Page 30 of Castaway Heat
“Dad, Papa… I believe you remember Shiloh Anderson?”
Shiloh held his breath, worried how they’d react.
Both of them smiled with tears in their eyes before dragging Shiloh closer and hugging him, too. Shiloh breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into their embrace.
Ronin’s papa wiped a tear from his eye when they pulled back. “Not only did I get my son back, but my son’swhole family.You don’t know how excited we are for you two to be home.”
Sage opened Shiloh’s jacket a bit.“Not two. Three.”
“Thank you, Mr. Drake,” Shiloh replied, ignoring Sage.
“We’re family now. You can call me Charlie,” Ronin’s papa said to Shiloh. “And your father-in-law is Preston.” He looked over his shoulder at his husband. “Isn’t that right, Preston?”
“Absolutely,” Preston Drake said.
Shiloh smiled. “Okay. Charlie and Preston.”
Ronin’s father beamed at Shiloh. “I’m glad Ronin wasn’t alone out there—not that I’d wish being shipwrecked onanyone, but at least you had one another. And you made it back home to us safe and sound.”
Shiloh smiled, grateful both of Ronin’s parents appeared to be accepting of their relationship. “Thank you.”
“Neither of you said hello to the baby,” Sage said, whipping open Shiloh’s coat again.
He shivered, pulling it closed against the cold air.
“Sage, don’t freeze the poor boy,” Charlie said, wrapping an arm around Shiloh and rubbing his back. “I plan on checking out my grandson’s progress once it’s warm enough for the coat to come off.”
“Thank you for sending warm clothes for us,” Shiloh murmured to Charlie. “In all the chaos, I hadn’t even thought about it.”
“Going from a tropical climate to this one was going to be a big change. I didn’t want either of you walking out in t-shirts and shorts—and go into shock.” Charlie pulled on the seams a bit. “Sage did a great job on the sizes. A little big, but not too bad.”
Shiloh ran his hand over his belly. “I think I needed it a little big to cover up the extra bits of me.”
Charlie grinned, his eyes twinkling. “Oh yes, we must keep him warm.”
“You know it’s a boy?” Riley asked, head popping up.
“No,”Shiloh replied. “Ronin kept calling it a he, too—but I have a feeling this is a little girl.”
“Awww,”Riley and Eirin said together.
Sage eyed Ronin. “At least there’s no doubt about the paternity of the little rugrat when they were on a deserted islandalonetogether.”
Ronin sighed, one brow rising.“Sage.”
“Just saying,” Sage muttered, an odd look coming over his face. “No child should have a parent deny them. You won’t have to do that.”
Shiloh got the feeling there was more to the story behind that comment, but he wasn’t going to bring it up surrounded by others. It did make him suddenly realize he hadn’t seen his own parents, though. He glanced around the tarmac. “Has anyone talked to my papa and dad? They knew we were flying in thisafternoon, right? Cell service has been spotty the whole way here.”
Sad expressions caused Shiloh to hold his breath. Had something happened while they were gone?
“They both said they had to work, and they’d see you later. When they got off,” Sage said. “I told them that was bullshit. They should be here, Shy.”
Shiloh shrugged, used to his workaholic, emotionally unavailable parents not being there for him. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. That didn’t make it sting less though. “If they had to work, they had to work.”
“Why don’t we take this back to our house,” Ronin’s father said, smiling at Shiloh. “Dinner’s being prepared, we can light a nice fire to warm up Ronin’s omega, and there are a few more family members waiting to welcomeyou bothhome, too.” He eyed Shiloh’s friends. “You’re all invited, of course.”
“That sounds lovely,” Shiloh said. He eyed his friends, who all nodded.
