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Too bad they can’t see the tats and piercing.
Mom goes to hug me, but hesitates, holding on to my shoulders and looking into my eyes. Looking for something to worry about. Assessing whether she needs to ask me about my pills.
Refusing to let anything bring me down on this, my best Christmas ever, I smile broadly and hug her. Then I introduce Charlie to everyone, including my brother and his girlfriend, Brittany—not tall and blonde and model perfect as I assumed.
Charlie shakes everyone’s hands, but instead of sitting down on the couch to visit, he quietly asks my father for a private conversation.
My big, burly father, who stands a foot taller and outweighs him by nearly one hundred pounds. The father who frowns at the black clothes, who knows enough about my past to turn a hard look on the man I chose to bring home.
He never said anything about wanting to talk to Dad. Without me.
I sit by Sam and try to concentrate on their conversation as the two most important men in my life disappear into Dad’s office.
“Wow, Sis, I can’t believe you showed up on time.”
Irritated, I give her a small, tight smile. “Miracles do happen. It’s Christmas after all.”
Evidently Michael was filled in enough prior to my arrival to be suspicious about any man I’m dating. “So what’s up with this guy?”
I put up with his big brother preachy attitude all my life, so I’m not going to let him get under my skin. Not today. “Charlie? What about him?”
“Where did you meet him? How long have you known him? Hasn’t anyone else asked you these questions, Ranay?”
All those questions ring like accusations in my head. What kind of freak are you? Why do you need pain? Why can’t you be normal?
To calm myself, I smooth my hands up and down my thighs, hard enough to remind myself of the sore bite marks hidden beneath my jeans. Yeah, that makes me smile. “He’s been coming to Dr. Wentworth’s clinic for over a year. He has a big, beautiful king shepherd named Sheba who’d eat your face off if you showed up at his door uninvited. And we’ve been together since…” I have to pause a minute, running through everything that happened already. “Yesterday.”
I can’t keep the surprise out of my voice. Only one day. It feels like I’ve never not known Charlie MacNiall.
“That’s all?” Mom sounds surprised too. I search her face, braced for doubt, worry, the same questions she always asks me. “You seem so right together. Comfortable. It’s funny but I never would have guessed you’d only just started to date.”
My heart wells with all the happiness and hope he gave me already. “Thanks, Mom.”
The door opens and the two men come out. Smiling. Dad shakes Charlie’s hand before he comes over and sits beside me. Easy and charming, he drops his arm around my shoulder. “What’d I miss?”
“Nothing, nothing at all.”
Gradually everyone starts to turn their attention away from us, so I lean up and whisper in his ear. “What happened with Dad? What’d you say?”
Charlie kisses my temple. “I told him I knew about your past, that you’d been completely honest with me, and we were fully prepared to work together for this relationship. And if he had any concerns at all, he should feel free to call me at any time so we could discuss it. He appreciated my openness and wished us all the best.”
I drop my head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for bringing me to your family. It’s been a long time since I celebrated Christmas.”
His wistful voice makes me glad, now, that he insisted on coming along. I still wish he didn’t have to leave tomorrow. In fact, my stomach turns into cold, queasy lead at the thought. But at least he’ll have a few hours of family time.
“So…” Sam smiles at us with narrowed eyes. “She told you all about Josh, right?”
Extremely nosy, embarrassing family time. Tensing, I shoot a glare at her. “Yes. He knows.”
Charlie twines our fingers together, holding my hand on his thigh. It might look cute and affectionate to the rest of the family, but his thumb rubs over my pulse. That easily, he reminds me of the pressure point he used last night.
“And Talon,” he says easily. “Can we discuss some of your old boyfriends instead?”
“Tell him about Tommy, Sis. Or would you rather talk about Jacob? Or how about when you had a crazy crush on that werewolf movie?”
“Shut up,” Sam mutters, starting to turn red.
