46. Nash
Chapter 46
Nash
“N ow, boys, I love a good turn about the garden. The fresh air is good for the soul. But I don’t believe that’s the reason for your visit this afternoon,” Rosie’s grandma says, twisting around in her wheelchair.
Quinn stops pushing, looking between Dane and me, nudging us to start.
I step around to face her, fiddling with my ball cap. “When I promised you I would take care of your home, I meant it.”
“Go on,” she says, shielding her eyes with her hand. “Rosie’s been telling me you’re fixing the house.”
Quinn pipes up. “Can we ask you a very over-the-line question?”
Grandma Lily smiles, the look similar to the one Rosie gets when I know she’s about to talk shit with me. “Aren't those always the juiciest kind?”
I open my mouth, but Dane cuts me off before I can get in trouble. “Would you be opposed to our pack buying your home?”
Rosie’s grandma’s eyes narrow, and she turns to assess all three of us until it feels as if she’s the bad cop in an interrogation. “So that your pack and my granddaughter could live in it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dane says, voice steady and earnest. “We want to buy it for her with your permission. That way, as long as the court agrees to the sale, neither of you will lose it… no matter what your family tries to do.”
Grandma Lily shakes her head, looking at the garden for a moment before answering. Her eyes are misty, but her voice is strong. “Those are my children, but I told them for too long how important they were until they took that to mean they were more important than others. I own that, but I’ll be damned if they hurt Rosie again. No matter what happens to me, it brings me comfort to know she’s got you looking out for her. Speak to your father about how, but my answer is yes.”
Quinn leans down to hug her neck. “You know you’ll always have a home.”
Dane bends down and takes her hand as I say teasingly, “You're stuck with us now.”
“That’s good because I like beating Quinn at cards.” She flits her hand about like an omega queen. “Let’s find us a shady spot and sit for a visit now that the formalities are out of the way.”
She bats her eyes at the three of us, all classic omega charm. Even though we have places to be this evening, we wheel her to a garden bench and sit our asses down.
* * *
“Who was the guy who picked her up at the end?” Dane asks as we make our way toward the parking lot.
Quinn sighs dreamily. “Aren’t they just the cutest?”
“Do we trust him?” Dane growls.
It’s fucking hilarious to see my toe-the-line, always-disciplined pack leader this jacked up. I think I like this fast and loose version.
“Are you worried about Mr. Blakey?” Quinn asks, totally flabbergasted.
Not me. I lose it laughing at Dane.
Quinn looks at me, explaining the wrong thing. “What? He’s so sweet with her. Every time Rosie or I stop by, he’s sitting next to her bed, chatting or reading to her.”
“Not you, babe,” I say, trying to rein myself in. The problem is that Dane still looks like an alpha about to snap, and I like busting his balls too much. “It’s Dane and the way he’s gone feral.”
Some of the tension fades from Dane’s face, and he smiles while giving me the finger. “Fuck off, man. Between Quinn’s perfume, Rosie’s family starting shit, and the fact that we haven't bonded her yet, I’m this close to the edge.” He laughs at himself, running a hand through his neatly styled hair. “I’m gone for her, and I’m not 100 percent certain she’s going to say yes when I ask her to bond.”
He has been on edge since the weekend, but I don’t blame him; ever since that woman showed up at Rosie’s door a few days ago, I’ve been battling the urges to fight, fuck, and bite that are riding me hard. Even with the scent blockers Quinn’s using for work, his perfume leaks through, and I want to flay anyone who dares treat Rosie as though she isn’t a fucking saint.
Dane sighs. “So, yeah. I’m edgy.”
I clap his back. “My ass stays edgy, so I get it. Sometimes it’s nice to remember you don’t know any more than the rest of us, even when you pretend like you do.”
He chuckles. “Nice. Thanks for that.”
Quinn wiggles between us, looping his arms through ours as we reach the gravel lot. “I think tonight will bring us one step closer. We’ll get there. We just have to give her time to trust this is real.”
And because shit-talking is my love language, I goad Quinn. “Because you’re being so patient, Mr. Draw Up Pack Paperwork .”
“I like to think of it as practical and prepared,” Quinn lobs right back at me.
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
Dane ignores our banter, breaking off from the group to open the truck door for Quinn. “Let’s go through the plan one last time.”
I roll my eyes. “I grab Rosie from work and surprise her with a rooftop dinner.”
“We stop by Dane’s dad’s party,” Quinn adds.
Dane cuts his eyes at me. “You stashed the signs with the restaurant, right? I’ve arranged the music.”
“Relax, General. I’ve got this.”
Quinn gives me a fast and dirty kiss. “You do. Wear what I left out, and we’ll see you later tonight, handsome,” he says with a wave.
The two of them get into the truck, and I watch them leave before I hop into mine. I’ve got a beta who has been waiting too long for me to take her on a date.
* * *
She steps from behind the curtain that separates the workroom from the front of Bambi’s shop, and I almost swallow my tongue. I’m used to Rosie looking good, but Rosie dressed for a date is a whole new level.
My purr rumbles beneath my words. “Baby, you are always sexy, but that dress is going to get us in trouble.”
“Your mouth is what gets us in trouble,” she tosses back.
I’ve made her blush a pretty pink, and the color goes nicely with the shimmery gold of her dress. She’s so radiant she glows. And I wasn’t lying—those little peekaboo cutouts on the sides of her dress that reveal skin are going to drive me wild all night.
The smile I give her is 100 percent lovesick. I was a goner for her at eighteen, but she doesn’t seem to be done stealing my heart.
She takes my arm, and I escort her from the shop, absently waving to the women who work there.
“Where are we going? I don’t like surprises,” Rosie asks before rolling her bottom lip between her teeth.
I open my truck door and help her step in. “It’s firmly on this side of town, so we shouldn’t run into anyone you’re trying to avoid, and it’s pretty private inside. Is that enough info or?—"
She takes a deep breath. “Yeah, I trust you. It’s one of those brain things. New places and I don’t get along.”
I lean against the roof of my truck, caging her in and tugging on her chin. “You’re safe with me. If you get anxious, we leave. No questions asked.”
“Like a social anxiety safe word,” she teases. Beneath that, I hear the real question.
“Why not?” I peck her lips, keeping it chaste despite wanting to maul her right here in the middle of town. Pulling back from the kiss, I lean over and buckle her in.
“This is quite an official first date experience you’re offering,” she murmurs, her voice raspy with arousal from the way I’ve crowded her space.
I pull the strap tight, hovering near that perfect mouth. “Rosie-girl, I’m not offering a first date. I’m here for the lifelong soulmate experience.” I pop around to the driver’s side and slide in, grinning at the frozen look on her face. “No comeback?”
She lifts a brow. “I don’t think it was a question.”
I start the engine and lift my arm around her shoulder to grab hold of Rosie’s headrest, backing out. “Heard, baby.”