Page 79 of Oakheart

His smile was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.

CHAPTER 39

Cash

It turned out,Pa and I didn’t have much to say to each other. When I went to him, he squeezed my shoulders, gave me a little shake, and drew me into a one-armed hug.

“I’m glad you’re okay, kid.”

I didn’t know what he’d heard, but right then, there was no reason to hash through it all. Iwasokay. Maybe, I was better than I’d ever been.

I didn’t feel trapped anymore, and maybe one day I’d tell him everything that happened in California, but maybe not. Right then, it felt more important to look forward than back.

He and Evie came with us to Katya’s house. His wasn’t big enough to host anybody, and while Katya’s wasn’t as big as the big house—or the replacement big house we’d started planning out before I’d fled with Evie—it was significantly more comfortable and I’d made her a rather large dining table, envisioning that with three sons, her family would grow and she’d need the space.

I was glad I’d made room, because the number of people who wanted to come by and ask Aleks questions, or just linger aroundin her living area and kitchen to hear what he had to say, was astonishing.

Frankly, it was overwhelming.

Katya and Leo bustled around the kitchen, preparing food and handing out iced tea, and all kinds of people gathered around the table. I managed to nab some kind of spiced meatball and pop it in my mouth before my skin started feeling prickly and I went to sit in the living room instead, in the corner of the couch so I could watch everybody instead of being in the center of things.

Aleks was good at this. He smiled broadly at questions asked in good faith, and the way his lips thinned out and he held eye contact when matters turned serious seemed to make people feel like they’d been heard.

He had a good sense of people. I didn’t know how he managed it.

Pa came over and sat on the couch beside me, effectively blocking me from the crowd. When I caught his eye, I let out a little breath and smiled.

He reached over and squeezed my knee.

“Your mate seems like he was made for this.”

I choked on air. “He’s not—we’re not?—”

My father arched a brow. “Cash, he practically declared his intentions in front of the whole pack.”

Heat flooded my face. “Yeah, but... I don’t know. I don’t want to make things harder for him, and we haven’t talked about, you know,matingor anything like that.”

That brow inched higher. “No, he just wants to live with you, and he scans the room about every thirty seconds to make sure he hasn’t lost sight of you. I assume this isn’t... new, since your trip?”

I swallowed guiltily. “Not exactly. I mean... we’ve been... years. It’s been a few years. But it wasn’t serious.”

Pa wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, doesn’t seem serious at all.”

“It wasn’t! Or... I didn’t think it was. That it could be. There were circumstances. And, well, look at him.”

Frowning, Pa glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “Sorry, kid. I look at him and see a baby.”

I groaned. “That isnothelping.”

He laughed. “He’s younger than you, and you’remykid. What, you want me to think your mate is attractive?”

“No!Just?—”

His frown returned, but amusement sparkled in his eyes. “I guess he looks so much like Katya that it’s hard to deny...”

I buried my face in my hands. This wasn’t happening. “Stop it.”

He bumped his shoulder against mine. “Sorry, kid. Just teasing you. He’s a fine young man, but so are you, so what’s the issue?”