CHAPTER TWELVE

Dinner is a hodge-podge feast of Chinese takeout cartons crowded on Wyn's table.

The surface has more scratches and dents marks than a car in a hailstorm.

My parents never would've allowed such an atrocity to grace their home, but I adore it.

Wyn's table tells the story of her and Jake's life, and I can imagine the two of them sitting here.

Eating.

Working.

Being the perfect little family.

I sigh, tamping back my loneliness, and watch Jake animatedly reenact something that happened at school.

His antics make both Wyn and me laugh, and I stare as her face transforms into something soft and relaxed.

Warmth blooms in my chest at the sight, and I catch her eye.

She winks, and I nearly choke on my orange chicken.

Jake distracts me by flicking a noodle straight at my face.

"Think fast!"

I catch it between my razor-sharp teeth, and to my surprise, Wyn claps instead of reprimanding us.

After dinner, I follow Jake into the living room when Wyn shoos us away to pick up.

A nearby bookshelf displays pictures of my gorgeous mate and her son.

Something inside of me pings, and I realize I'm looking at my family-to-be.

They just don't know I'm part of it now.

The familiar tang of Wyn's disappointment wafts over to me, breaking up my thoughts, and I glance at her.

She's staring at her fridge, her lips turned down.

From her reaction earlier, I know she's dreading having it fixed—if it even can be.

The ancient-looking appliance probably costs more to repair than to just get a new one.

"Do Boggarts really taste emotions?" Jake asks, dragging my attention from his mom to him.

"Sure do."

He wrinkles his nose, trying to puzzle it out in his head how that works.

"Does anything taste like lima beans?"

I swallow a chuckle. "Do lima beans taste good or bad to you?"

Jake makes a face. "Bad."

"Right. Sorry, I can't say I've tried a lima bean. Tell you what, I'll eat one and tell you if any emotion is like it."

"Good. It probably tastes like farts. Don't tell Mom I said the ‘f' word."

Now, I lose it, howling with laughter at his sweet innocence.

"Don't worry, I won't tell her."

"Tell me what?" Wyn demands, coming over.

"Nothing," Jake and I chime together.

Wyn narrows her dark eyes, clearly not believing either of us.

This woman doesn't take shit from anyone—exactly why I hired her in the first place.

"Jake is going to teach me how to build a Lego fort."

The little boy bounces over to Wyn, and she hands him a fortune cookie before passing me one.

He quickly tears into the treat, chomping down on the desert while reading his fortune.

"Ooo, mine says ‘a new friend will make you smile'…it's true—Bash makes me smile! What's yours say?"

I open mine and chuckle. "An adversary at work becomes cooperative."

Wyn snorts. "How cliché."

"What's yours say?"

She tears into the plastic, snaps the cookie in half, and gives it to her son while unfolding the slip of paper.

Her gaze scans the words as an unreadable expression flits across her face.

"Well?"

"It, ah, says ‘When love comes knocking, always open the door'."

We stare at one another, her fortune hanging in the air between us.

"My fortune was the best," Jake announces, dispelling some of the tension.

Wyn ruffles his hair. "It was. I'm glad you have a new friend who makes you smile."

He hugs his mom before running off, calling to me to come help him build.

"On my way," I yell after him, but I linger for a moment on the couch with my sawolkeh. "Some fortune."

"Indeed. I wish it said I was getting a new fridge instead."

"You know, a colleague once told me that you're supposed to add ‘in bed' after your fortune. He was very drunk, so I'm not sure how reliable the information was."

Wyn laughs. "So your real fortune is ‘an adversary at work becomes cooperative in bed'? It does sound familiar."

Heat flares to life inside of me—heat reflected in the depths of Wyn's gaze.

She sits down next to me, moving closer as if we're two magnets drawn to one another.

And then her lips are on mine, whisper soft and perfect.

I cup her cheeks, pulling her even closer as I drink down her fire and passion.

It's only when Jake hollers something from his room that we spring apart like guilty teens.

"Oops," I mumble, and Wyn shoves at my chest playfully.

"Troublemaker."

"That's the definition of a Boggart, deoring."

"I believe it. Go build with Jake. It's almost his bedtime."

She goes back to the kitchen, and I walk down the narrow hall with only three doors.

One is open, and I hear Jake snapping together Legos.

Pausing outside, I whip out my phone and make a split-second decision.

I order Wyn a new fridge.

The earliest delivery time is 8, so I'm going to have to figure something out.

Jake spies me and beckons me inside his room decorated with dinosaurs.

"Come on, I'm building the biggest fort ever!"

"Certainly looks like you have enough Legos to do that."

And it's true. The little blocks are everywhere, and I wonder if Wyn ever steps on them.

They're like little landmines waiting to happen.

The two of us work side by side for fifteen minutes until Wyn pops her head in.

"Alright ?hi?k?í, bedtime!"

"Ah, Mom" Jake whines, but dutifully starts picking up the Legos.

I help him, and when Wyn's not looking, wave my hand to dispel the mess.

Jake's eyes grow to the size of small dinner plates.

"Wooooooow! How did you do that?"

"It's a Boggart trick. Don't tell your mom, though."

"Tell me what?" she yells from the other room, and Jake dissolves into a fit of giggle.

"Mom! I'm ready for my bedtime story!"

"Not until you brush your teeth and change into your pajamas!"

"Aaaaw!"

"And I mean really brush them—using toothpaste and not just with water!"

He rushes off, coming back when he's done to jump on his bed while Wyn fluffs his pillows.

Once he's settled, Wyn sits next to him, and Jake pats the spot next to him.

"Mom tells the best bedtime stories. They're tales about Lakota superheroes and tricksters."

"I'll stay only if it's ok with your mom."

Wyn nods, and I settle in as Jake crawls under his space-themed bedspread.

"Once upon a time, over the Great Plains flew Wakí?ya?, the mighty Thunderbird, protector of the people against the North Wind."

Her voice dips and rises as Wyn weaves her fantastical story.

It reminds me of when I was a boy and my mother would tell me about Boggart lore.

That was a long, long time ago, though.

My parents have long since joined the Shadows.

Sadness at being alone tugs at my heart, and I stare at Wyn.

She glances over at me, a small smile curling the edges of her lips.

Right now, she's completely unguarded, and it's stunning to behold.

The woman's all sunshine and smiles with her son, and I want her this way all the time.

My mother was never so warm with me, and I'm glad Jake has such a wonderful mom.

"The end."

Her announcement startles me from my thoughts, and I look down at Jake.

He's already fast asleep, and Wyn leans down to brush a kiss across his forehead.

"Hanhepi wa?te, ?hi?k?í."

"What's that mean?"

"Goodnight, my son."

My chest tightens at the tenderness in her voice.

"You're an amazing mom—take it from someone who didn't have caring parents."

She frowns, but I slip off the bed and walk into the hall.

Wyn follows, closing the door behind her before turning to me.

"Thank you for dinner."

"Thank you for inviting me to stay. Your family is something special."

Her velvety gaze grows heavy, and suddenly, she's right in front of my face.

The air grows heavy with the magnetism of our connection.

Wyn lifts higher onto her toes, her fingers curling into my shirt to tug me down.

"How about a goodnight kiss?"

Unable to resist, I meet her mouth in answer. The contact awakens every nerve in my body.

I pour everything I feel for Wyn into the kiss, hoping she can taste what's in my heart.

Together, the two of us melt. We burn. We drown until we're breathless and panting.

When we finally drift apart, the absence of her lips leaves me cold.

Empty.

Hollow.

"Hanhepi wa?te, Bash," she whispers.

"Ghōedenihte —that's Bugge for ‘goodnight'."

"I like it. It's sounds like ‘golden night' a bit."

"Mmm, I can teach you more things if you go out with me this Friday."

"Let me see if I can get a sitter, but if so…it's a date."

I steal another quick kiss before leaving, my face aching from the grin stretching it—my mate agreed to go on a date with me.

Now to convince the woman to marry me.