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“I doubt anything can scare that woman,” his father muttered and slanted Gerald a grin. “And I don’t mean your mother. I’ve seen Deputy Novak in action. No one makes that bear do anything she doesn’t want to.” He laughed. “You know, son, I think you might have just met your match.”
Chapter Twenty
Laura didn’t know what to make of Gerald’s family. Far from the snooty, wealthy clan of foxes she might have expected, everyone seemed very down-to-earth. No one had been rude at all, quite the opposite.
But it was his mother who’d been most suspicious. The woman asked pointed questions, a lot of which Laura had to guess at answers. Gerald’s favorite meal? Favorite music? What did they like to do together? How had they finally made the decision to take their relationship to the next level?
She did appreciate Branden. The younger man did his best to smooth things over when his mother got too inquisitive. And Gerald remained close, butting in a few times to get Colleen off Laura’s back.
Laura stood with Gerald at the door as he said good-bye to the rest of the group. His mother leaned in and whispered something that had his cheeks bright red. Then she turned a knowing gaze on Laura, smiled, and turned away.
They stood in silence, watching as the rest of the guests departed.
Finally alone, she turned and socked him in the stomach. To her annoyance, he didn’t flinch. “What the heck was that?”
He groaned, dragged himself across the room, and flopped onto the sofa. “I have no idea. They showed up out of nowhere. And my mother sicced my cousins on me so I couldn’t warn you ahead of time. As it was, they got here just minutes before you showed up. And they had food!
“It was like a swarm of elves took over and ruined dinner with good cheer and congratulations about us getting mated. Where was all the censure? The disappointment? The criticism?” He sighed. “I don’t know how to process all this.”
“Ruined dinner?”
He glanced up at her, an odd expression on his face. “I was expecting to defend myself and you to my parents. Then they showed up with extended family and a meal. And not one word of surprise or irritation from my mother. My dad, he just wants me to be happy. But my mom? She wants me to be her version of happy.”
“What version is that?”
“The one where my future mate ticks off my mother’s boxes. I love my family, but they can be overbearing, you know?”
“They were super nice to me tonight.”
“That’s what bothers me.”
“Huh?” She sat next to him on the couch, but not too close, needing space to preserve her sense of self. Around Gerald, she felt a need to cling, which had never happened to her before. “You don’t want them to be nice to me?”
“No, no. I do, but I feel like my mother’s up to something.”
“Maybe she realizes this is a fake thing and not worth getting upset about.”
“Yeah, I guess.” He didn’t seem happy with that explanation.
And for some reason, talking about them being fake bothered her as well. “The food was good.”
“It was.” He nodded. “Um, also, we have a party on Thursday. It’s the office holiday party. Way less stress. It’ll be fun.”
“Oh, okay.” She wondered if she should mention it. “I got another gift today.”
“What’s that?”
“Someone’s been leaving me presents.” She studied him but didn’t see any sign of guilt. “You don’t anything about that, do you?”
“Should I?”
She sighed. “No. It’s weird but kind of nice.”
“What have you been getting?”
“Stuff I like, so it’s someone who knows me…which isn’t saying much. The town isn’t that big.”
“True.” He sat up and looked her over. “Are you okay with this? It sounds a little like you might have a stalker.”
