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He nodded and kissed her, before releasing her so he could pay for the gas. As she walked around the truck to her side, she danced a little jig. Row loved her!
She climbed in the cab and pulled the door shut.
“I saw that,” Row said with a chuckle.
She grinned. “I’m happy. My mate loves me.”
“Trust me,” he said as he pulled away from the pumps, “my bear is doing cartwheels right now and can’t wait to get you home.”
Leaning against his shoulder, she sighed contentedly. After such a long stretch of time when nothing went right for her, finally Kammie was on the receiving end of some good luck. She couldn’t wait to see what the day would bring.
CHAPTERSEVEN
The brick house where Row had grown up sat on a quiet street, surrounded by the homes of sleuth members. The flower beds were covered with snow, but as soon as spring came his mom’s favorite crocuses would bloom, heralding the coming warm weather. Kammie walked beside him as he led her into the house. It smelled like chocolate chip cookies, which reminded him of his childhood. He’d always found the scent comforting.
His mother stood in the front room wearing a chocolate-smudged apron. She smiled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Mom, this is my mate, Kammie. Sweetheart, this is my mom, Alice.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Kammie said, and then chuckled as Row’s mom hugged her tightly.
“Aren’t you beautiful?” she said, cupping Kammie’s face. “My son is a lucky male.”
“I’m lucky, too,” Kammie said, winking at Row.
His mom gestured for them to move into the family room. Row took Kammie’s coat off and hung it on the hook by the front door, along with his own. Since the day they left Wilde Creek, Kammie had been wearing short-sleeved tops. At her request, Row had taken her to a store to pick up some clothes that would show more skin. Even though it was cold out, she seemed to really enjoy wearing more revealing things. The top she wore now was a v-neck, and he loved how her collarbone was exposed. It made him want to tug the top aside so he could kiss her skin inch by inch.
As he and Kammie sat down, his mom said, “I Skyped with Dani this morning and she’s doing well with her new mate. She’s going to come visit in the spring, but I was thinking about going there myself if you think that would be okay with the alphas.”
Row didn’t particularly want his mom to be around the wolves who’d treated Kammie so poorly for such a long time, but he’d never keep his mother from visiting Dani.
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Kammie said. “The alphas are good people.”
Row held back his snort of derision. Perhaps the female wasn’t bound by the same rules as the pack because she was human, but the male had tolerated and even seemed to encourage a ranking system within the pack that put those who needed help at the bottom. Every time he thought about returning to Wilde Creek, he wanted to throw something.
His mother gave him a long look and then said, “I cleaned your place and changed the sheets. I’m sure you wouldn’t want Kammie to know how you lived.”
“Mom,” he protested, his cheeks heating in blush.
Kammie laughed, but it was a forced chuckle and Row’s bear growled in worry. Something was bothering her, and he needed to know what it was. She and his mother talked about the differences between Wilde Creek and Oakville while they ate the light meal she’d prepared. When the meal was over, Row stood and held out his hand to Kammie. “I want to show you my home, sweetheart.”
She smiled at him, heat and happiness dancing in her eyes, and then she slid her hand into his and stood. He grabbed their coats and kissed his mom goodbye. “I need to take Kammie to the cave,” he said. “I want to talk to Fayar about doing that.”
“How long will you be staying?”
“We’re not in a hurry to leave,” he said.
His mom smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. Maybe Kammie and I can go shopping and out to lunch one afternoon.”
“I’d love to,” Kammie said.
His mother added, “I stocked your fridge and pantry, too.”
He kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”
Row took Kammie’s hand as they walked back to his truck. He left his mother’s driveway and drove two doors down to his own. Turning off the engine, he reached for her hand again and asked, “Why did you seem unhappy when my mom said she cleaned my house?”
She looked surprised and then smiled gently. “How is it you know me so well already?”
