“As for the dogs, they’re more a passion than a living.” Matild Bricker set down her tray and then straightened and glanced out the window at the kenneled animals. “Dogs are wonderful creatures. They never judge, don’t care what you look like, how smart you are, or how much money you have. They just love you and want you to love them.”
Holly turned to peer out at the dogs again.
“The only sad thing is that they have such short life spans,” Matild added on a sigh. “Much shorter than humans, whom I don’t like nearly as much.”
The words surprised a laugh from Holly and she turned to glance at Justin’s mother with amusement. “Is that a little anti--mortal sentiment I detect?”
Matild Bricker shook her head and pointed out, “I did say humans, not mortals. Both mortals and immortals can be complete shites at times.”
Holly chuckled at that and moved to sit at the table as Justin’s mother did. She then grimaced and admitted, “That’s kind of depressing. I was rather hoping immortals might be a little more impressive than mortals. I’d think after living so long, they’d . . .”
“Be better versions of themselves?” Matild suggested when she hesitated.
Holly nodded.
“Sadly, age doesn’t always mean wisdom,” Matild said solemnly. “Some do improve with age, shedding the rough edges of youth and growing into good -people. But others . . .” She shrugged. “Depending on their experiences, immortals can get twisted up by time and events and go rogue. That’s why we need men like Justin out there.” Patting her hand gently, she added, “Immortals are no better than mortals as -people, Holly. They just have longer to make mistakes. Fortunately, they often also have the time to fix those mistakes.”
Holly was silent for a moment as she doctored the coffee Mrs. Bricker set before her and then she glanced at her and said, “You’re being very kind to me, considering.”
“Considering what?” Matild asked.
“Considering your son used his one turn on me and may now never get to claim his true life mate,” she said solemnly.
Matild smiled faintly. “But you are his true life mate, dear.”
Holly shook her head firmly. “I’m not. I’m married. And I don’t intend to break my vows.”
“Then Justin may have to wait until your husband passes,” Matild said with a shrug. “Fortunately, he is young. Very young for finding his life mate. Few are that lucky. If he has to wait fifty years or so for you, he can do it. We’ll help him through it.”
Holly sat back, a confusion of thoughts running through her head at those words. The reference to James’s someday passing actually hurt her heart. He had always been a part of her life. She couldn’t imagine a life without him in it. But aside from that, she didn’t understand why this woman was so certain she was Justin’s life mate. Decker and Anders hadn’t seemed to think so. They’d seemed to think he was deluded.
“Would this be the same Decker and Anders who told my son that you love dogs, cats, wine, fish, flowers, picnics, nature shows, and everything to do with nature?” Matild asked mildly as she fixed her own coffee.
Holly stared at her with surprise, and then realized that the woman had read her mind. It was a bit disconcerting when these immortals did that and she couldn’t wait to learn to block them from doing it.
“Yes,” she said finally.
“Then is it not possible that they were lying about your being his life mate as well?” Matild asked.
“Why would they do that?” Holly asked. “And why are you so sure that I’m a possible life mate to Justin?”
Matild hesitated, her head turned toward the door as if she were listening to something from another room that Holly couldn’t hear, and then a frown flickered briefly on her face as she said with distraction, “Because I’ve read both your minds and you’re perfect for him, dear.”
Holly’s mouth tightened at the claim. It made her wonder what the woman had found in her mind that made her think she was perfect for her son.
“Oh.” Mattie clucked under her tongue and stood up to move back to the coffeepot. Pouring two more cups, she carried them toward the door saying, “I’m just going to take the boys some coffee and check on them. Have a cookie. I baked them myself.”
“It is the most ridiculous situation,” Justin growled, pacing his father’s study like a caged tiger. “She is my life mate. I’ve turned her. But I can’t claim her. And I’m not even allowed to tell her what I can offer her as her life mate. How great it will be. About the life mate sex, and the shared pleasure, and the shared sexual dreams and the—-”
“Justin, life mates share a good deal more than sex.”
Justin whirled toward the door at those short words from his mother, and watched with resentment as she entered carrying coffee.
“I was talking to Dad, Mom,” he growled with irritation.