Cinderella's Guardian (23 page)

Shaking himself free from his internal musings, he headed back to the others. He strode over to his dad who was now standing near Dominic and quickly explained what had happened.

"That's interesting. You intend to warn Dale before we head over there? Not sure he'd like that kind of surprise."

"Yeah, not sure I'm looking forward to this show down."

Conner moved back over to Tina. He hated being away from her, especially when she was upset. He ran his hand through her hair, massaging her scalp a little with his strong fingers. She leaned into his touch with a small sigh. Choden's strong voice chanting, brought his attention back to the ceremony which was just finishing up. He focused on the Tibetan words, allowing the sounds to soothe and calm him once again. It was going to be a long afternoon and he was going to need all the patience he could muster.

~ * ~

Tina allowed Conner to push her up the ramp at the back entrance to the Top Pub. Her mother was inside waiting. Rubbing the back of her neck, she had the sudden urge to run away.

"I can't do this, Conner. Take me home. Just-"

"Shh, Tina. It's going to be fine." He knelt down beside her chair and took her face in his palms. "Me and both our dads are going to be there. Dominic and the other cats will be close by. She won't hurt you."

Tina loved Conner's protectiveness, even when he went overboard. She could understand his guilt over not being able to protect her from Robyn. It wasn't his fault and she didn't blame him, but he wasn't ready to hear it yet.

"Conner, Mother has never physically hurt me. She does all her damage with her tongue or by leaving."

"She told me and Remi that she'd made mistakes, that she was here to make them right. All we can do is give her a chance to say what she's come to say. If you still don't want her to be part of your life after that, it's your call. I don't want to push you, but I think you'll regret it if you don't hear her out. I'll support whatever you decide."

Taking a deep breath, Tina wet her lips. "Okay, well let's just rip this Band-Aid off then. C'mon."

She started to push herself forward, and Conner proved he was learning her moods as he let her enter the private dining room under her own steam. She had to meet Gloria on her own terms. She needed to be strong, and being able to push herself into that room was a great start to keeping that appearance up. She didn't need her mother's approval. It was all a mask, but her mother didn't know that.

Once inside the door, she surveyed the room. Adele's father, Remi was it? Stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest in the shadows. His hard gaze was focused solely on the woman nervously pacing the length of the room. As her mother hadn't noticed her, she took a moment to watch. Her head was down. Her clothes were as perfect as always, but her shoulders were curled forward a little. She wrung her hands in front of her. The door closed behind Conner, and Gloria's head snapped up as her feet ground to a halt. Tina sucked in a shocked breath. Her mother's eyes showed pain and there were dark smudges beneath them, dark enough to be visible through her makeup.

"Tina."

The way her mother said her name made her knees weak. It was filled with anguish. Could her mother really be sorry? If she was, what the hell had happened to cause it?

"Hello Mother. Why are you here?"

Tina was so on edge. Seeing Gloria brought back all the feelings of rejection like it happened yesterday.

"I'm here to apologize. I'm hoping you'll forgive me and give me another chance to be part of your life."

"No offence, but I can't recall a time you ever apologized for anything. What happened? Something had to have happened to trigger this."

Gloria started pacing again as she drove her fingers into her hair, messing the perfectly styled tresses.

"I've been so selfish. I didn't even see what I was doing. It would be easy to blame how I was raised… My parents always instilled in me how important appearances were. To always make sure you had the best no matter the cost." She paused to crumple down into a chair before raking her hair again. "I always did my best to please them. Do everything they wanted me to do. Even after they both passed, I still tried."

So far, her mother hadn't told her anything new. Tina had worked out long ago how vain and self-centered her maternal grandparents were.

"They passed years ago, Mother. That doesn't explain what's made you suddenly change your tune now."

"I was just trying to explain why I did what I did. I know there is no excuse, Tina. I abandoned you when you needed me the most. I get that now. After Dale came and took you I instantly felt your loss. The house was hollow, just a shell without life. Then I went to a couple of dinner parties and other functions. But again it just seemed empty. Without you I had nothing to live for. I do love you, Tina. I may not have always shown it as I should have but I have always loved you. Then word got out about what I'd done. I was very quickly shunned. In a matter of days I realized I had no real friends. Then, my boss at David Jones called me in and told me straight out that I needed to see what was in front of me. He told me how he always put work before his family and now his kids are grown and he rarely sees them because he never bothered to build a relationship with them.

"I had a lot of time on my hands to think over everything. As I looked back over my life, I realized how much of it I've wasted with superficial garbage. How many good people I've hurt." Her mother looked over her shoulder and her eyes filled with tears. Tina guessed her dad had joined them at some point. She was proved right when, with a slight croak in her voice, Gloria continued, "you two were hurt worst. Dale, Tina? Can you forgive me? I know I can't turn back time to fix it but will you let me try to fix it now?"

Her father stepped in front of her, brushing a loving hand over her hair on his way past. "Gloria, words are not going to cut it for either of us. You'll need to hang around and prove you mean it."

"That's my intention. I've quit my job and have movers bringing all my things down-"

Her dad cut Gloria short. "Some things will never be as they were again though, you understand that right? I've moved on. I have a woman in my life now. We might only be just starting out, but it's good. I'm not throwing that away because you want to relive the
good ol' days
. Not happening."

"Oh, Dale that was never what I meant. I never expected to stroll into town and for us to simply pick up being a family again. I caused you so much pain, I am truly sorry. I will prove it to you. Our relationship will be vastly different in the future. I will never come between you and any woman you have. I simply want to be a part of Tina's life and for us to be civil to each other. I want to build myself a life here in Rosebery. A real life."

Tina had sat silently observing her parents interact with each other. She was feeling lightheaded, probably due to the shock of her mother's declaration. Could she trust Gloria? Did she really want to change into someone more, well, human? She'd already been thinking about past occasions with new eyes. Seeing things she hadn't before. Letting her mother back into her life would be a risk. But would it be worth it? Conner's hands moved over her shoulders where they squeezed before rising to massage her neck. His cedarwood and sage scent enveloped her and gave her added strength. No matter what happened with her parents, she would always have Conner. That thought reassured her as Gloria finished talking with her dad and turned to her with clear expectation in her gaze.

"I can't just forgive and forget, mother. I need time to, adjust, I guess, and to see if you are for real. Like the saying goes,
actions speak louder than words
. I need to see if your actions are going to match your words."

The tear that spilled down her mother's cheek as she nodded cracked her heart but Tina didn't budge. Gloria had to earn her place in Tina's life, if that's what she wanted. Tina would never live the shallow, materialistic lifestyle her mother had lived for so long. No way in hell. She preferred her life now. She might not be competing, which she had loved, but she had a really well rounded life now. That included true friends and a fiancé. A handsome sexy wonderful
mate
who would always be by her side.

"I think we've spent enough time away from everyone else. We're here to help Kelly grieve and celebrate her mother's life. Not drag our crap into it. So, let's all be mature adults and go out and join our family?"

Conner pressed a kiss to her head and whispered, "well done," as he pulled her chair toward the door.

"Wait! Tina, I will prove it to you. I promise. I mean what I say, and congratulations on your engagement. Conner seems like he's perfect for you."

How did she know Conner's name? Oh, of course, they met at the cemetery. "Thanks, Mother. He is perfect and he makes me happier than I've ever been."

As Conner took her from the room followed closely by her dad, she caught a glimpse of Remi moving to comfort her mother who remained sitting down.
Interesting.
But something that could wait for another day. Today was all about Kelly and her moving forward.

~ * ~

Conner sprinted through the bush, reveling in the feel of the twigs and branches that brushed against him. Splashing through a stream, he made his way deeper into the Cradle Mountain National Park, far from where any stray hiker might accidentally catch a glimpse of him.

Reaching a small clearing, he stood looking up to the sky allowing the sun to warm him. He hadn't gone for a run in his snow leopard form in so long. With everything that had been happening, he'd needed it desperately.

What did you stop for?

Dominic's voice floated through his mind. They couldn't talk as leopards, but they could speak into each other's minds. They could also feel each other's emotions, so Dominic knew full well why Conner had stopped.

Just enjoying the sunshine on my fur for a bit.

I figured you must have stopped for a breather, since you haven't been for a run in so long. You probably need a break every so often now.

There was a heavy dose of humor in his brother's voice, but it didn't prevent Conner's answering growl or him chasing after his older sibling. They ran for a good half hour before Conner caught up to Dominic. Wrestling him to the ground, he stood above him watching his brother pant.

Now who's out of practice? Mated life slowing you down, bro?

A heartbeat later, Conner was on the ground with his brother's jaws wrapped gently around his throat.

Careful there, Conner. You shouldn't tempt me to prove just how strong I am now that I'm fully mated.

You feel it too?

Dominic released him and lay down in a ray of sunshine. No matter how old they were, they'd always have an inner kitten. Conner cocked his head in humor as Dominic squirmed on his back, sunning his underside. Once he found the perfect spot, he responded to his question.
Feel what?

Stronger. Since mating, I've noticed I'm stronger. All my skills are amplified. Dad never told us about that side of it.

Yeah, mating amplifies things all right. Dad never told us, because the Council of Alphas decided eons ago that it was something we didn't need to know until after we'd mated. Kind of like a surprise mating gift.

Pretty cool gift.

They both lay in silence for a few moments, enjoying the sun and fresh air, but Conner could sense something was weighing on his brother.

I can sense you're churning over something, Dom. Spit it out already.

How'd that meeting with Gloria go?

You mean what did she want.

Well, yeah, that too.

Apparently she's seen the light and wants to fix the relationships in her life. Guess we'll just have to wait and see if her actions support her words.

Well, if she does anything out of line with what she's saying, we'll know about it. Remi's keeping a close watch on her for us.

Conner shook his head.
I don't think Remi's watching her for our benefit, Dom.

Yeah, I did notice he's paying
a lot
of attention to her.

Just hope she doesn't rip his heart out too.

Oh well, not much we can do about it at this point. Let's head back, we've been away for too long.

Yeah, with Robyn caught I doubt Barbara will try anything but still…

My feelings too. Adele is a lot stronger now, and if someone threatened any of them she'd shift and be able to protect them. But I'd still prefer to be there.

With a burst of movement, Conner rolled to his feet.
Race you back.

Dom's laugh echoed through his mind as he leapt through the scrub back to his mate.

It didn't take more than a quarter of an hour to return. They had instinctively worked a big circle around their females as they ran and played with each other. Conner burst through the bush into the clearing, sure he'd beaten his brother. A low growl was all his warning before his brother pinned him to the ground with a thump.

Damn, Dom. Do you have to pull this shit in front of my mate?

Of course I do, why do you think I did it? My mate's watching too.