Page 92 of Cross To Bear

Would she? I didn’t know or care. Instead I was just glad when Maddie’s parents left the room.

“I just stepped out to get fucking coffee,” Bjorn said, looking at the two of us. “What the hell happened?”

“My parents got word of my accident from the neighbours and decided to come by and give me a hard time about embarrassing them.” Maddie shook her head. “But it was a good thing. They need to know.” Her eyes darted up to meet mine, then his. “Everyone needs to know.”

“What do they need to know?”

I heard the longing in Bjorn’s voice and knew what that was. We’d never get tired of hearing our girl say she chose us just as we chose her. Maddie’s lips twitched, as if she knew exactly what was going on, but she graciously pandered to our needs.

“That you’re my guys. I can’t tell them about fated mates. My father’s already having a fucking meltdown that you’re mechanics. I think he’d have a bloody aneurysm if he knew you were bear shifters.” She pulled her hand away to scratch at her head. “But… he does need to know that you’re my future.”

She had more to say, I’m sure of it, but that was enough for my brother. He leaned over to slam his lips down on hers, kissing her long and hard, as I listened to the heart rate machine pick up.

I took the time to grab the food I’d brought with me. Now that there was nothing getting in the way of me looking after our girl, I could let it all loose. To protect her, care for her, make her feel loved every fucking day I took breath, and right now, to nourish her body. She smiled when I returned with a thermos cup filled with soup.

“This is like a picnic, but… Damn! That smells freaking amazing.”

Her praise was raindrops, dropping down on the arid dirt of my soul, making me wonder what would grow in the now more fertile earth. Love, in all its many, many forms, I assured myself as I handed her the cup and watched her take a sip with hungry eyes. Love in all the ways Maddie would accept.

Chapter 53

“So you’re home now!” Mal said, settling down on the couch opposite me. “After a bloody car accident?” Hawk moved forward, setting drinks down on the coffee table, as well as some handmade dip he was making this morning, some fresh bread to smear it across, as well as a plate full of crudités. She looked at all of this and then blinked as he ambled back to the kitchen to work on lunch. “Like I would not recommend breaking your leg under any circumstances, but…” Mal leaned forward to grab a carrot stick and some dip, groaning when she bit into it. “This might make me want to fracture a fibia.”

“Isn’t it a tibia?” I helped myself to the dip as well, the taste of chickpea, sharp lemon and tahini exploding on my tongue. “Damn, that is good.” I leaned over the back of the couch. “Amazing hummus, babe!”

Hawk looked up from what he was doing to give me one of those little secret smiles of his before going back to work, but I knew what it did to him. He never said a word about it, but my guy liked praise almost as much as I did.

Probably because he’d grown up in a world where he got fuck all of it.

I let out a sigh and then focussed back on Mal.

“So how’s things going at work? I can work from home. You can tell the partners—”

“Hush your mouth,” she said with a wave of her hand, then took a sip from her bloody Mary. I got water because apparently no alcohol for me while still healing. “You’re literally incapacitated. Just enjoy the enforced break and enjoy…”

She cast an eye around the living room, taking in where Crash was working on a design in his sketchbook and Bjorn was talking through the composition. Hawk was cooking up a storm in the kitchen, and Razor was pretending to pay attention to that, but instead was just watching the two of us… No, me, like a hawk.

“…Whatever the fuck this is. So have you decided?”

I sucked in a breath, feeling that lightness that came each time I admitted this.

“They’re mine and I’m theirs, that’s what I know. Call it fated mates or polyamory or whatever. I don’t care.” I let out a long sigh. “I’m happy, Mal, that’s what I am. It feels like for the first time I’m completely and utterly happy.”

“Trying to hold back the jealousy…” She drew herself up tall in her seat, then nodded decisively. “OK, got the green-eyed monster under control, because I’m happy for you, babes. You deserve every happiness, and if four biker dudes are what it takes to make that happen, I’m one hundred percent behind you. So what’s the next step? Matching rings? A commitment ceremony? Ooh, what about a destination commitment ceremony?”

“No.” I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. “I used every single one of the sleuth as I was getting over Jesse.”

She dismissed that with a wave of her hand.

“We all do shit things after a breakup. What matters is how things proceed from now.”

“That’s just it.” I felt like I soaked in the details of each one of them in a series of glances, taking in what they were doing, how they responded to each other and the way they communicated that they loved me. “I was selfish with them, but now? I want to repay the favour, even the balance.” I nodded firmly. “I realised that in the hospital, but I’ve been racking my brain as to how.”

“You want to spoil your guys?” Mal smiled slowly. “Now, this is a plan I can get behind.” She leaned forward and gestured that I should do the same, something that had Razor frowning slightly. “So it seems you’ve got a foodie that loves taking care of others.” Her focus shifted to the dining table where Bjorn and Crash were working. “Two artistic types, but ones that work with very different canvases. And…” She glanced back over her shoulder in Razor’s direction. “A total control freak. Whatever you do, it needs to play into those things. So, how about…”

I didn’t put anything into place in the first day or two after I came home. The guys were talking amongst themselves, aware, no doubt with Razor’s help, that something was up. So I played it cool, sitting on the couch and watching movies with the lot of them until I assured them I could be trusted on my own at home.

“You call us,” Razor insisted, placing my phone in my hand. “The minute anything is up. You’re hurting, need something from the chemist—”

---