Hers for the Holidays

Chapter Sixteen

“You need to stop meddling,”  Trisha said to CJ as he swaggered into the room.

“I don’t know what you're talking about.”  CJ threw himself onto the couch with a grace that his tall frame shouldn’t have had.

“CJ, the house is filled with shifters.  We could all hear you hitting on Emily in the hallway.”  She whispered. “You’re about as subtle as a bull in a china shop.”

“What can I say?  I like her.” He shrugged as the children walk-ran through the house having been thoroughly chastised by their aunt Emily into behaving for the time being.  

“What kind are you?”  One of the twins climbed up the back of the couch to peer at him with his odd yellow-green eyes.

“He’s an annoying lizard.”  Trisha let out in a huff as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail, “Ethan, it’s impolite to ask someone what they are.”

“I am not,”  CJ said glaring over at his roommate's girlfriend.  

“Tia Trisha, how will I learn what he is if I don’t ask?”  Ethan asked, his wide curious eyes staring her down in the way only an unusual child could.

“He’s got you there, want to take a guess big guy?”  CJ said with a chuckle as he put his hands behind his head looking up at the kid.  

“I heard Tia Emily’s boyfriend call you an overgrown pigeon.”  Daniel, the other twin said as he picked from around the door frame.  Chasing his cousin’s forgotten for the moment at the possible discovery of another shifter.

“I’m not a pigeon, but I do fly and I’ve got scales, with big claws.  I can breathe out fire,” CJ letting his beast look out at the two children.

“A dragon,” they whispered in unison, their eyes growing wide. 

“Oh, this is just great, now he’s never going to shut up,”  Trisha said as Brad and Hannah walked into the room.

“Shut up about what?”  Brad asked as he sat down and wrapped his arm around Trisha’s trim waist.

“The kids now know about CJ being a dragon.”  She said leaning her head against her boyfriend’s shoulder.  

“Does Emily?”  Brad said with a laugh.

“Not you too.”  Trisha sighed as she watched CJ pick up Ethan and fly him around the room before doing the same with Daniel. The rest of the children came in demanding a turn as well.  

“I’m team Vincent,”  Hannah said as she flopped down on the couch watching her boys try to climb CJ’s tall frame like a tree.

“I’m standing right here,”  CJ said, looking over with a raised eyebrow and a frown as Trisha and Hannah high-fived each other.

“I know,” Trisha said with a smirk.

****

Outside of the house, Celeste let the hood of her daughter’s car fall back into place.  She tucked her husband’s wrench into her back pocket as she hummed, moving with an unhurried ease as she went to put the tool back into his shed.  No one would be the wiser and she could fix the problem in the morning. Hopefully, by then Emily and Vincent would have things figured out and she wouldn’t have to worry about her youngest daughter, well worry about her as much.

Now, where had she put those air mattresses?  

She had a plan and nothing was going to stand in her way.  She smoothed her hair out as she walked around the house to go in through the front door. It wouldn’t do to walk in on Emily and Vincent figuring things out.  She could remember falling in love with Jose, things were easier for them. They were both shifters and had known the moment that they met; they were meant for each other.  

Just like she knew that Vincent and Emily were meant for one another, a mother always knows what’s best for her child.  Celeste made her way to the hall closet and opened the door. There were the air mattresses. She ran one perfectly manicured nail through the thick vinyl slicing a hole into the side.  She rubbed her hands together as she closed the door. Now they would have to share a bed. She made a mental note to purchase replacements next week.  

Her plan would fall perfectly into place and she had the feeling that wedding bells would be heard soon.

***

“Sorry about the twins, they’re the troublemakers of the group,”  Emily said as she sat down, her face was flushed, she glanced back up at Vincent unsure of the look in his green eyes.

“I meant what I said, Emily, I like you.”  He repeated, he reached across the table to take her hand in.

“Vincent-” Emily started to say, she wanted to tell him how she felt about him.  She had planned to at least.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Vincent said, cutting Emily off. He brushed his thumb across the back of her knuckles.  Emily looked down at their hands. She wanted to tell him she liked him. That she wanted this to be real between them, but for some reason, the words were stuck in her throat.  So maybe it was a good thing that he didn’t want an answer now. She glanced up looking at him, he looked so much happier now that he had told her how he felt. Like someone had lifted a great burden off of his broad shoulders, now that she also knew his secret.  

The man pretending to be her boyfriend was a werewolf and she was his mate.