Cold Foot Komodo (Wreck’s Mountains Book 2)

“What are we doing here, man?” Wreck asked softly.

Reed cracked his knuckles and watched the white car pull slowly into a parking spot.

It was early still, so this place was pretty dead. The firepit had been turned on in the back of the restaurant though, and there would be enough privacy.

“You want a shot before we do this?” Reed asked his Alpha.

Wreck’s frown was on the white car, whose engine had just been turned off.

“Why would I need a sho—oh hell no.” Wreck’s face went from curious to pissed-off as he saw who was getting out of that car.

Gale Harris, Sasha’s mother, looked just as mean as she’d been on texts. Her dad, Dan, looked defeated.

“You invited them here?” Wreck gritted out, his eyes glowing with flames in them.

“Yep.”

“Why the hell would you do that, man? Timber’s doing good.”

“I need you here,” Reed said simply.

“Why? This is you and Sasha’s thing.”

“No, it’s a Crew thing.”

“What are you talking about?” Wreck uttered low.

Reed forced his gaze away from the Harrises and leveled Wreck with it. “Because I want you to be my best man. And if I have to ask these battle-axes for their daughter’s hand in marriage, I need someone to stop me from losing my shit on them. That’s you.”

“Holy…” Wreck sat frozen, the fire gone from his eyes. “You’re…” He swallowed hard, then cleared his throat and looked at the fire, stunned. “You want me to be your best man?”

“Yeah. You’re the only one who knows about any of this. I got a ring and everything. I don’t give a fuck about these people, but I’m a traditional man. I want to do right by Sasha, and she still has hope for them. Until she tells me we’re done trying? We aren’t done trying. I’m in this until the wheels fall off.”

Wreck sat up straighter and nodded curtly. “I’m here.”

I’m here. Reed smiled, and stood to greet Sasha and Timber’s parents. That’s all he needed. I’m here.

He blew out a steadying breath and offered his hand to Dan for a shake.

Dan hesitated, looked at his wife, and then shook it. Gale wore a sour grimace on her face and refused to shake his hand, but that was fine.

“Drink?” he asked.

“Whiskey, top shelf, straight,” Gale said. She swung her gaze to Wreck. “Hello, Wreck Itall.”

Wreck’s smile wasn’t really a smile. It was a grimace with his teeth bared. “I’ll get the order in. Dan?” he gritted out.

“I’ll have whatever you boys are having,” he said somberly.

Wreck nodded and stood, made his way to the back door, and said something to the waitress inside.

“Where is my daughter?” Gale asked.

“You should know, she hasn’t been told you’re here. I set this up without her knowledge,” Reed explained. “She doesn’t have to know, either. There are some ground rules to this conversation.”

“Boy, you don’t make rules for me,” Gale ground out.

“Girl,” he said. “You can take the rules or leave them. No skin off my back either way, but you should know you have lost Timber. You’ve lost her. You don’t have that daughter anymore, and that isn’t anyone’s fault but your own.”

Wreck sat back down next to him.

“It’s his fault,” her mother spat out.

“Chhh,” Reed said, shaking his head with an empty laugh. This woman had no idea who she was talking to. Wreck was the monster of all monsters. God, he was glad Sasha and Timber hadn’t inherited her brains.

“Gale,” Dan murmured low in warning.

“Oh, you’re taking their side?”

“No,” he said simply. “I’m tired. Can’t you see I’m tired? Aren’t you tired? We’re blocked by both of our daughters and have no access to their lives. These are their men. Mates. Whatever you are,” he corrected, glancing at Reed and Wreck. “They asked us to be here, and this is the closest we’ve gotten to the girls. Stop talking, for once, and just…listen. Please.”

“This mate,” she spat, “made sure we weren’t even invited to our own daughter’s wedding.”

“Your daughter chose that,” Wreck spoke up. “Timber wanted a peaceful day full of love, and you haven’t known how to show love in a while, have you? You think she wanted to get married without her own parents there? I was there when the decision was made. I was there wiping her tears when she was finally done being called names and being manipulated. I’ve been there watching her thrive without you putting her down. All of this is on you. You can take accountability for your actions, or you can keep playing the blame-game and lose both of your daughters. You’re down one. I’m here for Reed. You should know that I do not care if Timber never talks to you again. It’s her decision. You want a chance at keeping Sasha? Do as Dan asked, and listen.”

Gale snatched the whiskey off the server’s tray, nearly toppling the other drinks, and downed it while the waitress recaptured the balance of the other drinks with a yelp. Gale stood and told Dan, “Let’s go.” And then she stormed around the railing of the restaurant patio and marched toward the car. “Dan!” she yelled when Sasha’s father remained where he sat. “Now.”

Dan watched her for a few seconds more, and then turned back to Reed. “How is she?”

“She’s different.”

“Happy?” Dan guessed.

“Very,” Reed said honestly.

A small smile stretched Dan’s face.

“Dan, now!”

Dan turned toward Gale, and took a swig of beer. “You go on, Gale. I’m here for the girls.”

Gale’s face was bright red, and she turned with a huff and stormed to the car.

They all watched it, and Reed thought Timber was right. That woman wasn’t salvageable.

Dan swung his attention back to Reed. “Is she a shifter yet?”

That question took him by surprise, and it took him a couple of seconds to respond. He did so with a single head nod.

“What is she?”

“Timber Turned her.”

Dan’s eyes filled with emotion, and he took another swig of beer. “It didn’t start off like this. We had these dreams of how it would be, you know? Gale was different back then. Things got so messed up, and she lost sight of anything that was important over time. I keep waiting for her to come back. I’ve been hanging onto hope that she’ll change for the longest time.” There was such sadness in his tone. “Now my daughters are shifters and they will have nothing to do with us, and someday we’ll be grandparents without any grandchildren to spoil. Won’t we?”

It was Wreck who nodded now.

Dan made a click sound behind his teeth. “That’s what I think about when I’m missing them. My little girls.” The words were thick in his throat now. He ran his hand across his jaw and blinked back moisture in his eyes.

“Sasha can still be reached,” Reed said softly. “She still has a thread of hope. Just so you know. She’s so close to cutting you guys off completely, but she’s not there yet. It’s really going to be up to you.”

“You love her?”

“I would die for her. I love her more than anything.”

Dan nodded, eyes locked on him. “Thank you for trying to talk some sense into her,” he said of his wife. “I’ll keep trying, too.”

Reed pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to him.

“What’s this?” Dan asked.

“It’s a chance for you. I asked Sasha one night what it would take for her to try again, and she said three months no contact, all while Gale gets counseling. And then family counseling via Zoom for all of you. And any communication for the first year would be through a family app that mediates how Gale is allowed to talk to her. She won’t be able to cuss her out, or talk down to her, or call her names. There will be a mediator that monitors the conversations. Gale has to be trained on how she’s allowed to talk to Sasha. Calling her a bitch three times a day is done. It’s done.” Reed said again for emphasis.

Dan stared at the information about the counselors and the name of the family app, and his lips ticked up into a smile. “I think this is a good idea.”

“If it was up to me, you both would fix what’s broken,” Reed told him. “Sasha and Timber always deserved that effort.”

“I’m ready,” Dan told him. “I’m also comfortable with issuing some ultimatums for their mother. Either way, I’ll be keeping what’s left with Sasha.” There was truth to his voice, and Reed felt relief. Sasha deserved the world. If he could get her dad back, at least, he would feel like he was taking care of her heart.

“I’ve got a question for you,” Reed said.

“Shoot,” Dan said.

“I love your daughter. I want to give her the ring I’ve got in my pocket. I think she’ll say yes. I think she’ll be real happy.”

“Hell, she’s been showing Timber pictures of rings she wishes she could have all week,” Wreck murmured, a slight smile on his lips.

“I wanted to ask you first. I want your blessing if you’re willing to give it, sir.”

Dan’s eyebrows went up and he leaned back in his chair, looking shocked and emotional. He took another swig of the beer, thinking. He huffed a breath and hung his head, and Reed could see it—a tear hit the snow by the toe of his boot. “I always wanted that moment,” he said thickly. “I didn’t get it with Timber.”

Beside Reed, Wreck stiffened.

“I understand why though,” Dan said, looking up at them. “That was on me. You have my blessing. And Wreck, you didn’t ask, but you have my blessing too. I thank you both for making my girls happy. If you ever want to send me pictures of special moments, well, I’ll cherish them.” Dan stood and offered his hand to Reed again, and this time, the shake was firm and the smile genuine.

And then he offered his hand to Wreck.

Wreck cast a glance to Reed, and then stood slowly, slipped his palm against Dan’s, and shook it. “Fix it with Sasha fast,” he murmured. “Timber’s wanting a baby. She’ll take longer to warm up to trying with you again. She’ll have to see genuine, long-term change with Sasha for Timber to break her no-contact oath. If Gale can’t do it? Fine. You do it. Stick up for your kids.”

“I will,” Dan told him, releasing his hand. Truth.

The porch door opened, and for a second Reed thought it was the server again, but the scent on the breeze froze him in place.

“Dad?” Sasha asked softly.

Shit. She’d gotten here early, and must’ve parked in the front lot. Reed looked over his shoulder to see Sasha standing there, eyes glowing the bright blue of her bear, her hair in loose waves down her shoulders. She wore a white thermal shirt that would match the color of her fur if she didn’t hold it together and accidentally Changed right now. Behind her, Timber stood, face frozen in shock.

“What’s going on?” Timber asked.

Dan unfroze first, and said, “We’re not here to cause trouble. We’re here to meet Reed.”

“You aren’t using him to keep me in line,” Sasha gritted out.

Reed could hear Dan swallow audibly. “It’s not like that. He’s…he’s…” Dan paused, and tried again. “Talk to Reed. He set some fair ground rules.”

“You said we,” Timber said, coming to stand beside her sister. Their eyes were both blazing blue. “Is Mom here?”

Dan twitched his head toward the car. “Throwing a tantrum. Probably on her phone demonizing your men in the family loop right now.”

Timber snorted. “Shocker.”

“I…” He looked from his daughters, to Wreck, to Reed, and back. “It’s good to see you, girls. Your eyes…well, you look different. Healthy. Happy. Fierce.” He wiped his hand across his damp cheek, and lifted the folded piece of paper. “I’ll try to get your mom to leave you alone for three months, and go to counseling, and then we’ll sign up for the app. Whatever you say we need to do, well, I’ll do it. Your mom is your mom, and she will comply or not, but you both still have me.”

“We never had you,” Timber said. “You always sided with Mom.”

“Not anymore.” Dan smiled. “I did my research. Shifters can hear the truth in a person’s voice.” He dipped his chin lower and leveled them with a look. “Not anymore.”

Timber inhaled a sob and turned away, facing the wall, and Sasha held her hand so tight.

Reed’s heart was in his throat as he saw the hope welling in Sasha’s pretty eyes.

“I should go,” Dan said. “Before your mother figures out you’re here and makes a scene. We’ll talk in three months.”

He turned to leave, but Sasha released Timber’s hand and made her way to him. She hugged him up tight, burying her face against his jacket.

And then Reed witnessed something he never thought he would see. Timber turned and made her way to them, and hugged them both. It was a fast thing. One quick hug, and then she retreated to Wreck and got all wrapped up in his arms. Her shoulders were shaking.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Reed never cried, but his eyes were burning as Dan released Sasha and held her back at arm’s length. “Three months,” he whispered, eyes full.

Sasha nodded, and waved as he backed away. She watched him all the way to the car, her hand on her chest, and when she turned to Reed, her bottom lip was trembling.

“What have you done?”

“What needed to be done,” he answered simply.

Sasha had done so good. She hadn’t Changed, and she was only a couple weeks in to being a shifter. Her control was something he was so proud of. She was fierce, as Dan had said. She was also kind, and mature, and caring, and all the things he had never known he needed in a mate.

“Are you ready?” he asked Timber.

“Wait, now? Wait, I’m crying, give me a second,” Timber said, pulling out of Wreck’s arms.

She fumbled in her pocket, dug out her cell phone, and lifted it up. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“What are you doing?” Sasha asked her sister, confusion tainting her voice. “Why are you recording me?”

She didn’t notice Reed had gone down to his knee, and she hadn’t noticed him pull out the ring box from his jacket pocket.

Wreck was snapping pictures, and Timber was taking video as Sasha swung her gaze to where Reed had been standing and then looked down, stunned. “Oh my gosh!”

“Sasha—”

“Wait, is this really happening?”

He chuckled and started again, opening the ring box up. “Sasha Harris. Your dad gave us his blessing, so I can finally pull out the ring I’ve been carrying around in my pocket for the last week.”

She clapped her hands over her mouth and started crying.

“I was going to wait until Wreck inducted you into the Crew this weekend, but I can’t go another day overthinking what I’ll say to you. It’s simple, what I want to tell you. I love you. I’ll always love you. I’ll always care about your day, and want the best for you, and I’ll always obsess over whether the road ahead of you is clear. I’ll clear it. You are what I want. Bad days, good days, boring days, chaos days, I want all of them. With you.” He inhaled a steadying breath. “Will you marry me?”

She fell onto him and hugged him so tight. He could feel her nodding against the side of his neck.

“Woman, I think you’re supposed to say the answer out loud.”

“Yes! Yes, yes, yessy-yes yeserton, forever yes, a trillion-billion times yes!” She eased back and cupped his cheeks, and he’d never seen more potent happiness in anyone’s eyes. He’d caused that joy, and whooo, this feeling pounding inside of his chest.

This was right.

This was the move.

This was the moment where no matter what, everything was going to be okay, and that other shoe was glued on for always. No more waiting for the other shoe to drop.

He belonged to Sasha, and for the rest of his days, he would make sure she wore smiles like this one.

Someone tackled them from the side, and he laughed as Timber hugged them up tight on the snowy patio. When he looked up at Wreck, the Alpha had let his phone drop to his side, and he wore this little proud smile. He nodded in respect, and Reed could read so much from that.

He’d done good bringing the girls’ parents here.

He’d done good giving effort to fix the broken relationship, or give them closure, whichever the Harrises chose.

Life wasn’t going to be perfect, because that’s not how the world worked.

But it was going to be as good as they made it, as a Crew.

Sasha was straddling him, eyes bright as he slid the ring onto her finger, and Timber was sitting beside them with her legs crossed, hands clasped in front of her face, eyes full of tears, looking happy, and this was a damn good moment.

The others in the Cold Foot Crew were due to meet them here any minute, and they would spend the night celebrating his promise to Sasha tonight.

For the first time in as long as he could remember, he knew without a doubt where he belonged—with her, right here.