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FIFTEEN
He turnedhis computer screen toward me, and a website popped up. “Here’s my monthly budget. I used to have money funneling into savings for my future mate, but had to cancel that auto-transfer when I started taking care of Evan. With that adjustment, I haven’t had to dig into my savings, so we’ve got a good safety net.”
“Did they stop paying you while I was hunting you, though?” I checked, my eyes scanning the numbers.
“No. The older, retired werewolves take over for the younger ones while we’re hunting when possible, covering for us without expecting to be paid for it. It’s one of the ways the community supports each other.”
“Wow.” I could’ve used some of that damn community support in my last pack. “I didn’t know you had a budget.” I finally looked over at him.
He gave me a lopsided grin. “Math teacher, remember?”
My lips curved upward.
He navigated over to the tab with his account, and more relief rolled through me at the sight of money. Being stressed about running out constantly had been exhausting, and considering Elliot’s budget and the safety net he’d already collected, we would be absolutely fine.
“There’s more cash in an envelope on top of the fridge, too,” he added. “Around four grand, I think. I haven’t opened it since I started the automatic transfers, but that was supposed to help my mate survive through the hunt. Since we didn’t have to worry about that, we can just deposit it or go on vacation or something.”
Damn.
My eyes almost watered. “You’re amazing, you know. Thank you for treating me so well.” I rubbed at my eyes with the back of my hand. I wasn’t crying, but I was damn close.
His arms wrapped around my back, and he gave me a quick, firm hug. My forehead rested against his neck, my hands gripping his shirt. “You deserve it,” he said simply.
I nodded against his chest. Most of the time, I agreed with that. Sometimes my self-esteem dipped a bit, but usually I did agree.
“You know I’d never force you into anything,” Elliot said gently. “But if you wanted to, you could stay home with Evan. Or just teach a couple of classes a week. Or, if you want, you can start teaching dance full-time and I can just substitute every now and then when we need cash. I know we both agree that Evan needs to come first, regardless of what we choose.”
“Fuck, do you have to be so perfect?” I asked, sitting back into my own chair and wiping at my eyes again. Our legs tangled a bit, sending warmth through my lower half, but I ignored it.
He laughed. “I’m nowhere near that, but I want us to be a team. You guys have made my life a hell of a lot better, and I want to do the same for you in any way I can.”
I nodded, wiping at my eyes. “What time do you get off work?”
“Around four. I usually don’t get home until five or so, but I can start doing a few things at home after Ev’s asleep, and get home around 4:15.”
Damn, that sounded incredible.
I admitted, “I love my classes, so I don’t want to stop entirely. But it would be nice if I could stick to the gym in town, so I don’t have to do so much running around. I can keep doing my two morning classes every day, and Ev can play in the child care like usual. If we do that, we can still have money going into savings. And it’s good for Ev to socialize with other kids his age anyway; two and a half hours there won’t hurt him.”
Elliot nodded. “That would definitely work.”
“Would you be okay taking care of him for a few hours on Saturdays and Sundays?” I checked. “I’ve got four classes those days, right now. It’s kind of long, but those ones are usually non-negotiable, because they’re always busier than my others.”
“Of course.” Elliot didn’t so much as bat an eye.
It felt good to have that. To be able to trust him with my baby, and to know that they would both have fun while I wasn’t there.
“How did you leave Evan in the child care at gyms in other towns?” he wondered.
I grimaced. “Sab would watch him. I hated asking her for help—which she knew—but there wasn’t another option unless I just accepted her money, which I wasn’t willing to do.”
Elliot nodded, his expression contemplative.
My phone vibrated, and I grabbed it off the table, glancing down at the text. My eyebrows lifted.
Sabrina had texted me a handful of times.
Sab: Answer your phone, dammit
