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“I can have two favorites,” Zeke said.
Charlie headed out the door about the same time that Dillon walked in.
“You two behave yourselves tonight,” Charlie said.
“I would say the same for you and Ethan,” Dillon replied.
Charlie laughed and said, “Don’t wait up.”
After a rousing game of Monopoly, it was time for Zeke to go to bed.
“Can Dillon read with me tonight?”
“Sure, if he wants to,” Clara said.
“I would love to,” Dillon replied.
Clara watched from the door as Dillon sat on the bed with Zeke and they took turns reading from Zeke’s favorite book. Then, she came in and kissed her little man on the forehead and tucked him in.
Dillon and Clara sat on her couch together talking about Zeke. Then they settled into a comfortable silence. Dillon looked into her eyes and kissed her.
Clara wondered if their relationship was going to go anywhere, because the truth was, she was pretty sure that she was falling in love with him – and that thought terrified her.
16
Dillon
Dillon had to smile when he thought about Zeke asking Dillon to read to him. He had enjoyed it.
For the second time in his life, the thought of having a family of his own entered his mind. He liked the idea of having a wife who adored him and children who he could play ball with, read with, and help to raise.
The thought took him by surprise. It wasn’t that he had been opposed to such an idea before he met Clara and Zeke. It was just that he had never imagined himself in that role before. Now, Clara and Zeke had given him a taste of what that might be like.
He knew, of course, that having a family of his own and raising children wouldn’t be all unicorns and rainbows. Parenthood was a challenge, and each child was different. For a few minutes, Dillon allowed himself to picture a life with Clara, Zeke, and other children.
Then, he abruptly pulled himself out of his reverie. He and Clara were just now starting to get to know each other. He had feelings for her, but he certainly wasn’t ready to call those feelings “love.” They were far away from the idea of getting married and starting a life together.
“You’re getting soft in your old age,” Dillon told himself.
Regardless of what he told himself, the idea of having a family still lingered. The problem was that starting a family in Ivy Springs, with the current climate, might not be a good idea. It was an especially dangerous time for shifters. If, by some chance, the Faisons found out that he was a shifter, not only would his life be in danger, but so would his family’s. He was under no illusion that hunters would have a problem killing kids any more than they had a problem killing adults. The idea that they would come after his children infuriated and frightened him.
There were other options, of course. If he found a woman he wanted to settle down with, they could move far away from Ivy Springs to a different part of the world. They could also simply move to the shifter world.
The problem with that was that Dillon really enjoyed running his general store. He also liked the idea that he was helping to protect the shifters who still lived in the area. He hoped that his presence made the shifters feel a little safer. He was afraid though, that in spite of his efforts, and the efforts of the others, that an all out war was coming to Ivy Springs.
He laughed and told himself, “Whoa, boy. You are putting the cart before the horse. Right now, you aren’t even sure about your feelings for Clara, and it’s way too soon to start thinking about the idea of marriage and more kids.”
Ethan walked in the door about ten minutes after Dillon did.
“How did your night go?” Dillon asked.
“We had a lot of fun. Charlie is a blast. I really like her,” Ethan said.
“Really now?” Dillon asked. “How much do you like her?”
“If you’re asking whether it is true love at first sight, I’ll tell you that I don’t believe in that nonsense. If you’re asking me whether I find her physically attractive and love her personality, I will tell you that I do,” Ethan said. “We’re going out again tomorrow night.”
“That’s great,” Dillon said.
