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Chapter Fifteen

Silver

After yesterday’s somewhat chaotic family dinner with my family, I really wasn’t looking forward to having a repeat with Charlie’s sister, but it was time for me to meet her.

“I don’t know, Silver.”

I looked at Charlie. We were sitting on the couch, and I’d been staring out the back door to the deck. “What is it that you don’t know?”

“Why is it so stressful when it comes to meeting family?” Charlie shook his head.

“No, not family. It wasn’t actually anxiety inducing to meet your brothers.

But I was really nervous about meeting your parents.

And now we’re supposed to be at the restaurant in an hour to meet Sam and Justin, and I’m just not sure I’m going to make it.

” Charlie flopped back on the couch, and I reached for his leg and started rubbing his calf and then his foot.

His moan told me my efforts met his approval.

He raised his head, but I was surprised at the glare from him.

That was, until he spoke. “It’s not fair that you have magical everything.

That feels so amazing, and now I’m no longer anxious.

” Charlie’s head flopped back onto the couch, and I laughed.

“I’m your mate. I’m supposed to have that effect on you. Don’t think for a moment that you don’t have the same impact on me. You do.” All Charlie had to do was look at me, and he could excite or calm me. Never before had that happened, and I knew it was because he was my mate.

“Would you be upset if I said I really didn’t want to go to dinner with my sister and Justin?”

I snorted. “No, but we’re going. It’s the right thing to do.”

Charlie pushed up onto his elbows. “I know. I just…I actually liked meeting your parents, and although I understand that your mom overstepped boundaries, I can sort of understand.” Charlie groaned, and his head fell backward before he lifted it again and looked at me.

“Just like Sam. I think it’s different with her, though, because she’s my sister, and she’s only a few years older than me.

” Charlie pulled his feet from my lap and sat up.

“Your mom is excited about the idea of having grandchildren. She’s ready to spend time with little ones again before she’s too old. ”

I laughed. “She’s only in her seventies. She has at least that many more years before she’s going to start slowing down.”

“Tell me something,” Charlie said as he crossed his legs in front of him. He reached for my hand and absently started playing with my fingers. “How long do you think you would have been content with being alone? And your brothers?”

I knew what he was asking, but I couldn’t answer that. “I have no way of knowing, Charlie. But my parents, despite the fact that they mated and have five children, they aren’t owed us being mated or having children.”

Charlie nodded. He dropped my fingers, then quickly got up. “I’m going to go get my shoes on, and we can go.”

“No, wait,” I said, reaching for him when he tried to walk past me.

I stopped him by gently wrapping my hand around his wrist. “Don’t be upset.

And before you go trying to tell me you’re not, I know different.

I want children with you, Charlie, and if you want to start trying next month, we absolutely can.

Don’t think that just because we both said we wanted to wait, you can’t change your mind. ”

Was I ready for a child? Probably not, but I’d figure it out. I had thought that we were on the same page and that we’d wanted to spend some time being selfish and it just being the two of us. But if Charlie had suddenly changed his mind, I was willing to change mine as well.

“No, that’s not it,” Charlie said. “I’m just…

I don’t know. I think since I’m an omega and I spent too many years dreaming about finding my mate and having a family, on some level, I get it.

Your mom and even Sam. But mostly your mom.

I just think Sam is using her pregnancy as an excuse to be a brat. ”

I tried not to, but I chuckled. Some women used their pregnancy as an excuse to act entitled.

Perhaps they were entitled before. I didn’t know Sam aside from some of Charlie’s memories and what he’d shared with me.

She’d not seemed to be entitled, so I had to wonder if it truly was a pregnancy hormone thing.

Would Charlie be like that when he became pregnant?

“The bigger issue with Ma is that, yes, it worked out in the end, but it could have been incredibly bad for both of us. I’m not one that would do it, nor you, but what if you weren’t you and you rejected me? That would have been a major blow to my gorilla side, and I’m not sure how he would react.”

Charlie sat down on my lap. “I get that. And it did work out for us.”

I nodded. “Yes, and she’s taking that as a green light to try and force other things before we’re ready.

Having children being the first. But Clay has already said he’s found more than one dating profile for him on several sites.

She’s denying some but not all.” It had gotten to the point that my brothers had all threatened to go completely no contact with her.

Dad had been warned that he would be put on an information diet if he didn’t have a talk with her about how serious it was.

Charlie sighed. “I understand.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “I do. She’s overstepping. I think she’s just had it in her mind that you all would at least have brought home a date or two by now. I mean, you’re almost forty-three.”

I pulled Charlie down for a kiss. “You’re super sweet, cutie.

I understand that you lost your parents, and you want to mesh in with my family.

It’s going to happen, I promise. Ma just has to realize first that she’s not in control of the when or even the how when it comes to these things.

” Clay was willing to start making an effort, but the other three absolutely weren’t.

I understood, because yeah, I wouldn’t be here with Charlie if that decision hadn’t been taken out of my hands.

Charlie laid his head on my shoulder. “I know. If I ask nicely though, can we give your mom another chance?”

I kissed Charlie’s head. “You don’t have to do anything like that. Ma will have her chances, but she just has to not be pushy. She doesn’t get to tell us when we’re having children or how many. How often she’ll get to babysit or even what nursery colors we should pick.”

Charlie moved back a bit and looked up at me.

I nodded. “Yes, it’s that bad, cutie. That’s why we need to be as we are for a bit.

I told you I would be protective, and that’s what I’m doing.

You are my top priority. I love my parents, but yes, I absolutely will cut them off if I need to in order to protect you. ”

Charlie nodded slowly. “I understand.” He sighed, then leaned in and gave me a quick kiss. “Can we go? I’m not trying to change the subject or avoid it, even. I just don’t want to be too late and have Sam use that against us in any way.”

I patted his thigh. “Sure. Get your shoes on, and we’ll head to the restaurant.”

Charlie left the room, and when I heard him on the stairs, I pulled out my phone to fire off a text to Clay.

Me: Charlie’s upset. I’m not sure what to do. He feels we’re being too harsh on Ma. I’m not sure what to do in this instance. Any suggestions?

I didn’t have time to wait for a reply because I heard my mate coming down the stairs. I didn’t want to upset him any more than he already was. But I needed some advice, and I wasn’t sure where else to go.

“Are you ready?” Charlie asked. I nodded as I closed the distance between us.

“I am. But I think the more important question is, are you?”

“Yes. I want Sam to meet you. I’m not trying to hide you or our relationship.” Charlie sighed. “It’s just been a chaotic mess.”

I hesitated but caught up easily enough and followed Charlie out the door. I should have waited to claim him. I didn’t regret claiming him, but I should have waited. At least a few days so we could get to know one another and have met each other’s families.

I helped Charlie into the truck, then went around to the driver’s side and climbed in. “Can we just be the two of us the rest of the week?” Charlie asked as soon as I slid in. I looked over at him, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, yesterday was Saturday. We had family dinner with yours, which I’m told is normally on Sunday, but you moved it.

Now today, we’re doing dinner with Sam and Justin.

Can we just be the two of us the rest of this week?

I have the week off to do all of our paperwork and everything, but can we just… I don’t know…hide?”

I chuckled. “We can certainly hide. I’ll need to let Clay know I won’t be in later this week.” I had already told him that was a very real possibility, so he wouldn’t be too surprised. “What all do you want to do during our time off? It won’t take the entire week to file all of the paperwork.”

Charlie sighed. “I need to go clean my cottage and get it ready to sell. I’m not going to ask you to help, but it does need to be done. I’m sure I’ll have no issues with selling it. The market is really good right now.”

“You could always rent it,” I suggested. “That would give you a monthly income stream, and you would have that if you opted to take extra time off once we have children.”

Charlie looked at me with wide eyes. I was concerned that I’d said something wrong until he suddenly smiled.

“That’s a great idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think about that before.” Charlie picked up his phone, which was in the cup holder in the center console. “Do you know of any good management companies? I know nothing about renting out a house.”