“It’s okay, Mom. Dante and I have an arrangement. He cooks and I clean up.” Much as the idea of getting her fingers anywhere near a sink drain trap tested her gag reflex, she’d do it to put her mom’s fears to rest.
A lengthy silence descended, broken only by the occasional scrape of someone’s utensil. Lilly became aware of the heat of Kinsey’s penetrating gaze drilling into her forehead. Reluctantly, she lifted her focus from her plate and locked stares with Kinsey.
“Are you planning to let Dad know you’re getting married?”
“No. Why would I?”
“Lilly,” Chloe scolded. “He’s your father. He deserves to be there on Sunday.”
“Please. We both know he won’t even bother to show up.” From the corner of her eye, she noticed Dante watching her with barely restrained curiosity. He’d wanted answers from her earlier? Well no doubt he was about to get an earful, thanks to the argument she saw brewing on the horizon.
Chloe fidgeted with the edge of the tablecloth. “He might surprise you.”
“Not holding my breath.”
Her agitation steadily increasing, Chloe gripped her napkin and carefully folded it into a perfect square. “He isn’t the same man anymore, Lilly. He’s changed.”
She gaped at her mom. Anger and disbelief slowly leached into her veins. “You’ve taken him back. Again.”
Chloe’s gaze turned pleading. “It’ll be different this time.”
“No, it won’t. He’ll disappoint us. Like always. Why can’t you see that?”
“Honey, no. Your father and I love each other, just like you and Dante—”
Lilly scraped her chair back and stood. “We’re only getting married so I can get the land and he can stop his pack merger. That’s a whole lot more sensible than love in my book.”
Turning her back on Chloe and Kinsey’s incredulous stares, Lilly stalked toward the exit.
Chapter Thirteen
Dante hit the windshield defrost to high before sliding a glance in Lilly’s direction. “Everything okay over there?”
“I’m fine.” She continued to stubbornly glare out the window. “Sorry you were dragged into that. Not exactly the most auspicious first dinner with the parental unit, huh?”
He grunted. “You’re talking to the guy who decked his own father. If you’re looking to label yourself world’s worst offspring, you’ll have to arm-wrestle me for the trophy.”
That managed to coax a ghost of a smile from her. “Yeah, guess we do make quite a pair.”
“So I take it your folks had a difficult marriage?”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“What happened?”
Lilly remained quiet long enough he figured she wasn’t going to answer. But just as he was about to change the subject, she turned to face him. “He cheated on her. A lot. Despite that, she’s always stuck by his side. Believe it or not, she never wanted to get the divorce.”
“Sometimes people stay in a marriage for the wrong reasons. There’s nothing you can do to change that.”
“I know, but I don’t want to see her get hurt again.”
“If it ends up happening, you’ll just have to be there for her. It might not mean much, but I’ll be there too.”
She shot him a surprised look. Snapping her mouth shut, she shook her head. “Nice of you to offer, but I certainly don’t expect you to endure my mother’s fits of sobbing and despair. Trust me, they’re not pretty.”
“Doesn’t matter. I want to be here for you, pussycat. Anyway you need me.”
She continued to eye him skeptically. He didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what she was thinking. Her dad had never been there for her and her family. Why would he be any different? He longed to assure her with his words, but he suspected they would only fall on deaf ears at the moment. The best thing he could do was give her time and show her through his actions that he meant what he said. “Now which street did you say I needed to take?”
Lilly huddled back into her seat and fired off the directions again. Several minutes later, he veered right onto an unpaved road. Fortunately the thick crust of snow had filled in the majority of potholes. After a short jog, he pulled into a long winding driveway that led to a white Cape Cod style house. “I would have taken you as more the condo type.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Not enough space or privacy.”
“Amen.” He slipped off his seat belt and gave her a considering look. “I was worried you’d eventually decide my place was too remote and backwoods for your taste.”
“No, I like it. Plus it helps that I can work anywhere.” She flicked him a quick glance. “Not that I’m giving up my house anytime soon.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I believe you already mentioned that.”
“Good. Just so we’re clear.” Tucking her scarf securely within the neckline of her coat, she wrenched the passenger door open and hopped out. He was beginning to get used to her feisty stubbornness regarding her independence. Considering everything he’d learned tonight, it sort of made sense why she clung to it so tenaciously.
He climbed from the truck and unloaded their luggage. When he met her on the porch, she attempted to relieve him of her bag, but he brushed by her and strode through the doorway. Hell, she wasn’t the only one who knew how to be stubborn. “Where would you like me to put this?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?”
Chuckling, he left the vestibule behind and walked into the living room. The furnishings were similar to those at her cabin up north—stylish, feminine and undoubtedly expensive.
“You can drop the bags by the couch.”
He did as suggested and eyed the fireplace. “Want me to get that lit? It’ll chase some of the chill out of here.”
Surprisingly, she agreed without once balking that she could do it herself. Once he’d finished the task and pulled the screen back in place to safeguard the crackling flames, he hefted to his feet and stripped out of his jacket. Lilly stashed their winter gear in the adjacent closet before joining him in front of the fire. Shivering, she hugged her chest.
“It’ll warm up soon.”
“I think I’m mostly suffering belated tension from dinner more than anything else.”
“I have the perfect stress reliever.”
She rolled her eyes. “Jeez. I thought I was obsessed with sex.”
“I was talking about going for a run.” He grinned. “But maybe I like your idea better.”
“A run? In this weather? You’ve got to be freaking nuts.”
“Our fur is great insulation, pussycat.”
“Wait a minute. Who said anything about shifting?”
“I did. That’s state land your place is backed up to, right? Tons of wilderness to explore.”
She shuddered delicately. “Oh my God, I’m engaged to Grizzly Adams.”
“Come on, you’ll love it.” He yanked his flannel shirt off and started on the buttons of his fly.
“We can have wild nookie in here instead,” she wheedled.
“We will, believe me. Nothing gets your blood pumping and your body raring to go like a good run.”
“I have a hard time believing this data of yours.”
Laughing, he kicked his jeans and boots aside and began working her from her clothes. It was a difficult chore, considering her constant squirming as she tried to escape. Eventually he got her completely naked and herded her toward the door. He carefully kept his focus above her waistline, because staring too long at that delicious booty of hers might have sidetracked him from his mission. Which judging from the way she wiggled her butt against his groin, she knew all too well.
After securing the door behind them, he sucked in a lungful of the crisp air. He barely registered the cold as the shift into his wolf form took effect. He dropped onto his haunches, his hands morphing into paws that were covered with thick, black fur. Swishing his tail on the porch floorboards, he waited for Lilly to shift. With a put-upon sigh, she crouched in front of him. A sparkling luminescence danced across her skin as the lithe, feline form of her Lynx took shape. Giving a dainty yawn, she licked her paw before grooming the tiny tufts of white fur topping her ears.