32. Slade

32

SLADE

C hime and I spend the afternoon playing with kittens. She giggles and runs around the barn, dancing with the little fur balls. We give each of the six kittens a name based on the color of their fur. The barn is technically air conditioned, but it’s still a little hot, so we come back to Quin’s house around four o’clock to draw.

It’s easy spending time with her like this. She draws a diagram of a human eye and starts labeling all of the parts, using one of her anatomy books for reference. She can already read, which reminds me of Jake. He was reading before kindergarten, too.

At five o’clock, I rummage through the cupboards to figure out what to make for dinner. Chime is an eager participant while I cook spaghetti and meatballs. She helps me roll the meat and add the spices. I use a recipe I found online, which she eats with gusto, including the broccoli I find in the freezer. At seven o’clock, I start to wonder when Quin is coming back. Chime’s bedtime is in just a few minutes, and I’m not sure if he’d want me to see her in her animal form yet.

Not long after we clean up dinner, someone knocks on the door.

Chime sprints for the front door, throwing it open to find Quin’s alpha mom. Shae is still wearing her coveralls from work and has her hair tied back in a pony tail. She lifts Chime into her arms and gives her a big hug.

“There’s my little wind chime,” Shae says. “What have you been up to today?”

“Slade and I played with the kittens.” She tells Shae their new names, chattering until the two of them sit down on the couch.

“Ruby asked me to come over to handle bedtime. Is that okay?” Shae asks me.

“Of course.”

I wonder if I should leave or if it’s okay for me to stay. I haven’t heard from Quin yet, and I haven’t had a chance to talk with Aunt Emerald about those projects she wants me to do. While Shae takes Chime to her bedroom, I text Jake and tell him that I probably won’t be coming back tonight. I also send Stew a text, detailing how the morning went with Quin. He starts a group text for the three of us, and they congratulate me. We message back and forth for almost twenty minutes before Shae comes out of Chime’s bedroom. She walks toward the kitchen, her eyes focused on the glass display of goblets.

“Those are pretty,” she says.

“Uh, yeah. They’re Quin’s. I mean, of course they’re Quin’s. We’re in his house,” I stammer.

“I know what they are, Slade.”

Am I about to get another warning to stay away from Quin? Is this the real reason Shae came over to put Chime to bed?

Quin has already started his collection. It’s too late to warn me off, isn’t it?

Maybe it isn’t, and I’ve been celebrating my bond to Quin prematurely.

Shae sits down at the table and unbuttons the top of her coveralls. “I had a long day. Business has been good lately. More than enough to keep me busy. Plumbing is a good trade for an alpha who needs to put food on the table. People will always need plumbers.”

She looks up at me pointedly, waiting for a response.

“I’m sure it is.”

“None of my sons have been interested in the business, though. I figured Link would end up taking over at some point because school was never his strong suit, but then the football thing worked out for him. I don’t imagine he’ll want to snake drains now.”

Why is she telling me this? Is she trying to say that I should have gotten trained as a plumber instead of an electrician?

“There are all these new plumbing businesses out there that diversify these days. They do your plumbing, electrical, and appliances. Of course, they’re more than a one-woman operation, so they can do that. If I were to go that route, I’d need a partner who knew his stuff.” She looks up at me again, waiting for a response.

Is she saying what I think she is? She doesn’t even like me.

“I, uh, imagine you could find someone,” I say. “Your business has been around for a long time.”

She nods. “I have a good reputation.”

“Sure. I mean, you wouldn’t want anyone to ruin that.”

She folds her arms across her chest. “That’s right. If someone wanted to work with me, he’d have to prove himself.”

I still don’t know what this lady wants from me.

“They would to be lucky to have the opportunity,” I say, noncommittally.

She gestures to the seat next to her. “For Christ’s sake, sit down and let’s talk about this. If you’re going to be with my son, you need to have a job.”

I sit my ass down as fast as humanly possible. “Yes, ma’am.”

“As I recall, you had a knack for fixing stolen cars, back in the day.”

“Yes, ma’am.” There’s no use in denying it now.

“Well, you aren’t going to do shit like that anymore. As I understand it, you ended up in jail because you were protecting your brother, and I can forgive something like that. But you better keep your nose clean from here on out. Do you hear me?”

I bob my head up and down. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You’ll start work tomorrow, bright and early. The commute’s gonna be brutal, but you’ll have to make it work until you and Quin can move your trailer. If I’m not mistaken, Georgina’s old trailer could be removed, if there was a tenant interested in that spot.”

She’s suggesting that Quin and I move right next to her? And that I work with her? Clearly, she wants to keep an eye on me. Maybe that should bother me, but if Shae wants to give me honest work and an opportunity for my mate to live next to his moms, then I’ll take it.

“Thank you, ma’am. I swear to you that I’ll work hard and do everything I can to make your son happy.”

She considers me warily. “You better. Now go get the bottle of wine in the front seat of my van. You and I are going to drink from those goblets together and get to know each other.”

That’s a start. She may not like me yet, but I don’t mind proving myself. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s being useful. All I need is a chance.