Baiting Him (How to Catch an Alpha 2)

“Yeah, pulled right up to my car door, and then he got off and stood there like he was my own personal bodyguard until my dad took his wife’s hand and left.”

“I think I just fell in love with him,” she says, and I smile. “So what happened after that?”

“He dragged me out of my car, put me in the passenger seat, and then drove me home in my car. I fell asleep on the way, then woke up in his bed.”

“Holy cow,” she whispers.

“I know,” I agree quietly, and her eyes fill with concern.

“What are you going to do about your dad?”

“I don’t know. Gus says I need to talk to him.”

“What do you think?”

“I miss him. I miss having him to lean on. I miss his encouragement and his words of advice.”

“I get that,” she agrees, reaching for my hand. “He’s your dad; you love him.”

My chest aches, and I tighten my fingers around hers. “I miss him. I miss who he was to me, but I don’t know him anymore. I’m scared, and if I’m honest, I’m really angry with him and I don’t know what will happen if I reach out to him. I don’t want to be disappointed. He’s already turned his back on me once. I don’t know if I can handle him doing it again.”

“I understand that, but I agree with Gaston. You need to talk to him.” Her fingers tighten around mine. “I’m not saying you need to try to patch things up with him, because honestly that’s his job, but you need closure. You need to be able to tell your father how you feel, how what he did affected you, and let it go. I know it’s not going to be easy, but you’ll feel better when it’s done.”

“You’re right.” I drag in a breath, and she lets my hand go.

“As for Gaston, or Gus, as you call him—who I want to meet as soon as possible—I can see why you’re in love with him.”

“You just don’t give up, do you?” I laugh, and she grins, giving me a shrug.

Their dog, Bruce, gets up off the kitchen floor, where he’s been sprawled out since I got here, and Leah’s grin turns into a soft smile. “Tyler’s home,” she tells me, and then I hear the front door open and Tyler’s voice float into the kitchen from the living room.

“Babe?”

“In the kitchen with Chrissie,” she calls back, and two seconds later, he appears in the doorway. “How was work?”

“Work,” he responds, coming across the room. Once he’s close, he threads his fingers through her hair at the back of her head and bends to touch his mouth to hers. My stomach flips, so I have no doubt Leah’s does the same. When he pulls back, he smiles at her, then turns to look at me. “Hey, Chrissie.”

“Hey.” I laugh, and he grins. Seriously, my best friend might’ve had some really bad relationships, but she struck a home run when she met Tyler. They couldn’t be more perfect for each other. “How was the honeymoon?” I ask as he opens the box of cupcakes.

“Over too quickly.”

“I agree,” Leah says, looking up at her husband. “I ordered you beef and broccoli. It’s in the bag on the counter.”

“Thanks, baby. Gonna shower, then I’ll come eat.” At the mention of a shower, I see Leah’s eyes dilate, and I know that’s my cue to leave.

“I’m going to take off,” I say, and they both look at me like they forgot I was even in the room.

“You don’t have to go,” Tyler tells me, and I grin.

“Sorry, big guy. I think I do.” I stand, closing up my food I will take with me and eat later. “Oh, before I forget.” I look between the two of them. “My brother and his partner are coming in for New Year’s, so I’m having a small get-together at my place to watch the fireworks, if you want to join us.”

“Is Gus going to be there?” Leah questions.

Tyler looks down at her and asks, “Gus?”

“Gaston, Chrissie’s boyfriend.”

“Right.” He nods.

“I’m not sure,” I answer with a shrug. “I haven’t asked him yet, and I don’t know if he’ll be able to because of work. It’s just a guess, but I imagine New Year’s is a busy night for him.”

“True,” Leah agrees. Then she adds, “We don’t have plans, so we’ll be there.”

“Awesome. Chris will be excited to see you.” I put on my jacket and grab my purse. “Now, give me a hug so I can get out of here and you two can go shower.”

Leah laughs, giving me a hug, and Tyler chuckles. After I get a hug from him, Leah walks me to the front door, then waves goodbye from the porch as I get into my car. I blow her a kiss and she catches it, and then with a smile on her face, she heads back inside. I drive home and call Gus on the way to let him know I’ll be there soon, and when I arrive about twenty minutes later, I park and go into the lobby. As soon as I clear the door, my eyes meet Gaston’s, and he smiles while LeFou tugs at his leash to get to me. My stomach fills with a strange sense of contentment.