still amazes me how easily they all accepted me.” She took hold of Glory’s hand and began dragging Glory through the bedroom door. “Trust me. They’re going to love you.”
“On a ciabatta roll with Dijon mustard, maybe.” When Tabby started laughing, Glory shrugged. “What? I’m an acquired taste.”
“You certainly are.” Ryan gently tugged Glory away from Tabby and faced the people in the room. “This is Glory. Glory, that’s Raymond and Stacey Allen. They’re the parents of Heather, Keith and Tiffany.”
The two waved hello. Raymond had his children’s flaming red hair while Stacey had the Williams smile.
Ray actually got up and gave her a hug. “Thanks for giving Heather a job. How is she working out, really?”
“Dad!” Heather, her cheeks flaming red, hid her face in her hands.
“She’s good, but you’d do better asking Tabby and Cyn. She’s a tattoo artist, not a piercer like me.”
“Ah. I’ll do that, then.” Raymond settled back down next to his wife, chatting quietly with her.
“Aunt Stacey and my father are twins.” Ryan grinned as he pointed toward the next older couple. “You know Aunt Barb and Uncle Will.”
The Bunsuns both came and gave her a hug, knocking her wig askew. “It’s good to see you and Ryan working things out.” Barbara Bunsun gave her a sharp, toothy smile. “We want all our kids to be happy.”
Will pulled his wife away. “Settle down, tiger. I think Glory’s well on the way to accepting Ryan.”
The doorbell rang again, and Will opened it to allow in…
Whoa. Big. The guy quietly greeted Will, then made his way to Ryan. “So this is your mate?” A strange, huge blond man walked up to her, eyeing her up and down. “She’s teeny. Forget the roll, I don’t think she’d fit on a cracker.”
“Heard that, did you?” Ryan laughed.
“Uh, Ryan?” Glory took a step back, surprised when her over-protective Bear didn’t get in this guy’s face.
The one who did, the one who surprised them all, was Chloe. She got between the giant man and Glory and snarled. “Leave her alone.”
The huge man’s expression gentled. “You’re Chloe Williams.”
Chloe nodded, but didn’t move.
The man bowed deeply. “The spirits send their regards.”
One of the people in the room gasped, but Glory couldn’t see who it was.
“Thanks. I think.” Chloe dropped her arms, her stance relaxing. “Who are you again?”
“James Barnwell, but you can call me Barney.” The massive blond straightened up. “I’m the Hunter Gabe warned you about.”
“You’re going to help us find the shifter who’s been stalking me?” Glory wasn’t too sure about this. The guy looked like a cowboy, had the attitude of a New Yorker and spoke with an authority she’d only seen in Gabe Anderson and Max Cannon.
“Yup. I…” Barney sniffed, then frowned. “Uh. Excuse me for a moment.” He tilted his hat back and stared around the room, finally settling his gaze on Heather. “Crap.”
Heather tilted her head, a smile slowly rounding her lips. “Hello to you too.”
“Fuck me with the rotating pineapple attachment.” Barney took a step toward Heather, who got up from her seat and started toward the huge Bear.
“That might hurt.” Heather’s smile was turning into a frown. She crossed her arms over her chest as Barney sighed. “Is there a problem?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Ryan put himself between Heather and Barney. “What’s going on?”
Barney waved a hand toward Heather. “She’s my mate.”
He sounded as happy as a man told he needed a prostate exam. “Is that a problem?”
Barney grimaced. “Not a problem, per se.” He put his hand on Heather’s head. “She’ll need climbing gear to check out my knees, though.”
Heather snarled. “I’m not that short.”
Barney patted her head. “You’re an Oompa Loompa.”
“A what?” Glory had to bite back her laughter.
“You know. Short.”
“But she’s not orange.” Ryan
“On a ciabatta roll with Dijon mustard, maybe.” When Tabby started laughing, Glory shrugged. “What? I’m an acquired taste.”
“You certainly are.” Ryan gently tugged Glory away from Tabby and faced the people in the room. “This is Glory. Glory, that’s Raymond and Stacey Allen. They’re the parents of Heather, Keith and Tiffany.”
The two waved hello. Raymond had his children’s flaming red hair while Stacey had the Williams smile.
Ray actually got up and gave her a hug. “Thanks for giving Heather a job. How is she working out, really?”
“Dad!” Heather, her cheeks flaming red, hid her face in her hands.
“She’s good, but you’d do better asking Tabby and Cyn. She’s a tattoo artist, not a piercer like me.”
“Ah. I’ll do that, then.” Raymond settled back down next to his wife, chatting quietly with her.
“Aunt Stacey and my father are twins.” Ryan grinned as he pointed toward the next older couple. “You know Aunt Barb and Uncle Will.”
The Bunsuns both came and gave her a hug, knocking her wig askew. “It’s good to see you and Ryan working things out.” Barbara Bunsun gave her a sharp, toothy smile. “We want all our kids to be happy.”
Will pulled his wife away. “Settle down, tiger. I think Glory’s well on the way to accepting Ryan.”
The doorbell rang again, and Will opened it to allow in…
Whoa. Big. The guy quietly greeted Will, then made his way to Ryan. “So this is your mate?” A strange, huge blond man walked up to her, eyeing her up and down. “She’s teeny. Forget the roll, I don’t think she’d fit on a cracker.”
“Heard that, did you?” Ryan laughed.
“Uh, Ryan?” Glory took a step back, surprised when her over-protective Bear didn’t get in this guy’s face.
The one who did, the one who surprised them all, was Chloe. She got between the giant man and Glory and snarled. “Leave her alone.”
The huge man’s expression gentled. “You’re Chloe Williams.”
Chloe nodded, but didn’t move.
The man bowed deeply. “The spirits send their regards.”
One of the people in the room gasped, but Glory couldn’t see who it was.
“Thanks. I think.” Chloe dropped her arms, her stance relaxing. “Who are you again?”
“James Barnwell, but you can call me Barney.” The massive blond straightened up. “I’m the Hunter Gabe warned you about.”
“You’re going to help us find the shifter who’s been stalking me?” Glory wasn’t too sure about this. The guy looked like a cowboy, had the attitude of a New Yorker and spoke with an authority she’d only seen in Gabe Anderson and Max Cannon.
“Yup. I…” Barney sniffed, then frowned. “Uh. Excuse me for a moment.” He tilted his hat back and stared around the room, finally settling his gaze on Heather. “Crap.”
Heather tilted her head, a smile slowly rounding her lips. “Hello to you too.”
“Fuck me with the rotating pineapple attachment.” Barney took a step toward Heather, who got up from her seat and started toward the huge Bear.
“That might hurt.” Heather’s smile was turning into a frown. She crossed her arms over her chest as Barney sighed. “Is there a problem?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Ryan put himself between Heather and Barney. “What’s going on?”
Barney waved a hand toward Heather. “She’s my mate.”
He sounded as happy as a man told he needed a prostate exam. “Is that a problem?”
Barney grimaced. “Not a problem, per se.” He put his hand on Heather’s head. “She’ll need climbing gear to check out my knees, though.”
Heather snarled. “I’m not that short.”
Barney patted her head. “You’re an Oompa Loompa.”
“A what?” Glory had to bite back her laughter.
“You know. Short.”
“But she’s not orange.” Ryan
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