Page 27 of True Calling
“And you’re a dragon shifter? A real honest to goodness dragon?” Marla asked in awe.
“Yes, ma’am.” Garth replied.
Marla pursed her lips. “Don’t ma’am me. I’m not that old yet. You can call me Marla or Mom.” She then looked at Berk, and sternly said, “You had better never let anything, but Mom pass those lips again. I’ve waited too many years to hear that name come from you.”
“I promise.” Berk said with a smile. “I should have said it sooner. I knew how I’ve felt for a long time I just felt guilty for feeling it. The thing is, I realized my parents would love the both of you and appreciate how you’ve taken me in and treated me as if I was your birth child. I know now I shouldn’t feel guilty, because all my parents would have wanted was for me to have someone to guide me through troubled times, love me unconditionally, and support me when I needed it. That’s what the both of you have done for me since the day I walked into your home. I love you both.”
Marla raised a shaky hand to her lips, tears falling unchecked down her cheeks as she said in a tear-filled voice, “We love you too, Berk.”
Nort cleared his throat, and Garth could see they had become misty all over again. However, he drew in a shaky breath, saying, “I take it that you’re here because of those troubled times you mentioned. What’s going on?”
After Bo explained everything, Nort nodded, “I get an oily feeling whenever I’m around that Carl. It was why I was going to contact him and tell him no to his offer. Don’t get me wrong, it would be a great location for a restaurant, but besides the fact that I didn’t like how he was looking at my son, I didn’t like the fear I saw in some of the employees’ faces as he showed me the location he wanted my restaurant.”
“Have you told him this yet?” Garth asked.
Shaking his head, Nort said, “Naaa. Marla and I were busy checking out our new home and I haven’t bothered calling him yet, but I did contact him like Berk asked and gave him a bullshit story about wanting to see the zoo from a tourist point of view. Like I said, he’s gonna leave us tickets at the front gate. He wanted to meet with us, and I told him maybe the next day, because I really wanted the entire experience without business talk. He agreed.”
“Wait! He won’t be there at all to meet us?” Berk asked.
Shrugging, Nort replied, “He’s not supposed to, no. Then again, he’s a slimy eel, so I wouldn’t put it past him to be there anyway. Especially since he knows Berk’ll be there.”
“Well, so will you and me.” Trevor said with a smile. “We won’t let Carl do anything to Berk.”
“But he only thinks my son and I are coming. I don’t know if I can get another ticket or what I’d tell him about why you’re there.” Nort anxiously replied.
Smiling, Trevor said, “You don’t have to tell him anything because he won’t even know I’m there.”