Mate? Ty stopped for a moment, confused. Had that come from him or his wolf?
He willed his wolf to speak to him, but he was quiet. Cursing in frustration, Ty decided it didn’t really matter. He said Parker was his mate, so she was. Case closed.
Only there was a part of him that thought it wasn’t closed. How could he know for sure, if his wolf wouldn’t speak to him? Would he be able to give Parker the kind of commitment she deserved, the kind she’d get from a shifter who was less fucked up, if he didn’t have that instinct? He just didn’t know. And the not knowing was tearing him to shreds.
Chapter Fourteen
Parker smiled from the doorway as she watched Ty and Chase try to put baby furniture together. There seemed like there was more cursing than working going on. It had taken the boys all last night to clean out the room she’d chosen. The location hadn’t been hard, even with five unoccupied bedrooms to choose from. It was the room next to Ty’s. It hadn’t been used in forever though, acting more as a catch all for junk over the years, so it had taken a while to empty it out.
She’d spent most of the morning cleaning it thoroughly. Years of dust had accumulated, and it had taken some elbow grease and a lot of sneezes, but she’d gotten it pristine. It was perfect, though, the walls a light blue that glowed now that they, and the large window, were clean. Apparently, it had last been used as a nursery when Chase was born, so the basics were right. It just needed furniture and some finishing touches to make it a real nursery.
Ty and Chase had come in about an hour before lunch, when it started to rain, just like Ty had said it would. She still found that odd. The weatherman hadn’t said anything about rain or storms today, and this was the second time Ty had accurately predicted the weather. Normally, she explained away stuff like this with his wolf side, but she still hadn’t been able to make a connection between the two.
Chase cursed, flinging the instruction manual for the changing table he was assembling aside in frustration. “This shit is in another language. I don’t know what that is, but it ain’t English. I don’t need it, anyhow.”
Ty
grabbed the manual and shoved it back in Chase’s direction. “What happened to you saying you’ve fixed tractors before so this will be a piece of cake? And you’re using the damn instruction manual. Anything my kid lays on, or even touches, will be put together exactly how the manual says.”
Parker laughed although she silently agreed with Ty. She wasn’t approving anything that was put together without the instructions.
“Yeah, yuck it up over there,” Chase muttered as he snatched the manual from Ty. “I don’t see you in here, trying read this shit.”
Ty looked up from the crib he was trying to scowl into submission and smiled at her, his chocolate brown eyes warming her from the inside out. “Do you want me to grab you a chair so you can be comfortable?”
Parker shook her head. Rubbing her belly, she said, “No, I’m fine. I was actually thinking about heading to the kitchen. Someone mentioned cake earlier, and now I want some.”
“Are you having a craving? Want me to run to the bakery in town and pick you something up?”
Chase kicked Ty’s boot. “You’re just fucking trying to get out of putting this shit together.”
Ty scowled at his brother and Parker held up her hands quickly. “No, no, it’s okay. If it gets bad and I can’t find anything in the kitchen, I can run to town myself.”
Ty cast a glance at the window. “If you go, wait until it stops raining. Please.”
Parker smiled at him warmly. He was worried, but he didn’t freak out about her leaving. He asked, kind of. That was progress. “I will, I promise.”
She leaned against the doorway, listening as Chase gave Tyler hell for saying ‘please’. She hoped she got to keep this, forever. She prayed that shopping for furniture with Ty and him asking her to pick the room she wanted for a nursery meant he wanted her to stay, but they hadn’t talked about her staying permanently yet. She wanted it so bad she couldn’t stand it.
Getting to stay with Ty, in this beautiful old farmhouse, with their baby, would be a dream come true. She couldn’t imagine a better life for herself, or her son, than being in this place, surrounded by family, and sheltered in Ty’s arms. She let out a sigh as she felt the baby nudge her belly in seeming agreement. She couldn’t bring herself to ask Ty what he wanted, so she could only hope he would bring it up and put her out of her misery.
“So, Parker,” Chase said, bringing her attention back to them. “Do you have a lot of stuff to bring here? Cuz if so, we’re going to have to clean out more of these rooms. Should have done that a while ago, anyway.”
Parker straightened up from the doorway, looking to Ty to see him frozen and staring at the page in front of him. He didn’t even look like he was breathing while he waited for her answer.
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Parker decided it was time to put herself out there. She couldn’t keep waiting around for others to decide her fate. It was time for her to be brave and go for what she wanted. In a roundabout way.
“No, not really. I just have a small one bedroom apartment. Are you volunteering to go move my stuff? Because if so, I’m gonna need you to get my cat.”
Ty finally moved, looking at her in surprise. “You have a cat?”
Chase snorted, not looking up from his work. “You didn’t even know your woman had a cat? Lame.”
Ty locked gazes with her, a question in his chocolate eyes. She smiled back at him, hoping the answer was in hers.
“Chase,” Ty said, keeping his eyes locked on hers. “Why don’t you take a break?”
Chase finally looked up, his eyes going back and forth between the two of them. Putting the instruction manual down, he got up and walked past her, saying he had to check on some stuff outside and he’d be back later.