“No, no, no, no,” Harper giggled and tried to fend him off.
Sam was merciless. He kept tickling Harper until she finally squeaked while she laughed.
“That’s it.” He sighed, looking sad. “I guess I can’t tickle you anymore. You squeaked.
“You can tickle me tomorrow, Sam.” Harper rested her hands on either side of his cheeks and kissed him square on the nose. “Now, can I go see Charlie?”
“Can she?” Sam’s glance bounced between Eden and Jake.
“It’s okay with me,” Jake said, pulling his hat from his head. “But you might want to ask her mother.”
“It’s fine, Sam. Since it was her first day of school and she was so brave, I don’t see why her homework can’t wait an hour or two.”
Eden knew how much Jake’s beta loved spending time with Harper. She also knew it was okay to leave her daughter alone with the man because Harper had already told her that if anyone meant to hurt either of them, her mother would be the first to know, then Jake, closely followed by Sam.
If she hadn’t already known Sam was a good man, she knew it now. He must be. He had her daughter’s approval.
Chapter Nineteen
Jake moved behind Eden and watched as Sam and Harper disappeared into the woods that separated his home from his beta’s.
Once they were out of sight, he pulled his mate into his arms and nuzzled her neck.
Eden canted her head to the side, rested her hand on his and sighed.
“Feeling better?” Jake nipped the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder, his hands cupping the underside of her breasts.
“Yes.” She turned in his arms with a smile. “I feel much better, now that Edward’s men are sitting in your jail.”
“So…” Jake kissed her nose. “What do you plan to do for the next couple of hours. You know she’s not going to let him bring her home until it’s almost dark.”
“I know. She loves Sam and his dogs.” Eden rested her hands on his chest, her fingers toying with the buttons of his shirt. “I have an idea of what we can do.”
“Me, too.” Jake swung her up into his arms and headed into the house. “How about I call Carlotta and give her the night off, and later we’ll call in a pizza?”
“But what would we do until then?” Eden blinked up at him, her eyes wide.”
Jake headed up the stairs, still carrying her in his arms. “I’ll show you.”
His phone rang just as he settled her onto the bed.
“I have to answer it. That’s my Aunt Norma’s ring.”
“Great.” Eden shifted to the edge of the bed and rested her elbows on her knees. “I’ll just sit here and try not to hear her tell you what a floozy I am.”
“Hello.”
“Jake, my garbage disposal broke down again. Can you come and fix it again?”
“You haven’t been trying to stuff Eli Hendersen’s chickens into it again, have you?”
“Of course not!” She sniffed. “I wasn’t trying to stick them down it the last time. The smelly buggers were sticking their heads down into the disposal for some reason. I don’t even know how they got into my house.”
He crossed his eyes at Eden as his aunt prattled on about her disposal and the chickens. After a few moments, she changed the subject to his getting married and giving her some grand nieces and nephews to spoil.
“I plan to do that, Aunt Norma, and probably sooner than you anticipated.”
“Just you do that, mister,” his aunt said as he held out his hand and waited for Eden to take it.
“We’ll be there in a few. I have an errand to run, and then we’ll be there so you can meet the lovely lady who has finally agreed to be my wife.”
Eden blinked her eyes wide, her brows practically climbing into her hairline. She tilted her head, pointed to her chest, and mouthed the question, Are you talking about me?
Jake raised a brow as if to ask if she thought there was someone else he planned to marry hanging around.
“Wife! Thank the Lord. You’ve finally decided to forget that tramp and get married. Who’s the lucky girl? Do I know her?”
“You’ll get to meet her soon enough, and as for little ones to spoil, she’s already got a little girl you can practice on until the other cubs arrive.”
“She’s already had a child? That’s perfect! At least you know she can have children, unlike that other… well, I’ll try to let that drop now that you’ve finally come to your senses.”
“Yes, Aunt Norma. Why don’t you let that drop? In fact, why don’t we make that an order from your alpha? You let the entire situation with Eden drop, and if you ever see her again, you’ll treat her with the utmost respect.”
“I doubt I’ll ever see her again. It’s been ten years since any of us has seen her. I don’t think she’s going to come back anytime soon.”
“You’re weaving some webs, Jake,” Eden said as she stood and headed to the bureau, picked up her brush and ran it through her hair.
He loved watching her care for herself. There was something sexy about watching a woman brush her hair, dress, and make herself beautiful for the rest of the world.
“Still, I will have your word that you will treat Eden with the respect that you would give the alpha’s mate the next time you see her.”
A soft giggle and snort from the other side of the room made him grin.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes to fix your disposal once you give me your word.”
A sigh came from the other end of the call.
“Okay. You have my word. I will treat Eden with the same respect I would give your mate if I should ever see her again.”
“And you will treat any of her children with the love you would give to me or any other child of your blood.”
“Now, Jake. You’re taking this a bit far, aren’t you?”
“Say it, Norma.”
“I’ll treat any of her children with the love I reserve for the likes of you and yours. Good enough?”
“Yep. Good enough. Now give me a few minutes, and I’ll be there to fix your disposal with my mate in tow. You’ll meet her daughter some other time. She’s at Sam’s playing with the dogs.”
“Thanks, Jake. I’ll look forward to meeting your new mate.”
Jake ended the call and turned to Eden with a grin.
“That was sneaky and evil, and I think I love you even more for it.” Grinning, Eden set her brush on the mirrored tray and turned as he approached. Sliding her arms around his neck, she brought his head down for a kiss.
“So, I suppose we’re going to go visit your aunt now?” She crossed her arms and pressed her lips together. “Do you really think she’ll keep her word?”
“She must. She knows that defying me could very well end up with her expulsion from the pack.”
“You wouldn’t!” Eden stared up at him, her eyes wide.
“Of course, I would.” He met her gaze, serious. “Defying me is one of our worst crimes. If I can’t trust my people, who can I trust?”
“But you wouldn’t really expel her, would you?”
“It doesn’t matter what we think I will do. There’s no sense in dealing with probabilities. We will find out soon enough.”
He held out his hand.
“It’s time we went to see Aunt Norma.”
Chapter Twenty
Eden stared up at the forbidding home that once belonged to Jake’s uncle. He had passed on a few years after she left Haven, ultimately leaving the title of Alpha and his fortune to Jake.
It wasn’t Norma’s fault she was so unpleasant sometimes. She’d spent a lifetime as the alpha’s mate. Some of that inherent bossiness was bound to wear off.
Eden could only hope she didn’t turn out the same way after forty years—if they lasted forty years. She knew wolves mated for life, but she wasn’t sure she could put up with their way of life for that long.
Her stomach twisted at the thought. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to be a glorifie
d member of the pack. It might be different if there was some way to make her a shifter, too. Eden Sighed. She couldn’t ask Jake to wait again.
Having her become his mate was the only thing Jake wanted out of their relationship. And if she were going to be truthful with herself, she would admit that she wanted to live the rest of her life with him, even if it scared the ever-loving hell out of her.
Norma ran from the house and trotted down the steps. She was very active for a woman of her age, but then weren’t they all? Eden had never seen anyone in his family who wasn’t in perfect health.
“Why didn’t your Aunt Norma follow your uncle?” Jake had told her that normally, a mate wouldn’t choose to continue living once their mate passed on. Most times, they didn’t even have to commit ritual suicide. They usually faded away, dying of a broken heart.
“He made her promise to see that the pack would remain strong. Uncle Jacob knew I had no intention of settling down anytime soon, and he made her promise that if anything happened to him, she would see that I was married and well on my way to giving the pack heirs before she followed him.”
“Did she ever tell you why she hated me so much?”
Eden frowned at him and then shifted her gaze to the thin woman who made it obvious that she had grown tired of waiting for them to get out of the car.
“She’s coming this way. We’d better get out of the car.” Jake opened his door and walked around the back to her side.
It was a good way to avoid answering her question.
“Come on,” he said as he opened her door and held out his hand. “It’s time to face this together.”
“You’re the girl from the diner.” Norma’s eyes widened and then narrowed to slits. “You’re that-that—“
“Careful Aunt Norma. You gave your word.”
Norma’s face turned a deep shade of red as she stared daggers at Eden.
“I know you.” She pointed a boney, red-tipped finger at Eden. “So, you’ve finally come back. Did you hear Jake was rich now?”
“I had no idea Jake had inherited the title or the business.” Eden planted her feet shoulder-width apart and crossed her arms. She had no intention of letting the old biddy run her off.
“Bullsh—“
Chapter Twenty-one
“That’s enough, Aunt Norma!” Jake’s declaration boomed deep.
The power of the alpha washed over the two women. Jake drew himself up to his full height and put every ounce of authority into his voice.
“You gave me your word. Remember?” He glared at her as she continued to stare at Eden with disdain.
“You gave your word to give her the respect due to the alpha’s mate.”
“That was before I knew you were going to bring her to my house.”
“This is your home, yes.” Jake nodded. “But as alpha, it is my house.”
Norma’s gaze shifted to him, her eyes wide. “You wouldn’t!”
“Not under normal circumstances, no. I would not. However, you gave your word to the alpha of your pack. The way I see it, you have two choices. You can welcome Eden and her daughter into the pack, or you can leave and hope another pack will take you in a give you a place to stay.” He crossed his arms. “You could always go to the other side of the lake and try staying with Bastien’s pack. It’s your choice.”
“You would choose your woman over your family?” Tears pooled in her eyes, but she didn’t fool Jake. He wasn’t his namesake, and she wouldn’t sway him with her fake tears.
“I would choose my true mate over anyone. I would choose her over the pack. She is my one true mate, Aunt Norma. Don’t make me choose between you. You will lose. The pack will lose.”
Norma lifted her chin and stared at Eden. If looks could kill, Eden knew she would be six feet under in a heartbeat.
After a few moments, Norma gave a sharp nod. “Very well. If that is the way you want it.” She turned her attention to her nephew. “You once again have my word to treat your woman with the utmost respect.”
“And her child?” Jake stilled waiting for her reply. “I won’t stand for your treating any child with the rancor you gave Eden when she was here before, and she was barely more than a child herself.”
“I will treat any of her children with the utmost respect and the love every child deserves.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“I know you will.” She rested her hands on her hips. “Now, will you go fix my disposal?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It has one of Eli Hendersen’s No Trespassing signs stuck in it.”
“What is it with you and Eli? Why can’t the two of you get along?”
Jake trudged up the steps and into the house. Similar to his home, the door led straight into the kitchen.
“Why is the broom in the sink?”
“You’re supposed to unstick a garbage disposal with a broom handle. Don’t you know that?” As was her habit, Norma smoothed back her already tidy hair.
“Of course, I know that, but usually, you attempt to remove the thing that’s stuck first.”
Jake pulled the mangled sign from the sink and tossed it onto the counter before he jammed the broom handle back into the disposal and turned the device manually.
Reaching over, he flipped the switch, and the disposal roared to life.
“There you go,” He set the broom on the floor. “The next time I have to come over here to fix your disposal because you’ve shoved something in it that belongs to Eli, I’m going to remove the damned thing.”
“You take all the fun out of everything.” Norma glowered at him. “I can’t fight with your fl… Eden. I can’t fight with Eli. Just what can I do?”
“You can be the loving woman I know you can be.” Jake grasped her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “Besides, you’re going to have a lot to be happy about.”
“I don’t see what,” she groused. “You say I can’t fight with Eli. I can’t fight with Eden. I must be nice to her children.” She rested her hands on her hips. “It wouldn’t be difficult to be nice to her children if they were yours.”
“Then this is your lucky day.” Jake grinned. “It just so happens that Eden’s daughter is my daughter. She was pregnant when she left here ten years ago. She’s returned because she wanted our daughter to get to know me. Now, she can get to know you, as well.”
“How do you know she’s your daughter?” Norma frowned and then turned to Eden. “That little girl is your daughter.” Her expression took on a faraway look for a moment. “She has green eyes.” She stared at Jake. “She has your green eyes.”
“Now, you get it.” Jake smiled. “You have a great-niece. The fates have given us all another chance to get to know each other and build a life together. We must all get along. You can’t hold a grudge against Eden without Harper knowing. She has the gift of sight, and she will see if you harbor ill feelings for her mother.”
“My God.” The starch fell out of Norma as she lowered herself to one of the chairs around the table. “No one has had the sight in our pack for over two-hundred years.” She brought a trembling hand to her head and nervously smoothed back her perfect hair. “The last pack seer made a final prediction before her death. Once the new seer is born, the pack shall endure five-hundred years of happiness and prosperity.”
Norma turned her gaze to Eden. “You must be his true mate. Only a true mate can bear a seer.” She shook her head and covered her face with her hands. “I always thought you were after Jake for the family money. I’m so sorry. I should never have questioned his choice.”
“You’re right. You should never have questioned my choice in a mate. Now that we’ve got that straightened out, perhaps you’d like to come over for dinner one night soon and meet your new niece.”
“I would like that.” Norma turned to Eden. “I hope one day, you will find it in your heart to forgive me for all the things I’ve said to you.”
“I can already find it in my heart to for
give you.” Eden smiled and rested her hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “It’s easy to understand how you felt now that I have Harper. We tend to want to protect those we love, even when they don’t want, or need, our protection.”
Norma nodded, her tears sliding down her cheeks. “I’ll always remember your kindness.” Her lips curved up in a small smile. “Just let me know when I can come over and meet my great-niece.”
“We will.” Jake took Eden’s hand and pulled her toward the door. “Right now, we have to go and rescue Sam. I’m sure he’d like to get some rest after spending the afternoon with a ten-year-old.”
“I love the idea of having a pretty, young niece. I would love to take her out one day and have a girl's day out. I always wanted a little girl, but Jacob and I were never blessed with children.” Norma’s eyes grew dreamy. “Would you allow that?”
“I don’t see why we couldn’t let you take her out. Once she gets to know you, of course.”
Who knew his aunt had always wanted a little girl?
Chapter Twenty-two
Eden pulled the last of the tattered boxes from the trunk of her beat-up sedan and carried them into the house. She glanced up at the three-story Victorian and smiled. Who could have known things would turn out so well?
She never expected such painless or thorough forgiveness from Jake. It was easy to see he loved Harper with all his heart. It seemed as though he told them both he loved them every chance he got.
She couldn’t blame him, she supposed. The poor man was most likely afraid she’d run from him again if he didn’t make his feelings known.
However, she wasn’t about to complain. Having Jake’s love again was the best gift anyone could have given her, and she thanked God for every day they spent together.
“Make sure you get everything.” Asa, one of Sam’s men, smiled at her as she strode toward the house. “You don’t want any of your things ending up in a teenager’s hands.”
“Right. I’ll give it a once over as soon as I take this upstairs.” She held the box out as she passed him.
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