Page 19 of Be My Baby

He walked around the table toward his father. He glanced around the table, feeling as if ants were crawling over his back. Darby’s intense stare caught his attention. She leaned back and tilted her head, one eyebrow raised, her frown now obvious.

He shrugged and shoved his hands into his front pockets. Darby’s expression morphed into concern. Max pulled his attention from her as heat rose in his face. Trust his busybody sister to have a problem with Millie’s presence. Although, he supposed he could understand to a degree—Millie and Ryan’s break-up had sent ripples throughout their entire group of friends, their own age and others.

It shouldn’t surprise him, to be completely honest. He’d only brought two other women home for the Sunday BBQs—Lucy, and a previous girlfriend years before that.

His father looked up from turning on the gas bottle beneath the BBQ when he noticed Max’s legs beside him.

“You need a hand, Dad?”

Ed Jameson grinned up at him. “You can start this ornery thing, if you like. It seems to prefer you to any of us. I swear I’m going to replace it next time.”

Max laughed and shook his head. His father said that every single time they barbequed. “No wonder she plays up if you talk to her like that.” He patted the hood on the ancient BBQ. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t let him trash you.”

His father shoved himself to his feet and crossed his arms. “If you talked to women the way you sweet talk this BBQ you might have brought a few more young ladies to lunch.”

Max’s laugh came roaring back. “How do you know I don’t?”

Ed just raised a brow and glanced to where Millie sat. “Although, it appears that might be changing.”

Max’s amusement leached away. “Don’t get your hopes up. What I want and what she wants might be two very different things. It’s far too early for that. She’s here just as a friend today.”

His father shrugged in that irritating way he had that said that although he’d heard what you had to say, he didn’t necessarily agree. Max coaxed the ignition of the BBQ to click over, flame running around the inner burner rewarding his patience.

“I’d say friends is a great place to start, particularly if you two are going ahead with your plans. I’m glad you brought her today.”

Max opened his mouth to reply when Gabe sidled up on his left. “Stop playing with the damned BBQ. Are you going to actually cook that meat, or will we have to eat it raw?”

Max picked up a thick steak with the tongs and shoved it at his brother’s face. “Here. A nice blue cut for you.”

Gabe just shook his head and grabbed the tongs from his hand, tossing the steak onto the grill. The immediate sizzle and pop of the cooking meat hit his ears, the smell of charring beef hitting his nose moments later. His mouth watered as Gabe took the platter of meat and vegetables from their father.

“Want something done, do it yourself,” Gabe grumbled good-naturedly as he began laying the food out to cook.

Max held up his hands and grabbed Gabe’s beer from where he’d set it down on the bench beside the BBQ. He took a drink and shrugged. “Hey, I just pour drinks for a living. I’m not a chef.”

Gabe’s amused glance took in Max’s theft of his drink and he shook his head. “That’s not news, brother.” Gabe glanced over his shoulder, concern furrowing his brow. “Whatisnews, though—”

Max made sure to catch Gabe’s gaze. “Not here. I’ll tell you later.”

Gabe turned back to the grill and rolled his shoulders, then shrugged. “All good. I can wait.”

Max turned to look at Millie as his father started chatting about one of Gabe’s prize cows. He relaxed and a contentment he’d never known washed over his whole body. She was sitting forward, nodding in answer to something Emma said, a smile widening her lush mouth.

She looked… happy, if not completely at ease. Something he hadn’t seen on her face for a very long time.

He sucked in a sharp breath. She fit, regardless of Darby’s frosty reaction. Fit into his family so well, as if she was meant to be one of them. He knew he was getting ahead of himself, that even if getting her pregnant worked, she might not wantthatmuch entanglement in the craziness that was his family.

Her words from their initial talk came back to him. The wistful longing on her face when he’d insisted that he and his family have access to the child flashed in his mind.

Maybe she would, after all.

*

Millie laughed atEmma’s snarky joke. Emma had a swift, crafty sense of humour, something Millie herself could fully appreciate. She wasnice, and nice to Millie. Something she hadn’t experienced from females for a long while.

Something she hadn’t allowed herself to experience.

Darby had been cool, nowhere near as welcoming as Emma, but she’d been polite. She expected nothing less from Max’s sister. They’d been good friends, once. The fault with that relationship breakdown was laid firmly at her own feet.

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