Page 23 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

I grinned. None of that was a lie—it was Ashton’s favorite dinner and dessert. Again, childish, but I liked the idea of Cole having to run out to the store and spend a hundred bucks on dinner for three. I could almost picture the panic on his face as he worried about overcooking the steak or not being able to find big enough potatoes to impress his son and ex-girlfriend.

Cole:You got it. I’ve got a grill out back. I’ll have it all set up and ready to go. See you guys at five?

Avery:We’ll be there.

Cole:Fantastic! I’ll see you then.

After the exchange, I put the phone down and stared at it. All I could do was wonder how this would go. Would Ashton and Cole hit it off? Or would they get on each other’s nerves? Did Cole have any idea how to be a father? This wasn’t the typical situation. I’d had no clue how to be a mom, but I figured it out before Ash was old enough to judge me. This was Cole’s first andonlychance to make a first impression.

Part of me worried that the two would get alongtoowell. They looked like mirror images of each other. Maybe it would go so well, I’d be left out and forgotten. Unlikely, but my inner voice kept telling me it was a possibility. Either way, by the time I went to bed tonight, I’d have a better idea about the man Cole had become.

6

COLE

The knife slipped in my grasp, my sweaty palms making it hard to dice the onions for the baked potatoes. According to Avery, it was Ashton’s favorite, and by God, I was going to make sure this dinner was perfect. I’d already gotten the cheese, sour cream, and butter dished out in small serving bowls, and bacon was frying in the pan to crumble over the potatoes. I couldn’t think of anything else someone might like on them.

“I’m back,” Trent said as he entered the kitchen, hauling in a few grocery bags.

“Did you get everything?” I asked, and even I could hear the stress and worry in my voice.

Trent put the bags down and looked at me. “Dude, chill.” He nodded at the cutting board. “Before you cut your fingers off.”

I set the knife down and nodded to myself. I was a nervous wreck. He was right. The last thing I needed was for me to be some neurotic mess when Avery and Ashton showed up.

I took a breath. “Sorry. I’m good. Did you get everything, though?”

Trent pulled out a few vacuum-sealed meat packages. “Biggest filets they had. They’re like twelve ounces each. Shit was expensive, so I hope you’re cool with it. Your card’s gonna have a fat-ass charge on it.”

“What about the shrimp? Did they have fresh, or did you have to get frozen?” I’d decided to splurge and add a second protein to the meal, hoping it would impress them.

He pulled out another bag. “Fresh jumbo tiger shrimp. Did Avery say how the kid likes them? Sautéed? Fried? Boiled?”

I stared at Trent, sudden and overwhelming panic filling me again. “Fuck. I never asked. This was a surprise, so we never discussed the shrimp.”

“Text her and find out,” he said, handing me my credit card.

“I can’t do that,” I said, gaping at him like he’d gone mad.

Trent stared back at me. “Why?”

Chewing my bottom lip, I thought about that. There wasn’t a good reason, but somehow it felt like I’d have already failed if I started firing off texts to her about a dish she hadn’t even asked for, bugging her before they even got here.

“I just can’t, okay?” I said. “Screw it. We’ll sauté them. Everyone likes stuff cooked in butter, garlic, and wine, right?”

“I do,” Trent said with a shrug. “When are they gonna be here, anyway? You’ve been freaking out all day.”

A quick glance at the clock above the stove sent another tremor of worry through me. “Five. We’ve got about an hour to go.”

“Plenty of time,” Trent said, and tossed the meat into the fridge.

“Grab the stuff for the salad, can you?” I asked.

He nodded and pulled out the items.

I’d decided we needed something green to eat, too. Part of me thought it may have been some sort of test from Avery. She hadn’t said anything about it, but maybe she was trying to see if I knew kids needed a balanced meal.Maybe? Either way, a salad couldn’t hurt.

“How do you feel, bro? I meanreally?” Trent asked as he started chopping lettuce.

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