Page 26 of Be My Baby

Max shrugged. “I know. She said as much yesterday. Ma, too.” He let out a long breath and pushed at his now rapidly cooling coffee cup again. “Ma’s worried about Millie’s intentions.”

He forced the insidious curl of doubt that swirled through his blood away. He refused to let it take hold of him, regardless that the tendrils gripped hard. He looked out at the mountain again. The mist was almost gone. “Honestly? I think Millie’s pretty lonely. She has no family here, with her dad away all the time, and her friends… aren’t.” He took in both his brothers’ faces, relieved that they looked fine with it all. Or, at least weren’t opposing the idea. “Thank you for making her welcome yesterday. It meant a lot to both of us. She was scared you’d all reject her, or at least be standoffish. I’m glad she was wrong.”

“You know us better than that, bro,” Simon said.

Max nodded. Simon was right—he did. He knew his brothers were two people he could always count on, for anything. The same with Ryan. As skittish as he’d been about women and relationships, the Jameson family meant everything to him and he’d always put them first, sometimes to his own detriment.

“But…” Simon continued, concern furrowing his brow, “that being said, why are you settling for something like this? You’ve been alone a long time. There’s no reason you can’t ask for more.”

Max picked up his cup and picked at the tiny chip near the handle. Maybe his brothers would be able to settle his own fears. He almost grimaced.

Or they would make it worse.

Here goes nothin’.

“Do you think she asked me because…”

He couldn’t look them in the face. Didn’t really want to acknowledge the doubts his mother had caused to rear up and take hold.

“Because?” Gabe prompted.

Max blew out his breath. “Because I’m the last Jameson standing. I’m not exactly her first choice.”

There. He’d said it. Silence greeted his words. He winced and took a mouthful of coffee, then pulled a face at the taste. It had sounded better in his head.

Gabe leaned forward. Max could only ignore his little brother’s stare for so long until it felt like a brand burning though his skin. He looked up into confused eyes.

“One thing I can tell you about Millie? She doesn’t do things on a whim. Ever. She asked you. You, Max. Not me, not Si, not Ryan—you—to be this child’s father. Even if she only looked up to you as a big brother or friend in the past, do you really think she’d ask that of you if that’s all it was now? Yeah, she chased Ryan. So what? So has most of the damned town. She loved him. But me? There was never anything between us. You know that. We weren’t even as close friends as you and she are. No. She may not realise how much she cares about you, but it’s obvious to anyone looking. It’s obvious tous. And I’d like to think we know both you pretty well.”

Simon nodded, adding his—for once, serious—support to Gabe’s words.

“Mil never once looked at me,” Simon said quietly. “And Gabe’s right. She never loved him. Ryan? Yes, she did. But that was a hell of a long time ago. We’ve noticed you and her getting closer for months now. It’s not fake. It’s not calculated. Her face lights up when she sees you. She never looked at Gabe or me that way, or even Ryan, come to think of it. If you want more—ask for it.”

“If she’s your person, she’s your person. And we’ll deal with it.” Gabe glanced at Simon, and Si’s shrewd gaze took him in. “Allof us.” The glint in Gabe’s eyes made Max hesitate before contradicting his words. His youngest brother didn’t miss much, and if he had Gabe in his corner, Darby would come around eventually. His mother might be a different story, but in the end she’d only want him to be happy.

So he simply nodded again and sat back and watched the slow town of Kurrajong Crossing wake up for a Monday morning.

Chapter Eleven

Millie hung upthe phone, sat back in her office chair, and pushed her new glasses up her nose. She hadn’t needed them at all until a few months ago, until the words on the computer screen had started to go fuzzy around the edges. She only needed them for work, or reading; but still, it irked.

“Millie? I have to head to Bialga soon for court. Are those documents ready?”

Millie smiled and gestured to the folder sitting to her right. “All there. Copies for your paralegal too.”

Trey picked up the folder. He didn’t bother opening it. He knew everything he needed would be in there, and possibly more than he needed. If nothing else, she was thorough.

“Thanks, Mil. I really should give you a raise.”

Millie laughed and looked up at him. “You really should. I wouldn’t say no.”

Trey’s smile reached his eyes, making them crinkle at the sides behind his glasses. He was a lovely man, loyal and kind. In many ways she wished she was attracted to him. He’d make a wonderful partner, and a fabulous father.

But it wasn’t his eyes that kept her awake at night, then invaded her dreams with increasing frequency.

No. It was a seriously pretty pair of baby blues.

And Max’s mouth… Those delicious, full lips that quirked up at the edges. That wide mouth that was always ready to smile.