Page 56 of Run Free

Cora called us to dinner shortly after. The food was great, and the conversation flowed without a hitch. It was clear by her siblings’ apparel that you were expected to dress for dinner at Cora Collier’s table. Still, no one said a word about my attire, though Clara was scolded at least twice over her appearance. She had squeezed my hand each time and I’d bite my tongue to keep from speaking out.

I didn’t love the idea of my parents staying at the house with us, so I was relieved when Cora insisted they stay with them. Mom was hesitant, but her manners won out in the end and she agreed.

All in all the night hadn’t been horrible, though I was happy when it came to an end and we finally left for home. I was ready to strip off my clothes and make love to my mate, but that wasn’t in the cards just yet. Before we even made it to the door, three vehicles pulled in. Lily and Thomas exited the first. Ruby jumped out of the truck, and Peyton and Shelby got out of the third.

Clara lit up with a smile on her face, so I sucked it up and smiled, too.

“What are you guys doing here?” I asked.

Lily snorted. “Please, we gave you last night alone, and everyone was painfully polite over dinner with your parents there, but now it’s time we get to know the real Gage Matthews.”

I wasn’t sure if she was serious or not. I honestly couldn’t read her, but Clara giggled as we all headed into the house, settling down in the living room.

“I still haven’t made it to the grocery store,” Clara apologized.

“Like we didn’t know that already,” Ruby said, walking in with a cooler of iced beers.

“I brought snacks too,” Peyton added.

Thomas shot me an apologetic look as I went to sit on the couch, and Lily grabbed my hand and pulled me up. Shelby moved a single chair to the middle of the room and Lily pushed me down into it.

Ruby passed out beers as Thomas setup a laptop on the coffee table in front of me.

“This really does feel like an interrogation,” I chuckled.

Clara sat at my feet and turned to frown up at me. “It should. They aren’t joking around. I’m sorry. I should have seen it coming. You’re the first outsider to join the family.” To her siblings she added, “Don’t you think this is a little overkill?”

“No,” they all said in unison.

Soon four more faces appeared on the laptop screen before me, six if you counted the sleeping baby, and the boy that kept peeking between his parents for a look. He was a cute kid. I always did like children.

“Hey, can you hear us?” the girl on the right of the screen asked.

Clara waved. “We can hear you, Lizzy. Hi, Cole.”

“Hey, Clara,” the man replied, and I assumed it was Cole Anderson, second to Thomas and Elizabeth Collier’s mate.

I had noticed through dinner, and even more so now, just how quiet my Clara was being. I leaned down to check on her. “You okay, angel?”

She nodded and smiled but stayed quiet. I wasn’t used to Clara keeping her thoughts to herself. She had never had trouble voicing her opinion. Her demeanor around her family was confusing me.

“Maddie, Liam, can you guys hear us okay?” Lily asked, and the couple to the left on the screen nodded and gave a thumbs-up.

“Hi, Aunt Lily,” the little boy yelled through the screen.

“Shhh, Oscar, they can hear you through the speakers. You don’t need to yell loud enough for her to actually hear you in Wyoming,” Liam reminded him.

“Sorry.”

The room chuckled at him and I noticed the baby barely moved during the entire exchange. I assumed she was used to a loud-mouthed brother. It made me briefly think of my own sisters. I still couldn’t believe my parents had gone on to have more children.

“Hi, Oscar, and you sweet sleeping Sara. Eek! I’m so excited we’re all together like this! Okay, not really together, but you know what I mean. And for anyone who hasn’t met him, we have a new family member. This is Gage Matthews, Clara’s one true mate.”

I waved to the laptop since I had already met everyone in the room. I glanced down and saw Clara turning ten shades of red. I rubbed her shoulder to reassure her. This was her family and I knew they meant a lot to her, so I’d endure whatever madness Lily seemed to have concocted.

Ruby passed the beers around and Peyton set out trays of food on the coffee table around the laptop.

“I really love this idea,” Shelby gushed. “I mean it is sort of like we’re all together again at last. It’s been too long.”

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