Alpha's Castle - Ella Goode Page 0,12

into place. My eyes lock with his as he leans over me.

“That was rude.” And hot as hell. Not that I would ever tell him that. He smiles.

“I plan to do all kinds of rude things to you, sugar.” And maybe I plan to let him. But he doesn’t need to know that yet.

9

Dane

“This isn’t the way to my place.” Khloe cranes her neck as if she is going to spot something familiar.

“Nope.” I swing a left down a long, wooded drive. “It’s my place. My grandad built this for my mom. She was his only kid and after my old man ran off, she needed a place to lick her wounds away from all the prying eyes of the town. They’re great people, but most of them don’t really understand the concept of space.”

“You don’t say,” Khloe says dryly.

A sharp bark of laughter escapes me. Yeah, I’ve been up in her business since the moment she moved to town, and I don’t plan to let up on that, even after we’re married. I’m guessing Khloe would appreciate that, though. She won’t have to worry about me cheating on her because she’ll be with me all the time. She can check up on me whenever she wants. She can text me at any time and I’ll be happy to get that alert.

“Right, well, it’s different when you’re hurting like my mom was. When you’re happy, you want to share that with everyone, but when you’ve got wounds that need healing, you don’t need Len at the diner asking to see the scabs or Jeannie from the bar trying to poke a stick at it. This is a pretty piece of land—nicest around for miles. Not that I’m biased or anything.” I wink at Khloe. She’s not looking out the window anymore. My story has caught her interest.

“Where’s your mom now?”

I pull the car to a stop and nod my head toward the sprawling home in front of us. “Inside, waiting to meet you.”

If there is a paler shade than what Khloe turns, I don’t know of its existence.

“Take me back to Mae’s,” she cries. “We are not at the meeting the parents stage yet.”

“It’s my mom. She’ll love you.” I don’t add that any person would be a welcome relief to my mother. She’d given up on me dating and starting a family. I grab the sacks of groceries and hustle Khloe up the front stairs. Mom is opening the door before we clear the top step.

“This must be Mae’s niece.” Mom claps her hands. She’s like a kid at Christmas. Her eyes are sparkling and her color is high. I lean in and give her cheek a kiss.

“Sure is. Khloe, meet my mom, Althea.”

“Call me Thea!” Mom sings. She drags Khloe in for a hug. “Aren’t you a beauty, although I’m not surprised. Mae was a very attractive woman.”

“She was?”

“Goodness, yes. I’m sure I have some pictures of her from when she was younger. All the men were interested in Mae, but she only had eyes for her Ricky.”

“I don’t know much about her,” Khloe admits.

Mom pats her on the shoulder. “Of course you don’t. Ben moved away when he married your mom, and you never got the chance to connect with Mae—not that it is your fault, mind you. What are you doing standing there with the door open, Dane? You’re letting all the flies in,” she chides me.

“Yes, ma’am. Brought dinner.” I raise the bags as a sort of shield. I might be thirty but once a mom, always a mom. “You should show Khloe some of your Mae pictures while I get dinner ready.”

Mom sniffs. “What are you making?”

“Lasagna.”

“You know how to make lasagna?” Khloe asks. Apparently a man who cooks comes as a surprise.

I give her a wink. “Keep up, baby. I’ve got a whole repertoire of dishes.”

She flushes and my mom coos.

“We just met, Mrs.—“

“Thea, call me Thea, and, yes, tell me all about how you met.” Mom hooks her arm through Khloe’s elbow and hauls her away.

As I’m walking into the kitchen, I hear Mom say, “Of course, I made him learn how to cook and do his own laundry. Men can’t just be pretty these days. They have to have skills. Dane can cook, clean, and even knows how to fold a fitted sheet.”

“A fitted sheet?” Khloe sounds genuinely shocked.

I roll my eyes. From the way Mom acted the day I figured that trick out, you’d think I’d learned how to craft