Page 103 of Conner's Luna

When we drive up to the house, Dad's car is parked in the driveway. I hesitate when I see it. He used to park in the garage because his car is a company car, but I think he got suspicious about the 'repairs' that had to be done to the bluebonnet after it was vandalized, so he told me that he would start parking in the driveway when my car was back.

"I'll walk you inside," Conner's papa says to me calmly.

Startled, I look at him in something akin to horror. "No! That's alright."

"I think it would be a good idea to meet your father, Bailey," he says with the same calm, but implacable, voice.

"Fine," I mutter childishly. He had better not mention my not-boyfriend-maybe. Papa Smurf just smiles.

Dad swings open the door before we've even hit the walkway. "Bailey?" he jogs down the porch steps with concern written all over his face. "I got a text saying your friend was sick and you were being driven back home early?" Dad's dark eyes travel over Conner's papa's face critically.

"Good morning. I'm Blu Grim, Braxton and Conner's father," Papa Smurf holds out his hand for Dad to shake.

Dad shakes it steadily, murmuring his own introduction, "Hank Washington. Thank you for bringing Bailey home." Dad eyeballs me sideways. I sigh, shoulders slumping. I can see the lecture forming on his tongue now.

"Nice to meet you, Hank."

Dad nods stiffly. "Whereabouts are you all from?" he asks Conner's papa.

I groan aloud. "Dad, please no interrogation. It's Sunday morning."

"Eight in the morning, to be exact," Dad says with false cheerfulness. "How about you join us for coffee and breakfast?" he says to Conner's papa.

The two men exchange a look, and Conner's papa folds like a snitch in a mafia flick.

"Sure," he says with a smile.

I hold back my groan, barely. Fabulous.

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Conner

I text Bailey with fingers that blur over the screen. Dad finally let me out of the cage a few minutes ago, told me I stink and need a shower, then wandered off to find Mom or Papa.

C - Babe u home?

I can see that she read it, but it takes a while for her to respond.

Honeygirl - Yes

Shit. Shit. Shit. She's pissed at me. Of course, she's pissed at me. I go to type another text, but claws erupt from the ends of my fingertips, making me fumble with my cellphone and nearly drop it.

"Fuck it," I snarl lowly. I'll just call her.

"Fuck it," a tiny, sweet voice repeats. My head jerks up to see Thea toddling down the hallway toward me. "Fuck it!" she repeats gleefully. My wolf's tail wags as the little pup wanders over, hands held up to me. Nothing like a pup to make my wolf melt into goo.

I bend down to shush her, scooping her up in my arms, "shh, baby. Not so loud?" I bounce her as she giggles happily and says it again, twice.

"Fuck it. Fuck it," she sings at me with a smile so large her dimples pop.

"Daddy said those bad words, didn't he?" I croon to her, bouncing her again. "Daaaddy," I say. "He's naughty."

"Dada!" she squeals.

I nod, "Dada said 'fuck it.' Let's tell Mom that story, OK?"

I grin as she smiles back at me, smacking my cheeks with her damp palms. Her completely adorable grin gives me an idea.

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