Boone snickered, then grabbed his phone when it buzzed. His face paled as he read a text.
Demarien gave him a concerned look. “What’s wrong?”
“My parents are in Myrtlewood Bay,” he said, looking dazed. “Right now. They want to join us for dinner.”
Demarien shrugged. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”
Joe snorted and kept his eyes on the television.
Boone winced. “They aren’t the warmest people in the world.”
“They’re your parents,” Demarien argued. “They should be here.”
Boone wrapped his arms around Demarien from behind and buried his face in the crook where the omega’s neck met his shoulder. “Promise you’ll still love me after they leave?”
Demarien smirked and wiggled back against his alpha. “Dinner is at five.”
At five on the dot,Abuela sat at the head of the table, wearing a sweatshirt that said "Blessed" and holding a wooden spoon like a judge’s gavel.Sit down before I die of hunger, she announced in Spanish.
Boone’s mother pursed her lips, looking vaguely displeased. “What did she say?”
Felix gave a nervous laugh from where he sat between Abuela and Puck. “She said ‘Sit down, please.’”
Puck sniffed, wiping his eyes. “I can’t believe the little dachshund didn’t win. He tried so hard.” His voice cracked, and he buried his face in his hands, sobbing quietly.
Mia, one of Boone’s friends, looked amused, eyes glinting with mischief. “He simply wasn’t as good as the lab was.”
Puck looked up, furious. “Take that back, right now.”
Sit down right now, damn it. Abuela banged her wooden spoon.
Chairs scraped as everyone sat, easily fitting around the extra-large dining table in the formal dining room. The heavy piece of furniture had been there for two generations now, and Demarien was happy it hadn’t been one of the antiques that were stolen.”
Boone entered carrying the turkey, and everyone applauded. Well, except for his parents. Demarien wasn’t sure why, but they gave him a bad feeling. Lynda was polite, but clearly uncomfortable, and Perry just looked bored. He could just have resting bitch face, but Demarien thought it was more.
The turkey was placed in the center of the table like a sacred offering. For exactly eight seconds, the group achieved silence as everyone began dishing up their plates.
Then Mia froze, looking horrified. “Wait. Where are the rolls? There should be rolls, right?”
Every head turned to Demarien—a horrible pause. In the kitchen, the smoke alarm began beeping.
“Oh no,” Joe whispered. “That’s the third try today.”
Demarien ran into the kitchen, and a second later, everyone heard, “It’s fine.”
Then, a few minutes later: “Okay, it’s medium fine.”
Another minute later: “Do we even really need rolls?”
Abuela stood up with the weary strength of a woman who had raised four children and once fought a raccoon with a broom.
For the love of God, I will handle this,she said and hobbled to the kitchen.
“What did she say?” Lynda asked again.
“She said she really likes your blouse,” Puck said, smiling. “We’ll wait for you, Abuela,” he added, smacking Milo’s hand when he tried to grab some turkey.
At the far end of the table, Boone had trapped Mia’s new girlfriend, Elise, in a traditional interrogation. “So what are your intentions with our little Mia?”
