Page 41 of Primal

We arrived in the dining room, and Nana picked a table by the window. The retirement community was set on the south edge of town, so all of the views from the back of the building faced open prairie and mountains.

Cody held out her chair as Nana settled. “Meanwhile, my son tries to keep her sheltered.” She glancedup at him. “That’s why I wouldn’t let him sell my house. Riley needed some independence. You been to my house yet?”

Cody’s lips quirked. “Yes, ma’am. It’s a great place.”

Nana laughed. I blushed and redirected.

“You sit here, and we’ll go through the buffet line,” I told her. They had servers for the people who couldn’t manage their own food trays, but I preferred to wait on Nana when I was there.

“How was Riley ever going to have a little fun with her dad and that badge of his intimidating every boy who came around?” Why did she keep going on and on and on about this? Cody knew I was a virgin, but Nana made me sound like a nun, cloistered away from the world.

I groaned again, trying to tug Cody with me to the buffet line.

“Well, he’s ready to put a bullet in me, that’s for sure,” Cody said with a quick grin. “But I’ll win him over, eventually.”

“That’s my son. He’ll come around,” Nana agreed with a nod. “Eventually. Two protective men wanting what’s best for my girl. This old woman couldn’t be happier.”

“He wants to sell your house because of this,” I told her, trying to get across just how angry Dad was.

Nana laughed, not bothered by the news of her son’s antics. “It’smyhouse. He may have grown up in it, but I own it. He can’t sell it any more than he can tell you to move home. Let him have his little snit–”

“Snit?” I asked, thinking that was an understatement of the year.

“–while you do your thing.” Nana arched a brow and eyed Cody likehewas the thing I should be doing.

“Nana,” I scolded, appalled. My face was hot.

Cody chuckled then gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “I want you to know, Riley is more than a little fun to me. She’s everything I ever wanted.” He set his hat on his seat then winked at me. “I’m happy to be her fun, but I want to be so much more.”

I lost my breath. He had to be telling the truth. Who lied to someone’s Nana? Not only would it make him an asshole, but my nana could suss out falsehoods better than a lie detector.

Nana set her hand on top of his and gave it a little pat.

Cody must’ve felt he got his point across because he touched my hip and guided me in that subtle, protective way of his, to the buffet line. I was still flushed and breathless as I took out two trays.

He immediately took over Nana’s tray, pulling aplate from the stack and handed it over along with napkins and silverware.

“Is this…is this really real?” I asked, a tremble in my low voice.

His lips curled in amusement. “This isreallyreal, sugar. I’m your man now. I’m gonna take care of you. Protect you. Provide for you. Make you happy. Can you deal with that?”

He probably could tell I got wet again, and he wasn’t even dirty talking me. No, he wassweettalking, and it was working. God, he wasincredible.

Why was I so nervous? This was what I wanted. A man who wanted me and only me. Who wanted to make me happy. Permanently. Sure, if Matt or Ethan–or even Tyler before I found out he was a shifter–said any of what Cody said to me, I’d laugh. I wouldn’t believe them because they couldn’t provide for me. They couldn’t protect me. Tyler probably could, with his wolf, but gah… bad kissing. Tyler didn’t want to take care of me. He’d only wanted a good time.

Why was I okay with it when Cody wanted to give me everything? Why had I been okay with compromising?

I shouldn’t, and Cody wasn’t going to let me.

“Are you just…courting me? Convincing me?” I whispered as we went down the line from the salad area to the main courses, holding the plates out for the food to be scooped onto them. It was spaghetti night, so my plate was piled high with pasta, and an attendant just plopped a big meatball on top. Cody handed over Nana’s plate right after for the same things.

As he waited, he said, “Well, I am trying to do both of those things. Is it working?”

I let out a breathy laugh, grabbing tongs to get a roll from a basket. “Yeah. It is.”

He gave me a slight bump with his body into mine. “You’re asking if this will last, aren’t you?”

My head wobbled as I nodded. It seemed easier to talk to him while busily filling our plates.