Page 24 of Knot Convenient

“Did you have a car back in California?” Marshall asked, sipping on a coffee.

Summer shook her head. “I lived near campus, so there was no point.”

“What about your license? Do you have one?” Tobias asked. “There’s no shame if not; I know a lot of city folk wait until later to get them. Just curious, since driving is a bit more necessary around here.”

“I got mine at sixteen. I’ve just never used it much. Benefits of being able to walk to most places. I might be a little out of practice.”

Marshall bobbed his head in a thoughtful nod. “In that case, maybe we need to look at getting you a smaller car, just for driving around town.”

She shook her head quickly, setting down her donut. “I don’t need a car!”

“You do around here,” Tobias said. “We’re not as walkable as a big city, especially if you’re coming from the house and need to go into town to shop or something. There’s a few places you can walk to in town, but the only grocery store in walking distance is tiny.”

“But that’s too much!” Summer looked panicked, her food forgotten.

“I’ve got plenty of cars in the shop. I’ll keep an eye out for something sensible, how about that?” Marshall suggested, and I could see her worry ease a little.

Summer bit her lip, and I was doing my best to keep a straight face. She was just so adorable, so worked up over us spending money.

There was no way in hell that Marshall was going to allow his omega to use a cheap, run-down car. I’d put money on a brand-new car appearing in our driveway in the next few weeks.

“Okay, I guess. But, please, I need to pay you guys back for all this.”

“We’ll think of something.” I had a feeling Emmett had been trying to be practical as he spoke, but there was this immediate buzz that ran through the group that slipped a little too far into porn storyline territory. We weren’t about to make her “pay us back” like that, but it was impossible to deny the draw we all felt toward her.

Meanwhile, Milo gurgled happily, chewing on his scrap of a plain donut that Summer had torn off for him to gum on.

So much was changing, but I was sure we were in for a treat.

Chapter 11

Summer

Bonded.

I had a mate.

Technically, I had four, but I could feel Emmett, and that made it all the more real.

Though it was utterly bizarre, I didn’t hate it. Far from it, but it was still so new, an alien sensation I couldn’t compare to anything else I’d experienced.

When he was more than a few feet away from me, something tugged deep in my chest. It wasn’t too uncomfortable, but I knew that if he got farther away, it would get worse. Separation between bonded mates wasn’t something to mess around with.

I was strongly starting to consider that I had somehow managed to hit my head and was suffering from a raging concussion. Because how was it possible that I’d gotten this lucky? A group of four handsome alphas who were excited to bring me in—with Milo.

These guys were unreal.

“If you want a different kind of crib, just let us know,” Tobias said as he showed me around my rooms. Emmett was carrying my bags up for me, and I was grateful for the help while I carried Milo.

Rooms. Plural.

Their home was a sweet, farmhouse-style property on the edge of town with plenty of space. My main bedroom was giant, with a California king bed with a travel crib next to it, and in a small room, just a few feet away, was a full-sized crib. It was close and easy to access without actually being in my room.

“When did you even have time to find a crib?” I asked.

Tobias scratched the back of his head bashfully, his lemon scent a balm to my nervous energy. “Yesterday, after our meeting. We went out and grabbed a few things. We wanted to make sure you were comfortable here, at least until you have time to go and pick out your own things. We didn’t know if Milo slept in his own space yet, or if you preferred him near. Hence the adjoining nursery and the travel crib.”

I was touched. They’d thought ahead, planned for me to come, and it meant a lot that they were so considerate of my needs, particularly as a mom. “Thank you. I’ll probably use the travel crib for a few days while he settles into his new environment.”