Page 65 of Brandt's Rule

“You’ll forgive my curiosity, I hope,” Bane said, not even trying to veil it any longer.

“I would be concerned if you weren’t curious about me and what kind of person I am.”

“We understand each other.”

“Very well, I think.” Tempest did her best to convey a calm, non-shakeable demeanor, but inside she was trembling. She was not good with new people, and even worse with crowds. One or two at a time, she was okay with. But this, this was a whole other level. Everybody in the house wanted to meet her because they assumed she and Brandt would be mated. She honestly had no idea what would happen between them. Were they mates? Probably. Were they going to be forever? In a perfect world, yes. But what world has ever been perfect?

“Pest?” Brandt whispered right beside her ear.

She turned and looked into his eyes.

He smiled at her and nudged her with his shoulder. “I hope you’re okay with me introducing you as what you are to me, instead of ‘whatever this is’.”

Tempest smiled and shook her head patiently as she looked into his eyes.

“Don’t forget. I’m right here.”

Those three simple words said so many things to her. She nodded. “Okay.”

“Well, I have to go check dinner,” Janie said, taking a step backward. She paused a moment to look at Tempest. “Everyone is here because they love Brandt, and by default you. No worries. Besides, I have no problem uninviting anybody right quick if you’re uncomfortable.”

Tempest smiled at Janie and shook her head. “It’ll be fine.”

“Okay, then. Y’all come on in,” Janie said just before she disappeared inside the house.

The moment the door opened and closed, Tempest caught the sound of other voices. Not just Daisy’s, several more.

“Dad, who’s here?” Brandt asked, still standing on the porch with Tempest’s hand clasped in his, with Tempest standing just behind and to his side.

“Just a few people,” Bane answered.

“Few like who?”

“Uncle Bam, Everly. Uncle Kaid and Aunt Delilah.”

“And me! I’m here so you’re not facing this group alone,” Maverik said, opening the door and stepping outside. “How long you gonna keep the girl on the porch, Brandt? Damn, manners or something should call for getting her out of the damn cold and into the house.” He stepped closer to Brandt and mocked punched him in the shoulder, then pulled Tempest in for a hug. “You alright baby-girl?”

“I’m good, yeah.”

“If at any time you decide this is too much bullshit. Just give me the sign and we’ll get the hell out of here,” Maverik said.

Tempest laughed. “Have to meet them at some point, right?”

“Could have been done in a better way, but I suppose,” Maverik said.

“Don’t you think it’s a good idea to have them all in one place where we can keep an eye on them instead of letting them approach her when they happen to run into her somewhere else?” Bane asked, making imaginary quotation marks in the air when he said happen to run into her.

Maverik thought about it for a second. Then he looked at Tempest and Brandt. “He ain’t wrong.”

“All these years you still give me no credit,” Bane grumbled, shaking his head as he put a hand on the doorknob to open it.

“Sure I do. You’re just so fiercely protective of your kids, I wonder sometimes.”

“Oh, my God. Says you who drove your daughter to Missouri to force her to make up with her mate and didn’t tell her until she walked into his house that it was his house she was walking into.”

“Technically, it was her house. He bought it for her.”

“Semantics, Maverik,” Bane said.

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