“I’m hoping I’ll get Kregkor’s job. It makes me shudder, thinking that any New Species had to deal with him. The hospital will be able to replace me pretty fast. I have some vacation days left, which means I’ll call them tomorrow and quit. That’s not a full notice but they’ll have time to find a replacement before I was due back. I won’t get a glowing recommendation from my boss but that’s fine. I liked my condo but I wasn’t really in love with it. It was affordable and close to work. I’m sure it will sell in a reasonable timeframe once I hire a few people to go in there to move out my stuff and replace the front door and carpet.”
“You’re very calm about making so many changes to your life.” He reached across the space between the seats to clasp her hand, keeping the other on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry I can’t move in with you. It isn’t fair that you’re the one who has to give up so much. I’ll make it up to you.”
It touched her that he was so considerate. “I get to be with you. That’s all that matters to me. I’ve totally focused on my career since we parted, but trust me, it’s not more important to me than you are. I’d have traded it all to be with you again, in a heartbeat.”
He pulled into the driveway of a house on a quiet street and shut off the engine. He didn’t get out but instead turned in his seat to face her. “What about your family and the people you love? How do they feel about Species? Will they believe I’m dangerous to you or that I’d be abusive?”
It was hard to see his face in the shadows. “My parents are going to love you. I’m more worried about what you’re going to think of them.”
“Why?”
She sighed. “I love them but they are kind of weird, Moon. They blurt out anything they think and it’s embarrassing. They never mean to be offensive but it comes across that way sometimes. They drive me crazy.”
He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re a shrink.”
She shrugged and smiled. Moon released her hand and climbed out to come to her side of the vehicle.
“I won’t growl at them, okay? I’ll even hide my teeth.” He picked her up. “Can you twist the handle on the front door when we reach it? It’s not locked. We don’t have to worry about break-ins here.”
“Harley told me it’s much safer to live at Homeland. I need to give you fair warning about my parents, though. You won’t be able to hide your teeth. My mom is going to want to see them. Probably my dad too. Don’t hold it against me if they ask weird questions like if you ever get the urge to chase cars or chew on bones, okay? They are harmless but I can totally see them doing that. Sometimes I wonder if I chose my profession only as a way to save money. My best friend Meg and I both decided to become therapists in high school. We never charge each other for sessions when we talk.”
He laughed, shaking her a bit in his arms. “I’m sure I’ll like them, sweetness. They made you for me.” He paused. “Open the door and welcome to your new home. I am going to make you very happy here.”
She had no doubt. “It’s a two-way street, Moon. I’m completely committed to making this work. I don’t want to live my life without you anymore.”
Moon kicked the door closed behind him and peered around the room, grateful Harley had kept him from punching holes in the walls when he’d discovered Joy had left Homeland. It was clean and tidy. He worked a lot of hours but that would change. He had a mate to spend time with now. He studied his home with a fresh perspective.
“You can alter the color of the walls and buy new furniture that’s more to your taste. I want you to be happy.”
Joy lifted her face up to him and smiled. “All I care about is the bed. Where is it?”
She was his kind of female. It sank in. No, she is my female. My mate. A warm sensation flowed through him. All his worries faded into excitement at the anticipation of claiming her for good.
The bed wasn’t made but the sheets had only been slept on once by him. He inhaled the scent of what humans believed mimicked a warm spring day according to the bottle of laundry soap. They were wrong but it was pleasant all the same. He set her on the end of the bed and crouched.
She shifted as he freed her from the blanket. The hospital gown was thin material and he took care to ease it over her bandage, which reminded him of how he could have lost her. “Are you in pain?”
“Trisha gave me something because the other stuff was wearing off but don’t worry,” she smiled, “it’s a mild painkiller. I won’t get another case of the giggles.”