Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,49

yourself."

I almost didn't know what to say to that. My mother was the kind who always pushed me to do better. For her to give me a compliment like that? It meant she was very impressed. I just hoped I didn't ruin it when I made dinner for them. Or, I could simply take them out to eat. Yes. That would be much safer, and if I paid for the entire family, it sure wouldn't hurt.

"So I was thinking," I said. "There's this nice little restaurant down the street. Can Gabby and I take you two to dinner? Give you a chance to just sit down and relax without needing to worry about anything." I looked at my father. "My treat, Papa."

He pushed to his feet. "Sounds great. I'm starving."

Which meant my mother had to accept by default. Yep, I had this. I could do this. If I could face down three bears, then I could survive a weekend with my parents.

CHAPTER 16

* * *

Saturday morning started early. I got up, did my hair into an elegant updo, painted my face, and then headed upstairs to help my daughter. Together, we pinned, curled, and fastened her hair just the way she wanted it. Then, the two of us got to work on her face. I nixed the red lipstick she wanted in exchange for a softer peach color. She added a little gold glitter to her eyes.

But she refused to remove the wolf necklace. I'd found an elegant set of earrings to complement her dress, and I'd tried to get her to wear a nicer necklace, but she was adamant that this one was perfect. Soon enough, my daughter was ready, but I couldn't figure out how to head over and meet people while simultaneously being available to make sure Gabby was ready for her big entrance.

Thankfully, Trent and Pax came to my rescue. The pair banged on the front door, warning us they were here before simply walking in. "Elena?" Pax called up the stairs.

"Hey," I said, looking down at them over the banister.

Both men wore suits. Both of their ties were in the perfect turquoise and gold colors to match Gabby's big day. The patterns were different, but they matched Gabby, and that was all that mattered. Not to mention the fact that these men looked good. There was just something about a guy who could grunge up so good and then clean up so nicely.

"Ian's waiting to give you a ride," Trent told me. A little smile curled his lips because he knew I'd just checked him out. "We're here to escort the princess for the day."

"Roman?" Gabby asked.

"Making sure Theo is presentable," Trent assured her. "They're going to meet us up at the community center. Kim said there was a slight fashion mishap, but they're handling it."

"Sam and Olivia?" she asked.

"With Heather," Pax promised. "So, you've got fifteen minutes, Gabby, then we need to meet them over there for the final check. Your mother, however, has to play Alpha because you invited a lot of friends for this."

"And my parents," I groaned.

"Go," Pax said. "We'll make sure Gabby's fine, and I'll call Ian if there's a problem." His eyes raked over me. "Since I have no idea where you'd hide a phone in that dress."

"Pax!" Gabby groaned. "Not in front of me!"

"What?" he asked. "It doesn't have pockets!"

"And you stared at her boobs for too long," Trent pointed out. "Go, Elena. We really do have this."

So I went. Sitting in my driveway was Trent's truck, but Ian was behind the wheel. His SUV was parked beside it, though, which made me a little confused. Still, I hurried to the passenger side and climbed in.

"You traded trucks?" I asked.

"Figured my SUV has more room in the back seat for Gabby's dress," he explained. "And you look amazing."

"I'm really enjoying the suits," I admitted. But as he backed out of the driveway, I realized there was something else he needed to know. "I didn't exactly tell my parents about us."

"Does that mean I'm just the friend?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, um... " I paused to lick my lips. "The truth is that I was hoping a public situation might limit my mother's antics."

"Elena, I can handle it." He glanced over. "Promise. It's just a workplace romance. I also happen to be serious about you, and I've had more than enough people yell at me in my life that I'm not scared of it. I just want