Treasured by a Tiger (Mate Me Book 6)

36

Caroline hung up on Preston and sighed. In her head, she knew he was busy with the build of Jordan and Georgia's home. It hurt her heart. A creepy voice called to warn her off, and he didn't care. Not that she got to tell him.

"Greyson, I'm leaving to get Liam. Preston got caught up at work." Caroline finished wiping down the last tea cup and saw Greyson frown. "What?"

"I heard something. Don't go out to your car yet." Caroline paused, picking up her purse.

"What did you hear?"

"Rustling and not made by an animal." Greyson held out a hand and silently movies toward the shrubs that lined the edge of her property. Caroline held her breath. What if Reynolds and Peters were waiting to ambush Greyson? Where was Troy? She watched Greyson move, impressed with how silently he moved. What felt like hours but was probably a few minutes Greyson came back shaking his head.

"What was it?" she asked, fearing the worst.

"Two of your guests having an intimate moment in the woods. I believe I startled them and they quickly dressed and ran off. You'll want to make sure you have calamine lotion. They were in a patch of poison ivy." Caroline laughed despite herself. All that worry and it was two honeymooners.

"I'm sorry. That is just the icing on the cake today. I need to get Liam. I'll see you tomorrow." Caroline went to her first aid kit and took out the lotion. "Matthew, the couple in room three will probably need this later."

"Really?" Matthew looked at the lotion in surprise.

"Yes." Caroline laughed again and headed to her car. She wiped a tear, feeling a little lighter. Liam would hopefully be happy she was doing the pickup. Driving to school, she decided she needed to go through her storage again. Maybe she missed something the first time. As she drove, she noticed a dark SUV following her. Instantly, she thought she was being followed. This was no time to panic. She would drive to the school where lots of witnesses would see her in case something happened. Caroline pulled into the kiss-and-ride line, and so did the SUV. Didn't they worry about being seen? She watched students pour out of the building and saw Adam Zephyr walk toward her. He waved, and she returned the wave and saw him climb into the SUV. Taking a moment, she stared at the driver. It was Rob! How did you not recognize him? He pulled out from behind her and waved as he passed. Her heart finally slowed just as Liam climbed into her back seat.

"Hi Mama, where is Preston?"

"He had to work late. Are you okay with me picking you up?"

"Yep. I love you." He buckled in and Caroline smiled.

"Love you too, bud. How was school?"

"Good."

"You made it through the first week of school."

"Yeah."

"How about pizza for dinner and a movie?" Liam's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "Great. When we get home, we'll pick the movies and get set up for Preston to join us."

"Okay." Caroline sighed. One day, she hoped he'd be more talkative. For now, she'd love him all the more, enjoying her baby boy. She knew one day he'll find his mate and love her more than his mom, as it should be. Being Preston's mate gave her a sense of peace. One she hadn't felt with Jonas. The drive home was uneventful. Caroline saw Orion jog by and knew he was on for protection detail for the afternoon.

"Unpack, put your shoes away, and then you can pick out our movie for tonight," Caroline said, parking the car.

"Okay." Liam climbed out and ran to the door, punching in his code and unlocking the door. Caroline followed, carrying her things alert for anyone dangerous. When Preston got home, she would let him know about the phone call. She should have called him back, but she didn't want to feel like a nuisance. When Jonas had been home from his first deployment for a month, Caroline tried not to burden him with anything. She had become used to dealing with everything on her own. They didn't mesh well when he came home.

"Mama," Liam called, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Coming." She went into the living room to see Liam scrolling through the digital movies. The day they moved in Preston made Liam a child's profile to keep him from accessing anything inappropriate. "What do you need?" she asked, leaning against the couch.

"Which one?" Liam held the remote point to Luca and Encanto.

"Either is fine. Do you want lots of singing or boys who turn into sea creatures?" Caroline liked both, so she was fine with either.

"Luca. I like him changing into a human."

"Great choice. Did you unpack?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"Okay." Liam took his tablet and played Minecraft.