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“Yep,” Josh said. “Your break.”
Carl was in a particularly good mood when Luke got to the store the next morning.
“Your mother and I would like for you to come to dinner tonight. Your mother is making her world famous lasagna.”
“I don’t know why she calls it world famous when only a few people have tasted it,” Luke said, shaking his head.
“It makes your mother happy. Let her have it,” Carl said.
“Sure, I’ll come tonight,” Luke said.
The day actually went by relatively quickly with no drama from Alexis, Ryan, or the Faisons. Luke wondered if it was possible that everything was finally settling down. He enjoyed spending time with his mother. She had a quiet strength about her that he admired. He also appreciated her slightly dry sense of humor.
Luke brought a bottle of wine for his mother. She greeted him at the door with a kiss and said, “I’m sorry. This wasn’t my doing.”
He wondered what she was talking about, but quickly figured it out when he heard the voices from the living room. His father had invited other guests over for dinner.
“Luke. Meet my friend, George, his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughter, Tasha,” Carl said.
Luke politely shook hands with them and sat in a corner chair.
“We’ve heard a lot about you,” George said. “Your father is quite proud of you.”
“Thank you,” Luke said.
“Tasha went to school to be an accountant,” George said. “She’s a certified professional accountant and owns her own business.”
Luke immediately figured out what was going on. They must be dragon shifters and his father was playing matchmaker.
He bit his tongue to try to keep from saying what was on his mind. He wasn’t going to be rude to his father in front of the guests.
His mother came in and announced that dinner was ready. The three guests stood up and headed for the dining room. Carl pulled him aside.
“They are a great family of dragon shifters. Tasha is a beautiful young woman and is sweet and smart.”
“I’m not interested,” Luke said, pulling away from his father.
Carl had Tasha sit next to Luke at dinner. Luke saw his mother look at him with a sympathetic glance. Luke wasn’t trying to be rude, but he really didn’t have a whole lot to say. He asked Tasha about herself and her job. He acknowledged that he had been in the service. The rest of the time was spent in an awkward silence.
After dessert was finished, Carl said, “Luke, why don’t you take Tasha into the living room so that the two of you can get to know each other better?”
Tasha obediently got up and Luke followed.
“Tasha, I’m sorry. I’m sure that you are a wonderful person, but I’m in a relationship with someone else. She isn’t a dragon shifter, which has upset my father. He was trying to play matchmaker,” Luke said.
Her face flushed with embarrassment and said, “I understand. I really don’t want to be in a relationship right now, anyway. I’m trying to keep my business going, and it is taking up all of my time. Dad practically forced me to come.”
The two of them had a lively discussion about parents, and Luke was glad that she wasn’t hurt.
Luke’s father, however, was furious. He confronted Luke the next morning.
“What did you think that you were doing? You were rude to that poor woman,” Carl said.
“No, I wasn’t. I was honest with her and told her that I was in a relationship with another woman. She was relieved because she didn’t want to be in a relationship, anyway,” Luke said, his voice cold as ice.
“You are a dragon shifter. Dragon shifters are the kings of the other shifters. It is beneath you to date a bear shifter.”
“Your way of thinking is stupid and archaic. I will date whomever I damn well please,” Luke said.
