“I’m sure he is,” I said. “Statistically, most people are nice.”
“Who knows? You two might have something in common.”
I rinsed a plate, buying time.
“Mom, I’ll be thirty-five this year. I can find my own dates.”
My inner wolf, traitor that he was, chose that moment to stir. He wasn’t disagreeing exactly, but he was certainly skeptical.
Oh, sure, my wolf seemed to say, you’re doing a great job so far.
“I’m just saying, you don’t have to be alone” my mom went on, “it would be nice if you settled down like your brothers.”
“I’m not alone,” I said. “I have you, and Dad. And my very annoying brothers and their mates.”
“Mm,” she said. “You also have a history of one-night stands and hookups.”
I gasped, clutching a dish towel to my chest.
“I am shocked, appalled even. Where would you even hear such things?”
“Dane,” she warned.
“Okay, fine,” I said, grinning. “Maybe a few.”
“A few,” she echoed.
“It’s a phase,” I told her.
“At thirty-four?”
Now why did she have to bring up my age?
“It’s a long phase,” I told her.
She shook her head, but there was a smile tugging at her mouth.
“It’s just one date,” she said. “Not even dinner. What about coffee?”
Coffee, the gateway beverage. I scrubbed at a stubborn spot on a pan, considering my options. Refuse outright and I would face her disappointment.
I could simply agree, but that would mean enduring an hour of polite conversation with a stranger who might or might not think I was charming.
“I’ll think about it,” I said finally.
Her face lit up like I’d just agreed to name my firstborn after her.
“That’s all I ask,” she said, patting my shoulder. “Just think about it.”
She left the kitchen, satisfied. I stood there for a moment, staring at the sink like it had personally betrayed me.
“I’ll think about it,” I muttered under my breath.
I grabbed another dish and got back to work.
Out in the yard, someone laughed. Pampi barked. Mark shouted something about not burning the last batch. The house felt full, and warm.
And then, all at once, it felt too crowded and warm. It was as if the air had thickened without asking my permission.
