Page 39 of Alpha Wolf's Arranged Bride
As Scarlett gets into the car and we leave the café, I wonder how my life got so complicated so fast.
As if reuniting with Scarlett and finding out she has a kid wasn’t bad enough. Now we’ve got war, even more complicated secrets, and potential exile.
On the way home, Scarlett chats with Jarrod, seeming very relaxed after her day with the other women. Even though I’m emotionally bruised, Jarrod draws me into the conversation, and I can’t resist his bubbly, enthusiastic energy.
“Did you know octopi have no bones?” he says as we arrive home. “They can squish through tiny little cracks, andthey’re smart enough to open their tanks. They even steal stuff and put themselves back in, then pretend like they never escaped.”
“I didn’t know,” I answer, laughing as I open the front door. “But that is kind of cool.”
“What do we want for dinner?” Scarlett asks, leading us into the kitchen.
“What have we got?” Jarrod replies.
“Hmm, good question,” Scarlett says, opening a cupboard door and peering inside. “Well, you’ve actually got quite a well-stocked pantry. I’m impressed!”
“Don’t be,” I laugh. “Mom often fills it up, and sometimes the housekeeper does, too. I wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to cook any of it.”
“Well, you’re about to learn,” she says, shoving a jar of pasta sauce into my hand. “I’ll help you get this started with some spaghetti and pesto, then I’ll fry some steaks. Jarrod, can you make a salad?”
“Sure thing, Mom!” he answers, rushing over to the fridge to start pulling out vegetables.
As I watch my son setting up his ingredients on a chopping board with a small knife and slicing with ease, I stare at my jar of sauce and packet of pasta with some confusion—and a good dose of inadequacy.
“I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed,” I admit as Scarlett oils a frying pan.
“Here you go,” she says, putting a pot on the stove. “You’re going to use that sauce and this pesto to make a base. I’ll show you.”
“Uh-huh,” I mutter, feeling completely out of my depth. “Are you sure you actually want my help? You don’t think I’ll screw it up?”
Jarrod and Scarlett burst out laughing, making me feel even more ridiculous.
“Don’t be a wimp, Dad,” Jarrod says, rolling his eyes. “You gotta give stuff a go, and make mistakes. You can’t just cop out before you even start.”
“You’re so wise,” I say, feeling humbled. “I promise to give this sauce my full effort and attention.”
As we cook dinner together, the conversation flows easily between us, and I can see Scarlett beginning to relax. By the time we sit down to eat, I’m feeling incredibly hopeful that we can navigate our relationship through all the obstacles, no matter how impassable they may seem.
The bright mood carries on when we clear up, get Jarrod into a bath, and tuck him into bed. As we slip quietly out of his room and shut the door, I reach out to Scarlett to take her hand.
As my fingers touch hers, she jumps back, looking up at me with fierce eyes. I shrug, and she shakes her head, hurrying past me up to our bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, following her inside as she shuts the door.
“Why would you do that?” she asks, folding her arms and shaking her head. “What made you think I wanted to hold hands with you?”
I stare at her, my chest aching a little as I watch her visibly shrink away from me.
“We had such a great night… I was going to ask you to come downstairs for a nightcap, maybe some dessert…”
“Dessert, huh?” she snaps. “What exactly did you think you’d be eating?”
Cherry pie, of course.
“Uh,” I gulp, forcefully holding myself back from making a reference to her pussy being the only dessert I’d want to eat. “I’m not sure…”
“Rex. I need you to get this into your head. I don’t trust you. Why should I? You lived with my pack for a year, under a fake name and in disguise. You let me fall for you, then you disappeared the morning after we had sex. Nothing will change these facts, and even if you explain yourself—truthfully—there is no guarantee I’ll forgive you.”
“Wow,” I mutter. “Okay. That’s a lot.”
