“Yeah, just feel a little woozy.” He put his hand to his head as his stomach did a backflip. “Feels as if I’ve eaten something bad.”
“We’ve all eaten the same thing unless you have a secret stash of food somewhere that you hide from your brothers. Or have you eaten something you’ve foraged from the mountains? Something poisonous you might have mistaken for something edible.” Tad’s comment was met with a derisory glance from Max. A glance was about all he could muster as his knees went weak and he reached out and curled his hand around the countertop. It was as if his life was slipping away.
Or maybe his old life was slipping away. Was this his consciousness telling him he needed to let go of the old him if he planned to adopt Milly? His work was important to him, but he would need to be around more if the baby became part of their lives. He’d known for years this moment would come and he would have to hand over more responsibility to the younger members of the mountain ranger team. But he always thought he would do it in his own time and on his own terms.
“Max.” Tad dried his hands on a towel and came toward his brother. “Listen, if you think you are coming down with something then maybe you should take yourself upstairs and lie down. I don’t think anyone will be happy if you pass a virus on to the baby or her foster mom.”
“I don’t have a virus. I was perfectly all right until…” He looked toward the front door, but his shifter senses stretched beyond the wooden door.
“Until…” Tad followed his gaze and then gasped sharply. “You think?”
Max shrugged. “I don’t know.” He shook his head, trying to shake off whatever was trying to grab hold of him and bring him to his knees.
“Jake!” Tad called for their older brother over the sound of the vacuum cleaner. “Jake!”
The house fell silent as Jake switched off the vacuum and came rushing out of the living room and into the hallway to see what was wrong. “Max.”
Jake ran forward and hooked his arm under Max’s. But Max shoved him away. “I’m okay. I’m not sick.”
The car was close now, so close he could sense her. Not the baby. No, this was different. This was unique. His mate was here. Josephine, the woman who was fostering baby Milly was his mate.
His mate. The words were foreign even when the voice in his head spoke them. Even when he sensed her getting out of the car and heard her footsteps as she climbed the porch steps and crossed the wraparound porch to the front door.
“Get the door, Tad,” Jake ordered as he looked Max up and down. “You don’t want her to see you like this. You look as if you’re having a heart attack.”
Max’s mouth turned up at the corners. “I knew I could depend on you to tell me how it is.”
“That’s what big brothers are for.” He slapped Max on the arm. “You have two choices. You can either pull yourself together and go meet her, or I can slap your face or throw cold water at you.”
“That sounds like three choices.” Max’s eyes slid sideways as he watched Tad open the front door. He took a deep, steadying breath as he regained his legs and pushed himself upright. Jake was right, he didn’t want his mate to see him like this. First impressions were hard to shake, and he didn’t want her first impression of her mate to be of a weak man.
He needed to be strong. He needed to man up.
“I could slap you while I throw water at you if you want.” A wicked smile crept across Jake’s lips. “Or maybe I should shove you in the broom closet and go introduce myself to your mate.”
Max rolled his eyes at his older brother. “I know you’d never do anything like that. The rest of the world might think you are an asshole, but I know the real you.”
“Do you?” Jake arched an eyebrow as he ducked his head around the door. “She’s here. And she looks adorable.”
“Adorable.” Max pushed himself off the counter and took his first look at his mate.
“I meant the baby.” Jake patted Max on the back and then sauntered down the hallway to meet Josephine.
Max took a deep breath. He trusted his legs to get him down the hallway and to the front door. But he didn’t trust his voice to speak, he was certain it would come out high-pitched like a pubescent teenager. Not the first impression he wanted to give.
“Hi.” Josephine stood framed in the doorway like an original masterpiece.
Yuck, if you talk to her like that, we are doomed to a life alone, his bear told him.
“Hello, you must be Josephine, and we have met baby Milly.” Tad tickled Milly under the chin and coaxed a small gurgly chuckle from her. “That’s right, I’m Tad, the funny one. The daddy who will make you laugh.”
“Milly sure does like to laugh,” Josephine said, staring at the baby in her arms as if she were too shy to raise her eyes to the three men before her. “Don’t you, sweetheart?”
“I’m Jake. It was good of you to come over and bring Milly.” Jake inclined his head toward Max, beckoning him nearer. “And this is Max.”
“It’s great to meet you all. Fiona said you were wavering about adopting Milly. I figured if you spent some time with her you might find it easier to make a decision. Either way, there is no pressure.” Josephine looked up and immediately locked eyes with Max. She swallowed hard and color rose in her cheeks.
“We had a talk about Milly just now and we’re all committed,” Jake glared at Max. “Isn’t that so?”
“Yes.” Max stumbled over his words as he took a couple of steps forward. “Committed.”
Jake rolled his eyes and they crinkled at the corners as he smothered a smile. “Come in. We can’t get to know each other on the doorstep.”
Max both loved and hated his brother in that moment. He loved Jake for inviting Max’s mate into the house since he seemed incapable of forming any coherent words. And he also hated Jake for being so easygoing and confident.
But as Josephine entered the house, Jake and Tad stood back and gave Max space. It was now up to him to impress the woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with.
So we do get a mate and a baby, his bear said.
It appeared fate hadn’t abandoned this Harrison brother after all.
Chapter Four – Josephine
Josephine clung to Milly as if she were a lifeline as they entered the Harrison house. Her hands trembled as she dug her fingers into the soft waffle blanket wrapped around the young child. There was something about the three men before her that made her nervous.
Not a good sign when your goal was to encourage them to adopt a small infant.
But there was something definitely off about the situation. As if they had a hidden secret.
Josephine swallowed nervously as she walked down the hallway, into their lair.
However, their lair had an amazing kitchen, light and airy with magnificent views toward the mountain, which drew her eyes as she circled the room, looking for the fastest escape route since Jake, who she presumed was the oldest brother, guarded the kitchen doorway through which she’d entered.
“You have a nice home,” Josephine commented.
There was a brief silence where Jake and Tad looked at Max, expecting him to answer, but he simply opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, while color crept across his cheeks.
“Thanks. We’ve lived here for decades.” Jake stepped forward, away from the doorway, and cast Max a sideways look Josephine couldn’t interpret. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please.” Josephine paced back and forth, rocking Milly in her arms. More to comfort herself than the baby, who was calm and quiet, just like always. Josephine had never met such a quiet child. And that kind of bothered her.
“Is everything all right?” Max finally managed to speak, and when she looked up in surprise, his expression was one full of concern. “You look troubled.”
“No, it’s nothing really.” She lowered her glance to the sweet baby who blew a bubble in response. “She’s just a little quiet. For a baby.”
“Does she need the doctor? I could take you,” Max offere
d, his voice cracked as if he were parched.
“She had a checkup with a pediatrician when the police found her.” She pressed her lips together, not wanting to remind them of the death of Milly’s mom. “Aside from being underweight, Milly just needs stimulation with toys and lots of interactions with people.”
“That we can do. We all want Milly to be happy.” Max’s concern was a good sign he seemed genuinely interested in Milly’s welfare. Although, he was still staring at Josephine as if she were his favorite dish on the menu.
Tad came across the kitchen and pulled a chair out for her. “We would be love to get some hands-on experience with looking after Milly.” Tad shrugged with his hands turned upward. “This is all new to us. It’d be great if we could spend lots of time with her. Isn’t that right, Max?”
Max held his breath and glared at his brother. But then he let it go with a long sigh and said, “Yes. If that’s okay with you, Josephine.”
Josephine nodded. The way he said her name. It was as if his mouth formed the word with love and adoration. “Sure, that would be good.”
Her head continued to nod like one of those bobblehead toy dogs fixed to the dashboard. Snapping out of it, she realized she was acting just as weird as the brothers. Forcing herself forward, she crossed the kitchen to the chair Tad had pulled out and sat down. Tad immediately sat down next to her.
“Can I hold Milly?” Tad asked eagerly.
“Milly?” Josephine’s eyes came back into focus, she’d been staring at Max, who was staring right back. “Yes. That’s why I’m here, to get you acquainted with this little one.”
Tad held out his arms and Josephine placed the baby in them and positioned her head in the crook of his arm. “She’s so light.”
“She’s going to take a lot of looking after.” Josephine gave a short laugh. “I sound as if you’re getting a puppy, not a baby.”
“Here. Coffee. ” Jake set down four mugs of coffee on the table and sat down, leaving the chair directly opposite her empty. “Max, want to grab some of that cake and bring it over?”
“Sure.” Max jumped into action, pleased to have something to occupy his hands. Maybe he was just a nervous guy who wasn’t good around people he didn’t know. Josephine could certainly empathize with him.
“Milly is due for her feeding. Would you like to give it to her?” she asked Tad, bringing her focus back to the baby. Although, all she wanted to do was watch Max as he moved around the kitchen fetching plates and forks and a rich chocolate cake, which he set down on the counter before expertly carving out four slices.
“Yes.” Tad sounded nervous and his brow creased as he adjusted his hold on Milly. “How hard can it be?”
“It’s easy. I’ll walk you through it. I just need to warm the bottle first.” Josephine opened the diaper bag she’d brought with her full of baby paraphernalia and took the bottle from the pouch which kept it upright. “I need some hot water and a bowl.”
Max was the only brother not sitting at the table, and so the task fell to him. “Sure. Show me what you need. And what to do.” He glanced at Milly. “We’re all in this together. From the feeding to the diaper changing, to whatever else needs to be done.”
“Love,” Josephine blurted out. “She needs love and care, and to learn about this amazing world around us. I don’t think she’s had any of those things so far in her short life.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “I’m so sorry, that was tactless and unprofessional of me.”
“No, it’s okay. We know how Sally died. We know how Sally lived. She was a difficult person to make a connection with. People tried. Her parents, us when she lived around here. Health professionals…” Max stopped talking abruptly. “We want to focus on Milly’s future and making that the best we possibly can.”
“That’s all anyone can ask for.” Josephine lifted the bottle up as if it was a shield to ward off the warm sensations flowing through her body as Max looked at her. Really looked at her as if she were the most precious thing in this world. No one had ever looked at her that way. Not even her parents.
“Here.” Max placed a jug down on the counter and poured hot water into it. “Is that okay?”
“Perfect.” She placed the bottle into the jug where it bobbed up and down. When she turned around to check on Milly, Tad and Jake quickly turned their heads and pretended to be very interested in Milly’s little hands.
Josephine waited for the contents of the bottle to heat to the correct temperature and then tested it on her wrist. Max circled the kitchen like a predator, his eyes watching her every move. If the circumstances were any different, she might have been scared, but Jake and Tad were crooning to baby Milly, their voices soft and comforting.
“I never knew babies could be so adorable.” Jake nodded his head at Milly. “You are adorable. Yes, you are.” He was rewarded by a raspberry and a big grin lit up his face.
“Here, the milk is ready. I’ll show you how to test it to make sure it’s not too hot or too cold.” Josephine quickly explained how to heat up the milk and then test it. Then she showed Tad how to feed Milly so that she didn’t end up full of air and colicky. “That’s perfect.”
“She’s drinking it.” Tad didn’t take his eyes off Milly and the bottle of milk.
“That’s the idea, genius,” Jake muttered, although he also looked enamored with Milly.
“Have you fostered many babies?” Max asked as he leaned against the counter. He was watching Tad feed Milly, but he couldn’t keep his eyes from lingering over Josephine. Which she found both flattering and a little disturbing.
These men were shifters. Fiona had been open and honest about how Milly would be better living here with the Harrison brothers because she would need their guiding hands when she learned to shift at puberty. Since she wasn’t Max’s mate, his long lingering looks came across as leery.
Was this the kind of environment Milly should grow up in?
Sure Jake and Tad seemed great, very engaged in asking all the right questions about Milly and her wellbeing. But Max, his eyes bored into her as if looking deep into her soul in an attempt to see the real essence of who Josephine was. And the secrets she hid.
“Do you have a problem?” The words left Josephine’s mouth before she had a chance to filter them through her brain. Silence. All three brothers stared at her before Tad and Jake switched their gaze to Max. Which was right where her eyes were fixed.
“A problem?” Max stuttered, his eyes wide as he stared at her.
“Yes, you are acting a little weird.” She stared him down, or at least tried to, but his eyes were fixed on her as if they were a heat-seeking missile and she was their target. Heat. She was hot. A warm glow spread through her body, fanned by a deep, inexplicable desire for the man before her.
The man who was staring at her, even now. If he tore his gaze away, she would wither and die. They would both wither and die. Blood drained from her face and her hands shook as she stood up and approached Max.
“I’ve always been a little weird.” He tried to crack a smile, but it failed to lighten the intensity of his face.
“Why are you staring at me?” she repeated, her treacherous tongue snaking out to moisten her lips in the hope he might lean forward, slip his arm around her waist and pull her to him in a searing kiss.
“Because…” His eyes flickered down to her lips. He was going to kiss her.
“Yes?” She inched forward as if she were being pulled closer by an invisible force.
“You and I…” He took a step away from the counter, his broad shoulders looming above her, but she wasn’t scared. He might be tall and incredibly toned and strong, but there was a gentleness to him.
“Say it.” Josephine pushed him, she needed to hear him speak the words because although she was certain they were mates, it seemed impossible. Why would fate choose them to be together? What did they have in common?
Baby Milly. Of course, she was here to help them adopt the baby into their family. But that would m
ean she would be part of that family, too. A thrill of excitement passed through her.
“We’re mates.” His left eye flickered, the laughter lines crinkling around the dark brown iris. “You know what that means, don’t you?”
“I do.” She let out a breath and so did Jake and Tad.
“Well, that was tense, wasn’t it, Milly?” Tad crooned to the baby who was just about to finish her bottle.
Max’s shoulders slumped forward. “I wasn’t sure if you knew.” He ran his hand through his hair and then let it drop to his side. “When I was younger, I rehearsed what I’d say when I met my mate over and over again. But since fate seemed to skirt around the three of us, I’d given up hope.”
“But here we are.” Josephine needed to drag herself away from Max and supervise Tad with burping the baby. However, her feet were glued to the spot, her body anchored in position.
“But here we are.” Max reached out his hand to her and her fingers twitched, wanting to feel that first contact.
With a deep breath, she lifted her hand, their fingertips touching briefly as an electrical current passed along her fingers and up her arm. It was as if he were kickstarting her heart, resetting it so she could live again. Love again.
Behind her, Milly burped loudly and the tension broke.
“Okay, now that we have the drama out of the way, perhaps we can get on with the real reason Josephine is here.” Jake kept his face perfectly straight, but his eyes danced with humor.
“Am I doing this right?” Tad had Milly over his shoulder, and he was rubbing her back in a circular motion.
“That’s great.” Josephine sat down at the table, her knees suddenly weak as the adrenaline that had fueled her body dissipated. “You’re a pro.”
“I always knew we would find out what you were good at one day,” Jake joked. He was a man who liked to cover his feelings with brash comments, but she sensed he loved his brothers. They were his family.
But how would he feel with these new changes to his family?
“Can I get you a fresh cup of coffee?” Max asked, hovering behind her shoulder.
Max - Three Silverback Bears and a Baby Book One Page 3