Page 41 of Knot Her Cowboys (Big Sky Omegas #2)

T he piper had finally come to call on meeting the families of my new packmates.

I shouldn’t have been that nervous. I’d already met Cash’s family before.

Cooper’s weren’t coming—Morgan and her pack were busy with pre-scheduled clients, and the rest weren’t invited—and Levi’s were too far afield to make the trip on short notice, but Dakota’s family would be here.

I wasn’t sure if Cash’s parents would be mad at me for vanishing, but I was trying to have a little trust after mending my fences with Cash and Cooper.

“How’s my gorgeous girl?” Cash asked, sliding up next to me as I removed a tray of roasted potatoes from the industrial oven to cool for a potato salad recipe I was trying out tomorrow.

“Stressed.” Once I’d set down the hot pan, he dragged me closer for a kiss until I was purring, my nerves melting away as his delight suffused the bond. He was unfairly cute and knew exactly what I needed.

“Better?”

“Yes, but these pot roasts aren’t going to cook themselves.” I huffed, nerves twisting my belly the moment his hands weren’t on me anymore. “You’re really, super, one thousand percent certain your parents aren’t going to hate me?”

“Honey bun, they love you. That hasn’t changed just because you were gone for a while.”

“But…”

“No buts. You’re my bondmate, which makes them your family. My parents will love you. Carter and his pack will love you. It’s just how our family works. I know you don’t have a lot of experience with actually decent family units, but I know how mine operates.”

I pouted, my eyes burning as tears snuck up on me, before burrowing against his chest. “I just love you so much and I don’t want to make things weird for you with them, and I honestly don’t think I could handle your parents looking at me the way Darlene does.”

“They would never . Every word out of my mouth about you in their direction has been one of love, and Mom is fucking jazzed that you’re home again. Plus, I know you’re going to woo them with your amazing cooking.”

“It’s just pot roast.”

“Pot roast made with love,” he clarified.

“More like made with anxiety, but I’ll try to throw in a little extra love. I’ve got everything prepped and the food for the guests is already in the oven. They just have to pull it out when the timer goes off, slice the meat, and serve it.”

“You did all the hard stuff. The staff can handle it from here.” He gave me a hard, but loving look before I could say anything else. “Come on. We’ll take the family tray for the oven in the big house and you can shower before everyone gets here. I’ll even keep you company during it if you want.”

“Then we’d be late for dinner, and I can’t look your family in the eye knowing I was late to greet them because you were railing me.”

Cash laughed. “I could probably rustle up some self-control.”

I didn’t believe him for a second. “I don’t want you to have self-control, so better not to test it.

” I took one of the deep pans out of the oven and set it onto a baking tray before passing him a pair of oven mitts.

“The bottom pan isn’t hot. I don’t want you to get burned carrying the hot one all the way home, so be careful. ”

Warmth bloomed in my chest, barreling straight down the bond from him.

I tilted my head. “What’re you so happy about?”

“Honey bun, what did you just call the big house?”

My face warmed as I picked back through what I’d just said. “Home?”

“Mhmm.” He cupped my cheeks, indulging himself in another kiss. “Is it starting to feel that way to you?”

“Anywhere you guys are feels like home to me.”

I could hardly breathe past the rush of adoration in the bond.

It was the truth. Cash and Cooper had always been home to me, and Dakota and Levi had quickly become that as well.

They wanted me to be safe, wanted me to feel comfortable enough to heal.

I knew gratitude was part of my feelings for them, but I could tell the difference now.

Gratitude and loneliness had been why I’d entered my last relationship, and while I was certainly grateful to this pack, it wasn’t why I wanted to surrender to a life with them.

Cash squeezed me tightly. “I love you so fucking much. I don’t even know how I get through the day carrying this much love around inside me.”

“Taking the words right out of my mouth.”

My replacement kitchen staff arrived and I gave them a brief rundown of everything I had prepared and everything they would need to do. Then Cash and I took the partially cooked food to the big house and got it in the oven before I disappeared upstairs for a quick shower.

I emerged to a grinning Cash holding up a pair of ballet flats and a sundress that matched my omega suite: Cream at the neckline and transitioning to a deep purple at the hem. “I ordered you something cute.”

His offering warmed me from the inside out. Sometimes new clothes functioned the same as armor, and I needed that right now. “How did you know I’d want something for tonight?”

“I didn’t know for sure, but I figure a new outfit can’t ever hurt a situation.”

“You know my size?”

“I snooped on what you had in your dresser and guesstimated for this style.”

With a quick detour for undergarments, I slipped on the dress, sliding my hands over the soft fabric.

“You look good enough to eat, honey bun.”

My cheeks flushed as I turned in front of the antique mirror. “You did good, Cashy. It fits perfectly, and it’s very cute. Thank you.” I crooked my finger and Cash bent so I could kiss his cheek.

A cloud of dust out the window caught my attention and I peeked out to see a caravan of vehicles arriving.

“That’ll be Dakota’s family,” Cash told me. “Guess we’d better get down there.”

He looped an arm around my waist as anxiety bolted through me.

I shouldn’t have been worried. The women of Dakota’s family were hugging me before he even had the chance to introduce me.

“It’s so good to meet you,” the oldest of the three women beamed at me.

“Riley, this is my mother, Delores; my older sister, Star, who runs the Rez clinic; and my baby sister, River, who does community outreach with our mom.” Dakota turned, gesturing to the group of men waiting much more patiently.

“My dads: Will, Glenn, and Ted. They own the construction company with Charlie and Fox. They’ll be here a lot, working on our projects, as soon as the busy season winds down.

Chayton teaches science at the Rez school, and Mato is in law school right now. ”

The family resemblance between them was honestly uncanny, almost every child taking heavily after their mother’s softer features.

A few of the men had short hair, but most wore it long in braids.

Those who worked in construction had the mark of it on their skin, being several shades darker than the others from the kiss of the sun.

“It’s great to meet all of you. You did an A+ job raising Dakota.”

His mother beamed at me. “I’ve always thought so.”

Before I could get drawn into any conversation, Carter and his pack arrived. He was cute as a fucking button right at the front of everyone, barreling straight into a hug with me.

“Hey there, bookworm. You certainly grew up.” Not as much as I’d expected, though, and he smelled distinctly sweet.

Apparently Carter had presented as an omega, insisting on being the opposite to Cash in designation as well as personality, even though they physically looked incredibly similar besides height.

“I’m glad you’re back.” Carter kept his arm around me as he introduced his pack that followed him at a slower pace. “These are my alphas, Wyatt and Colt.”

“Pleasure to meet the famous Riley.” Wyatt extended his hand with a smile on his face.

I tucked mine in for a handshake. “Pleasure’s all mine.” I turned to Carter. “You been talking about me as much as your brother?”

His cheeks flushed. “Maybe.”

“He’s fond of you, is all,” said Colt. “Cash has told us plenty of stories too. You were missed while you were gone.”

“I’m glad to be back.”

Another vehicle shot past the windows and came to a screeching halt, Cash’s mother bolting out of the back seat, climbing over several others.

“Junebug, slow down,” Cash’s dad, John, called out.

“No slow!” Cash’s mom yelled back. “My baby girl is home.”

Carter detached just in time for Mrs. Balor to sweep me into a bone-crushing hug.

“It’s good to see you too, Ms. B.”

“None of that. I’m your mama now.”

Her husband was quickly followed in by another pair of men I didn’t recognize.

“I’ve acquired some bonus dads since you left,” Cash explained. “You already know Mama and Dad, but these two are Lester and Joe. Mama packed up about six years ago, highly improper too.”

June whacked her son on the shoulder. “He’s just saying that because they started off as wranglers on our ranch. Teased me for ages about being their boss, but a scent match is a scent match, and love can’t be stopped.”

John hugged me around his wife since she refused to let go, Lester and Joe giving me polite waves.

“Junie hasn’t stopped talking about you since Cash told us you were back,” Lester told me. “I think we were treated to your whole life story.”

I got emotional , both over everyone being excited to see me and the sweetness of Cash’s mom finding additional love all these years later. It was a good reminder that it was never too late to find happiness.

Carter and River stole me away, getting all the gossip on the chaos my life had become recently.

“Dakota’s being a good alpha, right?” River asked. “Because I can throw some burrs in his underwear drawer if you want.”

I laughed. “He’s been amazing, I promise. No burrs needed.”

Cooper and Levi came in from wherever they’d been, Cooper instantly occupied by Cash’s family, and Levi drawn in by Dakota’s.

They both cast longing looks in my direction but were too polite to abandon their conversations, so I excused myself briefly, maneuvering through the crowd to give each of my alphas a hug.

I scent marked their cheeks when they dipped down to kiss mine.

The room was an absolute cacophony of voices, but the energy was all love.

I settled back between Carter and River, Dakota’s sister updating me on their community and numerous people I had never met.

We didn’t have enough living room seating for quite this many people, but we had stolen some tables and chairs out of the community center so we could accommodate everyone for dinner.

“You should come out to the ranch sometime,” Carter told me.

“I’d love to.”

“And to the Rez,” River added. “Gotta show off my brother’s new omega.”

“Absolutely. I don’t know exactly when the busy season is over, but the hot second it is, I’m sure we’ll make a trip out to both.”

River grinned, tucking close to my side, almost as close as Carter.

I’d forgotten how cuddly omegas were. I mean, I knew I was an opportunistic cuddler, but something about snuggling up with another omega instantly put me at ease.

They should’ve had an omega cuddle club at school; maybe I wouldn’t have been so lonely.

A knock at the door had everyone turning toward it. We weren’t expecting anyone else that I knew of. Cash opened it, revealing one of the young staffers.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but there’s two cars at the gates demanding to be let in, and their names match the people you said not to allow, but now one of them is trying to climb the gate.”

“Which names?” Cash asked.

“Uh, something with a B…”

I sighed, already getting to my feet. “For fuck’s sake.”