Page 31 of My Big Fat Shifter Wedding

“I would love that.”

He offered me his arm, a wave of his scent washing over me again, and I swore my inner wolf jerked her head so hard that I nearly growled with interest. Thankfully, I wasn’t a pubescent wolf without control of my wilder side, so I shut down that reaction before it could leave my mouth.

It was close, though.

We made it to the table without me inadvertently exposing my people’s existence, then made small talk while we looked over the menus.

I’d made sure to eat ahead of time because I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat my fill at the restaurant, not without raising a few eyebrows and making my human date shell out way more than he was expecting to. I was also feeling a little self-conscious about my belly and the roundness of my arms even though I knew I looked great, so I wanted to order something small to seem more ladylike. Because while I knew I was a shifter who needed more calories than pretty much any human alive to survive, Keith didn’t.

And he never would.

“I think I’m going to have the cedar-smoked salmon,” I said.

“Yeah, that does look good,” he agreed. “I’m looking at the cod myself.”

Hah, it looked like I was right for going for that size of a meal, because if Keith, who was considerably larger than me, could get filled up by a single fish, then certainly I, his very human student, should too.

“So, are you a big seafood guy?” I asked, setting my menu to the side once I was sure of my decision.

“Oh yeah. Crustaceans, mollusks, fish… You name it, I probably like it.”

“Me too! People sometimes call them water bugs or cockroaches to gross me out, but trust me, if land bugs tasted that good, I’d be going to all-you-can-eat festivals for them too!”

“Ha! Yeah, it does seem like one of those internet trends. People love to bandwagon.”

“Like Nickelback!” I agreed happily, glad that he understood exactly what I meant. I wasn’t chronically online, but I was right in the gap of my siblings where my elder ones often didn’t understand my references and my younger ones thought they were all outdated.

“Yes, exactly! I mean, they’re not writing musical masterpieces, but there’s a reason a lot of people like their stuff. It’s catchy.”

“Even if they keep releasing the same four or five songs in slightly different fonts.”

Another laugh from him, and this one even bigger, which had me smiling like a goof. I really liked how he shared his mirth. It never once felt like it was directed at me, only that he was genuinely amused by the words that came out of my mouth.

“Yeah, sometimes I get confused which song is playing when the opener comes on shuffle.”

“And then there’s Crocs.”

“I think it’s because a lot of nurses liked them for comfort, and a lot of things that are designed to make women’s lives easier are considered a waste of time or taking away from her beauty.”

Huh.

I gaped at him, surprised by the flippant way he stated a talking point I’d definitely heard before, but only from other women. Usually, I would assume a man was pandering to me, but it had seemed like a genuine thought.

Double huh.

He gave me a sheepish look that told me he was indeed being honest.

“Sorry, growing up with a single mother showed me a lot of things I suppose some guys never think of, so I can sound a little bit like a podcast talking point when I don’t mean to.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize at all. And wow, a single mom. I imagine she must be pretty cool to have raised you.”

“I think she is, but I’m biased.” He grinned fondly, and I could almost see a lifetime of love and memories flit behind his hazel gaze. “She was a bit older when she had me, and I wasn’t planned, but she decided to go it on her own. She’s the best mother I could have asked for.”

Given the size of my family, it was hard for me to imagine what it was like being raised by a single individual.

“Did you have any other family to help out?”

“No, not really. Her parents passed away when I was very young. She had an uncle, but he’s gone now. It was always us against the world.” His expression turned thoughtful, and I was entirely caught up in the shift of his features as he spoke. I loved how so many emotions and ideas played out along the ridge of his brow or the corner of his lips. “Now she worries that she parentified me too much, but I don’t agree. Sure, I went through some things the average kid didn’t, but she always made certain my childhood was a childhood.”