Chapter Nine
I ’m exhausted by the time I make it to my parents’ house, but my mom should be happy since I’m getting here thirty minutes before I said I would.
Who am I kidding? She’s probably annoyed that she had to push it back in the first place.
Unlocking the door, I step inside. “Mom? Dad? I’m here.”
Mom comes bursting around the corner, eyes narrowed. “Your father said you wouldn’t be here until eight. Dinner isn’t ready.”
“That’s okay, Mom. I was able to find someone to hire full-time as COO and got done earlier than I thought I would. I’ll hang out with you and Dad while you finish up.” I pause. “Unless you’d rather I go wait in my car for thirty minutes.”
Mom throws her hands up in the air. “Of course I don’t want you waiting in your car. What kind of mother do you think I am?”
I don’t think she wants me to answer that question, so I keep my mouth shut as I follow her to the kitchen. Dad is sitting in his favorite recliner in the living room. He tears his eyes away from whatever sports he’s currently watching to send me a smile.
“Hi, honey. You’re early. That must mean things went well.”
“Well enough.” Pausing next to my mom, I tell her, “It smells really good, Mom. No one cooks like you.”
She preens under my compliments before shooing me toward the living room. “Go sit with your dad and tell us what happened today.”
Pressing a kiss to her cheek, I smile. I wish things were like this between the two of us more often. More times than not, the two of us end up having some kind of fight when we’re together. Maybe tonight will be different. I guess only time will tell.
I settle on the couch across from my dad as he switches the TV off, giving me his full attention.
“I called James this morning, and he was not happy about Jimmy. When they offered him the job and asked him when he could start, James specifically asked him if his leaving his current job would cause any issues due to heat leave. This asshole—“
“Language, Lila. I swear this used to be the one thing I never had to get onto you about before.” Mom stops what she’s doing to lean over the counter to glare at me.
“Yeah, well…I’ve changed, and I like who I am now. If you don’t like it—“
“Okay, that’s enough.” Dad’s voice tells me he’s not fucking around. He hates it when we argue, which I know.
“Sorry, Mom. I’ll try not to cuss.” Taking a deep breath, I turn my attention back to my dad. “This jerk flat-out lied to him and told him no. James assured me he would rescind the job offer as soon as we got off the phone. I waited about five minutes before calling him into my office.
“He tried to tell me he’d be staying, and I let him know he wouldn’t be. He was fired effective immediately, and if he gave me any trouble, then I would have a suit filed against him. Haley stuck her head in to let me know my first interview was there. ”
Dad throws his head back as he laughs. “Oh, that girl. She did that on purpose. She would never just let herself in your office like that. I’ve always liked her.”
“Me, too, Dad. By lunch, I’d already done six interviews and none of them had gone well. Just before Haley was going to go out to grab us some food, a woman came rushing up. She said she was here for the COO position and no, she didn’t have an interview set up. Apparently, there was a mix up at the temp agency, so I went ahead and took her into my office. Dad, she’s perfect. Everything I want in a COO. Plus, she’s a fox shifter, which means she doesn’t go into heat until the spring.”
“Let me guess. You hired her on the spot and canceled the rest of your interviews, didn’t you? Probably hired her permanently, too.”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
“Good for you, honey.”
“How is she going to get trained?” Mom asks, her voice curious.
Clearing my throat, I turn my attention to her. “I spent the rest of the afternoon training her on as much as I could. Tom is taking over Haley’s job while we’re both out since he’s her backup. He’ll help her with what he can, but I’m going to have to go in for a few hours tomorrow—“
“You can’t tomorrow. Tomorrow is the meet and greet.”
“Yes, the meet and greet I haven’t been to in years, Mom. I’m just planning to use Heat Assist like I have the last few years. I have to get her trained, Mom. I can’t have my company falling apart for two weeks while I’m out.”
“If you’d just put half as much energy into meeting a pod as you have that company, you’d be so much happier.” Mom shakes her head. “We all know the men on that app of yours aren’t looking for anything more than a heat with you.”
Grinding my teeth, I glance at my dad, whose face tells me I better behave. “I know, Mom, and that’s all I want. I’m not ready to settle down. I’m still young. There are other things I want to focus on right now.”
“Or you’re just too scared to try again after that pod disappeared.” Mom shakes her head. “You can’t give up on love because they hurt you.”
“Sylvia, that’s enough.” Dad’s tone books no argument, and my mom’s hazel eyes, so similar to mine, go wide as she glances between the two of us.
She shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Lila. That was cruel. I know you don’t like to talk or think about them. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Would the two of you mind setting the table?”
Letting my eyes fall shut, I attempt to reel back in the anger and pain rushing through me. My mom brings them up way more than I wish she would. I should be used to it by now, but I’m not. Somehow, it always catches me by surprise.
“Of course, Mom.” Pushing to my feet, I find Dad is already grabbing everything from the kitchen, so I move to the dining room to meet him. He knows it’s probably best to keep us separated for a little bit after what just happened.
“Are you okay, honey?” he asks quietly as he hands me the silverware.
I force a smile and shrug. “As okay as I ever am. I just wish she’d stop bringing them up.”
“She just doesn’t think about it, Lila. That’s all. She doesn’t understand how a pod you shared one heat with before disappearing is still upsetting to you. She doesn’t get attached to people as easily as we do.” He shakes his head. “It doesn’t excuse her behavior, but she just can’t understand you.”
I scoff. “As per usual. She’s never really understood me. But she’s right. It doesn’t make sense that I’m still pining over the four of them. It’s quite insane, but trust me when I say I wish I could just get over them.”
“I know, Lila. I know.” Dad glances toward the kitchen. “I know you like using your app, but think about coming to the meet and greet tomorrow? It’ll get her to back off for a little while, at least.”
“Yeah, but I need to train my new COO. I don’t have time for it, Dad.”
He shrugs. “It’s just something for you to think about.”
I nod, trying to keep myself from rolling my eyes. It probably would get my mom off my back for a bit. There’s no telling just how long that would be, but anything is better than nothing.
Maybe I can get Chloe to come in early tomorrow and again on Sunday if we don’t get a chance to get through everything. As much as I hate the idea of doing that to her, it might just be the best option .
Reaching for my phone, I send a quick message to Chloe. A sigh of relief slips from my lips when she responds it would be better for her if we did that as well.
Mom comes in then, carrying a casserole dish I know is filled with lasagna. I wasn’t just kissing her ass when I told her no one cooks like her, and her lasagna is my favorite. I’ve tried making it myself, following her recipe exactly, but it never comes out the same. I’ll never understand it.
“It smells amazing,” I tell her as I head to the kitchen, knowing there will be garlic cheese bread and salad there. I grab the bowls she put them in, plus the dressings sitting beside them and carry them into the dining room. I smile as my dad pulls out Mom’s chair, pushing it in once she’s seated.
He’s been doing that for as long as I can remember. He also makes her plate before making his own to make sure she’s the first one to eat. There has never been any doubt in my mind about how devoted he is to her.
I want that for myself one day.
Ten years ago, I thought I’d found that.
Shaking my head to rid myself of those thoughts, I set everything on the table before settling into my seat. I wait until Dad is finished making Mom’s plate before I start making mine. She worked hard for this meal, and I’m with Dad—she should be the first one to taste the fruits of her labor.
“I reached out to Chloe, and we’re going to meet early tomorrow so I can make it to the meet and greet,” I tell my mom, a smile on my face.
She smiles back, practically beaming. “I’m so glad to hear that, Lila. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
My back immediately goes up. “Mom, I’ve told you I don’t want to be set up.”
“Oh, no, honey.” Dad laughs. “This isn’t someone she’s trying to set you up with. I can promise you that.”
“Oh?” Eyebrows lifted, I turn back to my mom.
Is my mom blushing right now?
She ducks her head for a moment, her lips moving as if she’s talking to herself before meeting my eyes. “Your father and I have met someone. He’s been helping me through my heats for the last couple of years. After last year, the three of us decided we wanted to see if there was more between us than just my heat, and there is.”
For a moment, all I can do is blink at her. “You and Dad?”
“Yes, honey. We’re both interested in Miguel.”
I nod slowly, trying to wrap my head around the fact that my parents are dating someone. “If you’re happy, then I’m happy. Congratulations? Is that what I say in this situation? Shit. Sorry, Mom. It slipped out. I just wasn’t expecting this. If you’d told me this is why you wanted me to come, I would’ve rearranged my schedule.”
“I wasn’t sure how you’d react,” she says slowly as Dad reaches over to squeeze her hand. “Your dad said you’d be fine with it, but I guess I was scared.”
“That’s understandable. The two of us butt heads more often than not, but even when that happens, I still love you, and I always want you to be happy. I’m looking forward to meeting this Miguel guy.” I shoot her a smile before diving into my lasagna, and it’s just as good as I remembered it being. “This is so freaking good, Mom.”
She laughs. “You don’t need to tell me that every time I make it, but thank you. I know it’s your favorite. ”
And just like that, all the tension is gone. I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that my parents are seeing someone, but that’s my problem and not theirs. It’s something I’ll need to work through on my own, and if I have doubts, I’ll never let them know.
At least this means the meet and greet won’t be completely wasted. There’s always a possibility I won’t be able to find anyone to go through my heat with as the meet and greet tends to be for older people now—not that I have problems with older men in the least—but I know I’ll have Heat Assist to lean on to find someone. Or, more likely, multiple someones.
It’s kind of nice not to be arguing with my mom for once. Let’s hope that can carry over into tomorrow.