Page 315 of Bride of Choice

Gopher wrapped his index finger around the pinky of the opposite hand, then lifted my hand to show that he could do the same with my index finger.

“But how?” I blurted.

Grinning, he dropped my hand, then wrapped his fingers around the ring finger of my left hand, just like he had before he’d left the other day. It hadn’t clicked that he’d done that, he’s played with my fingers so many times before as he’d held my hand. I’d thought nothing of it.

“Slick, mister,” I muttered, reeling him in for another hello, honey kiss as he slipped a rather sparkly, vintage looking ring onto my ring finger. The fit was perfect.

Holding the ring up to the light, I shook my head. It was silver, with little rainbow shimmering dark stones set in it I’d never seen the likes of before. “It’s beautiful.”

“BapaGaroph put new gems in. Old ones fake anyway, Mamma say.” He looked so pleased to see such a priceless family heirloom nestled on my finger, I had a mini moment of panic realizing I’d shit myself if I ever misplaced this ring.

“I’ll never take it off,” I swore.

I got an even hotter smooch for that one, bordering on a PG+ rating.

“Get a room!” Bia jokingly called out.

“Who need room?” Gopher’s Bapa in his wheeled chair called out.

“Look like they ‘bout to try and make babies right here,” Chloe sarcastically informed him.

He let out a loud grunt as their Mamma tutted and chastised, “Chloe! Be a lady!”

“They’re just happy, quiet you,” their Papa chastised Chloe gently, then ruined it by tossing her a wink that made her giggle and quiet down.

With one last rib cracking hug, Gopher released me to take my hand. “Come. Meet Mamma, Bapas, Papa, seesters,” he entreated.

Like I had a choice? He practically dragged me over to them, his chest puffed out, strutting towards them like a peacock.

Elle and Amee-lee quietly snickered at his display but they were grinning along with the rest of them.

“My Jo, Mamma. Mamma, my Jo,” Gopher eagerly introduced us.

Mamma immediately embraced me in a hug, murmuring as she pulled back, “We’ve heard so much about you. Treat my boy right.” She kissed one cheek, then the other. “He is special, and I am a bear,” she informed me.

Understanding a mother’s prerogative, I grinned at her quietly whispered threat.

Gopher heard her, though, all the same. “Mamma!” Frowning, he grumbled at her under his breath.

She reached up, all smiles, and pinched his cheek, then gave it a clap of a pat. “No sass. She understands. She’s a good one.” Another harsh cheek pat. “Respect her or I will make you.”

Papa cracked up at his firecracker of a mate. “That’s my girl. Tell ‘em, sass,” he said happily as his fellow mate-husbands rumbled along with his comment approvingly.

“This is my Gideon but you will call him Papa,” Mamma introduced Papa.

Papa’s grin widened as Gopher glanced repeatedly between me and his mother, as if he was nervous about introductions.

“Papa, it’s nice to meet you,” I smilingly greeted. Gopher’s father hooked his fingers on the waistband of his soft, animal hide pants. I noted the empty gun holster at his side, then.

“Nice to finally meet the woman who’s won over our boy.” Gideon, or Papa, dipped his head and tipped his hand as if he was tipping his hat to me, the hat he was not currently wearing. “Beginning to wonder if he’d ever find himself a woman out here.” Hooking a thumb over his shoulder, he made a face. “Now’s the hard part. Findin’ fellas crazy enough to take on all these sass monsters and treat ‘em right.”

“Or else,” Gopher’s Bapa in the special chair grumbled in agreement.

“Aint that right, Fuz,” Papa chortled out as he patted Fuz, as he called him, on the shoulder.

“Fusazar. BapaFuz.” Fuz held his right hand out, palm up. Something was wrong with his left arm. It was mottled and hairless, an odd green tint to the skin.

“BapaFuz,” I repeated, then reached out to clasp his forearm, settling mine in his, and gave it a gentle squeeze. He squeezed back, a genuine look of warmth suffusing his features as he smiled and nodded. His eyes had an odd, green haze over them clouding his vision.

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