When we finish eating, Talon pulls out his wallet and drops a twenty-dollar bill on the table before helping me out of the booth.

“Let me get your keys, baby,” Talon says when we reach the parking lot, and I hand them over to him, and he tosses them to Bax. “We’ll meet you at the house.”

With a lift of his chin, Bax heads for my car while Talon walks me to his Jeep and opens the door for me to get in.

“Are Mercury and Retro at your house?” I ask as he starts the engine.

“There at my parents’. Mom needed some help getting the tables and chairs set up, so that’s where Bax and I were when you called.”

“I’m sorry I pulled you away from that.”

“We were pretty much done, and my sisters all showed up, so Mom has help.” He covers my hand with his.

“Well, thank you for coming to meet me.”

“I still don’t know what the hell you were thinking, agreeing to have lunch with him.”

“Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking either. He put me on the spot, and Ken insisted I go. Then I thought maybe I could use that time with him to my advantage and find out a little about him. Not that it worked,” I groan, dropping my head back to the headrest.

“How about we both agree that there will be no more Colombo fishing expeditions.”

“Agreed.” I laugh then turn my head toward him to watch as he lifts my hand to kiss my fingers. “Do you want us to go to your parents’ to help out and get my pups?”

“I was thinking I’d drop you at home. You can take a nap while I run Bax to my parents’, since his truck is still there. I’ll see if Mom needs anymore help and pick up the girls.”

“Are you going to be pissed at me if I agree to that plan, even though you’re the one who suggested it?”

“I’m not your dad or any of the assholes you dated, Mia. I don’t say shit I don’t mean, and I’ve never played any kind of fucked-up mind games with you,” he says quietly, but still the statement is roared in my head and guilt fills the pit of my stomach, because he’s right. He’s never once said anything he didn’t mean, and from the beginning, he’s been honest and has always tried to protect me. Which I know he’s doing now by allowing me time to sober up, so I won’t feel more stressed than I already will be when I meet his family.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” I say through the tightness in my throat, and he brings my hand to his lips, kissing it before giving it a squeeze. As he rests our hands on his thigh, I know we’re good. I also know I need to figure out how to deal with my personal issues. As scary as it is, I’m falling in love with him, and it’s not fair for me to keep painting him with the same brush I’ve used to define every other man in my life who’s let me down and disappointed me, when he is nothing like any of them.

CHAPTER 14

Talon

“IF YOU’RE GOOD, I’m gonna grab the girls and head home to shower then come back with Mia,” I say, stopping in the doorway to the kitchen where my mom and sisters are working on getting food ready before everyone starts showing up.

“The pups are fine. Just leave them. That way you don’t have to haul them back and forth.” Mom stops what she’s doing and wipes her hands on a dishrag while glancing over at Mercury and Retro, who are sprawled out on the floor in the dining room. “People have been in and out all day, and they have pretty much been doing exactly what they are doing right now. Even Willow has checked on them twice to make sure they’re still alive, because it’s so strange.” I laugh as she comes to give me a hug. “Just go home, shower, get Mia, and come back. If they suddenly start to act like normal dogs, I’ll call you so you can rush back here and witness that miracle.”

“All right,” I give in, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “I’ll be back with Mia.”

“You better watch out.” Willow smirks at me from across the kitchen, and I raise a brow. “I think Bax has a little bit of a crush on your girl.”

“Yeah, he keeps talking about how funny she is,” Nalia adds while Harmony laughs.

“Bax just likes beautiful women.” I grin when Mom attempts to smack me with the dishtowel she’s holding.

“She must be nice. You know your brother doesn’t like many people.”

“She is. You’re all going to love her,” I say, and Mom’s face softens. I know that even if she’s not saying she’s nervous about the impending meeting, she still is. Like Mia, my mom didn’t have the easiest childhood, and growing up like she did, it’s always been difficult for her to trust people. I still have no doubt she will see in Mia what I do and will want to take her under her wing and protect her.

“Go. We’ll see you when you get back here.”

I lift my chin then go to the backyard, where my dad and Harlen are enjoying the sun, and let them know I’ll be back. When I get home, I find Mia asleep in my bed surrounded by Soma and her kittens, but instead of letting her rest while I shower, I drag her into the bathroom with me and finish sobering her up with an orgasm.

_______________

“I think it’s safe to say your girl fits in,” Dad says from my side, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder, and I somehow manage to drag my eyes off Mia, who is surrounded by my mom, sisters, cousins, and aunts, all of them gathered together in a circle and talking amongst themselves. “She’s sweet.”

“She is,” I agree, picking up my beer from the table and admitting quietly, “I’m in love with her.”

“Does she know that?”

“I haven’t told her, and I don’t think she’d believe me if I did. She’s not there yet. It’s been a struggle to get us where we are right now.”

“Even if she doesn’t believe, you need to tell her, and then you need to keep telling her over and over until it sinks in.” He pats my shoulder.

“You two talking about Mia?” Uncle Asher takes a seat next to my dad, setting his beer on the table.

“How did you guess?” Dad grins, and I sigh, because I know my father and my uncles tend to give advice that is not necessarily wanted or needed, and they also gossip more than the women in our family, which is saying something.

“The look on your boy’s face, and the fact that he can’t keep his eyes off his girl.”

“You remember how it is in the beginning,” Dad says.

“Yeah.” Uncle Asher laughs. “Good luck, kid, and just so you know, it doesn’t get any easier. It just changes with time.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Dad agrees, lifting his glass of water to tap it against his brother’s beer.

“Just take your time.”

“Like you two did?” I look between them, and they both smirk before my dad’s brows drag together.

“Something happened.” I follow his gaze across the patio to Mia, who has her phone to her ear and her eyes wide with worry. I stand and start toward her as she and my mom get up.

“I’ll be there soon,” I listen to her say when I meet her in the middle of the yard.

“What’s going on?” I ask, dragging her into my arms when tears spring to her eyes.