Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,57

be - and I was slowly but surely getting there.

CHAPTER 17

I blamed the wine for losing track of time. Gabby made it home just after seven. I didn't get back to my house until almost eight-thirty. My daughter had just finished cooking dinner, and she looked almost relieved when I walked in the door. Hopefully, I didn't look as tipsy as I felt, because I'd had a couple of glasses too many and nothing to eat since lunch.

"Mom!" Gabby whined. "I was worried! You should've texted me."

"I lost track of time talking to Ashley and Bridget," I explained, heading over to drop the packet of papers on the counter. "And Henry before that."

"Is that for the divorce?" Her petulant tone was suddenly gone.

I nodded. "Henry's going to file it tomorrow. Are you ready for this?"

She just shrugged. "I guess? I mean, Dad's kinda made it clear that he doesn't miss us, and I like the guys better."

"Your father still loves you," I reminded her, simply because it was the only thing I knew to say.

She just made a noise that proved she didn't agree. "No, Mom. The only reason he cares about me is because his girlfriend-thing knows I exist and he's trying to impress her. Let's face it, Mom, he never wanted me."

"Gabby..." I tried.

But she turned to move a pan on the stove. "I made quesadillas."

I refused to let her ignore this. "Gabby, your father isn't good about showing how he feels. That doesn't mean he doesn't want you. He just doesn't know how to show it."

So she spun on me. "No. Dad has never once said he's proud of me like Ian does. He's never told me I'm good at something like Trent does. He won't help me the way Lane does, and he certainly doesn't push me like Pax does. He doesn't even joke with me the way Seth does, and Seth doesn't know a thing about what it's like to be a teenage girl! He still tries to make me feel important!"

All of those guys just went up a million points in my mind, yet I didn't want my daughter to feel unwanted. "They're wolves, though," I pointed out. "That makes them more in tune with what the people around them need. Your father is just a human, and he doesn't know how to talk to you. He doesn't have pack instincts. That doesn't mean he doesn't care."

She gave me a look that said I was an idiot. "He doesn't even want to come to my quincea帽era. I know because I asked!" And she pulled her phone out and pushed it over toward me. "See for yourself."

I opened her lock screen and checked the messages. Sure enough, there was Gabby telling him the date she'd picked and what time everything would start. Her father's reply was dated two days later, and it said that he had a business meeting that day. The only problem was that her party was on a Saturday. It was going to last all day long.

All I could do was sigh. "Mija, I'm so sorry," I said softly, reverting to a Spanish term of endearment.

"Well, I don't care anymore," she said. "My alpha's better than my dad, and it's not like I picked him anyway."

"No, but that doesn't make it hurt less," I said. "But your grandparents are excited for your quincea帽era. They really want to make it a special day, but they don't have to come if you don't want them to. I mean, since you said you don't want it to be too traditional, and you know your abuela has opinions."

That almost made Gabby smile. "Think they'll hate it?"

I chuckled. "I think your abuelo will be so happy just to see your big day, and your abuela would say that your dress should've been pink. I think they'll get you so many presents, and you can introduce them to your friends. I'm betting my dad would love to dance with you."

"Nah," Gabby said around a chuckle. "Mi abuelo would need some slow song."

"We could always put one in," I pointed out. "I mean, Pax is still trying to find a DJ, right? And if you want, we can FaceTime your abuela when we go to get a dress?"

"She sent me an email," Gabby said. "She was worried that because you and Dad were splitting up that I wouldn't get a quincea帽era. I told her that Ashley was helping, because I didn't know if you wanted her to know about