Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,51

sighed. "I also knew that you'd hate him because he's not Hispanic and younger than me."

"Well..." My mother plastered on a smile and looked up at Ian. "Guess it's really not my place to have an opinion."

"Sure it is," Ian told her. "Doesn't mean I'm going away, though. Hate to break it to you both, but I'm in this for the long haul. Now, can I introduce the two of you to a few of our friends?" And he gestured to the side where his father was talking to some other pack members. "This is a very close community, and Gabby was adamant that she wanted all of her friends here."

He caught my eye as he guided my mother away, but my father hung behind. "A younger man?" he asked.

I just sighed. "Yes, Papa. Ian's great, though."

"Rich," he corrected.

"It's really more capital and less cash," I assured him. "But I'm not dating him for his money. He and his sister have been running this business since their father was in a car accident. Henry had a long recovery, so they took over and just never stopped. The Langdons are closer than we ever were, and they've been great for Gabby."

"What about you?" my father asked. "Elena, all I want is for you to be happy."

"I actually am," I promised. "Ashley's been my closest friend for years, and Ian? He's so much like her. We clicked. The fact that his roommates - like the guy who stopped over yesterday - are basically Gabby's uncles? Trent's been helping her with drama, Pax makes sure she's not in trouble, Lane steps in to threaten her boyfriend when I'm not around, and Seth helps with her homework. The guys are great with her, Dad."

"Guys," he said.

Which was when I realized I'd slipped up. "Yeah. Pax, Trent, and Lane were all basically raised by Henry. Lane's parents were killed when he was a boy. Pax and Trent had very absentee parents, but I guess they're like second cousins or something? So they're basically Ian's brothers. Seth was a college friend who kinda joined the family through attrition, it sounds like. And when I showed up, Henry decided that since I'm Ashley's best friend, I got to be included as well. He calls Gabby his granddaughter by default, since none of his children have given him any."

"And when Ian wants kids?" my father asked.

"Can't have them." The voice that answered didn't belong to Ian, and it startled me enough to make me spin around. Ashley just rubbed my shoulder, making it clear I could relax. "My brother can't have kids," she explained. "He always wanted them, but he found out in his twenties that it just wasn't going to happen. Ended up in a very nasty breakup, and he was single for a long time after that."

"Ashley," I said, "I'd like you to meet my father, Manuel Flores. Papa, this is my best friend in the world, Ashley Langdon."

"Ian's big sister," she told him as she offered his hand. "A pleasure, and yep, we're claiming Gabby. I call her my niece."

"I'm just worried about my own little girl," my father explained. "Your brother is quite a bit younger than her."

"Only physically," Ashley assured him. "Ian was that kid who graduated high school early and blew through college. He's a go-getter, and he takes family very seriously. We were raised that there's nothing more important. I'm just waiting for the day that I can finally call Elena my real sister because she marries into this mess." She grinned. "But let me show you the drinks. We have a full bar with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. It's right - "

The music suddenly went quiet and a door at the back of the room opened. The light from outside worked as a natural spotlight, showcasing the two girls and two boys who walked in first. Samantha was escorted by Theo. Behind them came Xander and Olivia. Then, at the back, Roman led my daughter in looking like the proudest boy in the entire world.

And in that gold dress, she really did look like a little princess.

CHAPTER 17

* * *

I had no clue about half of these traditions for a quinceañera. In truth, I was completely and totally faking this, but it was important to Elena and Gabby, so that made it important to me. But when a chair was pulled to the front of the room for Gabby to sit down, I couldn't help but think that my