The Mating(32)

After greetings were exchanged, Elise pitched in with preparations for the late lunch. She found out that both Zoe and Phoebe were married with two children each. The young ones were off with their fathers to pick out pumpkins for Halloween, and the ladies were having a girls’ day out with plans to go shopping once lunch was over.

“You should come with us,” Phoebe invited. “Since you’re new here, we can show you where the best stores are and maybe stop at the teahouse for a mid-afternoon break.”

“Well... It does sound like fun.” Elise hesitated briefly wondering what Kane would say but then shrugged. He’d likely be busy and not even miss her. “All right, I’ll go.”

“Great! Now let’s get this food on the table and feed the men so we can be off.”

Zoe went to fetch the males, and the other women carried the platters of food into the dining area. Elise noticed that the table had been stretched out to accommodate about a dozen people and sure enough, several men came traipsing in with Kane and John. The meal was noisy with everyone talking at once. Elise sat back watching the interaction, making mental notes of the relationships that she saw unfolding around her. Kane mostly sat and ate quietly while listening to the others, but she noted that the other men kept glancing at him for approval. When he did speak, the others listened without interrupting and seemed to take his comments seriously. Even if being Alpha did give him a headache, she could easily see that Kane definitely had all the needed qualities for the job.

Helen and her daughters were close and chatted about the children. Rose only occasionally chimed in to the conversation. Elise noticed that the shy young woman kept glancing towards a blond-haired young man named Daniel, but always looked away if he turned towards her. A smile played over Elise’s lips. Rose had a crush on the fellow but was too timid to do anything about it. After studying the male in question, Elise decided he was equally interested, since he paid more attention to what Rose was doing than to the conversation the men were having.

Glancing towards Kane, she saw that he too was aware of the undercurrent between Rose and Daniel. For a moment, their eyes met and Kane gave a slight nod towards the soon-to-be-lovebirds, a smile ghosting over his lips before rolling his eyes. Elise gave him a reproachful look before smiling back. It felt good to have that little connection with Kane; a silent communication just between the two of them. The smile slowly faded from her face as she studied her mate, taking in his features one by one. She loved his thick black hair, recalling how it felt as she ran her fingers through it. His nose was straight, his jaw firm and his eyes were the most amazing amber colour that seemed to see right into her. Her mate. It was still hard to believe at times. With a start, she realized that Kane was studying her too and had a softer look about his eyes. She felt her heart catch in her chest for a moment and hoped he’d make eye contact with her again. For some reason, it felt vital that she see that look directly, but then John called his name and the moment was lost.

Making a little moue of disapproval over the interruption, she returned to her meal and idly listened in on the ladies’ conversation while puzzling over her exchange with Kane. It had been companionable, causing a pleasant feeling of belonging and warmth inside her. She thought that possibly they were becoming friends and she hoped that was the case. It would be good to have more than sex in common. While they might not ever love each other, a friendship between them would make her life here much more comfortable.

Soon the simple meal was over and the men went off to do whatever they were doing—she had never quite grasped what the conversation had been about. Oh well, she and the other women had their own plans for the afternoon. Looking forward to exploring the shops that the local town had to offer, she grabbed her purse and climbed into the waiting van.

Zoe and Phoebe were teasing Rose about her crush on Daniel while Helen chided them. “Now girls, leave Rose alone. If she and Daniel end up together or not, it’s none of your business.”

“Aww, Mom.” The girls moaned in unison then looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Helen shook her head. “Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you two are still just pups rather than grown women with your own families! Don’t pay them any mind, Rose. When they were dating, they mooned about the house worse than you do.” Rose blushed and murmured something indistinguishable, then stared resolutely out the window.

Relenting, Zoe left her friend alone and turned to Elise. “So, now that we’re away from the house and no one can walk in on our conversation, tell us what Kane is really like.”