“I bet he’s real big,” Danny said in deep satisfaction. “I bet he could just knock that tree trunk away with his paw, bam! I bet he’s big enough to beat anything. Even Darth Vader. Mommy, do you think Mr. Griff could beat the Hulk?”
Oh dear. “Baby, turn off the TV and come here a second, okay?”
Danny made a what-have-I-done-now face, but dutifully climbed onto her lap. Hayley hugged him tight, still treasuring the feel of his human-shaped little body. “I know you like Mr. Griff a lot, and I’m sure he likes you too, but you need to remember that he’s a big, grown-up man. He won’t want you clinging to him and following him everywhere. He needs to spend time with his own grown-up friends.”
Danny squirmed a little in her arms. “But I’m going to play with his dragon friends too. Mr. Griff said so.”
“Yes, but…sometimes people make promises that it turns out they can’t keep. You mustn’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work out.”
“Mr. Griff won’t break a promise to me,” Danny said matter-of-factly, with perfect confidence. “Never ever. He’s my alpha.”
Where on earth had he learned that? Now that she thought back, she remembered Griff using the same word. She knew that wolf packs had alphas, but lions? “What do you mean, honey? What’s an alpha?”
“Mr. Griff is,” Danny said, with the serene circular logic of a five-year-old. “When will he be here, Mommy?”
All thoughts of mysterious alphas fled from Hayley’s mind as she glanced at the time. “Oh, fudge! In ten minutes!”
Danny yelped with excitement, bouncing off her lap as she hastily stood. “Is that now?”
“It might as well be now!” Hayley cursed herself for spending too long agonizing over the email to Reiner. She’d meant to have a shower, she’d meant to change-! “Honey, can you be a good boy and sit quietly watching TV while Mommy tries to make herself pretty?”
“Silly Mommy.” Danny rolled his eyes at her as plopped down in front of the TV again. “You’re always pretty.”
Hayley wasted precious seconds scooping him up for another hug—he squawked in protest, wriggling to keep the screen in sight—before dashing upstairs to her bedroom. She struggled out of the torn jeans and old, comfy sweatshirt she’d been wearing, flinging them carelessly across the bed. She’d worked hard all day to try to get the rest of the house cleaner than its usual state of child-induced chaos, but at least this was one room she didn’t have to worry about keeping tidy. It wasn’t like Griff was going to be seeing it.
More’s the pity.
Squashing the stray, ridiculous thought, she rifled through her clothes in the vain hope of finding something that was both respectable and attractive. Unfortunately, the only things she owned that weren’t stained and tired were her work clothes, and as an elementary school teacher she didn’t exactly dress to impress.
I’m being silly, Hayley told herself firmly as she grabbed a pair of black leggings that weren’t too badly bobbled. It’s not a date. Griff isn’t going to care what I’m wearing. He’s coming to see Danny, not me.
Nonetheless, she pulled on a low-cut floral tunic that she normally wore over a vest. She hesitated for a sec
ond, trying to decide whether it was too revealing, but it was too late to change her mind. She barely had enough time to drag a brush through her limp, mousy-brown hair and dab a bit of concealer on the dark circles under her eyes before—on the stroke of four o’clock—the doorbell rang.
“Mommymommymommymommy!” Danny shrieked at the top of his lungs. So much for not getting too attached. His feet thundered toward the front door. “He’s here, Mr. Griff is here!”
Hayley charged for the stairs. “Danny, don’t open the-!”
Too late. She got to the landing just in time to see an overenthusiastic lion cub hit Griff squarely in the chest.
“Whoa!” Griff hastily stepped inside, making sure his broad bulk shielded Danny from view of the road. He kicked the front door shut behind him. “Good thing I wasn’t the mailman. Oof! I hope you haven’t been pouncing on your ma like this.”
“Danny!” Mortified, Hayley ran down the stairs. “Get down off Mr. Griff this second!”
“Ah, it’s fine.” Still hugging Danny in one powerful arm, Griff handed her a stunning bouquet of soft pink roses, smiling. “Just glad I didn’t drop these.”
Hayley stared at the bouquet in her hands, momentarily speechless. No one had ever given her flowers before. Not even Reiner. “What- why-?”
It’s just a hostess present. British people are very strict on good manners, remember?
“I mean, th-thank you!” Hayley stuttered, certain that her cheeks were as pink as the roses. How had he known that exact shade was her favorite color? Just co-incidence? “Please, come in. Um, come in more, that is. Danny, get down! And, and human!”
Danny reluctantly dropped to the ground, but seemed a bit lost as to how to obey the latter command. He shuffled his paws, then mewed plaintively at Griff.
The firefighter shook his head. “You got yourself into that shape, you can get yourself out of it, laddie. Think about it.” He looked back at Hayley. “This the first time he’s shifted since yesterday?”
Hayley nodded. “Thankfully. How often is he likely to do this?”