Page 11 of Big Bad Single Wolf Dad

Did she just suggest there might be a next time? I’m too busy smiling at the thought that I momentarily forget to insist she leave the clean-up work for someone else. I’m not the type to make my date clean up, especially when the day’s not over.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” I say, gesturing out of the room. “There’s still a little daylight left if we want to soak it up.”

I’m playfully chasing Mia around the garden, hoping my laughter is coming across as infectious to the young vampire halfling and not terrifying as it could be. I’ve been told by my own kids that my fake growls are extremely convincing.

She giggles and sails back to her mother, who scoops the young girl into the safety of her arms. We’d already decided Sarah was home base. She jumps down after a quick hug and growls my way as Ethan tentatively reaches out to hold my hand. I squeeze back, happy they’re happy.

6

SARAH

I almost can’t believe what I’m seeing. I knew Greg was a father and a decent one by all accounts. But watching him interact with both his and my kids is making my heart warm. I admit, even until now, I was skeptical about him. Just another guy looking for an easy conquest, this time with a different kind of supernatural quirk. But Greg has risen to my minimal expectations for a good partner, and then some.

The way he put the kids’ needs first, planned an outing around their idea of fun, and included all of them in it delighted me. I simply can’t trust the guys who only wanted to go out someplace overpriced and fancy with me alone. Anyone I can even consider a long-term commitment has to think of Mia and Ethan’s happiness just as much as mine.

And so far? Greg is killing it. I guess now it’s my turn to do the same. We’re having our second group outing with both of our families today, and I really want to make a good impression.

I start with Noah, the oldest of the five kids running around. Just from the one day of being around them on our recent ‘family date’, I can tell he takes after his dad. And not just in looks, though he’s a dead ringer for Greg. Noah also takes it upon himself to be in charge of the younger kids. I’ve heard about how werewolf alphas behave, and how it can start showing up in young kids like basic leadership and management instincts. He’s certainly trying to corral all the kids into one area to play with a kite safely.

“That was very smart,” I tell Noah, walking up to his side.

He looks up at me with wide eyes and blushes. “Oh! You mean, about the kite? Yeah, it can be dangerous if the wire gets stuck in a tree branch. So it’s important to keep an eye on where the wind is blowing.”

“Did you learn that all by yourself?” I ask.

“Yeah!” Noah says with pride. “I looked up tips for flying kites online and memorized all the safety tips. So everyone else can play without getting hurt.” He folds his arms and nods in agreement with his own assertion.

“I think that’s –” My moment of praise gets interrupted as Ollie takes the kite from Lily and starts running away, giggling hard. Noah takes off before Greg or I have the chance to notice what’s happened. He grabs Ollie by the shoulders and picks him up, setting him gently back on the grass without the added momentum.

Ollie looks up at Noah, then Greg, then me, and his eyes start to fill with tears.

“Ollie, what did I say!? You can’t run like that with a kite!” Noah says harshly.

“I…I-I-I didn’t mean…” Ollie’s face turns beet red as he sniffles back a sob.

Greg is comforting Lily, who was upset at having the kite ripped from her hands, so I take it upon myself to speak to the boys. I kneel down and put a hand on each boy’s shoulder.

“Ollie, it’s okay. Sometimes the things we want to do aren’t very safe, and we have to be careful so we don’t hurt ourselves, or someone else. Your big brother was afraid you were going to get hurt. But Noah, you were a little harsh with your brother. He’s still young and doesn’t understand cause and effect just yet.” I gently take the kite from Ollie and smile warmly at them.

“I’m sorry I yelled, Ollie,” Noah says. “But rules are rules for a reason!”

I nod at Noah. “That’s true. Ollie?” I ask the little boy, who is rubbing his eyes red.

“I’m sorry I ran.” Ollie looks at his brother and throws his arms out, looking for a comforting hug. Noah obliges his request.

“Now you need to apologize to Lily,” Noah says before gently pushing his brother towards their worked-up sister. I smile, seeing Mia so quick to comfort her new friend. And Ethan is watching Greg carefully, taking in all of his words and body language.

“When werewolves are kids, they’re a lot like puppies,” Noah explains to me, as if he himself isn’t a kid. “They gotta run all around the place or they get pent up with energy and explode.”

“That sounds frustrating,” I reply honestly.

Noah makes a grand display of sighing. “It is! Thanks for helping, Ms. Sarah.”

“Of course,” I say with a smile. Noah’s cheeks go pink again, and he scurries back to his sister, holding the kite. Ollie goes to sit on the bench for a five minute cool-off, with a promise that he can rejoin the game if he can do so calmly.

He doesn’t seem very confident he can do that. I take a seat next to the little guy and offer him his sippy cup.

“It’s very hard to stand still,” he says sadly. “Grown-ups always want you to stand still and it’s, like, impossible!”

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