“Can we get cheese pizza?” Benjamin asked.
“Of course!” Sawyer said. “What kind of pizza does your mama eat?”
“I like supreme,” she said softly.
“Perfect.” Sawyer smiled. “It’s my favorite too. We’ll order one of each and get some breadsticks too.”
After they had placed their order, Sawyer wasn’t quite sure what to talk about. He didn’t want to ask about her past for fear of upsetting her. But he had to admit he wondered how they’d fallen so far, and where Benjamin’s dad was. Not once had he mentioned his father, and it made Sawyer think the guy hadn’t been in the picture for a while.
“You mentioned your boss might know of a place for us. Do you work for my landlord?” she asked.
“No. I work construction for Connor Tierney. Matt is just a friend, but it was Connor’s idea to call him. Connor is one of my alphas.”
“One of?” Winnie frowned. “I thought there was only ever one alpha in a pack.”
“Connor is the cousin of the original Alpha, Gabriel Andrews. When the cousins moved to Ashton Grove, Connor actually moved outside of Ashton Grove so he could start his own pack. Somewhere along the way, the two decided to join forces, and now everyone lives here in town.”
“Interesting. And does the pack do stuff together, like run under the full moon?” Winnie asked.
Sawyer laughed. “We don’t do full moon runs. It’s just a myth that we can only change under a full moon. We’re stronger at that time though. There are pack gatherings from time to time, usually barbecues or outings to the park.”
“So, it’s like having a family?” she asked.
“Just like having a family. Well, maybe not completely like having a family, or finding your mate within the pack would just be weird.”
Winnie laughed.
“Do you have one?” Benjamin asked.
“No, I don’t.”
Benjamin smiled. “You could marry my mama!”
Winnie blushed. “Benjamin, hush. I’m sure Mr. Braxton has a girlfriend already. Besides, he’s just being nice to us.”
Sawyer took a sip of his drink. “I don’t have a girlfriend, for the record.”
Winnie’s blush deepened.
Their pizza and breadsticks arrived. Benjamin’s eyes went wide as he looked at all the food. Sawyer wondered when the last time was he’d had pizza. The boy looked so excited as he ate his first piece and hesitantly reached for a second.
“Eat as much as you want,” Sawyer told him.
“Will I go to the same school?” Benjamin asked.
“There’s only one elementary, middle, and high school in Ashton Grove, so I would imagine your school would remain the same. Were you worried about not seeing your friends?” he asked.
Benjamin nodded.
“School just let out,” Winnie said. “You have the entire summer to enjoy.”
“What do you like to do when you aren’t in school?” Sawyer asked the boy.
“Last summer we had a small apartment, and it had a pool. Mama wouldn’t let me swim too often though because she said it wasn’t safe.”
Sawyer’s gaze sharpened on Winnie. “Not safe?”
She licked her lips. “We were staying at the Sherwood Pines Apartments.”
That was in the worst part of town, and Sawyer knew it was a miracle she’d made it out of there alive. Ashton Grove didn’t have a lot of crime, but it didn’t mean there weren’t lowlifes. Some parts of town were questionable at best, even though a motorcycle club had moved in a few months ago and were trying to clean things up.
“You don’t have to go back there,” Sawyer said.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Winnie said.
But he wanted to make those promises, even if it meant watching over them for the rest of his life. Every time he was near Winnie, his wolf nudged along his skin, wanting to get closer to her. As he’d lain in bed last night, he’d wondered, if maybe, she was his mate.
They finished their meal and Sawyer drove them by his house to pick up the TV and stand. Winnie studied his house as she got out of the truck, and he wondered what she thought of it. It was a three bedroom, two bath home, but the bedrooms were on the small side. It was quite a bit bigger than her apartment, but he wouldn’t call it a spacious home.
“You live here?” Benjamin asked, his eyes wide. “Do you have a pool?”
Sawyer smiled. “No, I don’t. But maybe I should get one of those above ground pools for the summer. Then your mama and you could come over and go swimming.”
“You want to spend more time with us?” Benjamin asked.
“Definitely.” He winked at the boy and didn’t miss the assessing gaze Winnie cast his way. She was learning to trust him, but he knew she still didn’t expect him to stick around for long. He’d just have to show her that he wasn’t like all the other guys she’d ever known.
“No one’s stuck around since my daddy died,” Benjamin said.
Well, that explained the lack of a father in boy’s life, and probably accounted for their current circumstances. Had the guy not left them with any life insurance money? If he’d had a wife and kid, he’d certainly have made sure they were taken care of, in case anything ever happened to him.
“I’m sorry to hear about your daddy,” he said as he hunkered down in front of Benjamin. “Why don’t you go check out the backyard for a minute while I load the TV into the truck?”
The boy took off, and as Winnie went to leave with him, Sawyer reached out and took her arm gently.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged. “We don’t really know you. I wasn’t married to Paul, but we’d been together since high school. He said he didn’t believe in marriage. He was estranged from his parents, but when he died, they got all of the life insurance money. I tried to hire a lawyer to fight for Benjamin to get a share to put away for college, but I couldn’t afford anyone decent, and we lost.”
“And that’s how you ended up on the streets?” he asked.
“No. Paul died a little over a year ago, and we had to move to the cheaper apartments in town, but we were getting by. Two months ago, I lost my job, and about three weeks ago, we lost our apartment. I’d gone through my savings.”
“I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through, but I want you to know that you can count on me. I want to help, if you’ll let me.”
“Why?” she asked. “What’s so special about us?”
“Because you feel like you’re mine. Both of you. From the moment my wolf caught your scent, he’s been more than a little interested. I’m not going to push for more until you’re ready, but I don’t intend to go anywhere, Winnie. I want to be a part of your life, if you’ll let me.”
Her brow furrowed. “Wolves mate for life, don’t they?”
“Yes. Does that frighten you?”
“No,” she said softly. “It would be nice to have someone to share the load; someone to come home to other than Benjamin. But we just met, and for his sake, I’m not going to just jump right into a relationship. If you want to spend time with us, I’m okay with that.”
“We can take things as slowly as you want, Winnie. I’ll wait for as long as it takes.”
She smiled a little. “You’re almost too good to be true, Sawyer Braxton. You make me want things I thought I’d never have. Maybe believing in fairy tales isn’t so bad. And perhaps, this time, the fairy tale will come true.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer. “Permission to kiss the princess?
Winnie laughed. “I’m far from a princess, but yes, Sir Wolf, you may kiss me.”
His lips descended on hers in the gentlest of kisses. The wolf inside rose up, wanting more, but he held himself back. Winnie’s hands fisted his shirt as she kissed him harder, and then parted her lips. His tongue slipped inside, and he growled a little as she melted against him. Reluctantly, he pulled away before things went any further. His wolf was demanding that t
hey mark her, claim her. She wanted time, and he was going to give it to her.
“I’ll get the TV,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “You should check on Benjamin.”
Winnie nodded, looking a little dazed, and hurried around the side of the house. By the time she returned with Benjamin in tow, Sawyer had loaded the TV and stand into the back of his truck. The little cart had wheels so he tossed some cords into the back as well so he could strap the TV to the stand to get it up to her apartment. Rolling it onto the elevator shouldn’t be a problem.
When they got back to The Towers, Winnie held the door for him as he pushed the TV and cart through the door and onto the elevator. At her apartment, he hooked it up for her, only to realize she didn’t have any DVDs to play on it, nor did she have cable. On the way back to his truck, Sawyer made a call to one of the younger wolves in the pack, Lucas, and asked him to make a special delivery, promising to pay him back.
“Just pick a handful of things a little boy might like and something the mom would watch too. I don’t care about the cost,” Sawyer said.
“I’ll take Aria with me. She can pick some stuff for the mom. We’ll dig through the discount bins and then hit the newer titles. Maybe we can find some of those three-in-one DVDs, give them lots to watch,” Lucas said. “You just want me to leave them at the front desk?”
“Take them up to her apartment. I’d do it myself, but I think she’s seen enough of me today. If she asks where they came from, just tell her they are a gift from the pack.”
“You got it. So, does this mean you’re taking a mate?” Lucas asked.
“If all goes well, I just might be.” Sawyer smiled, remembering the kiss. “Let me know when it’s done. I bet they’re going to go stir crazy in that apartment with nothing to do.”
“We’re out running errands right now, so we’ll head straight over.”
“Thanks, Lucas.”
Sawyer disconnected the call and drove back to his house. Even though he had the day off from work, there was still a lot of repairs to do on his home. And now that he a potential mate, he wanted to make sure it was ready for his possible family, if he could convince them to take a chance on a lonely wolf.
Chapter Four
The knock at the door startled Winnie, and she hesitantly went to answer it. Not that she thought anyone bad was going to sneak past the desk downstairs, but who would knock on her door? No one knew she was here, except Sawyer and her landlord. Had the wolf forgotten something and come back?
Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing him again.
Winnie pulled open the door and blinked at the couple standing on the other side. They were both loaded down with bags, and she couldn’t figure out what they were doing here. She was certain she’d have remembered meeting them before.
“May I help you?” she asked.
“We come bearing gifts,” the man said with an easy smile. “My name is Lucas, and this is my mate, Aria.”
“Mate? Oh. You’re part of Sawyer’s pack?” she asked.
“Yes. We brought you a little housewarming present, gifts from the pack. May we come in?”
Winnie stepped back, and they entered the small apartment. The woman went over to the couch and set her sacks down on the coffee table. When she removed the contents, Winnie's jaw dropped. There had to be at least ten or more movies in the stacks she was forming on the table. The guy joined her and emptied his sacks on the floor, pulling out several games. Tears sprang to her eyes at the thoughtful gesture, and she wondered if Sawyer was behind it. It was exactly something he would do.
“We heard you might be a little bored until you get cable hooked up,” Aria said. “So, we got some movies for you and some games. It’s not much, but it’s something to get you started.”
There was another knock at the door. Now what? Winnie was still reeling from the couple’s generosity when she opened the door and found what she assumed were more wolves standing on her doorstep.
“My name’s Connor,” the man said, “and this is my son, Zachary.”
She eyed the bags he held. “Let me guess. You came bearing gifts too?”
He chuckled. “Yes, we did. Sawyer mentioned you had a little boy and Zachary insisted that he wanted to bring a few things over. We hope he likes Legos and books.”
Winnie smiled. “He loves both.”
She stepped back and let them inside. Benjamin let out an excited whoop when he saw what they’d brought for him. Zachary looked a few years older, but he still sat on the floor with her son and starting building one of the Lego sets. With so many pack members in such a small space, Winnie didn’t know what to do. The doorbell rang again and she wondered just how many more people would fit into her studio apartment.
A scarred man and a stunning, very pregnant, redhead stood on the other side. The woman looked like she might burst at any moment. Winnie hoped she didn’t deliver her baby in the apartment. Talk about a house warming!
“I’m Gabriel, and this is my mate, Autumn. We just wanted to drop by and see if you needed anything.” He peered over her shoulder and grinned. “Seems we’re late to the party.”
She stepped aside and let them enter. Gabriel set a box down on the kitchen counter, and Winnie looked inside, nearly gasping when she saw the contents.
“I wasn’t sure how much girly stuff you had,” Autumn said, “so I threw together a little care package, and tossed in some things your son might like.”
“This is wonderful!” Winnie smiled. “Thank you.”
Aria nudged her. “What did the alpha bring?”
Alpha? She looked at the scarred man. Yes, she could see him acting as alpha. He had a certain air about him that commanded attention.
“Girly stuff,” Autumn said. “Nail polish, facial masks, bath beads. Anything that seemed like it might make her stay here a bit better. And then we tossed in some bath toys and bubble bath for the little boy.”
“Benjamin,” Winnie said. “And I’m Winnie.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Autumn said, smiling. “I hope we’ll get to be great friends. If there’s anything you need, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call us. There’s a little notepad in there too, with some of the pack numbers on it. Ours is at the top.”
“I appreciate it,” Winnie said. It had been so long since she’d had anyone offer help, and now everyone seemed to want to help. Her head was spinning. Would it always be like this if she were to mate with Sawyer? She’d go from having no one to having an entire pack.
“You should come over on Saturday,” Autumn said. “It’s supposed to be nice, and we’re having the pack over. Gabriel just put in a pool. It’s not a huge pool, but there’s plenty of room for the kids to have a good time.”
“I’d like that,” Winnie said. “Is there anything I can bring?”
“Just yourselves and your swimsuits.” Autumn smiled. “Everyone usually brings stuff, and we’ll have more than enough. You’ll be our honored guests.”
Winnie visited with the wolves and their mates a little while longer but began ushering everyone out the door when Benjamin asked for dinner. She hated to be rude, but something told her she was a curiosity to them, and they would linger until she put her foot down. Once it was just the two of them again, she dug through the fridge to see what Sawyer had bought for them.
It took a little while to sort out the meats and freeze the items she wouldn’t use right away, but a half hour later, she had seasoned some pork chops and put them in the oven before starting a pot of herb flavored rice. She pulled out a second pot and dumped in a can of green beans, adding salt and pepper for a little flavor. While dinner cooked, she helped Benjamin pick out a movie.
“Can I watch the whole thing before bed?” he asked.
“Since you don’t have school, I suppose you can stay up late, just this once. But after the movie, it’s bath and then bed. Understand?”
He nodded before stretching out on the floor and watching the movie with rap
t fascination. Even before they’d lost their home, there had been so much she hadn’t been able to give him. It seemed Sawyer, and the pack, was intent on changing that. They’d gained so much in just one short day. A place to stay, food to eat, and Winnie hadn’t missed the money someone had hidden in her silverware drawer. Her sweet little boy had toys, books, movies, and had even made a new friend. She didn’t know why Sawyer had followed her to the parking lot last night, but she would be eternally grateful that he had.
After dinner was finished, and Benjamin had been bathed and tucked into bed, she curled up on the sofa with a soda and a magazine she’d found tucked into the box the alpha had brought over. It had been so long since she’d been able just to sit down and relax. Yes, she still needed a job so she could keep this nice place for them, but she didn’t have to stress over it right this moment. For once, she could enjoy herself and do something just for herself.
She finished her drink and pulled out some of the items in the box, carrying them into the bathroom. Winnie filled the tub with hot water and added some of the scented bath beads. She’d also found two candles and a lighter in the box and placed the candles in the corners of the tub. After she lit them, she turned off the light. The water beckoned her, but she checked on Benjamin one last time, then gathered her pajamas and shut herself in the bathroom.
As she eased down into the water, she sighed and closed her eyes. Nothing had ever felt better. With her head tipped back against the tiled wall, she wondered if this was a small taste of what heaven was like. She didn’t know how she could ever repay Sawyer for everything he’d done, but she knew she wanted to do something nice for him. By the time the water had grown cold, she’d decided she was going to thaw the steaks she’d put in the freezer and invite him for dinner tomorrow. She could make baked potatoes and glazed carrots to go with it, and she’d seen a bag of rolls in the freezer. They wouldn’t be as good as homemade, but they would do.
Winnie got out of the tub, dried off, and pulled on her pajamas. She yawned so wide her jaw cracked as she draped her towel over the curtain rod to dry, then padded across the apartment to her bed. It had been a long time since she’d slept in a twin bed, but she honestly didn’t mind. The mattress was soft, and the sheets felt like silk against her skin. The apartment might not be large, but in her eyes, it was perfect. It had everything they could ever need or want, and for the first time in a long while, they were safe. She didn’t have to worry about someone kidnapping Benjamin at the shelter, or breaking into the crappy apartment she’d had before that. She had peace of mind, and that was the greatest gift Sawyer could have ever given her.
Moonlight Rescuer (Return of the Ashton Grove Werewolves Book 2) Page 3