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“I’ll have a look at it when I get home.” She told him about what she’d been doing, and he did the same. After getting caught up on their days, they closed the connection, and he concentrated on driving.
His dad contacted him about dinner, which he’d forgotten about, and said that the grandparents wanted to get together. He had no problem with being with them, but he was just tired enough to think of telling him that he couldn’t make it. However, he told him that they’d be there with bells on.
“Son, I have some ideas that I’d like to run by you too. It’s not much, just some things that I’d like to see about investing in. Your mother is all for it, but I think, as a family, we can make this work.” He asked what it was. “Well, housing. There are a lot of people around town who are living in houses that, well, frankly, aren’t in good enough shape to house a dog, much less a family. I’ve been walking around town with my parents, and they’ve been pointing things out to me. Dad told me that it was fresh eyes and all, but I think we’ve been lax in making sure that people living in those homes are safe. Some of them are downright terrible.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea. I don’t think I’ve taken a good look around town in a while, either. Just letting things pile up is wrong on our part.” Dad agreed with him. “All right, we’ll talk about it when we get together. After dinner, I guess.”
“Good.” He told his dad what Elizabeth had told him about his other half. “I know she’s seen the boys’ other half, but you didn’t shift that day. It might do her some good, too, to get to know who is who when we’re gorillas, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I was thinking that too. Amy will know mine. I’m larger, but she might need to tell the difference sometime.” Dad told him they’d get together for that as well. “I’ll tell her about it when I get home. All right, Dad, I’m nearly there now. I’m going to shift for her, then come over. I’m assuming that dinner will be about eight, as usual?”
“Yes. We’re having a feast, your mother told me.” He was looking forward to it more with that knowledge and got out of his truck. Amy was waiting on the steps when he got out, and he asked her to sit there for a few minutes longer. Going from man to beast was easy for him, and he kept a close eye on her so that she’d not be afraid of him.
“Oh my.” She moved slowly to him, and he told her to be careful that he was too large and might hurt her if he moved. “I’ll be careful. You’re beautiful, Dallas. And your hair is softer than I thought it would be.”
She moved around him several times. Touching his fur and his body. When she was facing him, he, even sitting down, wasn’t much taller than her. He knew that if he were to stand up, he’d look menacing, but he’d never harm her for the world.
“You have such large arms. I mean, I understand that you’d need them in the wild, but I didn’t think you’d been this massive.” He kept an eye on her feet so that she’d not trip up. “Look at how large your hands are compared to mine. I look like a small child.”
She asked him questions about his other half. About his weight and size. If he would shrink if he were to give up being the silverback. He’d never thought of that before. But when he took over the troop when his dad retired, his dad had seemed smaller to him. Maybe it was because he was so large. Then she sat down on his lap, and he cradled her in his arms.
“I’ve never been close to an animal before. I mean, occasionally, a dog or a cat that just came around. My mother wouldn’t allow us to have pets. She said that they were nasty creatures. I’m going to get me a puppy. I guess that’s the way to go so that he’ll be used to your smell.” Dallas told her that was a good idea. “I went to the doctor today. You were right. I’m going to have a baby. He said that it would be early spring. I’m so excited.”
“I love you.” She kissed him on his cheek but stayed where she was. “We’re supposed to go to my parents’ house for dinner. The others are going to shift for you so that you’ll know who is who if you need us.”
“Good idea.” She seemed sad to him, and he started to ask her what was going on. “You need to know something that Elizabeth did for us. Just the two of us, but the others will get it, too, if they wish it. We’re immortal. When Dad became her mate, she decided that his children needed to be around, too. I haven’t told Jamie yet, but I guess I’ll have to. Do you think he’ll be upset?”
“To be around forever? I’m not sure how I feel about it, either. Forever is a good long time.” She said that it sort of made her sad to think that his family wouldn’t want to be there with them. “I never thought of that. We’ll have to convince them somehow. Perhaps the baby will help decide to be hanging around.”
She was still quiet, and he told her about Cocu and her baby. He knew she was listening. Amy asked questions about the primate that he was glad that he had the answers for. They’d figured out, too, that Cocu was older than they had thought, and that was the problem with her carrying a baby to term.
“That makes what was done for her so much more special. She’s finally going to be a mom. I love that.” He told her that he did as well. Then he told her that once Lucy, the name of her new baby too, was old enough, she’d be put with the other primates so that they could have some company. “Yes. I can see that. This zoo I was at yesterday was pretty at first, but then I realized how terrible the cages were. They need a whole new overhaul to make them livable.”
Once he shifted back to himself, they walked to his mom and dad’s house. There were plenty of cars in the driveway to make him realize that they were a little late. The only person who wouldn’t be there was Cullen, as he wasn’t due home for another few weeks. He couldn’t wait for him to meet his mate.
“I have a question for you.” He told Jayden he was there for him. “I knew that you’d say that. I was wondering if you knew much about writing a book. I have a book or two in my head that I want to write, and the first thing that the internet says is to write what you know. I don’t know shit.”
“You’re kidding, right? Not on the book part. I think you’d be great at that, but you do know a great deal. For as long as you have been teaching, I would imagine that you know your lessons without the books. What kind of book are you thinking about?” He told him. “Porn? You’re going to…I guess you’d know about as much as anyone would with all the mothers fawning all over you all the time.”
“I didn’t say porn, and you know it. I said romance. Why did your head jump to there?” He laughed with his brother. “Anyway. I want to write a kind of romance that mom could read, and I’d not be embarrassed.”
“Mom does read porn, however.” Jayden popped him upside his head and told him to behave. “Come with me.”
The two of them went into the library, and he pulled several paperbacks off the shelf. Handing them to his brother, he told him to read the back of them. After about the third one, Jayden was sitting on the floor looking slightly embarrassed himself.
“I’m pretty sure that mom could write a few of her own by now. You should ask her for advice on what sort of romance you should write.” Jayden asked him if he was nuts. “Not at all. But she would be able to tell you if your version of romance would sell or not.”
“I’m not going to ask my mother about romance books. Especially not these. I mean, just look at the covers? Christ, Dallas, they look like porn. And why are they all shirtless? Where are the women?”
“Women don’t want to see women on the cover of their romance stories. We need to get all hot and bothered by the men. What are the two of you doing in here when we have a houseful of family?” Jayden wouldn’t even look at Mom when she came to get them. He’d never seen his brother so embarrassed before and couldn’t help but make fun of him. Leaving him with Mom, Dallas went to find Amy to tell her what Jayden was doing. She thought it was funny that he thought that he wasn’t as smart as she thought he was.
When Jayden entered the kitchen, his face was still red. Mom was telling him some of the authors that she liked and which ones that he should read. Dallas didn’t think that Mom was kidding either. She was telling him that she thought that he’d do a good job if he ever got his head out of his ass and wrote erotic, not porn.
Dinner was just as much fun as he thought it should have been. There was plenty to talk about, nothing serious, and they talked over each other a great deal. Dallas was glad that Amy was having as much fun as the others, and he couldn’t have been more proud of her at that moment. She didn’t take any shit, and she could dish it out when necessary. He so loved that woman.
“I have to tell you, this is the best meal that I’ve had in a long time. I’m so glad that you’ve convinced us to live here. Just being around you boys and you, Amy, has made this old woman feel twenty years younger.” Amy told his grandma Simpson that she was happy for her being around, too.
“Good. I’m so happy to hear you say that. Since I haven’t any experience with babies, you guys will help me bring the newest member to the family when he or she is born. Early spring.”
