“And how is that?” she asked.
He swallowed, his voice losing its edge. “He listens. He thinks I’m beautiful, inside and out. He doesn’t try to control everything I do or who I am.”
The words hung there.
On the other end, his mother inhaled slowly. “That’s not what I do.”
He didn’t answer right away.
“Is it?” she pressed.
“You don’t mean to,” he said finally. “But sometimes it feels like you already have my life planned out. And if I step outside of that… It’s like you think I’m making a mistake.”
“I just don’t want to see you hurt,” she said, her voice quieter now.
“I know,” he replied. “But I’m allowed to take that risk.”
She sighed, and for a moment, she sounded tired instead of disapproving. “I just wish you’d chosen someone different.”
He let out a small breath. “Yeah. I figured.”
Another stretch of silence, but this one wasn’t as sharp. “He’s pregnant, Boone. So are those ridiculous friends of his.”
“I know. Isn’t it great?” he asked, smiling. “You’ll have a grandchild. If you want them.”
“That baby isn’t even yours,” she said, exasperated. “An unwed, pregnant omega with unwed, pregnant friends and business partners. It’s not proper.”
“Maybe not,” he said, thinking about Demarien’s smile and the many dinners he’d shared with the four omegas. “But it’s perfect and warm. They love each other like family, Mom. They’re letting me be a part of that. I’ve never felt more fortunate.”
She sighed, and the silence stretched between them. “Will I get to meet him?” she asked at last.
He blinked, surprised. “You want to?”
“I didn’t say that,” she muttered, “but I suppose I should. If he’s important to you.”
A faint smile tugged at his mouth. “He is.”
She exhaled again, like she was letting go of something she wasn’t ready to release. “Alright. Then we’ll see.”
It wasn’t approval. Not even close. However, it wasn’t rejection either.
“I’ll call you later this week,” he said.
“Okay,” she replied softly. “Take care of yourself.”
“You too, Mom.”
He ended the call and stared at the phone for a long moment before putting it back in his pocket.
Patrick and the two omegas were staring at him, unashamed of eavesdropping. “Problem?” Felix asked.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he said, taking another drink of water. “Now, how about we deal with those sheep houses?”
“What exactly is a sheep house?” Patrick asked, raising a brow.
Chapter 13
Afew days later, Boone sat on the roof, nailing new shingles in place of the old, rotted ones. Felix scurried over the roof like a squirrel, moving between damaged areas and replacing shingles ten times faster than Boone. Patrick had the honor of carrying the bundles up the ladder. The work was going fairly quickly, but something felt off.
