Ready or Knot (Knotted Paths #1) - Susi Hawke Page 0,31

Wyatt, and it had been worth it.

“What’s wrong?” was Mom’s greeting.

“Why does something have to be wrong for me to call you?”

“You never call unless something’s wrong. You always text.”

Well, fair. “What if something isn’t wrong, but something is really, really good?”

A long silence.

“Mom?”

“Jordan Matthew Patterson, you better not be playing with me.”

“Why, what do you think the good news is?”

I turned speakerphone on so I could get out of my work clothes.

“I honestly don’t know. My brain is throwing a million possibilities at me at once, and I can’t focus on one long enough to name it. So hurry up.”

I dropped my shirt on the floor. “I don’t know... You don’t normally get this flustered. I’m kinda appreciating the moment.”

“Jordan!”

I finished kicking my pants off and flopped on the bed, laying the phone in front of me. I held the news close for just a moment longer, treasuring the joy of the secret before releasing it.

“I found my mate.”

Something thumped on the other end of the phone.

“My true mate, Mom. It was... it only took one scent, and I knew. I know it’s crazy and it’s fast, but—”

Finally, Mom screamed. “Are you kidding me? Jordan. Jordan! You better not be playing a prank on me. You found your mate? Baby. Oh my goodness. Who is he? What’s his name? When can I meet him?”

In the background, Shelby shouted for Mom.

“Oh, you made me wake your sister up. Wait. She’ll want to hear this.”

I laughed into my pillow while I waited.

“Shelby! Shelby, your brother found his mate!”

“Is that why you’re screaming like you’re in a horror movie?”

“Hush. Listen. Listen. Jordan’s going to tell us more. Jordan? You still there?”

“I’m here.”

“Okay. Start from the beginning.”

I was sure I couldn’t possibly go through everything without getting interrupted five hundred times, and I didn’t have the patience for that.

There was also no way I was telling them everything. Some things were for me and Wyatt only.

“His name is Wyatt. He’s... he’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. He’s got blond hair. It’s curly. And he’s so tiny. Even in his shifted form. He’s a wolf, but like, half the size of a normal wolf.”

“How old is he? What does he do?”

How old was Wyatt? And why hadn’t I thought to ask?

For a moment I started to freak out. He was so small, what if he wasn’t legal?

No, someone would have mentioned his age by now. Chance would have brought it up with all the other warning flags he’d thrown at me. And he hadn’t smelled too young. He’d simply smelled like mine.

“He’s actually one of the residents at work.”

“Oh. Poor thing. Why—no, that’s none of my business. Is he with you right now? When do we get to meet him?”

“No, he’s sleeping. On campus. I had to work last night.”

“Jordan Patterson! Do you mean to tell me you’ve known about your mate for... how long have you known?”

Shelby made a raspberry. “Mom, you’re not letting Jordan talk.”

“You’ll meet him soon,” I promised. “How about I bring him to dinner Tuesday? If he wants to, that is. I haven’t asked him yet. But I want him to meet you as much as I want you to meet him.”

“Oh, I’m so excited. I’m not going to—I’m crying. I’m going to just... Here, Shelby.”

Something clattered on the other end.

“She doesn’t like crying in front of us,” Shelby said.

“You think I don’t know that, squirt? I’ve been around longer than you.”

“But you’re only half as observant as me.”

“It’s not hard to see Mom running away every time she starts crying.”

Talking with Shelby was much less hyper than talking to Mom. Part of it was getting words out took her longer, but most of it was she might be sassy and dish out burns as quickly as she could, but she just had a steadier personality than Mom.

“I’m excited to meet Wyatt. But you better warn him about us. Mom won’t be able to hold back.”

“I will. And I’m not too worried about Mom. I might need her to go low-key on the hugging, though. Wyatt... I don’t know what he’s been through, sis. But it hasn’t been good. I don’t know how he’ll feel about touchy-feely stuff.”

“Well you don’t have to worry about me attacking him. He’ll see me coming from a mile away. I’ll work on Mom, though.”

“Thanks.”

In a quieter voice, Shelby said, “Hey, I overheard you and Mom the other night. About the bills.”

The bills? Oh crap—with all the excitement with Wyatt, I’d completely