Tristan grinned and the sight warmed Mel’s heart. Just as her mate opened his mouth, one of the guards entered from the side door. He looked to Melanie. “A silver sedan is approaching the gate.”
Mel whispered, “They’re here.”
As she moved to the window, her heart beat double-time. She had waited so long for this moment, to see her parents again. She only hoped her memories and dream matched the reality.
She was most afraid of how her brother would treat her. She and Oliver had been close before, but he might see her offering herself as a sacrifice as abandonment.
Tristan moved to her side, a sleepy Jack in his arms. “You video chat with them at least once every two weeks. How can you be nervous?”
She glanced up at Tristan. “You might be oblivious to social awkwardness, since silence is your best friend, but I’m not. Sometimes, video chatting isn’t enough.”
He frowned. “Stop fretting. I want my practical, logical mate back.”
The guard’s cell phone beeped. He looked at it and then at Mel and Tristan. “The car is at the gate. Follow me.”
They exited the guard’s security checkpoint and walked behind the stone and brick building. As they turned the corner, a silver sedan pulled to a stop.
Her heart thumped harder. The doors opened and her parents and brother disembarked the car. They looked around until they met Mel’s eyes.
Her mother yelled, “Melanie,” before rushing toward them. The next thing she knew, her mother had both her and Annabel in a warm hug.
Her mom whispered, “My baby. I’ve missed you.”
Melanie breathed in the lavender scent of her mother’s lotion and a sense of calm came over her. “I’ve missed you too, Mom.”
Mel’s mom pulled back and cupped her face. Then she looked to Tristan. “Come here.”
Before Tristan could move or say anything, her mom pulled him close into a hug. Mel smiled at the startled expression on her mate’s face.
Only when she heard her brother say, “Melanie,” did she look away.
Oliver was nearly a foot taller than the last time she’d seen him. While his brown hair and green eyes were the same, his face had lost most of its baby-ness. He even had a faint stubble on his chin. Her little brother was nearly a man.
Before she did something silly, such as cry, Melanie cocked an eyebrow and said, “Is that the way you greet your sister?”
Oliver cocked an eyebrow right back. “I was going to hug you, but now, I’m not sure since giving in to you easily always brings trouble.”
She laughed, walked over, and gave her brother a one-armed hug. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
She peered up and Oliver’s eyes glanced to her daughter. He said, “It’s still hard to believe I’m an uncle.”
Maneuvering Annabel, who merely stared up with big eyes at her uncle, Mel held her out. “Take her. I can already tell she likes you.”
Her brother’s eyes looked uncertain. “I don’t know anything about babies, Mel.”
“Pshaw, that doesn’t matter.” She wiggled Anna a little in the air. “Try it.”
Oliver gingerly wrapped Anna in his arms and her daughter smiled and kicked gently against Oliver’s stomach.
Mel nodded. “See, I told you, she likes you. Now, if you have the same effect on Jack, I might just have to borrow you once every few weeks.”
Oliver gave her a skeptical look. “I’m not sure if I should be afraid or not.”
Mel was about to tease her brother some more when their dad walked up. After Mel hugged him, she said, “I hope Mom didn’t drive you crazy on the way up.”
Her father chuckled. “I’ve been married to your mom for nearly thirty years. If she were going to drive me mental, she would’ve done it by now.”
Mel’s mom shouted, “I heard that, Mr. Hall.”