Page 39 of In Plain Sight

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I was just thinking of this house and growing up here and imagining what our children will be like someday.” That time I definitely saw him cringe. “I’m not saying we have to have kids, at least not right away, but someday I’d like to think we will.”

Bran stared at me and I immediately regretted saying anything, then he softened and kissed me. “I can’t imagine anything greater than a houseful of our children.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Really.”

“Hey! You guys gonna stand out here making out all night, or are you actually coming in for dinner?” Lily yelled from the front door.

I buried my face in his chest and said a quick prayer that this evening would go by swiftly. Taking his hand, I jumped down and we walked into the house.

“Nice. Real subtle there, Lily,” Bran said.

She shrugged happily. “No pretense here, Bran. You’ll learn quickly.”

Lily led us back to the dining room where dinner was already on the table and everyone was waiting. Mom and Dad rose and met us at the door.

“Um, Mom, Dad, this is my mate, Bran. Bran, these are my parents. Cora and Zach Collier.”

Bran shook hands with my father, and Mom had tears in her eyes when she hugged him. The introductions were quick, and my parents didn’t make a fuss about it at all. That surprised me a lot. Bran took the seat next to Dad and throughout dinner they talked casually. No one interrogated him or teased me in any way. It was weird and set me on edge.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone being so nice and cordial tonight?” I asked Lizzy as we cleared the table to make room for dessert.

She laughed. “You can thank Peyton for that. Oh trust me, most of us were ready for some good payback tonight, but she begged us to back off and be nice. Said you were really nervous about introducing Bran to Mom and Dad. We have plenty of time to razz you both later. Besides, everyone feels like we already know him and so what’s the fun in interrogating at this point?”

I hugged her. “Thank you.”

“Thank Peyton,” she said.

“Oh, I intend to. I was a nervous wreck coming here tonight.”

Lizzy smiled. “I get it. It’s big, real, or more real somehow officially introducing him to the family. I mean, everyone knew Cole already and had for years, but introducing him as my mate was really tough.”

“I’m sorry if I made it harder.”

“You did, but I love you anyway,” she said.

I started to finally relax after that, and the evening went by smoothly. Dad and Bran seemed to connect well, and Mom pulled me aside before we left to tell me how wonderful he was. I felt like I could finally breathe a little easier and apologized to her for not bringing him by to meet them sooner.

I pulled Peyton aside as everyone was saying goodbyes.

“Thank you. Lizzy told me what you did,” I said, giving her a big hug. “I didn’t deserve it.”

She shrugged. “I know, but this was important, and I knew you were stressing about it. Besides, like I told them, Bran’s already part of the family anyway so anything said or done would have just been vengeance towards you, and that wasn’t how sisters should be.”

“You’re the best!” I said as Bran and Cole finished their conversation and we left for home.

“See, I don’t know why you were so worried,” he said as he helped me into the truck.

I groaned. “You have no idea.”

We headed home and the next day kicked off just like any other. I worked; I had lunch with Bran; and then after work, he stopped in long enough to say hi before heading over to Cole and Lizzy’s. They had the place dried out and the destroyed flooring pulled up, but the next few days would be spent laying the new floors.

He wasn’t gone even an hour when Clara called and told me to get my butt over to her house ASAP.

“I have a surprise for you,” she said.

We hung up the phone and I jumped in the truck and drove straight over to Clara’s. Before I could even knock on her front door it flew open and I was pulled inside.

---