“Next question… why are you here?”
“Getting ready for the day,” Remi said, holding his spatula above the cook top as a couple of pieces of potato and onion fell from it to the grill as he turned to look at Richie.
“No, I know that. I mean, you just claimed your mate, why are you here instead of with her?”
“Because you had no warning that I wouldn’t be here to help, and Cristie said she was going in and let Alex know she’d mated me and that she might take a few days off.”
Richie shook his head. “Go home. Love your woman again. Repeatedly. That’s what this time period is all about.”
“Uh, no. We are doing things as they come and not as people expect us to do. Last thing I said to her is to let me know what she wants and that’s what we’d do. I know she’s going into work for a while at least today. Maybe even the whole day. We’ll see what we’re doing after that.”
“Suit yourself,” Richie said. He grabbed his apron and then walked over to his grill to heat it up and start his share of the breakfast routine. “Does Riley know yet?”
“Probably not. Cristie was going back to sleep when I left.”
Richie stood at the window looking out over the parking lot between the restaurant and Riley’s house. “I beg to differ with that assumption.”
Remi looked up and saw Richie looking out over the parking lot and focused on the same place. There, trudging across the white gravel and carrying a plate, was Riley, wearing the biggest grin.
Riley used his key to unlock the door, then walked into the restaurant. “Good morning!” he shouted.
“Good morning,” Richie and Remi responded happily.
Riley started straight for them, smiling and grinning as he just almost did a little dance with every step toward them. “Remi! Son, let me tell you. When I met you all those years ago, something whispered in my ear, ‘this boy is special, take care of him’, so I did. And I’ve never second guessed that decision. I’ve always thought highly of you, always admired the male you’ve grown into. I never thought I’d have the pure pleasure to be able to call you son. But here we are, son.” Riley held his plate off to the side as he embraced Remi and hugged him tightly. “I’m so deliriously happy that you’re the one my baby’s meant to be with.”
Remi nodded and hugged him back. “There has never been anything more right. And let me just add, if you hadn’t noticed a lonely, scared four year old and decided to take responsibility for him, nothing I call mine would exist. I’m here today because you made my survival your business when you didn’t have to.”
Riley hugged him tightly, pulled away just enough to look him in the eye, then hugged him again. It was clear to them both that the special bond they felt didn’t require words, which was agood thing, because they both felt that their words were falling short.
Riley grinned at him and presented him with the plate he held. “Here, have a cookie. Maia baked them this morning because we were too excited to go back to sleep after Cristie said y’all were mated.”
“Are those the little sweet, lemony tea cookies?” Richie asked.
“The same,” Riley said, waiting for Remi to take a few before he offered the plate to Richie.
Richie took three of them and popped one of them into his mouth whole. “These are my favorite,” Richie said.
“They’re my favorite, too,” Riley said. He grinned at Remi who was crunching away on his cookies, then handed the plate to Richie, who took it happily, while Riley grabbed Remi in a bear hug. “I’m honored to welcome you to not only our Pride, but our family. I’ve loved you all your life, son, and now you’re really my son.”
Remi hugged him back, and after a few, long, awkward moments, they both stepped back.
“So proud of you,” Riley said.
“Me, too. For a little while I thought it was hopeless.”
“I gotta admit, I did wonder myself. Whooo, she was mad at me,” Riley said.
“Yeah, she was,” Remi said with a laugh. “But all it took was us to stop thinking about expectations and go on instinct alone.”
“Best advice ever,” Riley said.
“It was all her idea. Cristie said she felt better following instinct instead of a schedule or plan. So, that’s what we did.”
“How long after that?” Riley asked.
“Hours,” Remi said sheepishly.
“Like, eighteen or twenty?”
