Sheriff Dragon's Secret Baby (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 4)

by Brittany White

  He was getting far more attached to her than he’d planned.

  A week ago, Brennan had wanted Fallon to come back to Texas with them. He didn’t want her alone in Florida, grieving for the life that she’d lost with her son. Yet if he was honest with himself, he had dreaded her living in his house.

  He’d been wrong to feel that way. Having her in his home was much better than he’d anticipated, and it wasn’t just because of the enthusiastic lovemaking they shared. He’d gone back to work as the sheriff, and when he got home, Fallon and Rowan had been to the grocery store. They stocked the pantry, the freezer, and the refrigerator. They also did all the laundry, including washing and ironing his uniforms.

  “You don’t have to do all this,” he said to her. “But I do appreciate it.”

  “I’m not working right now,” she said. “So it’s no trouble.”

  When he got home at night, they ate dinner, and then she retreated to her room for a while or went outside for a walk, leaving him some time to spend with Rowan.

  He and Rowan had embarked on their next project—building a treehouse and a swing set from scratch. Brennan was handy, but he had a feeling he was going to need his brother’s help for this one. They’d successfully constructed the rock wall, but now the platform for the treehouse wasn’t cooperating. He’d cursed more than once in front of his son, which made Rowan giggle.

  On Thursday evening, he arrived home after a long day. A landlord had evicted his tenant unjustly, and they’d called Brennan. Brennan had gotten to the bottom of the dispute, but not after hours of screaming and tears from both parties. Then he’d helped the tenant pick all her stuff up off the lawn and take it back into the apartment. When he got home, he was ready to chill out and hang out with his kid.

  Fallon seemed to pick up on his mood instantly. “Why don’t we go to the lake?” she asked in a soft voice. “You look like you could use a swim.”

  “You know, that sounds perfect.” He kissed her cheek. “Has Rowan swam in a lake before?”

  “No, he hasn’t, but he loves new experiences.”

  Fallon packed sandwiches and bottles of water for them into a cooler, and they headed to the lake. Brennan spent the next two hours with Rowan, diving deep and shifting under the lake water. Fallon also swam. The water was cold, but she dove in. She swam in large circles around the boat and then got back in. She sat in the boat with her legs crossed, staring at the horizon.

  Brennan was struck by how much she looked like a statue of a Greek goddess—perfect and still, carved from marble. She looked aloof and far away from a lake in Texas, but when Rowan hauled himself over the edge of the boat, she scooped him into her arms and hugged him, listening as he told her all about his swim.

  As he did so often these days, Brennan just sat back and watched. Her golden hair was already dry, and it shimmered in the waning sunlight. Her green eyes sparkled, and her lilting voice washed over him. He shifted in his seat on the boat. He was always turned on when she was nearby.

  He couldn’t keep his hands off Fallon. She was beautiful, yes, but she was also easy to be around. Her love for Rowan shined brightly. She’d only been here for a few days, but so far, they were great co-parents.

  Would she like more? He didn’t know. She gave no indication that she was interested, and he definitely didn’t want to pressure her. She already had a big enough shock, finding out that she’d slept with a dragon shifter five years ago and created a child that was also a dragon shifter.

  He found himself texting her during the day while he was at work. He found himself thinking about her when he woke up in the morning. He found himself hoping that she decided to stay and continue living in his house for good.

  So far, he had her all to himself for the entire week, but now he could no longer hold his brothers off. The rest of the family was clamoring to meet her, and she had agreed. On Friday at lunch, he ducked out of the sheriff’s office and met his brothers at the cafe.

  Liam rubbed his hands together. “So tonight’s the big night. Brynne is really excited to meet Rowan.”

  “What time should we be there?” Kellan asked.

  “I’m thinking we could come to your house. That way we can make an escape if you all start acting crazy,” Brennan said.

  “It’s not like you’d hesitate to kick us out of your house if you need a break,” Quinn said.

  Kellan rolled his eyes. “We know how to do this. We’ve all met a significant other several times now, and we haven’t managed to run any of them off.”

  Brennan shoved Kellan’s arm. “Not yet, anyway.”

  Kellan shoved him back, even harder. “I’m sure Fallon will love us. Everyone else does.”

  Brennan groaned. “Give me a break, guys. Listen, Fallon’s been through a lot. She’d be pissed if she knew I was asking for y’all to treat her any differently, but just pay attention. Be nice.”

  Liam leaned forward and patted Brennan’s shoulder. “We’ll be on our best behavior. Right, guys?”

  Kellan and Quinn nodded in unison. “You know we can behave when we need to,” Quinn said. “I promise we’ll be nice.”

  Kellan stood up and whacked Brannan on the back. “Of course you can come to my house. The backyard always keeps the kids occupied.”

  “Good. I know your wives don’t need any warnings to behave themselves. We’ll be there tonight at six.”

  When Brennan pushed Kellan’s front door open, Rowan rushed through without hesitation. Brennan laughed. He was thrilled at how eager his son was to meet his cousins. When he looked back at Fallon, she had that statuesque look again. She had a small smile on her face, but her eyes were a million miles away.

  He really hoped this wasn’t a step toward driving her away. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. I’m ready to meet everyone.”

  Brennan didn’t understand her sometimes. Sometimes, she was so open and honest with him and let him see her emotion. Sometimes, he felt really close to her. But other times, she was like a stranger. He never had a serious girlfriend before, so he had nothing to compare it to. He never bothered to try and get to know someone long-term, but Fallon was in his life permanently. Would it be best to try and view her as a co-parent only? He tried that, but his attraction to her always overruled his logic. Every night that week, he’d taken her to bed. He had officially blurred the lines.

  He’d have to consider their relationship later because it was time to deal with his chaotic family. His family did have practice at meeting new members, that was true, and because Fallon already knew their secret, they had the added bonus of not having to hide their true selves from her.

  Kellan and Clara came forward first. “Our son, Declan, already has Rowan in the pool.”

  They all walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows in Kellan’s mansion. Sure enough, Declan and Rowan were poised on the edge of the diving board together. Next to them, three-year-old Shannon was jumping up and down and clapping. They all watched as the kids leaped into the air and cannonballed into the water.

  “Two peas in a pod,” Brennan said.

  Clara began to chat with Fallon, but Brennan noticed Kellan staring at her with a funny look on his face. Brennan would have to ask him about that later. Next, Quinn and Juliana came to introduce themselves and their toddler, Isleen. Last but not least, Liam and Brynne came in with baby Finn.

  The whole evening was a whirlwind, but Fallon held her own.

  At one point, Clara whisked Fallon away from Brennan so that she could hang out with the other women. Quinn and Liam were splashing along with the kids in the lazy river, and Kellan and Brennan said in the hot tub.

  Kellan didn’t waste any time saying what was on his mind. “She reminds me of someone.”

  “Who?” he asked. Brennan wanted to know since he’d had the same thought.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, that’s not very helpful.”

  Kellan scoffed. “If I’d
known who she reminded me of, I would have said so.” He chewed on his lip. “She reminds me of someone we knew in Ireland.”

  “Well, she is Irish. So maybe we knew one of her relatives,” Brennan offered.

  “Maybe.”

  Brennan could tell that he wasn’t going to get any more out of Kellan. “Declan and Rowan look like they’re having the time of their lives,” he said. The two of them were on the zipline now, which was a recent addition.

  “Fatherhood seems to agree with you,” Kellan said with a soft smile.

  Brennan took a sip of beer. “It really does. He’s a great kid. It sucks that he was four before I found him. It makes me want to make up for lost time.”

  “Seems like you’re doing a pretty good job,” Liam said as he joined us in the hot tub.

  Quinn sent a spray of water in Brennan’s direction and said, “Yeah, not to make your head any bigger than it already is, but you’ve turned out to be a pretty good dad.”

  Brennan drained his beer and glared at all three of them. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised. I’ve been watching your rugrats for the last eight years.”

  “It’s true,” Liam said. “And we are glad for it.” He leaned forward a little. “You seem a lot different with her.”

  Quinn chuckled. “He has to be. She’s the only woman who he’s brought to meet us.”

  Brennan kicked his brother under the water. He pointed at Quinn. “Not everyone has their mate move next door.” Next, he pointed at Liam. “And not everyone can go off in search of a female shifter and come home with a mate.”

  “Is she your mate?” Kellan asked.

  “Hello no. She’s my son’s mother. We’re just trying to get a feel for each other and figure out how we’re going to raise a kid together for the next fourteen years.” He popped the lid off a new can of beer. “That’s all.”

  “That’s what they all say,” Liam said with a laugh.

  Brennan shook his head. “Nope. Not a chance with us.”

  Quinn elbowed him under the water. “Yeah, because she’s way too good for you.”

  Brennan sat his beer down on the hot tub ledge. “I’ll show you who’s too good for you.” He jumped on his brother, and they started wrestling, splashing water all over the deck.

  16

  Fallon

  Fallon froze. Her hand was halfway to her mouth, holding the frozen strawberry daiquiri that Clara had fixed for her. She hadn’t meant to listen in on Brennan’s conversation. He wasn’t trying to be cruel. A human wouldn’t have been able to hear it, anyway. He’d just said that he wasn’t interested in Fallon as a mate. He basically implied that he was putting up with her for Rowan’s sake.

  She closed her eyes and centered herself. She might have been rejected by the Fae tribe, but she still had their blood. She could pull herself together in a crisis and act like nothing was wrong. That’s what Fae did. They pushed on.

  Pulling herself together did not seem to fool Brynne, who stopped talking and peered right at her. She seemed especially in tune with Fallon. Maybe it was because Brynne was a shifter. Could she sense that there was something different about Fallon?

  “Fallon?” Brynne stepped closer, but she didn’t touch Fallon. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

  She could hardly tell this female dragon shifter that she was crushed because Brennan didn’t want her. She and Brynne weren’t friends. Brynne’s loyalty would lie with Brennan, as it should.

  “I’m fine,” she told Brynne. She’d been saying that a lot lately. Her face must betray her emotions rather clearly. That was another thing her sister would never have tolerated if Fallon had stayed in Ireland.

  Laughter erupted from the hot tub. In a trance-like state, she wandered closer to where Brennan and his brothers were relaxing in the steamy water. “What’s so funny?” she asked, wondering what he’d say.

  Brennan grinned up at her. “The guys asked if we were mates.”

  She forced a mild expression on her face. “What did you tell them?”

  He chuckled. “I told them hell no. There’s no way someone like you would tolerate me.”

  Fallon’s stomach sank further. He wasn’t making fun of her, not really. He’d made himself the butt of the joke, but she felt like the joke was on her.

  She had fallen for him. He’d been everything she’d wanted in a man—a good father, a good lover, and a good citizen. Never mind that he was gorgeous and that she could spend all day, every day in bed with him.

  She hadn’t thought he saw her as a potential mate, but now that she knew he found the idea amusing, she couldn’t keep living with him. She couldn’t live like that, knowing she wasn’t taken seriously as something more than just Rowan’s mother.

  She had to get a job.

  She cleared her throat and made her face neutral as she turned back to Brynne. It was a skill that all Fae had, removing themselves from their own stormy emotions. “Actually, do you know anyone who’s hiring? I need a job.”

  Brynne blinked. “Hmm. Let’s see. Juliana is an accountant, but she used to work at the restaurant in town. It’s called the Bluebonnet Cafe. She’s really good friends with the owner, whose name is Kate. Clara is a certified teacher, so she knows all the places that are hiring in childcare.” She smiled. “I was a ski-instructor before I had Finn, so that doesn’t really translate well to Texas.”

  Fallon could sense that Brynne sometimes felt out of place in Cedar Lake. Fallon didn’t know her story, but despite being a dragon shifter from the same clan as all the brothers, the other two wives were human, and Brynne wasn’t.

  In the brief time that she’d known them, Clara and Juliana were a lot friendlier and more outgoing than Brynne. Brynne was more reserved. Fallon liked them all, but maybe she and Brynne would become friends one day.

  “I cleaned houses when I lived in Florida.”

  “I don’t know too many people who use house cleaners here in Cedar Lake,” Brynne said, “but if you drove over to Dallas, you’d have a bunch of potential clients.”

  It was only an hour away, but she really didn’t want to be that far from Rowan. Maybe when he was older, she could go there.

  “Thank you,” Fallon said to Brynne. “I’m going to ask Juliana about the restaurant. I’ve waited tables before.”

  The rest of the evening swirled around her. She could hardly read minds, but she could perceive their general emotions more clearly than she usually could with people she didn’t know. Maybe it was because of her connection to Rowan. Everyone seemed to like Fallon, but they thought she was aloof. Well, that was nothing new. It was better to keep up that persona because she and Brennan were never going to be more than friends who slept together.

  All of them adored Rowan, of course—she’d expected nothing less. Finally, her child got to truly be himself, without her dogging his footsteps and reminding him to be careful, not to be too rough, or not to reveal himself to humans.

  Rowan was having the time of his life. He loved all of the shifter hatchlings, and they felt the same way about him. Little Isleen followed Rowan everywhere, and Shannon and Declan kept him busy with outlandish dares and challenges.

  Rowan came running to her, tackling her legs. “Momma, can I spend the night here? Can I have a sleepover? Declan said I could.”

  Fallon laughed and picked him up. “Declan said? We better wait for his mom or dad to ask.”

  Kellan came over and brushed his hand over the top of Rowan’s head. “We’d love to have him. I think Declan’s enjoying having a boy around who can keep up with him.”

  She looked at Brennan. “Is it okay with you?”

  “Definitely. I spent countless nights with these two.”

  Clara came up then and wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist. “Any rules?”

  “No. He’s never been away from me, but that was mainly because he couldn’t always conceal that he was a shifter. He’s obviously not allergic to anything.” She smiled down at her son, who was n
ow in the living room, doing flips off the couch with Declan and Shannon.

  Once again, a warmth filled her chest. Brennan had given this to her son. The ability to be a normal child. A normal dragon shifter child. It was clear that he would always be welcome here and that he would always have a home with this group.

  “I got a job,” Fallon told Brennan the following evening, once Rowan was in bed. The sleepover had been a huge success, and both boys were plotting to do it again the following Friday. “I’m going to work at the diner.”

  Last night before they’d left Kellan’s house, Fallon had asked Juliana about a possible job there, and Juliana had immediately texted the owner, whose name was Kate.

  Brennan sat up straighter. “A job? Why? Do you need some money?”

  “Yes, I need money.” She held up her hand. “I know that you are happy to give me money, but I need to rebuild my savings, and I’d like to do it myself.”

  “But—”

  “I promise I’m not going to run again. I’m not saving it so that I can take Rowan away from you.” At this point, the thought of tearing her son away from the life he had here, even after such a short time, was unthinkable.

  “You know I’ll always be able to find him.” Brennan didn’t say it like a threat, just like a fact, which it was. She knew that, and she was glad.

  “Yes. And now that I know you better, I’m happy about that. There’s nowhere he can go that you can’t reach him.” She sat down next to Brennan on the couch. “Rowan has so much here. You’re a wonderful father, and meeting your brothers and their families has been so good for him.”

  “But not for you?”

  “I like them a lot.” But they weren’t her family. He’d made that clear the previous night. She had no family. She never had. “I’m also saving to move out.” She knew he wouldn’t like that part.