Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
EMILY
“ P enny girl, out of the driveway.” Triston scoops her up before she can decide to move herself, kissing her belly to keep her distracted from having to abandon her bubble machine. Beau seamlessly moves the whale onto the porch, refilling the reservoir before Penny can screech.
Forcing my attention back to what’s in front of me, I hand mom another sterilized jar. She smiles as she takes it, seamlessly swapping it with the one that’s now full of honey. I take it from her, screwing on the metal lid and then securing the red gingham fabric atop it with Mom’s company logo.
A door closes.
“You made it!” Triston says happily.
Lance’s laugh is warm. “This place is stunning.”
Mom glances up, stoppering the large vat of honey she’s portioning out for the booth she keeps at the artisanal market up in Jackson.
I focus on Lance, too. He’s dressed in jeans today, though he’s still wearing a polo.
His short brown hair isn’t styled, falling in soft waves across his forehead.
He tilts a paper cup with the Rustic Roast’s logo to his lips, taking a quick drink.
He tucks his free hand into his pockets as he stops on the top step of the porch, leaning against the support beam.
Behind him, a now-dusty rental sedan sits on the driveway, right where Penny had been playing.
My stomach clenches even as he smiles. Triston sheds his ball cap, kisses Penny’s cheek, and then crosses the porch to us.
“How was the drive?” he asks,.
They give each other one of those one-armed guy hugs.
“Beautiful,” Lance says. “And Joan is lovely as well. She almost didn’t let me pay, but I forced the issue.”
Beau laughs and runs a hand through his hair.
The sun catches on the bandage covering the nineteen stitches he needed last week from where Molly had gored his arm.
The smaller puncture on his hand only need super glue, no deeper than the bites I gave him last month.
My stomach clenches again, but I breathe through that gnawing anxiety.
Me and worry have a long relationship at this point, and I’m learning to ride the waves as they come.
Mom twists away from our jar-filling station we’ve set up on the porch and holds her hand out to Lance. He takes it without missing a beat, his smile warm and practiced.
“I’m Lynn, Emily’s mom. It’s lovely to meet you,” she says. “Thank you for Billings.”
Lance’s smile drops away, and his answer is more earnest than before.
“Of course. Triston’s safety and happiness are my priority.” Then he clears his throat. “Speaking of which…”
Mom looks between all of us and then says, “I’ll go grab some drinks.”
The screen door snaps back into place behind her.
“What’s the update?” Beau asks.
“The OAD has found no evidence of Alpha-specific psychosis,” Lance says with a sigh.
“That’s what we expected,” I murmur.
And what we wanted. Why did he seem upset over the outcome we wanted?
The screen door opens as Mom steps onto the porch, cups of water held in her hands. She gives one to Triston and then sets mine on the table beside the finished jars of honey. She hands Beau a fresh mug of coffee that he takes with a large smile.
“He’s also plead not guilty on the charges,” Lance says, less than enthused. “According to the agency’s lawyer, that probably means he thinks he’ll get a better outcome by going in front of a jury.”
Now my stomach twists on itself. My vanilla pulses out from me. Triston takes my hand and kisses my temple.
“Will he?” Beau crosses his arms.
Lance shrugs. “Probably not. Most people don’t take kindly to Omegas being assaulted, no matter how famous. Either way, though, this is going to end up a media circus for the next few months while it goes to trial. Probably no worse than when everything went down when you got doxxed but…”
“It’ll bring all that attention on you all,” Triston says grimly, looking at me and then Beau. “And Penny, too. Some of those gossip sites don’t really care what kind of damage they cause as long as they get clicks and ad money.”
Beau blows out a breath too heavily to be a sigh. “Well, other packs have adapted. We will, too. Just like we said last month, Triston.” He holds out his hand and laces his fingers with Triston’s. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I have a consultation scheduled with a company that specializes in celebrity safety.” Lance takes another sip of the coffee. “And I’m ready with the paperwork if you want to activate your cancellation clause.”
I frown. “Absolutely not.”
All three men raise an eyebrow in unison. Mom huffs out a chuckle as she returns to her honey. Blood rushes to my cheeks as I flush.
“I mean… If you want to, it’s your choice.”
Triston tilts his head back and laughs hard enough small tears fall from the corners of his eyes.
I can’t help but pull my hand away from his and cross my arms, in full pout mode.
My vanilla scent pulses in warning. He pulls me into his arms, though, crushing me to him.
I can’t help but press my nose to that spot behind his ear.
“You’re really okay with me not walking away?” He presses the question into my jaw. When I nod, he chuckles again. “I thought you’d be the first one to want me home if we’re going to be bombarded with the world’s attention.”
“Well, I won’t say I’m not terrified,” I admit.
His arms tighten around me.
“But my worry shouldn’t cost you what you love.
And you really do love it. It was so clear in Billings.
When you were on that bull? You were in your element.
I don’t want this jerk to steal that from you.
” And then, because it’s just him and Beau and Mom and Lance, I say, “And it’s not like you’re going to be any safer here most days.
Nineteen stitches last week are proof of that. ”
Beau grunts but doesn’t dispute me.
“There are steps we can take to mitigate the risks, help curtail the fallout to minimize impacts,” Lance offers.
“Once I’ve sat down the safety specialists, I’ll have a better idea of what that will look like in your day-to-day life.
I don’t imagine a ton will change given Triston’s already quite famous in certain circles. ”
Penny screeches, and then there’s the pattering of her steps on the wood planks.
“Papa!” she yells. “Papa!”
With a sigh, I pull away from Triston, twisting so he can pick up our daughter. She points toward her whale, her lips pushed into a sad pout.
“You’re out of bubbles?”
“Buh! Buh!” She grabs at the air, still pointing at the whale. “Papa!”
He chuckles and then crosses the porch, carefully refilling the bubble machine. It takes a minute for the bubbles to start again, and then Penny’s clapping. She grabs her bunny blanket and holds it in the middle of the bubbles, laughing as they pop on the fabric.
“I’d like to go with him on the circuit.”
It’s the first time I’ve voiced the desire. Not as much guilt fills me as I thought, especially when Beau and Lance both nod.
“Absolutely,” Lance offers. “You’re welcome to go with him as much as you want. Some packs find it easier to handle the travel if it becomes something they’re doing all together.”
Beau frowns and then takes a long drink from the coffee. “I’ll chat with Ethan. Winters aren’t as busy, so it should be fine to miss some weekends. But yes, Emily should go with him.”
Lance pulls his phone and makes a note. “Done. Are you wanting to go with him to Nashville still?”
Beau’s the one who answers us. “Definitely.”
Lance nods, then looks between us.
“I’m glad I made him come back here after Oakland,” he admits on a whisper. There’s no way Triston will hear him over the whirring of the bubble machine and the low buzzing of the summer bugs filling the meadow.
“It’s caused you a lot a more work.” My voice is dry, and Lance chuckles.
Then he’s serious again. “There’s been a piece of him he’s been missing the last two seasons.
Some people just don’t adjust well to the professional circuit, but I could tell that wasn’t it.
When we had to tighten down everything after he got doxxed, there was a piece of him that wasn’t quite the same.
That ride in Billings? It’s the first time since that September that he’s been fully himself while on a bull. ”
Warmth spreads under my sternum, filling my entire body with a happy contentment that’s worth all the worry that might come.