rolled around and we went through the steps of signing Wyatt out of the center for the first time. Now that I had a night off, neither of us wanted to waste a minute of it apart.
But first, family dinner.
After getting out of the truck, Wyatt scanned the apartment complex, waiting for me to lead the way, but I pulled him into a hug. “You ready?”
“Nope.”
I rested my chin on top of his head. “I promise, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Well... maybe Shelby. She has a sharp tongue. But Mom’s a giant cream puff.”
He nodded, but he was retreating into his shell. I could give him all the reassurance in the world, but it wouldn’t do half as much good as actually meeting Mom and Shelby.
I led the way. Thankfully, Mom and Shelby had a ground-level apartment, because of Shelby’s wheelchair. They’d never be able to get up and down any of the stairs to the other apartments.
I knocked on the door, and we didn’t have to wait long. I would have sworn Mom was waiting on the other side the entire time, but if she had, she would have run out and meet us in the parking lot.
She threw the door open and grabbed Wyatt in a giant hug. “Wyatt!”
I tensed. I’d warned her about his PTSD, and that sudden movements and sounds weren’t the best idea. “Mom, be careful—”
Wyatt waved a hand at me. He was okay.
“I’m so excited to meet you. I can’t believe it’s taken Jordan a week—“
“It’s only been a few days.”
“—to finally get you over here. Are you hungry? You look hungry. Jordan said you didn’t have any preferences, so I made lasagna. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like lasagna.”
Shelby shouted from inside the house. “Mom! Stop hogging Jordan’s mate. I want to meet him, too.”
Mom finally released Wyatt, keeping one arm around him to guide him inside. “Of course, of course. Come inside. Look at me, squawking like an old biddy hen missing one of her chicks. It does feel that way, though. It feels as if we’ve been waiting forever for you to join our family. Do you want something to drink?”
Wyatt darted a glance at me. He seemed a little overwhelmed, but there weren’t any signs of panic. “Um... water would be nice.”
Mom patted his back. “Let me get you a glass. And all I have to do is get the garlic bread out of the oven, and then we’re ready to eat. Hey, Shelby! This is Wyatt.”
Shelby’s wheelchair was already pushed up to the kitchen table. “I thought he was the king of France.”
Wyatt smiled at my sister’s sarcasm. I had warned him about her. I wondered how much of her speech he understood, though. I didn’t think she was awfully difficult to understand, if you actually listened to her. “Hi, Shelby. Nice to meet you.”
“You’re too pretty for him, you know that?”
Wyatt laughed. Apparently he understood her fairly well. Yet another point in my mate’s favor. “I don’t know... I think Jordan’s pretty good-looking.”
Shelby rolled her head. “You’re required to. True mate stuff.”
“I’m only pretty good-looking?”
“You’re lucky he thinks that highly of you,” Shelby said before Wyatt could respond.
Mom set the steaming hot loaves of garlic bread on the table. “Food’s ready!”
As Mom dominated the dinner conversation, Wyatt relaxed more and more. She asked him questions but stayed away from his past, like I’d asked. I learned his favorite TV show, how he hated peanut butter in anything other than Reese’s, and his favorite color was orange.
Family dinners had always been the highlight of my week, full of warmth and love and laughter, but with Wyatt there, it somehow felt even more.
As we all slowed, a solid food coma weighed my limbs and mind down. I forced myself to stand. “I’ll get the dishes.”
Wyatt started stacking plates. “I’ll help.”
Mom fluttered her hands at us. “You boys sit. The dishes can wait. I have a few things for you.”
While she ran off, I finished at least clearing the table.
Mom came back with a full grocery store bag, set it on the floor, and fished out a card. “This is for you, Wyatt.”
He opened the white envelope and pulled out a card with a family of bears hugging. Mom had added a little wolf sticker. He read the contents aloud.
“Dear Wyatt, welcome to the family. I have been hoping and praying for good mates for my children since the day they were born. I barely dreamed that one