Chapter 38
“Don’t be nervous.” Briggs glanced at her before returning his gaze to the road.
“That’s an impossible request,” Cece said. “I’m about to meet your family. What if they hate me?”
“They’ll love you.” He reached across and squeezed her thigh comfortingly. “They will, my mate, I promise.”
“You don’t know that for sure.” Cece opened the glove box and poked around.
“What are you looking for?” Briggs asked.
“A barf bag. I was sure I read somewhere that rental vehicles come with barf bags.”
Briggs laughed, and even with how truly anxious Cece was, his laughter warmed her from the inside out. “I love your laugh.”
“I love you,” Briggs said, “and I promise you have nothing to worry about.”
Cece took his hand, the zing of magic through her veins helping to calm her nerves a little. She stared out her window for a bit before smiling at him. “Alaska is beautiful.”
“It is,” Briggs said. “I’m happy to be home again.”
“You must miss Wellington a lot.”
He shrugged, but she could see how much happier he was. There was a subtle relaxation of his shoulders, and joy had infused his face when they’d stepped out of the airport in Fairbanks.
“Is your bear happy?”
“Even more so,” Briggs said with a grin. “He’s already pushing me to shift as soon as we’re home so he can go for a swim in the river.”
“It’s freezing out,” Cece said.
“Not for me.” He winked at her, and she laughed before squeezing his hand and staring out the window again.
An hour later, when they passed the big ‘Welcome to Wellington’ sign, she’d almost convinced herself that everything would be fine and she wouldn’t make a fool of herself in front of Briggs’s family.
Almost.
“This is the town’s main street,” Briggs said as he drove down a street lined with businesses. He pointed out the health clinic, the library, and one of their two grocery stores before turning right and heading toward the river.
“My parents have some land close to the river,” Briggs said. “They built their house when I was four, and Brooke was two.”
“You said Brooke lived near your parents?”
Briggs nodded. “Yes. Both of us built houses on our parents’ land.”
“You have a house here?” She stared at him in surprise.
“I do,” he said.
“Did you and Lucille live together?” she asked.
She didn’t know why she asked. Obviously, they would have. They were engaged, for God’s sake. And being jealous of that was super immature of her.
“We didn’t,” Briggs said.
“What? Why not?” she asked before grimacing. “Sorry, I’m being nosy.”
“You’re my mate, you can be as nosy as you want,” he said with a small smile. “We didn’t live together because Lucille didn’t like my house, but she felt her apartment was too small for the two of us.”
“What were you going to do when you got married?”
He hesitated. “We hadn’t agreed on what we would do. And it didn’t seem that big of a deal until after we were engaged. But we were only engaged for a month before I found out she was cheating on me.”
“Jesus.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry, honey.”
“I’m not,” he said. “I was mistaken about Lucille. Not about my feelings - I did love her, but she wasn’t meant to be my mate, and I should have listened to my bear.”
“Your bear didn’t think she was your mate?”
“He had his… doubts,” Briggs said, “but I believed those would fade eventually. They didn’t, and his doubts were confirmed when I realized Lucille was cheating.”
“She’s stupid, and I hate her,” Cece said.
“Looking back, I’ve realized that Lucille and I were together partly because of a lack of other options,” he said honestly. “I never wanted to leave Wellington, but I’m happy I did because I met you. My true mate.”
She smiled at him. “I am so glad you moved to Ashdale, honey.”
Staring out the windshield, his voice low, Briggs said, “How I felt about Lucille pales in comparison to how I feel about you, Cecelia. I want you to know that.”
“Thank you for telling me that, honey,” Cece said.
“We’ll probably run into her at some point. It’s inevitable in a town as small as Wellington.”
“That’s fine,” Cece said. “I assume she’s with the guy she cheated with?”
“No,” Briggs said. “Brooke told me he broke up with her.”
“Serves her right,” Cece said before grinning at Briggs. “I’m not usually such a dick, but she hurt my man, so I get to hate her and be a total C U next Tuesday about her.”
He laughed. “Well, just know that I have zero feelings for Lucille, and I want to be with you and only you.”
“I know,” Cece said before lifting their clasped hands and kissing his knuckles. “Don’t worry, honey, I’ll behave when I meet her.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about,” he said.
She shrugged. “I can handle your ex-girlfriend, even if she is a polar bear.”
Briggs turned into a driveway and shut off the truck. “My house is first on my parents’ land. Brooke’s house is about half a mile down the road, and my parents are about two miles from her.”
They climbed out of the truck, and as Briggs grabbed their suitcases, Cece studied the house. It was a two-storey covered in grey vinyl planks. It featured a two-car garage and large windows with pretty blue shutters.
She could sense Briggs’s nerves as she followed him into the house.
Talking faster than he normally did, Briggs said, “It’s about eighteen hundred square feet, three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and two fireplaces.
Hardwood flooring throughout, there’s a big soaker tub in the primary bathroom, and the backyard has a Trex deck and a fire pit. ”
She studied the extra high doorways, the big leather sectional in the living room, and the matching leather armchair. Everything was built for the size and comfort of a polar bear shifter, and she smiled at Briggs when he took her hand.
“This is the living room, obviously. The kitchen is this way. I asked Brooke to drop off a few groceries, so I thought we could have a quick bite to eat, and then I’ll give you a tour of the rest of the house.”
“That sounds good.” She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her mouth against his, loving the spark of magic it produced in her veins. “But I want to tell you that I already love your house.”
“You’ve only seen one room.”
“It’s enough to know I love it,” she said. “Truly, honey.” She wasn’t just saying it to reassure him. Stepping into Briggs’s house had felt like coming home to her, and she didn’t need to see the rest of his house to know how perfect it was.
His shoulders relaxed, and he pulled her into his embrace. “It’s not as big as your house.”
“But it’s about a thousand times better,” she said. “And it’s warm and not falling down around me.”
He laughed. “True.”
She followed him toward the kitchen, their hands still linked and her magic buzzing pleasantly in her veins. She nearly bumped into Briggs’s back when he stopped abruptly.
“Brooke? What are you doing here?”
She peered around Briggs’s back, her nerves taking a sudden jump as she studied the tall, dark-haired woman standing at the counter.
“Hey, big brother!” Brooke grinned at him, her blue eyes sparkling happily, and Briggs dropped Cece’s hand to cross the room and hug her.
“Hi. Why isn’t your car in the driveway?”
“Leigh dropped me off,” Brooke said.
“Right. Why are you here?” he asked.
She laughed. “Nice to see you too, jerkface.”
He rolled his eyes and growled at her. She bared her fangs and growled back before saying, “You’re making me make a terrible first impression with your mate.”
“I think breaking into my house is its own terrible first impression.”
“It’s not breaking and entering when I have the door code,” Brooke said airily before turning to Cece. “Oh my God, you’re gorgeous.”
Cece immediately turned a fiery red. “Oh, um, thank you?”
“You’re welcome!” Brooke walked over to her. “I’m a hugger. Are you a hugger?”
“Yes,” Cece said.
“Great!”
Cece squeaked in surprise when Brooke swept her up into a hard hug.
Briggs’s sister was well over six feet tall, and her body was hard with muscle.
Her dark hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with the words, ‘Hot Girls Read’.
She released Cece before smiling down at her.
“I like your shirt,” Cece said.
“Thanks, Leigh made it for me with her Cricut. She’s super crafty.”
Cece had no idea who Leigh was, but before she could ask, Brooke said, “How was your flight?”
“Good,” Cece said. “And the drive from Fairbanks was very pretty.”
“It’s got some views all right,” Brooke said. “Has Briggs taken you to the river yet?”
“We drove straight here from the airport,” Briggs said.
“Shocking. I was sure you’d stop at the river first,” Brooke said.
“Brooke,” Briggs said. “Why are you here? You said you dropped the groceries off yesterday.”
“I did,” Brooke said. “But then I remembered that your mate was a green witch, and I thought she should have something that makes her happy, so I bought these.”
She returned to the island in the middle of the kitchen and bent down. She popped back up with a flat cardboard tray that held half a dozen potted plants. “I meant to put these in different rooms, but you came home before I could.”
“You bought these for Cece?” Briggs asked, his voice and gaze softening.
“I did. You like plants, right?” Brooke said to Cece.
“I love them. What a thoughtful gift, thank you, Brooke.” Cece said. She joined her at the island, and Brooke growled in surprise when a few of the plants turned toward Cece, their stalks reaching for her like she was the sun.
“Holy shit, you’re seeing this, right?” she said to Briggs.
He grinned. “Wait until you come over and the plants are covering the walls.”
Brooke gave him a confused look before turning back to Cece. “If these aren’t plants you like, don’t feel like you have to keep them or whatever. I just picked out some random ones.”
“They’re all wonderful. Thank you,” Cece said. She thought it was hilarious how different Brooke was from Briggs, and as someone who grew up without siblings, she was already fascinated by their relationship.
The front door opened, and a voice called, “Brooke? Where are you?”
“In the kitchen!” Brooke hollered.
A woman with dark skin and eyes, and amber coloured hair in a pixie cut, joined them in the kitchen. She was slightly shorter than Brooke, although no less muscular, and she gave Cece a shy smile before hugging Briggs.
“Hey, buddy.”
“Hi, Leigh.” Briggs’s smile was genuine and warm.
Leigh joined Brooke, who slipped her arm around Leigh’s waist. “Leigh, this is Briggs’s mate, Cecelia. Or do you prefer Cece?”
“I usually go by Cece,” she said.
“Perfect,” Brooke said. “Cece, this is my mate, Leigh.”
Cece held her hand out to Leigh. “Hi, Leigh. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hi, Cece. You as well.” Leigh shook her hand. “How was the drive from Fairbanks?”
“Good,” Briggs said. “No issues. How’s school going?”
“Finished classes and I’ve started working on my thesis,” Leigh said.
“Leigh’s getting her PhD in theoretical physics,” Brooke said with a proud look at her mate. “She’s brilliant.”
Leigh blushed, and Brooke grinned and kissed her. “Did your errands go okay?”
Leigh nodded as they heard the front door open again and a woman hollered, “Helloooo?”
“Oh no,” Briggs said before joining Cece and slipping his arm around her waist.
Brooke laughed. “It’ll be fine, Briggs.”
A woman with long silver hair, dark eyes, and a pretty smile walked into the kitchen.
She was tall and muscular, but looked small compared to the absolutely massive man who walked in behind her.
He had thick salt and pepper hair and blue eyes, and looked so much like Briggs that Cece knew he was Briggs’s father.
“Hello, darling!” the woman said.
Briggs stepped forward and hugged her. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
He hugged his dad as his mother said, “We were driving past and saw the vehicles, and decided to pop in for a quick hello.”
His father laughed. “You decided, Mari.”
She just grinned at him before turning to Cece. “Oh, aren’t you just the most gorgeous little thing? Alex, do you see how gorgeous she is?”
“Mom,” Briggs said.
“What? I can’t compliment your mate?” Mari asked, then turned back to Cece and inhaled. “Oh, my darling, I can smell your nervousness. You mustn’t be nervous. We don’t bite.”
“Speak for yourself,” Brooke said.
“Oh, Brookie,” Mari said with a soft laugh. “Don’t scare the sweet human any more than she already is.”
“It’s really nice to meet you,” Cece said. “Briggs has told me a lot about you.”
Mari laughed. “I’m sure he hasn’t. Our boy talks about as much as his father, which is roughly ten words a day.”
“Hey, it’s at least twenty,” Alex said with a grin.
“Mom, we agreed I’d bring Cece to meet you tomorrow, remember?” Briggs said.
“Did you?” Mari gave him an innocent look. “I don’t remember that conversation.”
“Bullshit,” Brooke coughed into her hand, earning her a stern look from Mari and a grin from Alex.
“Leigh, honey, how did your research go? Was Eileen able to help you?” Mari asked.
“She did. Thanks, Mari.”
Briggs took Cece’s hand. “Mom, it’s great to see you, but we haven’t eaten since before the flight, so…”
“Oh my God, of course,” Mari said. “Be at the house in twenty minutes, and your dad will have the steaks on the grill. Brooke and Leigh will be there, oh and the Newtons as well, but it’ll be very low-key, I promise.”
Briggs glanced at Cece. She could see the emotions warring on his face… he wanted to be with his family but didn’t want to overwhelm her.
“Mom, we appreciate the invite, but -”
“We’d love to join you,” Cece said.
“Oh, perfect!” Mari smiled triumphantly and blew a kiss to Brooke before taking Alex’s hand. “See you soon.”
She and Alex left the kitchen, and when the front door slammed, Briggs groaned and slumped against the island. Brooke laughed. “Honestly, I’m surprised she waited this long. She wanted to be waiting here at the house, but Dad talked her out of it.”
She tugged on Leigh’s hand, and the two of them headed out of the kitchen. Brooke grinned at Cece over her shoulder. “Welcome to the family, Cece.”
“Thank you,” Cece said.
She turned to Briggs, sliding her arms around his waist and kissing his chest as Brooke and Leigh left.
“I’m sorry, Cece. I didn’t mean for you to have to meet everyone in my family in the first ten minutes.”
“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “I think your family is adorable.”
“We don’t have to go over for dinner. I can text Mom and -”
“I want to go,” she said. “I promise, Briggs.”
He gave her a searching look before cupping her face and kissing her. “I love you, baby.”
She smiled at him, magic and love flickering through her veins. “I love you, too.”