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Chapter Seventeen

Silver

Take two of meeting up with Sam. Last Sunday would have been the first time meeting my new sister-in-law and her mate, but things just hadn’t worked out.

I was thankful that she and her baby were both all right, but I was still a bit apprehensive about meeting her.

It just seemed as if she was a younger version of Ma, and, well, I didn’t really want another Ma in my life. One was more than enough.

Although, I would say that Sam didn’t seem to bother Charlie too much. Not that I needed to know every time he talked to his sister, but he’d been open with the fact that he’d only chatted with her twice since we’d claimed each other.

“Are you ready?” Charlie asked as he walked into the kitchen.

“As ready as I’m going to be. How about you?” I reached for Charlie and pulled him into my arms. He’d been antsy all day, and I knew it was because we were having lunch with Sam and Justin.

“I’m okay. Well, I think I am.” Charlie took a deep breath and let it out before he leaned his forehead against my chest. “I just want her to like you. It really doesn’t matter to me if she does or doesn’t. That won’t change you being my mate. But it will make family dinners easier.”

I chuckled. “Very true. They are awkward enough as it is. Well, let’s get this done with, and then we can spend the day doing something else. I don’t know…maybe you can go show me around the zoo.”

Charlie looked up at me, his eyes filled with excitement. “Really? I didn’t think you liked zoos.”

I shrugged. “I understand the reason for them. The zoo here is important to you, and that means I want to know more about it. I figured who better to show me around the zoo than my mate? I’m not asking for a backroom pass or anything like that. But a personal tour would be enjoyable.”

Charlie bounced on his feet a bit, something I’d noticed that he did when he was excited. I found it cute, and it was a giveaway that he was excited about something.

“That’s perfect. I don’t know that we’ll have time to see the entire zoo today, but there are a few exhibits that I would love to show you, mine being the first.”

I smiled down at my mate. He had planned on showing me right after we’d claimed each other and I’d taken him lunch, but things had been too hectic there with everyone congratulating us or wanting to be introduced to me.

“What do you say? We go have lunch with your sister and her mate and then use the fact that we have plans as an excuse to not sit and chitchat for too long?” I wasn’t against meeting Sam, nor was I trying to avoid her.

But Charlie and I both had to go back to work tomorrow morning, and although we’d skipped the family meal for my family this week, we still had to meet up with Sam and Justin.

My gorilla was a bit irritated because they were taking away from the last bit of my time with my mate.

“I think that’s perfect. And Sam won’t want to go because that’s too much walking.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “You don’t have to tell her where we’re going. She only needs to know we have other plans. Even if we just decided on them, it’s not her business if we aren’t going to spend several hours with her. Does she clear every place she and Justin go with you?”

“No. And you’re absolutely right. I love my sister, and she’s done so much for me, but yeah, she can be a bit much since she and Justin mated.”

“Come on. We’ll go to the restaurant, have a nice lunch, and then go hang out at the zoo.

Then we can pick up takeout for supper and spend the rest of the evening cuddled up together.

” Tomorrow morning was going to come early, but we knew it was coming.

It had been nice to spend a week with Charlie, just the two of us in our own little bubble for a bit, but responsibilities were real, and we both had to return to work.

“Do you know what you’re having?” Charlie asked as we left the house.

“Not a clue. What’s your favorite from there?

” I couldn’t recall going to the restaurant where we were having lunch with Sam and Justin.

It had been one that Justin had recommended since it was closer to their place.

I’d discovered that they lived on the other side of Whispering Pines, which I’d found a bit odd at first. That was until Charlie told me that Sam had moved into Justin’s place since it was bigger than hers.

They’d sold their childhood home and split the proceeds.

“I don’t know,” Charlie said. “I’ve never been there.” I couldn’t help it; I laughed at that. “What? I’ve not. It’s somewhere that I guess Justin and the others from his shop go to all the time.”

“Well, I guess we’ll both be a bit clueless together.”

I helped Charlie into the truck, and then we were on our way after I climbed in.

Charlie was a bit quiet on the drive across town, and I left him to his thoughts.

They were bouncing from being nervous about this lunch date with his sister to the dread of going back to work in the morning.

That one stuck with me, and I was going to ask him about it later after we’d settled in for the evening.

If Charlie was dreading going into work, maybe he wasn’t as happy there as I’d thought?

Soon enough, we were at the restaurant, and after I found a parking spot, I parked and turned a bit toward Charlie. “Do you see their vehicle?”

“Yeah. That’s Justin’s car over there.”

I looked in the direction Charlie was pointing. I didn’t see anything that I would expect to see from someone who was about to become a father.

“Which one?” I asked, just curious.

“The red one.”

That narrowed that down because there was only one red car in the parking lot in the direction that Charlie had indicated.

I glanced back at my mate. “Are you serious?”

Charlie nodded. “I know. I’m actually surprised that they’re in it because Sam is really showing. I’d think she would be more comfortable in her SUV.”

I would too. I couldn’t imagine a pregnant woman getting in and out of a tiny, two-door coupe.

But it wasn’t mine, and although I knew my truck would be fine for driving Charlie around when he was pregnant and then our kids, I also realized that it wasn’t going to be overly practical when Charlie was heavily pregnant.

Sure, I could get him in and out of it without an issue, but would he want that?

Was that what was going to be best for him?

“It’s just about as impractical as my little car. Maybe there’s a reason. But we’ll never know if we don’t go inside and find out.”

“Very true. Be right there.”

I turned off the truck before sliding from it.

I was rounding the front when Charlie’s door opened.

I reached him before he could slide out, and although my first reaction had been irritation, I quickly picked up on the fact that Charlie was incredibly nervous.

I pulled him to me, kissing his forehead before I tucked his face into my shoulder.

“Did you feel this way when I met your family for the first time?”

I took a step back so I could look down at my mate.

“Not with my brothers. Not really with my parents either. I knew Ma was going to be a bit much, but I also know that deep down, she does mean well. I know I’ve been harsh, but that’s only because I want her to know that these is our lives and not hers. ”

Charlie nodded. “I do understand that. Who knows, maybe my own mother would have been the same. I don’t know though.”

“Come on. Let’s not keep them waiting too long,” I said.

I laced my fingers with Charlie’s, and as we crossed the parking lot, Charlie’s grip on my hand steadily got stronger.

Not only that, but I could feel his nervousness ramp up the closer we got to the door.

I held it open for Charlie, and after we entered and my eyes adjusted to the difference in light, I could get a good view of the place.

It looked very much like the diner that my brothers and I loved to eat at.

“There they are,” Charlie said, pointing to the right side of the room. As we closed the distance, it was Justin who noticed us first. He smiled as we approached, and when Sam noticed us, her eyes widened.

“Hey, Sam,” Charlie said when we reached their table. Justin stood, then held out his hand. I shook it, relieved that there was no macho display of squeezing my hand as hard as he could.

“It’s nice to meet you, Silver.”

“Likewise.” I turned my attention back to my mate, who was staring at his sister. When I looked at Sam, I found her staring at me. I moved over and pulled the chair out for Charlie. “Do you want to sit down, cutie?”

“Huh?” he asked. “Oh yeah.” I helped Charlie sit before I took my own seat. “Are you all right, Sam?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah,” she said, finally taking her eyes off me.

She glanced at Justin and then down at the table before she looked at her brother.

The server arrived and took our drink order before we could talk more, but once he was gone, Sam smiled across the table at her brother.

“How are you doing?” Sam asked. She glanced at me for a split second before looking back to her brother. “Is he treating you right?”

I rolled my eyes while Charlie sighed. “Does Justin treat you right?” Charlie asked.

“Of course he does. Why would you ask such a question?”

It was Justin who spoke next. “You just asked Charlie the same question, Sam. Why would you ask him that yet be upset when he asks you the same? That’s not right?”

Sam looked like she had something to say. Instead, she dropped her eyes down at the table again. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’ve just been worried about you. It’s not like you to just up and let someone claim you. Then, you move in with him and disappear.”

“Well, duh,” Charlie said. “I’ve found my fated mate. We only get one of those, and it’s not like I knew him before now. As for moving in with him, you and Justin moved in together quickly.”