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“Dad was furious,” Julian says as we all laugh He’s telling the story of when I brought a cow into his roo

“Adrian tried to open theto ju so hard that he can’t go on “But he—”

The girls are laughing too as they watch him doubled over with tears in his eyes

“He got caught in the curtains and fell through it,” Julian continues This ti so hard that he can’t finish

Logan takes over as I watch with h ot wrapped around his ankle and he fell through the ”

“The cow kicked ht in the chest”

Courtney is giggling as she takes my hand under the table and squeezes it

“So, he falls out,” Caht in the curtain, so he’s hanging upside down on the second floor of the old house, screas”

Julian wipes the tears from his eyes “Dad wouldn’t let any of us help him Said that we’d never taste a dessert for the rest of our lives if we helped him down”

“How long were you hanging there?” Courtney asks as she laughs

“Six hours,” I say and they all start up again “Mom finally snuck in and helped me”

After the food is long gone, we’re still sitting there telling stories and laughing It feels like I’ain and it’s all thanks to Courtney I’ll never forget it

“So,” Willow asks as she bounces the baby on her knee “Are you two mates?”

Everyone goes quiet as they look at us Even my brothers don’t know for sure since my mark is not on her neck

Courtney looks up at me, her eyes full of love “We are,” she says proudly “I saw him yesterday and I just knew it”

“Oh, you’re the one as here with the class,” Logan says “The teacher, right? I thought I recognized you”

Seeing his eyes on my mate starts to rile up my jealous bear He wakes up and lets his presence be known as he starts pacing around angrily He doesn’t like it and lets out a loarning snarl

My brothers pick up on it and their worried eyes snap up to irls are oblivious as they ask Courtney about her kindergarten class

Mark her!

Mark her!

His deressive

Courtney see is up withmy flexed back

“I could use sohtly at me “Can you come with me?”