Gray Back Alpha Bear(36)

Creed’s dark brows arched high in surprise, but he recovered quickly enough. “Of course.”

“Really? Oh, my gosh, okay. Let me find a pen. I didn’t think you were going to say yes. Oh, here’s one.” She handed him a ballpoint and a scrap of paper. “My name is Laura. Like my nametag. L-A-U-R-A.”

Gia grinned at how cute Laura was, all nervous around Creed. She used to be like that too, a shifter groupie who got fidgety just thinking about talking to a real live bear shifter. She didn’t have to wonder where the gossip about Creed had started. Brittney and Kara could get the whole town buzzing in a morning. No doubt they’d told everyone who Gia’s baby daddy was the second after she’d told them she was pregnant.

As the scratching of Creed’s pen sounded, Laura turned to Gia and said, “Oh, and congratulations on your baby. It’s all anyone talks about in Minden anymore. One of our very own is having a real bear shifter cub. You must be really excited.”

“We are,” Gia said, feeling the nerves lift and the curdling in her stomach lessen. Even if her parents didn’t support them, others did.

Creed handed her the autograph and posed for a picture with Laura, taken selfie-style. Laura talked giddily about how her friends were going to freak out when she told them she met the alpha of the Gray Backs, and Gia was tickled at how sincere the hostess was in her excitement.

It made Gia even prouder to be on Creed’s arm.

But there was nothing like Mom’s puckered face and narrow-eyed glare to bring her back down to reality. Perfect highlighted blond bob hair sprayed into place with her impeccable make-up and glossy lips. Too bad she looked like she was sucking on a lemon. With her ten percent body-fat and yoga instructor physique, she stood tall and statuesque in a formal greeting beside Dad.

“Hi, Mom,” Gia said, reaching forward to hug her shoulders.

Mom stepped back and shook her head slightly, then looked around, as if she didn’t want anyone to see how close Gia had come to touching her.

Sadness washed through her. The baby hadn’t done that. Mom had just never liked touching her. Dad at least pretended he was going in for a hug, but shook her hand instead. God, they were ridiculous.

“Mom, Dad, this is my…” She straightened her spine and lifted her chin primly. “This is my Creed.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Creed said in that sexy baritone that curled her toes in her heels. “Ma’am.” He offered Mom a handshake, but she refused, choosing instead to rub her hand on the back of her neck and look uncomfortable. Why the hell had they decided to do this in public if they were going to be so weird about everything?

“Please, sit,” Dad said, gesturing to the four-top in front of them with sparkling wine glasses and etched silver cutlery around fine china plates.

She imagined what the Gray Backs would do to this table and snorted.

“What?” Creed asked low as he pulled her chair out for her.

“Can you imagine Beaston eating at a place like this?”

“Like a bull in a fuckin’ china shop,” he muttered too low for Mom and Dad to hear.

Gia laughed a lot louder than she’d intended, so naturally Mom offered her best stop-having-fun glare.

This wasn’t funny at all, but for some reason, Gia was hiding a smile. Creed settled his hand on her leg under the table, and she clutched onto it like a lifeline.

“You know, when I was pregnant with you, I was very careful to only gain thirteen pounds,” Mom said. “You’ll get stretch marks at the rate you’re going.”

“Got my first one this morning.” God, she wished she could drink right now. Heavily.

Creed was staring at Mom with a befuddled look in his eyes, but if she knew Mom, the old bag was just getting started.

“So Creed, what do you do for work?” Dad asked. “Because I have to tell you, my daughter is used to a very privileged life.”

“Oh, she’s settling into the trailer park just fine, Mr. Cromwell.”

Gia pursed her lips and bit them hard to keep her giggle trapped inside.

“I’m sorry, trailer park?”

“Yes, sir. I work as a lumberjack up in the mountains near Saratoga. My boss sanctioned my crew a trailer each, and we’ve set up a community.” Creed tipped his head to Gia and squeezed her leg. “I can see what you mean about your privileged daughter, though. She’s got her very own singlewide out there and everything.”

Oh, God. She imagined what Mom’s face would look like if she told her about Nards. She’d shit a brick and pop a wrinkle straight out of her Botox-laden forehead.

Dad stared at Creed for a long time before he cleared his throat and focused on a waiter pouring them all a wine that was probably older than Gia.