Hers for the Holidays

Chapter Twelve

The drive passed quicker than either of them had wanted it to; they had spent the time listening to music and just enjoying each other's company.  Emily let out a sigh as Vincent pulled up into her parent’s driveway. The old farmhouse sat at the end of the long driveway and she had plenty of happy memories walking along the vast property with her siblings.  

“You ready?” Vincent asked as he put the car into park.

“No and yes,” she said with a slight smile.

“It’ll be fine, Em.”  He said as he reached over to squeeze her hand.

“Still nervous, but I’m glad you’re here.”  She gave his hand a quick squeeze in return before she undid her seatbelt.  

Vincent unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door, hopping out of the car.  Emily got out of the car and waited for him by the front porch. Emily could hear her mother in the backyard wrangling the kids inside for dinner.  She hoped the teens remembered clothing; she didn’t think that would be fun. To try to explain why there were so many naked people comfortably walking through the house.

She had a feeling he would probably freak out and want to leave after that; she moved up the creaking wooden steps.  Vincent took her hand in his, it amazed her at how warm his skin felt against her own. She smiled at him before knocking on the door; it pushed open easily and she sighed.  One of the kids must not have closed it very well.

They stepped into the foyer, Vincent took in all the fall decorations.  It looked like a home decor store had exploded all of their fall goods, gourds and cornucopias displayed on a long thin table with festive little turkey figurines.  That wasn’t what had his full attention, under the smell of pumpkin spice was a slightly wild familiar smell that all shifters had and cats, too many cats. He wrinkled his nose, trying to pinpoint the smell.

“I forgot to warn you, my mom loves Thanksgiving.”  Emily smiled sheepishly up at Vincent.

“No worries, so does my mom,”  Vincent said as a gaggle of kids of varying ages stopped in front of him.

“Ewww, Tia Emily you brought home a dog.”  Emily’s nephew Ethan blurted out before a hand clapped over his mouth and a woman that looked similar to Emily but a few years older, smiled at Emily and Vincent.

“Ethan,”  Emily chided. She grinned sheepishly back at Vincent.  She didn’t think he was a dog, she thought he was handsome.  

“Emily, we didn’t hear you pull up.  Sorry about that, ignore this one.” She said nodding to the giggling boy, “Don’t lick me!”  She yelled, letting the kid go as she wiped her hand on her jeans with a disgusted look. She watched one of the twins chase after the other followed by their cousins other a soft motherly smile replacing the look of disgust that had previously marred her delicate features.

“Vincent, this is my older sister Hannah,”  Emily said as she moved forward to hug the other woman.  Hannah shot him a knowing look as she hugged her shoulder and he shook his head, his lips pressed together in a firm line.  She nodded once before letting Emily go.  

“I’ve missed you so much,”  Hannah said, smoothing back Emily’s hair.  She turned to face Vincent, “I’ll save the interrogation for later so you won’t have to do a bunch of repeats.”  

“Thanks for that,”  Vincent chuckled as they moved further into the house.  

Hannah led them into a living room. The sofas were well worn and he could tell that this was a home filled with cats.  It was clean and tidy, but the smell lingered embedded in the very walls.  

Light gray walls were covered in smiling framed photos, years and years worth of smiling photos.  Vincent sat down on the red flannel couch, sinking into the soft cushions. Emily sat beside him and he held out his open palm to her and smiled as she laced their fingers together.  Hannah looked at them with a small smile on her red lips.

“I’ll go fix you both some cider and let mom know you guys are here.”  She told them as she turned to head towards the noise kitchen. They could hear all the children talking about him and arguing over who got to lick the beaters from the mixer.

“Relax,”  Vincent said to Emily, she was much to tense as she sat on the edge of the couch.  

“I’m trying, I want them to like you.”  She said a blush spreading across her cheeks as he let her hand go and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

Vincent liked the way she fit against him, her smell making him feel almost drunk.  One twin ran through the living room, springing over an ottoman with a catlike grace.  That’s when Vincent realized there were no cats in the house, at least not the small house cat variety.  

Emily’s family was full of cat shifters, the large kind.  At least the ones he had met so far were. He bit his lip and glanced over at Emily as Hannah walked back into the room, a tray of spicy cinnamon smelling mugs carefully balanced in her hands.

He turned back to Hannah, watching her as she moved, with a quiet padding of her feet.  A shorter woman followed, wiping her hands on her apron before smoothing down her stylish blond hair.  Yellow cat-like eyes peered at him from an almost feline face, if you could describe a woman’s face as feline.  Her cheekbones were high and angular her nose was small and upturned. She smiled at him and then rushed forward, her arms open to Emily.

“Baby,”  she said with an almost purr to her voice.  It was low, but he could still hear it coming from deep within her chest.  Emily stood and met her mother in a hug. The older woman gave her waist a squeeze before pulling her back to look at her.  “You look so good, is he taking good care of you?” She said monition to Vincent who was now standing beside Emily.

“Mom,”  Emily chided, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

“Just checking,”  Her mother said, bringing her hand up to smooth her daughter’s hair back from her face.

“I’d like you to meet Vincent,”  Emily said, turning and holding her hand towards him.