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It was about then that a thought occurred to me. I’d seen a bag of chocolate chips on the uppermost shelf in the pantry, and the need to make cookies took over. Baking was fun, and I was sure the guys would appreciate the sweet treat. Cookies also didn’t require too much in the way of equipment. One cookie sheet that I found in the back of the cabinet was plenty. I quickly got lost in the routine of baking, so much so that when I heard Milo chattering upstairs, I hadn’t realized it’d been another hour.

I jogged up the stairs and into the room, greeted by his happy baby dance, and brought him downstairs after flipping the laundry and starting another load. This was the last one, but I had to admit that both were quite large. At least I could fit my clothes and Milo’s into the second load.

“All right, buddy. You hungry?” I danced with him into the kitchen, grabbing the plate of banana bits and yogurt puffs for him to munch on while I finished up with his bottle.

I slipped him into his high chair, marveling once again at all the things Pack Winters had put into place to make me and Milo comfortable. I would have bought the cheapest high chair I could find, but it was obvious that the one standing in the kitchen was far more high-end than anything I could have ever purchased. Pack Winters wasn’t exactly rolling in money—they had made that very clear from the beginning—but their words and their actions said something different. They had taken the time, care, and resources into looking after Milo and me, and I desperately hoped they didn’t stop.

It felt nice.

More than nice.

Chapter 18

Emmett

It was one of those rare, calmer days, for which I was so damn thankful. I had the usual case files to review and court proceedings to prepare for, but nothing was urgent. There were no last-minute changes or fires cropping up that I needed to put out.

And it was a damn good thing too.

I was so distracted.

Every one of my thoughts kept turning back to Summer. I was consumed by the tug in my chest that demanded I go back home to her. I was bonded, and there was no denying the spring in my step that I’d come into work with. That’d faded, though, as the hours dragged on and the distance between us began to feel more painful.

I knew I was going to see her later, but each moment of not being home with her and Milo felt like an eternity.

Normally, someone in my position who couldn’t just take bonding leave at the drop of a hat would plan bonding around their schedule to ensure they could take time off and be with their new mate. But I hadn’t been able to do that, so I had to come in and deal with a few small issues before I could go home to Summer.

It had been eons since I had seen my mate last.

Never mind that I got to spend the entire previous day with her.

I chuckled to myself, dropping my head into my hands. “God, that’s a bit melodramatic, even for you.”

Still, I was understanding more and more why alphas took bonding leave. It wasn’t just the tug, the need to be close. It was the joy your omega could bring you. I’d been floating on a damn cloud when I woke up in bed with Summer, and that kiss had been…indescribably amazing.

I could hardly imagine how Summer was feeling. I knew she could leave and get to doing whatever she wanted with Milo in town, but she was alone again. Just her and the baby.

“All right, that seals it.”

I spoke to myself, again. Maybe the distance was actually making me loopy?

I hit save on the document I was working on and closed my laptop, doing the same with the notebook and folder I had been cross-referencing for case notes. It was time to be done. There was nothing pressing, and people were always telling me I needed to take a break. Well, here it was.

Just as I stood up, my assistant, Jenn, walked up to my open door, rapping her knuckles on the wood. I met her smile with one of my own and began to stuff my things into my briefcase. “Hey, Jenn. What’s up?”

She walked in, handing me a small stack of papers. I took them, flipping through the items. “Just need your signature. The change of venue was approved on the Miller case, and you need to sign off on settlement details for both Anderson and Carlisle.”

“Oh, perfect. Okay.” I turned around to face my desk, snagging a pen. “Here’s the change of venue confirmation,” I muttered, scribbling down my signature. “I’ll take the others home to go over.”

Facing Jenn again, I gave her the signed documents as she furrowed her brow. “You’re leaving? Just for lunch, though, right?”

Jenn tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, tilting her head as she regarded me. I wasn’t one to scamper off and take lunch at home, so I assumed she realized that was wishful thinking.

“No, I’m going to work from home for the rest of the day. It’s not too swamped around here. Once you finish up with your work, you’re welcome to go home too.”

“Oh.” Jenn pulled back, her stare dropping to the papers in her hand and then flicking back up to me from under her brows. “I was going to order dinner for us from that Thai place you like so much. Do you really have to leave? We can hit the books together, make sure everything is ready for court next week.”

I smiled, sliding the settlement reports into my bag to review later. “That’s really nice of you, but I want to get home. I’m itching to get back to Summer. This new bond is really something.”