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See? I could do this. I could face the ghosts of my pasts and get in a truck with my scent match. One painful thing at a time.
“Do you want a lift or a hand?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. “Even with the side rails, it still may be a little steep for you, and I don’t want to take any chances.”
“How about a hand for me and then a lift for Theo so I can get him situated?” I said, setting Theo down next to me.
He offered me a large tanned hand, his thumb streaked in some black substance. It looked strong and powerful, and the needy part of me wondered what it would have felt like on my hips if I’d asked for a lift instead.
Dean followed my gaze and rubbed it against his shirt hastily. “Sorry.”
“A little grease won’t kill me,” I told him, accepting it when he held it out again.
A little zing shot through my skin, a warmth filling my body. I could have sworn he inhaled sharply, but I could have just been imagining things.
Quickly as I could, I got myself situated in the seat, ignoring how the loss of his hand sent a pang through me.
“Ready to go, little man?” Dean asked Theo, reaching his arms out for my son.
Theo lifted his arms excitedly. “Yes! Up!”
Dean lifted him with ease into his arms. But it was then that his whole body froze and he dipped his nose into Theo’s curls, his chest expanding while he took a deep breath.
Fuck. Kids had fainter scents, only growing stronger until they fully presented, but they still carried notes of their parents.
If he smelt who I was to him then this could only go south.
“Everything okay?” I asked, trying to get him hurrying along.
Dean shook his head, passing Theo up to me. “Sorry, Theo’s scent just caught me off guard. Reminded me of something familiar. Like home.”
He ran a hand over the scruff on his face, making sure my legs were in tight before closing the door and jogging around to the other side.
I knew that even though avoiding our connection was the right thing, it was still going to be one hell of a car ride surrounded by his scent.
It made sitting less than two feet away from him a challenge. I really didn’t feel like sitting in the car with panties full of slick. Thankfully he’d put the windows down as soon as we’d gotten in without me having to ask, and his thoughtfulness struck me once again.
Theo had a blast honking the horn, his excitement and joy a welcome sight before we settled in and began the short drive back to Holiday Hollow.
“So what brings you to Holiday Hollow?” Dean asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
“Family,” I replied. “I actually grew up here. I feel like I should know you, I haven’t been away that long.”
A warm smile lit his face. “I got that feeling from you too. Don’t sweat it, I’m guessing I'm a few years older than you, and outside of school I spent all of my time in the shop. Even for a small town, I didn’t get out much. The one time I did take a trip I wound up finding my omega and dragging him and his best friend–well our best friend Miles—back here with him.”
I couldn’t stop my curiosity. “And now you’re all a pack and work at the shop?”
“Along with our pops and another friend of ours,” he confirmed. “It can get a little hectic living and working together at times but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s great to have that built in support. Most of them should be at the shop. You can meet them if you’d like, have a few more friendly faces around town.”
Was I really going to be a glutton for even more punishment? Yes, yes I was. I was already battling my own demons, and I knew I’d have to face Theo’s father at one point or another. Even if Dean and I wouldn’t ever be together, it would be nice to have some kind of relationship with him.
Friendships were important. Unfortunately, I usually didn’t look and take one whiff of my friends and instantly want to jump them.
Damn omega hormones.
“I could use more friendly faces,” I told him. “That’s one thing I’ve missed about Holiday Hollow while being in the city.”
“Well, you know what they say, Summer,” Dean said, looking over at me. “There’s no place like home.”
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