Page 21 of Bonded By Christmas
I have no idea.
This is another reason why I would make a garbage parent. The idea of being responsible for teaching someone how to readand do math is scary. Let alone the weight of ensuring they’re raised well enough that they end up being a decent human being.
That is way too much pressure.
I’m more geared toward being a fun aunt, but unfortunately, I’m an only child. Unless I were to count Wilder, which I don’t.
“Hey, little man. I need you to chill,” I call out, chasing him through the crowd.
He listens, stopping in his tracks, but he also does a ninety-degree turn and takes off again with zero warning.
Jeez.
Honestly, how do kids survive to adulthood? It’s like they all have a death wish.
Lucky slams into the legs of a giant man, and his hot chocolate goes flying all over the guy’s pant leg as the cup explodes. The asshole growls, giving his leg a shake, which I could understand if the liquid was hot like coffee or something. He knocks into Lucky, and the kid goes flying, landing on his bum.
It’s clear the man didn’t kick with all his might, but it’s still totally uncalled for.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I hiss, glaring at the man as I run forward and squat to scoop up the boy.
Okay, damn.
I didn’t expect him to be so sturdy at only three years old, but I manage to get to my feet with Lucky on my hip. I hold him with an arm around his lower back and brush the sand off his leg with the other.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah.” His small head bobs.
“Hey, lady. How about you watch your fucking kid?” the man growls, glaring.
If looks could kill, he’d be hitting the ground right about now, but I know when to stand my ground and when to retreat.Two large, equally angry, men have joined the first, and I smile tightly as I back away.
“Sorry. Have a good night.” And with that, I hightail it back to Charlotte.
Surprisingly, Charlotte isn’t furious with me. I explain what happened, but she shrugs it off, suggesting we go wait in line to walk through the elves’ village. At the end, Lucky gets to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.
If there wasn’t a line of children waiting for their turn behind us, I might have snuck onto Santa’s lap to beg for a smoking-hot alpha of my own to take my mind off Wilder.
I’ve been in a funk since yesterday, and the more I think about spending the holidays alone, the more depressed I become.
Not to mention how creepy that jerk was earlier. I didn’t like the way he looked at me or Lucky. If I had my own growly alpha to follow me around, protecting me, I certainly wouldn’t have backed down from telling that asshole what I thought.
I shiver, buttoning up my jacket as we step back onto the sidewalk after meeting Santa.
“Crap, that’s my landlady.” Charlotte steps to the side, answering her phone. She’s got Lucky on one hip, and the little guy looks beat.
I smile and wave as he blinks at me, but everything in me says he’s done for the night. He ran and played hard. I guess kids his age crash just as hard with little warning.
“Shit,” Charlotte says, dropping her phone into her purse. “There’s a water leak in my bathroom, and the plumber won’t be able to stop by until tomorrow morning. I need to run home andcheck on everything. Do you want me to drop you off on my way there?”
I shake my head before I can even think it through fully. “I’m going to peek at a few of the trinket shops and maybe grab a decaf coffee.”
She seems hesitant to abandon me when she’s the one who invited me out, but Lucky snoozes against her shoulder, proving how little she needs to be worried about me.
We say our goodbyes, and she leaves while I head off to look for gifts or decorations. It’s not like I have anywhere else to be.
The market is wrapping up when I finally decide to call it a night. It’s cooled off significantly over the last hour, and even my coat and scarf aren’t doing the job to keep me warm.
