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My eyes widen and my body becomes stiff in Rayne’s hold. I can’t meet his family, arguably Chicago’s favorite family, before I even know how to define what we are. It’s one thing being around him all the time because he’s rarely in the public eyes, I can separate him from his last name, but the rest of the family…
“You’re panicking.” It’s not a question. He can feel it in my body, fear vibrating through my entire being.
“Of course I’m panicking,” I whisper shout, looking anywhere but where we’re heading.
I’ve always found it surreal coming face to face with people that frequent the front page of every newspaper in the city, but this is different. This isn’t chatting with someone who might donate to the Center, or that wants to boost their public image. No, this is something else entirely.
I’ve never met the parents. None of my exes had ever taken me home to meet anyone. No parents, no siblings, and only the occasional friend. It was never worth it to them to introduce me to the people in their lives and I don’t know what to think of the fact Rayne is introducing me to his entire family less than a week after he informed me that I’m his. Self-doubt eats at me and every step we take has nausea bubbling in my belly.
Rayne brings us to a halt. His large hands spreading across my cheeks, enveloping me in his warmth and tilting my face up until our eyes meet. “Sweet girl, you have to reason to be afraid. My parents are the sweetest people you’ll ever meet, and when I mentioned you, I thought my mom and sisters were going to pass out from excitement. Snow hasn’t stopped bugging me about meeting you since I asked her to find a dress for you for tonight.” He presses his lips to my forehead. “They’re going to be as obsessed with you as I am.”
A moment later his arm is back around my waist and he’s pulling me toward to Saint James family in all their incredibly attractive glory.Jesus, this gene pool.
The whole family seems to notice us heading toward them at the same time, and while terror wraps its fist around my chest and squeezes, the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen in my life spread across their faces, even Storm, who has a reputation of being grumpy and disinterested, has a wide grin as his brother approaches.
The familial similarities are obvious the closer we get. Rayne has his dad’s dark eyes, and both the brothers have dark hair and features, while all the girls have striking blue eyes and are various shades of blonde. Storm is the only one whose eyes don’t match one of their parents, a mesmerizing gray that every woman in Chicago swoons over.
I take a deep breath as we close the distance. I can do this. They’re just people. People with a lot of money. People who basically every other person in Chicago are obsessed with. I’m in so far over my head I actually might drown.
“They’re staring at me,” I whisper.
“That’s because I’ve never introduced anyone to them before, and they’re excited to meet you.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head and I melt into his side. I don’t know how he knows how to placate me, but fuck me, am I grateful for it right now.
“Stop looking at them like that. Do you want to scare her off before she even meets us?” I hear his mother reprimand them.
“No Mom,” they all say together and my heart aches to have what they have. I don’t remember my mom, not really. There are snippets of memories from my childhood, but I was always closer to my dad, and when she left, it hurt me more to see my dad hurt than it caused me any pain. She was absent a lot, worked more than she spent time at home with us, and when push came to shove and she had to choose between her work and her family, she chose work. For the first few years after she left, I heard from her every so often, birthdays and Christmas usually, and then little by little those phone calls dropped off, and now it’s been almost three years since I heard from her.
She has a new family, a five-year-old with her new husband, a dog, and a white picket fence. All the things she gave up when she left us because she wanted to put her career first.
I snap myself out of my pity party and slap a smile on my face as we take the final steps to meet them, my heart beats so hard and fast I think it might leap clear from my chest any minute now, and I lean into Rayne for support. Jesus, who would have thought meeting the parents would be so terrifying?
Our feet have barely stopped moving when Snow steps forward and throws her arms around me. I’ve never been especially affectionate, normally shying away from physical contact, but Snow’s hug eases some of the anxiety I feel about meeting the Saint James family.
“Snow! Give the poor girl some space,” their mother hisses and Snow immediately releases me. “I’m sorry, dear. I swear I raised them with manners.”
“Oh, that’s okay.” I shift on the spot awkwardly. I don’t really know what the etiquette is when it comes to meeting someone’s family, and I’m hoping someone else is going to take the lead to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment.
Rayne smiles down at me before looking to his family. “This is Emerson.” He beams. Rayne is a hard man, and although when we’ve been alone, he’s let down his walls, I’ve never seen him look so open in public.
I give an awkward wave, reprimanding myself immediately for how stupid I probably look to the distinguished family standing in front of me. It’s not even like they’re the first celebrities I’ve ever met, but apparently I’m more determined to make a fool of myself than usual.
Rayne’s mother is the first one to step forward, stopping right in front of me before bracing her hands on my elbows. Her touch is warm and gentle, and before I can stop myself, I sink into the feeling. “You’re just as beautiful as Rayne told us you were.” She grins. “It’s so lovely to meet you, Emerson. I’m Bethany, but please call me Beth. I can’t tell you how happy I am that Rayne has found someone he’s so smitten with.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Beth.”
She looks over her shoulder at her husband and waves him over. “Ron, isn’t she just lovely?”
He chuckles and wraps a possessive arm around her waist, similar to the hold Rayne still has on me. “Hi, Emerson, I’m Ron. I’m sorry for my entire family. They’re very excited.”
I giggle. “It’s okay. I don’t think anyone has ever been so excited to meet me before.” The honest words slip out past my filter.
Beth slaps her husband’s chest with the back of her hand. “Shush, you. You’re just as excited as the rest of us. Now, Emerson. You already met Snow. This is my other daughter Wynter, and my other son, Storm.”
“I can totally see why Rayne hasn’t stopped talking about you.” Wynter throws her arms around me the way her sister had a few minutes ago. God, I’ve had more physical contact in the last twenty-four hours than I’ve had in the last ten years, and I don’t hate it.
I look up at Rayne who looks guilty. Has he actually been talking about me? Surely it was just a fleeting comment, and they were blowing it out of proportion.
“I’m so glad you chose this dress. I mean, you would have looked incredible in any of them, but holy shit, this one is stunning on you!” Snow grins.
