Page 11 of Midnight Whispers
Cass shut the trunk, and they got into the car.
They sat in silence for a long time.
The radio buzzed, but Danny didn’t dispatch him. It was a quiet night.
“I’m not keeping you from anything by sitting here?” Riley pulled off Cass’s gloves, laying them on the seat before putting his hands up to the vents. The heater worked overtime. He opened his palm and sucked in a breath. The way he had it turned, Cass couldn’t see what had startled him, but he saw the glow coming off it. Cass had been around warlocks long enough to know what happened when they found their mate. Riley might not understand what was happening since Iven neglected to tell Riley about being a warlock. As much as that pissed Cass off, it would be better coming from Iven.
Riley tucked his right hand underneath him and held the left closer to the vent. Since Riley was ignoring it, Cass would too.
“Nothing important.” Only a murder case, but even that wasn’t as important taking care of his mate.
“Are you going to tell my dad I ran out of gas?” When Riley met his gaze, his expression was pleading.
“Not if you don’t want me to.”
Riley sighed in relief. “Thanks.”
“Why didn’t you ask Iven for gas money? He would have given it to you.”
Riley shrugged. “I don’t know. Pride, I guess. I’m just used to doing everything myself.”
Cass couldn’t help the scowl. As soon as he realized what he was doing with his face, he smoothed it out. The last thing he wanted was to scare Riley. With his eyes still canine and his fangs still dropped, he had to keep his expressions neutral. Overall, Riley didn’t seem scared or even surprised by the existence of wolf shifters.
“I’m surprised Iven let you. Or Griffin. Hell, I’m surprised Zinnie wasn’t mothering you all this time.”
Riley smiled. Just speaking Zinnie’s name did that to people. Even Iven, who’d married and divorced her, smiled when he talked about her. “She did when I came for a visit. Dad and Griffin tried, before and after my mom died.”
“How did she die?” Nice conversation upon first meeting, but Cass seemed to bring out the deep conversations in people. He wasn’t sure why, other than he didn’t like small talk much. He’d never been good at it.
“Collapsed on the kitchen floor. Her heart just gave out.” Riley shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it, if that’s okay. This is my chance to start fresh. I don’t want to taint it. You know what I mean.”
Cass smiled. “Starting fresh, huh? You’ve come to the right place for that.”
“Dad’s been asking me to live with him my entire life. I figured this is our chance to get to know each other as father and son, since we never really did.” For the first time since meeting, Riley seemed genuinely happy. The smile reached his eyes.
Cass knew then that he needed to take a step back and let Riley have his time with his father. He couldn’t get in the way. Announcing they were mates would step right in the middle of them.
Chapter Seven
Even the coffee was better in Fortune Falls. Or maybe it was just at his dad’s house where the coffee was the best thing he’d ever put in his mouth. It was way better than the cheap stuff he bought and brewed in his drip coffeemaker.
Dad had one of those machines that made the coffee foamy on top, and he doubled down on it with cold foam coffee creamer. It tasted like one of those fancy coffees he got from the cafe down the road from his work. He’d only ever been able to buy them on his birthday because they were more expensive than he could afford.
Riley shut his eyes as he took a sip.
Dad chuckled. “It’s that good, huh?”
“Better. My moans don’t express the love I feel adequately enough.” Riley had been with his dad for a solid day, and it was the best time they’d ever had together.
He was in his uniform, minus the button-down shirt that hung off a kitchen chair across the room. He didn’t want grease to splash onto it, so he kept it off. Bacon could splatter sometimes.
His dad cooked a full breakfast every morning, which was something his mother never did. Riley didn’t remember the last time someone cooked for him. Probably the last time he’d come for a visit. He’d been a teenager.
His dad was taller than Riley and broader through the shoulders. Riley was a little leaner, too. But those were the only differences between them. Riley had his hair and eye color. They had the same facial structure, too. But what really sealed the deal was the way they had the same mannerisms. They also reached for things at the same time.
It was weird watching his dad and seeing himself in the simplest of behaviors, especially considering they hadn’t spent much time together. Most of their relationship had happened over the phone.
“I wish you didn’t have to work.”
