Page 9 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“He should be there in an hour or less, I promise. I’m going to call him right now.”

“Thank you.”

I ended the call and immediately called Stormy. I had no one else I could talk to, and if I didn’t talk tosomeone, I was afraid I’d start crying.

She answered on the third ring. “Hello, beautiful. Have you arrived in the bustling metropolis of Harbor Mills yet?”

“Hey, Stormy. We got in a couple of hours ago, but it’s not been great.”

I proceeded to tell her about the water, running into Farrah Garrett, and then the second water issue. By the time I was done, I was ready to take a nap.

“Why don’t you guys come over here? You have my address. You can use the shower to get the road-trip grime off yourselves. Shiloh would love to see you both, and so would I.”

I was too emotionally exhausted to argue. “Okay. That sounds great. I’ll grab Ash and come over.”

“Perfect. I’ll make you guys some lunch. I’m sure you’re starving after such a long trip.”

I thanked her, then walked down the hall and knocked on Ashton’s door.

“Sweetie?”

“What?” he called through the door.

“The, uh, the water still isn’t working. They have a guy on the way. Aunt Stormy said we could go to her house to shower and freshen up. She’s making lunch, too. Do you want to go?”

The door swung open, and Ashton was out in the hall in a second, practically hurrying to the garage. “Yeah. Let’s go. I’m starving.”

It looked like the cure for a sullen teenage boy was the promise of food. By the time I grabbed my purse and phone, he was already in the car and buckled up.

“Feeling better?” I asked as I climbed in behind the wheel.

“I guess. Are you gonna tell me about that woman in the grocery store or not? Is she related to my grandfather?”

“She is,” I admitted, too tired to keep evading his questions.

“Is she like a cousin or aunt or something?” The tone of his voice changed, growing more intrigued and excited as he spoke.

“Can I make you a deal?” I asked as we drove.

“I guess,” he said, sounding dubious.

“I promise I’ll tell you everything you need to know, but can I have one day to get settled? Just one day. That’s all I ask. Once I’ve gotten a good night’s sleep and don’t feel like a wrung-out dishrag, I’ll answer all your questions. Can I have that? You’ve waited this long. What’s one more day?”

He chewed on the inside of his cheek, then nodded, though he looked less than enthused.

“Okay,” he muttered. “Tomorrow?”

“I promise. Tomorrow. Maybe we’ll even try to introduce you to your grandfather tomorrow as well.”

He smiled sadly. “Yeah. Cool.”

I had to force myself not to let out a sigh of relief. There was only so much drama I could handle in one day. Ashton being mature enough to keep his questions in check was impressive, and it made me proud of him. If there was one thing I’d done right in my life, it was raising such a great kid.

Stormy only lived four miles away from Grandma’s old house, and we arrived in less than five minutes. She must have been watching for us because she came running out of the house, waving at us as she bounced Shiloh on her hip. Shiloh looked as excited as her mom, waving her little hand wildly to mimic Stormy. When she saw Ashton, she let out a squeal of delight.

“Hey, little bitty,” Ashton said as he got out of the car and rushed over. He hugged Stormy and took Shiloh from her, hugging the baby. Shiloh grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged at it, drawing a laugh from Ashton.

“Come on in,” Stormy said. “I’m making sandwiches. You can help.”

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