Kirin looked back at me. “Daddy, are you ready?”
I grabbed my keys from the hook in the entrance closet. “I am now.”
Instead of walking with me, Kirin clung to Blaze, holding his hand until we reached the alpha’s black truck. “Wow, this is big!” Once Blaze opened the back door, my son had no problem climbing up inside, probably because he was used to pulling himself up the steps into some of the city buses and enjoyed the jungle gym at any park we visited. Kirin buckled himself inand the firefighter, with more experience with booster seats than me since I’d never owned a vehicle, double-checked the belt’s tightness.
I got into the passenger side on my own, thankful for the running boards that gave me a boost up to the seat.
“Ready?” Blaze placed his hand on my thigh once he sat beside me and started the truck.
I gulped then nodded. His simple touch ignited parts of me that I had long ignored, including my dragon. I’d made sure to take my suppressants all week, including that morning, so I didn’t end up embarrassing myself again. Yet I couldn’t deny how much I still wanted him.
“Okay.” He gave me a soft smile that creased the corners of his eyes before removing his hand to shift the truck into drive.
“Where are we going?” Kirin called from the back seat.
It was a question I’d forgotten to ask, too caught up in everything else from my son’s birthday, falling in a sinkhole, and getting a second chance with Blaze.
“We’re going a couple different places.” The alpha did a U-turn on my street to head west. “And they’re all a surprise, but I’m sure you’ll both enjoy yourselves.”
Kirin clapped his hands from the back seat as a wave of contentment washed over me. As a single parent with no family to help me out, I was in a constant state of anxiety, worrying about how to ensure Kirin had everything he needed while trying to take care of myself so he never found himself on his own.
Being in the truck with someone who knew how to take care of my dragon shifter kid for even a little bit lifted some of the burden from my shoulders. While my son was in the care of others at the day care, I still worried about him blowing smoke or fire in front of others and causing all kinds of trouble or damage. With Blaze, I finally felt like I could relax.
“You okay?” The alpha reached for my hand and squeezed it, sending a warmth up my arm to my chest, where it radiated throughout my entire body. There was something about him that I could not resist. Not in person, at least.
“Yeah.” I turned to him and smiled. “Just a little tired from the excitement of yesterday. Didn’t get much sleep.”
“You sure you’re up for this, then?”
I nodded. “I promised you and Kirin. I’ll be okay.”
He moved his hand back to my thigh. “Well, we’re almost at our first destination.”
A couple minutes later, he pulled into the Children’s Museum, the same place as our annual field trip for ST Kids Care Center, but it had been almost a year since we’d visited, and I didn’t know how much my son remembered from the last time we’d been there. Plus, the place changed exhibits on a quarterly or yearly basis.
Kirin gasped. “I’ve been here before.”
“You have.” I looked back at him. “It was last year. Do you remember how much fun you had?”
He scratched his head. “Not sure. I think I played in the balls.”
I laughed, recalling all the adults trying to wrangle up the preschoolers who refused to leave the wading-pool-sized ball pit.
“Was this a good idea?” Blaze scrunched his nose, waiting for a response.
“Yes!” Kirin shouted.
I touched the alpha’s arm. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“Okay.” He opened the truck door. “Let’s head inside, then. I already bought tickets online, so we don’t have to wait to get in.”
I didn’t know how I felt about Blaze paying for our admission, but I liked the idea of not having to stand in a line with an impatient preschooler.
The museum had changed since the year before, the most notable difference being the removal of the ball pit for a nature-themed gated-in playground with rubber flooring. Probably a lot more sanitary, especially since it was beside the cafeteria.
“Can I play in there, please?” Kirin stared up at me with wide eyes and his bottom lip sticking out.
“How about after we’ve seen the rest of the museum?” I wasn’t sure how long Blaze planned to stay or where we would eat.
