“I thought maybe you got upset earlier, but I wasn’t sure what it was about.”
Their mating bond was another dead giveaway. Something had happened shortly after they hung up, and perhaps that was what had made her cry. This was a totally different sadness than he had ever experienced. Nostalgia, joy, and that trademark grief that came whenever she thought about her mother. Dominic had learned all the different shades of her emotions, and he knew the moments when she missed her mom and when he knew he had done something wrong.
Erica gave him a warm, reassuring smile. “I’m fine. I just… I found a letter from my mom, and I probably shouldn’t have read it so soon, but I’m glad I did.”
He set the food down on the counter and let his gaze roam across her, searching for any sign of a lie. Sometimes, she’d lie so he wouldn’t worry, but he sensed nothing. Erica really was okay. He leaned forward to kiss her, loving how the spark between them hadn’t faded even after almost a month of sleeping at one another’s houses and all the craziness in between. If anyone was to suffer through this rebuilding process of the antique shop, it was her. He hadn’t been the most attentive mate lately.
She gave in to the kiss, but pulled away, her hand resting on his chest. “Now, don’t get me going when you have a meeting in a little bit.”
He shot her a sly look. “I’ve got a quiet room in the back if you think you can keep all that screaming to a minimum.”
Erica bit her lip and grinned. “I don’t think I can.”
“Damn it.” He pouted.
The front door opened, and Cole and the newest alpha, Shane, entered the shop. The Kansas alpha was tall and perhaps a little leaner than Dominic had expected but built as strong as any other shifter in town. The dried mud on his boots and stains on his jeans all confirmed what his application had told them. He was a laborer who must have worked with livestock or farming on the flat plains.
There was a blend of nervousness and hesitance in the way his eyes roamed around the shop, looking at anything but the Prime Alpha and his mate, as if bracing for someone to jump out or making sure he knew all the escape routes. Cole, on the other hand, smiled and nodded in greeting. When he and Erica locked gazes, he could feel her side of their mating bond tense and then relax.
He wasn’t sure how long it had been since they last saw one another. If they ever met or interacted after that night by Jade Lake, Dominic didn’t know about it. Erica never spoke of him, never asked about him. It was as if she was trying to pretend the cop didn’t exist. Several times, Dominic thought about bringing it up in conversation, just to see if she had accepted the undeniable truth that she was related to him. They hadn’t had much time to adjust or talk over it since their interrupted camping trip.
Every given chance, Cole asked about Erica. If she was all right, if her business was going well. Of course, Dominic always answered that she was fine and very busy. That saved Cole from making the first move toward getting to know one another, just in case Erica wanted nothing to do with the man. By the way she faced him now, and the utter lack of awkwardness on her end, Dominic suspected that things might have been making some headway in nurturing something more.
Cole greeted Dominic and then gestured to the new arrival. “Dominic, this is Shane Snyder.”
He offered out his hand. “Glad you made it here safely.”
Shane finally turned his brown eyes upon the Prime Alpha and smiled. “Thanks for letting us come. I didn’t know how long it took for an application to go through, but I was sure glad when Hank called that night.”
“I’m just sorry it took us so long. I hope you didn’t have too much trouble with the move.”
With Dominic’s hand still in a firm handshake that said more about the alpha’s assertion of dominance than any eagerness to please, Shane continued, “No trouble at all. Cole’s been helping us get settled, and everyone here is friendly.”
At this, Erica chimed in. “Tolstone’s a great place to live. You’re going to love it.”
All three men looked at her and beamed with gratitude for her encouragement.
“Thanks, ma’am. I’m sure we will.”
Finally, he let go of Dominic, and Cole directed him toward the back stairs that led to the apartment meeting space as they discussed something about their living arrangements.
“We’ll be up in a minute, Cole,” Dominic said before turning back to Erica for a little more of that kiss.
Erica had other ideas. She quickly snatched up the food and followed after her father and the new alpha. “No need. I don’t want you to be late.”
He gave her a pathetic, heartbroken look. “I thought we were going to—”
She silenced him with one look, one that promised things for a later time. Hopefully, the meeting wouldn’t take too long. All four climbed the stairs and walked in on one of Ronan’s anecdotes about an emergency call made by one of the elderly citizens of Tolstone.
Erica went to the kitchenette and separated the food containers while Dominic made the introductions. Gage started in with questions about Kansas, while Hank was more concerned with how the women were settling in their shared apartment.
Dominic watched as Cole nodded his greeting to Ronan and then made his way toward his daughter as she pulled out a cold can of soda from the refrigerator. He, likewise, grabbed a bottle of water.
They looked to one another, and Dominic stiffened, waiting for any sign that she was uncomfortable. If Erica was already upset after reading a letter her mother wrote, there was no telling how she would take to Cole making conversation. A passing look was one thing, but talking was another.
From his spot on the other side of the apartment, he listened.
“How’s your business doing?” Cole asked.
