Page 31 of Heads or Tails

Rose was lying in bed and let the phone fall to her side. He made her feel weak in the most tantalizing way.

She tried to fall into a slumber, the thought of Dylan’s musk soothing her nervousness. But the image of Slick kept sneaking in, haunting her dreams with a doomed immediacy.

FIFTEEN

DYLAN

Arriving at the bistro, Dylan couldn’t help but snort at his mother’s waving hand. Honestly, he was surprised she wasn’t already yelling...

“My boy!”

Ah, there it is … the infamous Lorine Kirby line.

Shaking his head, Dylan headed to her and pulled her into a tight hug where she stood. She slapped him a few times on his back, giving him a quick squeeze before releasing him again.

“How are you, Ma?” he asked, sitting across from her.

Their table had already been garnished with a few different finger foods, and a small plate was placed in front of his seat with a few food items already on it. It made him smile in bemusement. His mother was always worried about him eating properly. Where she got that from, he had no idea. It wasn’t like he'd ever been starved growing up. In fact, he was surprised that he’d turned out as toned as he was with all the giant portions he’d been fed as a kid.

“I’m good! I’m excited for your news.”

He felt his brow raise, grabbing one of the finger sandwiches off the plate. “My news?”

“Yes! Your dates with Rose, how are they?”

“Oh,” he chuckled. Of course, that’s what she’d asked him out to lunch about. “They’re going well. I’m seeing her later tonight, actually.”

She gasped, clapping her hands together. “Yes? And?”

He chewed slowly, putting a hand over his mouth while saying, “And what?”

She glowered at him. “Dylan Kirby, don’t make me dig at you for details.”

He grinned, shoving the rest of the sandwich in his mouth. It was always fun to tease his mother. Since the death of his father a few years back, no one was around to hassle her now except for him. His father had left big shoes for him to fill, after all.

Swallowing, he nodded and grabbed his glass. “Eat first, and then I’ll tell you.”

“... Will you tell mewhileI eat?”

Amused, he nodded again. “Sure.”

Dylan sipped his water while his mother scraped some of the pasta salad onto her plate and forked a few pieces.

“So, Rose.” His mother waved her hand at him expectantly, clearly over the teasing. “She’s great. Everything’s been great, really.”

“I’m happy for you, honey. But when are you taking the next step? You know, nobody's getting younger here. Especially you.”

He shook his head, grabbing another sandwich. “She’s human, Ma. These things take time.”

“You can’t tell me they takethislong. You’ve been seeing her for a few weeks. By this time, your dad and I were already engaged.”

“Humans take longer. I don’t want to jump in and propose to her before I’ve gotten a chance to really let her get to know me.”

“She knows you're a shifter, yes?”

He waved his sandwich in the air. “Well, yes.”

He honestly doubted Gerri would’ve set him up with anyone without confirming that detail first, but he made sure on their first date. Only once had they talked about his feline side, though, and he wondered if she'd even remember he was one. There was no use in getting hung up on someone only for his very nature to be a deal-breaker. Fated mate or not.