Page 20 of His White Moonlight
I could ask Mom.She’d know.She knew everything about us…for the most part.Maybe if he liked someone and made it public, the women in the office would back off a little.I made a face.If he liked someone, Mom would have already thought of that.
“What's wrong?”he asked.
“Not liking the direction of my thoughts,” I said, turning to look out the window.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I’d rather stop thinking about it if it’s all the same to you.How much longer until we get there?”
“Soon.”
Fifteen minutes later, I walked up the flight of red carpeted steps to the freakingmuseumwhile wishing the car would have broken down.
“New deal,” I said.“We go home, I’ll take the blame for not showing up,andI’ll work for you for free all summer.”
“No deal,” he said.
“Come on, we’d both come out winners.”
“Are you going to walk, or do I have to carry you?”
“Princess, backpack, fireman, or over the shoulder?”
He arched a brow at me, and I pouted.His gaze dipped to my mouth, and his pupils flickered.
“Princess,” he said without looking away.“Mom would kill me if I tried any of the other three.But we both know I’m not carrying you in.”He offered me his arm.
I rolled my eyes and slipped my hand around his impressively firm forearm, letting him guide me up the stairs.
Inside, people mingled in the sectioned-off main lobby where tables had been set up with appetizers and drinks.The body count was high enough to necessitate my hold on Bennett.It kept him unavailable to other potential companions and prevented us from being separated.
Mom and Dad stood off to the side, chatting with another couple.I spotted Grandma sitting at a table.But Aiden and Karter were nowhere to be seen.
“Wrenly,” Mom said, weaving her way to us.“Welcome home, my sweet girl.”
I released Bennett long enough to let Mom hug me and then reclaimed his arm.Considering the long looks he was getting from around the room, I understood his need for protection.
“You really didn’t need to throw a party for me, Mom,” I said.
“Of course we did.We want everyone to know you’re ours.”
Not to welcome me home, but to claim me.Was I some kind of toy?
“Trust me, everyone is well aware of what you’ve done for me over the years.”
Mom frowned, and I smiled to take the sting out of my comment.
“I’m a person, not a possession you need to claim, Mom.I know you love me, and that’s enough.Now, who do you want me to meet?”
“Meet?”
“Isn’t that the point of this?You’re trying to set me up with some guy?”
Mom’s surprised gaze flicked to Bennett, and I suddenly understood.It wasn’t me who needed to meet someone.It was him.My party was just an excuse to get Bennett to mingle with the single pack-females.I wanted to smack my forehead for not seeing it sooner.
He was going to owe me big after this.
“Before Bennett takes me around the room to mingle, why don’t we start with a drink?”I said to smoothly transition from my question to appeasing Mom without throwing Bennett under the bus.
