Page 24 of Be My Baby

Her gaze searched his face again, as if looking for something. A tell, perhaps. He stood resolute, giving nothing away. He wasn’t getting into this; not here, not now, not with her, when his mother had just gone over the undoubtedly same things.

Darby blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine. Don’t tell me. But, I’m here if you need to talk. I want to see you happy, but please don’t invest yourself until you’re certain of her. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

She turned and waddled with as much attitude as she could at seven months pregnant, straight out the door, back to the rest of them.

Max scrubbed at his face. Why did everyone assume Millie was out to hurt him?

Doubt tightened his stomach in knots so strong they may as well have been stainless steel, and swirled around the edges of his brain, undermining the certainty he’d felt about his decision. There was no doubt that he wanted a child—he did. And he wanted it with Millie. But if the women he respected most in his life had severe reservations, was that something he should listen to? True, they didn’t know the details, and they didn’t know the depth of his feelings for Millie, which all things considered, was probably a good thing. Then again, his mother’s reservations about Millie’s reason for askinghim…

He blew out a pent-up breath and shook his head.

No one could answer those particular questions but Millie. And if he was honest, did he really want to know the answers?

Chapter Ten

“So, brother.”

Max looked up from his breakfast at the sound of Gabe’s voice. He sat back into his cushioned cane seat on the covered upstairs verandah and nodded at both of his brothers while he pushed his coffee mug around on its coaster by the handle.

“You’re here early. Looking for extra shifts?” Max teased.

Gabe chuckled and pulled out a chair. He set his takeaway coffee down on the table and leaned back, looking out over the first-floor railing into Max’s backyard. Well, his pretend backyard. A bit of a driveway, a garage, and a long, narrow, extremely productive veggie patch that sat flush against the rickety rear fence. That was the extent of it.

Simon sat down on his other side and made a show of relaxing into the chair. Max raised his eyebrow. If he didn’t know better he’d think it was an intervention.

Or an interrogation.

He hid the grin that wanted to break out at that thought behind a loud sigh. His nosey brothers were there to pick his brain about Millie.

“Nice mornin’, isn’t it?” Simon asked.

Max sipped his coffee and took a bite of toast. He nodded but took his time answering while he chewed. He swallowed and crossed an ankle over his knee.

“Snoops,” Max said clearly.

Simon had the nerve to look affronted, but Gabe simply laughed and picked up his own coffee.

“I’m offended you would say such a thing to your dedicated, loyal brothers. Why Gabe, I think I’m mortally wounded,” Simon groused.

“You’re a busybody and a gossip, Simon Matthew Jameson. And that isfact.” Max’s words held no heat, and even he could hear the humour winding through them.

“Now that we have that out of the way—what’s the deal, brother?” Gabe asked. His gaze hadn’t left Max’s face, as if looking for any tell to give him away, the same as Darby had the day before. Gabe and his twin were so similar it was almost funny.

Max continued with his breakfast. If they had time to bother him at this time of day, they could wait as long as it took for any information he wished to reveal. He wasn’t letting his breakfast go cold for anyone.

Max picked up his coffee and held it cupped in his palm. “There’s no deal.”

“Oh, come on! Stop being such a killjoy. Spill already,” Simon complained. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “We know you’ve had the hots for her for ages. You don’t hide itthatwell. At least, not from us. Are you sleeping together?”

Max chuckled. “And why would I tell the Crossing’s biggest gossip, next to Mildred Appleton, something like that? You’d have it blabbered around to your O’Brien buddies before my coffee could go cold.”

Gabe’s laughter rang out around the verandah. “He’s got you there, Si.” He rubbed his jaw, his eyes happy, a carefree air surrounding him that hadn’t been there in many years.

Before Emma, that is.

Max watched his youngest brother more closely. He’d never seen Gabe so… content. Emma had been the balm for a weary, jaded soul. Something Gabe had needed desperately, even though they hadn’t realised it. He’d been so lonely, so unhappy, that he’d been running on autopilot. It warmed Max beyond belief that Gabe had found something so special with Emma. He deserved that happiness. They all did.

Simon sighed dramatically and hung his arm over the back of the chair. “Fine. Ipromiseto not say a single word to anyone, except maybe Amy, because she’ll make my life miserable if she knows I know something that she doesn’t. Okay? Satisfied?”

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