“Blame Faye for trying to seduce me.” Laz laces his fingers through mine as he downplays his nerves with a joke. “When you have a hot omega practically throwing herself at you, what would you have done?”
“Don’t worry, Cole.” I try to reassure him. “We have plenty of time. Gram always runs late.”
Cole booked us a table at a restaurant in Forestville, close to where she’s staying.
Ren peeks inside the gift bag he’s clutching for the third time as if he’s afraid its contents will disappear. “Do you think she’ll like my gift?”
“Of course.” I squeeze his knee. “Although you really didn’t have to get her anything.”
I sense Damon’s nerves too. There isn’t enough room in the car for all five of us, so he’s following behind on his motorcycle. I’d have happily ridden along with him, but Gram would have a heart attack if she saw me.
I thought I’d feel more nervous, but the worst is already over, in my eyes. Telling her about the pack and the bond was the hardest part. Now I can’t wait for her to meet them.
I peer out the window as we drive through Forestville. It’s a quaint town that looks tired in places but still holds a certain charm. It has a handful of restaurants, pubs, and stores that look like they’ve been around for decades. Dotted among them are newer buildings and stores with bolder colors made to attract SVU students.
“Here we are,” Cole announces as we pull up outside an Italian restaurant called Marco’s with a green and white striped awning and circular tables outside.
To my surprise, and the guys’ dismay, Gram’s already waiting. She’s wearing a glittery, purple shawl over one of her best navy dresses. I squint to get a better look at her face. Is she wearing berry lipstick and blue mascara? It’s the first time I’ve seen her wear makeup, but she looks great. She waves wildly as we come to a stop, and Damon parks in front of us.
Frank is out first, practically leaping to open the door while simultaneously bowing in Gram’s direction.
“I thought you said she was always late,” Ren squeaks.
“She normally is,” I mutter, watching Frank stumble over his words as he greets her.
Laz bounces over to her with the grace of an overenthusiastic puppy. “It’s so good to see you again, Ms. Nightingale! I’m Laz!”
She eyes his T-shirt. “A Zelda fan.”
“You know Zelda?” he gasps.
“Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about video games, but a customer once left their Game Boy behind and insisted that I giveThe Legend of Zeldaa try. I had to return it. I was hooked and got no work done!”
I immediately sense his relief. Before he can talk any more about games, Cole clears his throat.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Cole hands her the bouquet of sweet peas and white lilies he’s been carrying. “I’m Cole. These are for you.”
“Why, thank you.” She buries her nose in the flowers. “Some of my favorites. Did Faye tell you?”
“Don’t look at me.” I hold up my palms. “I had nothing to do with it.”
“I may have seen Blooming Brew’s new website,” he admits. “I thought the colors looked like they’d match the shop.”
Gram’s cheeks crease even more from her wide smile. “That’s very thoughtful, Cole.” She then turns to Ren. “And you must be Ren?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Radiating shyness, he holds out his gift bag. “I thought you might like these. I picked and harvested a selection of seeds and herbs from the university greenhouse myself. I’m not as skilled as you or Faye, but I hope I’ve done a good enough job that you can make use of them.”
She opens the gift bag to find a selection of glass jars. “Chocolate cosmos seeds?!” she gasps. Most people don’t understand why chocolate cosmos are a big deal. They’re getting rarer every year and are tricky to import. Contrary to the name, they can’t be eaten, but they smell delicious and butterflies love them. “And Lompoc yerba santa?” She picks up another jar to inspect it. “You’ve done a wonderful job.” She’s beaming. “I couldn’t have done better myself.”
“I’m glad you like them,” he replies, shifting nervously on his feet.
“Like them?” She pulls him into a giant bear hug. The look on Ren’s face is priceless, his cheeks pink when she releases him. “I love them!”
Damon strides over to join us, holding his helmet.
“And you must be Damon,” Gram says. He absolutely dwarfs her. Gram is only an inch taller than me, but her petite staturedoesn’t make her afraid to say what she thinks. “The alpha who bonded my grandbaby.”
Damon doesn’t know where to look. “I…”
