.
“He’s…” Wyatt hesitated, and I waited to see what he would say, “Julianna’s alpha father.”
“You have some explaining to do, Wyatt,” the woman spoke again, and I already didn’t like her, even if I was solely basing my assessment on the way she was speaking to my mate, and the feeling of unease rippling through our bond. I couldn’t always feel Wyatt’s emotions across it, but when he felt something strongly I could pick up on it.
“Do I, Mother? Last time I checked I was a grown man who didn’t have to answer to anyone.”
Grinning at his spunky, assertive tone, I turned back to the mirror, resting my hands on the vanity. Noticing I had a text message, I quickly read it. He had sent it when I’d been washingthe mud and shit off me. His parents had shown up unexpectedly. No wonder he was a bundle of nerves. Just in the little things Wyatt had shared–and what I had dug up on my own, not included in Jamie’s report–there was a vast difference in his family life from the one I had grown up with and enjoyed, even as an adult.
“You told us he wasn’t in the picture and wouldn’t be raising the child with you.” His mother’s words made me wince. Though I loved that Wyatt had been prepared to go it alone and raise our child. And equally happy that Fate had made sure he wouldn’t have to.
“Things change,” Wyatt’s tone was nonchalant and held just a hint of defiance. I could almost picture the stubborn set to his jaw. My stubborn giraffe could be unmovable when he set his mind to it. “And that child’s name is Julianna. Use it when you’re addressing my daughter.”
“At least she’s an alpha,” the woman was quickly making my hackles rise, “but she reeks of wolf. Wyatt, did we not raise you better?”
The snort was loud, even without my wolf hearing. “You didn’t raise me at all.”
Pretty sure the woman had just insulted my daughter and myself, and feeling Wyatt’s stress jump across our bond again, I’d had enough of my mate’s distress.
Stomping down the stairs, I made sure I made plenty of noise, so they heard me coming. “Wyatt, is that you?” My voice was extra cheerful. “You won’t believe the call we had! Clyde Turner’s bull got loose and was blocking traffic on Highway 1 in front of his place.” I doubted Wyatt knew anything about Clyde Turner, his ranch, or his ornery as sin bull, but I carried on like he did.
My towel slipped when I hit the bottom of the stairs andinstead of adjusting it, I just grabbed the knot and left the one side hanging off my hip. Turning towards the living room, which was just off the main entrance way, I assumed that would be where they were, based on the direction the voices had come from.
