“I just wanted to check-in and see how you are holding up? If you need to end your shift early and go get some rest, you can go ahead and go home.”
As he suspected, his brother wanted to play nursemaid and Josh had had enough.
“Really? Did you ask Derek if he wanted to go home early too?” Josh dragged a frustrated hand through his hair. “Why don’t you take me by the hand, lead me to the house and tuck me in? I’m sure that will go over really well with the guys.”
The muscle worked in Ben’s jaw as he raised his hands in front of himself. “I get your point.”
“Do you? You can’t keep treating me like an invalid. The doctor said it was fine for me to come back to work and I want to work.” Josh’s voice came out much harsher than he intended to, he took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I know you’re looking out for me. And if being back on duty gets to be too much, you’ll be the first one I’ll tell. The guys give me a hard enough time as it is, being the Alpha’s brother. I don’t need them to see me getting special treatment.”
“Okay, I said I got your point.” Ben’s lips tightened. “You almost died and it’s going to take me a while to get over that.”
Josh looked at his brother closely and he could see lines of strain around Ben’s mouth and a troubled look in his eyes. Something was going on with his brother, and Josh suspected that his returning to work was not the real reason for his brother looking worried.
“What’s going on? Something’s bugging you and it isn’t my coming back to work.”
Ben’s eyes went to the closed door and he turned his turbulent gray eyes to Josh. He hesitated for so long that Josh thought he wasn’t going to say anything. Even though his brother held the top position within the pack, Josh had always been able to offer his counsel to him. He hoped this time wouldn’t be different, because he could see that something troubled Ben deeply.
“This goes no further than this office,” Ben said tersely, and Josh could feel tension coiling inside him. What could be going on that his brother didn’t want the pack to know?
“You know I’m not a blabbermouth.” He was second-in-command in the pack, and even if he wasn't, he still wouldn't betray his brother's confidence. And Ben should know that.
“Lana’s pregnant.” His brother’s voice was grim and Josh knew why he hadn’t wanted this particular bombshell to be shared with the pack. Lana was Ben’s mate, but she was also human. She’d moved to Lenox a few months ago when she’d purchased a local bookstore. The store had caught fire just hours before she’d arrived in town, and that was how she met Ben, who was the local fire chief. Their relationship had gotten off to a turbulent start, at least until Ben had realized that Lana was the mate fate had intended for him.
“Aside from the complications that this is going to cause, how do you feel about that?” Josh wasn’t talking to Ben as his second-in-command, he was talking to him as his brother. And Josh wanted to know how he felt, about having a new addition to their family.
“I’m overjoyed. The woman I love is having my baby. What more can a man ask for?” A brief smile flicked across Ben’s face, softening it for a moment. His brother was still the tough, strong Alpha that he’d always been, but Josh noticed that he was different now when he was with his mate. It was like Lana calmed him, tamed him somehow. And whenever Ben spoke of her it was evident by the look in his eyes how much he loved her.
“But you’re not confident that the pack is going to feel the same joy?”
Ben gave a rueful laugh. “No, I am not. I am in uncharted territory here. There has never been this kind of situation before. No one in the pack has taken a human for a mate, not since we were betrayed a hundred years ago when the Alpha took a Canergie female as his mate and brought treachery into the pack. And no one has ever had a baby with one.”
And considering that they’d just got finished fighting a renewed battle with the Canergies the pack was unsettled. A hundred years ago the Canergies had decimated the pack and claimed the house for themselves. The pack had gathered their remaining strength and gotten rid of the humans who had taken over their home. A little over two months ago the Canergies had returned, and given the pack a deadline of three weeks to get out of the house. The pack had refused to budge and when Josh had been shot and Lana taken, Ben had moved the war to them. Unfortunately, while they may have defeated the members of the Canergie family that had been led by Rebecca Canergie, the pack was certain that the war with them, was far from over.
Things were such in the pack, that they would likely not welcome the news that their Alpha was having a baby with his human mate. The pack was taking a long time to warm up to Lana and only grudgingly accepted her living here, because Ben insisted her place was by his side.
“Maybe they’ll surprise you.” Josh certainly hoped they would. Unfortunately, the pack didn’t share his curiosity and openness toward humans. Too many centuries of being forced to hide amongst them and being hunted, if their true nature was revealed, had made most wolves leary of allowing humans into their fold. And the baby was an unknown element, and the pack was certainly not a fan of the unknown.
“Maybe.” Judging by the look on his brother’s face, he didn’t seem too confident that they would. “I’m going to have to announce it, and soon, before she starts showing. It would be better for everyone if the news comes from me rather than the pack finding out on its own.”
Josh was reluctant to ask what his brother would do if the pack couldn't accept that a part of their next-generation was being carried by a human. But he was certain that Ben had given the matter considerable thought.
“What will you do if they can’t accept the baby?” Josh looked at his brother, trying to see if he was right in his suspicions over what his brother would do. Josh hoped he was wrong because he didn’t want to think about it. But pretending that the future was going to be rosy wasn’t going to help anyone.
“I love her. And I love my baby already. It isn’t even a choice. If the pack can’t accept that I have a human mate, and that the offspring of their Alpha will be a mix of human and wolf, then I will no longer be Alpha.”
Josh clenched his jaw for a second. He had his suspicions that this was what his brother would say. It was what Josh would have chosen in his place. If he had a woman he loved as much as his brother loved Lana, and to have that love returned, there would be no contest in what he would choose.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” And Josh hoped that it didn’t for more than his brother’s sake but also for his own. “I’m not going to take the job if you step aside.”
Ben scowled at him. “You’re second-in-command. It would be your place to step forward.”
“Then we both better hope the pack settles down and embraces this change because there is no way I’m going to be Alpha.” Ben’s lips tightened after Josh spoke. Josh stared at him hard. There was no way that he would ever be Alpha. His brother had big shoes to fill and he had no desire to fill them.
21
Harper
Harper Thorne drove her car into Lenox as a nervous feeling developed in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t been back here since the day following the opening night of Lana’s bookstore. After staying for weeks to help her best friend rebuild after the fire, she hadn’t stuck around long after their work was finished and the store was open.
It was a night that was seared in her memories, since it was the night that she’d witnessed Josh getting shot. She wasn’t sure she would have agreed to go on that walk with him if she’d known what was going to happen. But he’d been attractive, she’d seen him around town and didn’t think any harm would come from going for a walk around town with him. It had almost seemed romantic, at least until the shot had rung out.
If Lana hadn't called, hadn’t asked her to come back and help her, she didn’t think she would have stepped foot in this town again. Beneath its beautiful facade, there was something weird about Lenox. In what other small town would two pe
ople out on an evening stroll be the target of a random shooting? If Lana hadn’t set down roots so quickly here, Harper would have been tempted to try to talk her into going back to Boston. But there was more than just the bookstore holding her friend here, and it was evident from their phone conversations that Lana was in love with the gruff fire chief, Ben.
She pulled the car up in front of the bookstore, and blotted out the memory of her dragging a bleeding and wounded Josh into it. It was over. If only her mind would realize that instead of trying to replay what had happened that evening in her sleep when she was feeling stressed.
With a shake of her head, she got out of the car and went to the back to get her luggage. Lana hadn’t said why she needed her here, and she hoped she packed enough. She grabbed her laptop case along with her big suitcase. At least her job as a marketing manager for a Boston based investment firm was one that easily lent itself to telecommuting. It was the only way she was able to come back to help Lana so soon after being here the first time.
When she walked into the store, a smile crossed her face. She and Lana had done a good job getting this place put together after the fire. Something inside her relaxed a little when Lana looked up from serving a customer and gave her a big smile.
Harper moved further into the store while she waited for Lana to finish. Once the customer had been served and walked out of the store, Lana came rushing over to her.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” Lana put her arms around her and Harper let go of her suitcase so she could return her friend’s hug.
“I’m glad I’m here too.” As Lana stepped away from her, it hit Harper just how much she’d missed not seeing her friend all the time. They talked on the phone, but it wasn’t the same as being together in person. She was used to having lunch with Lana at least twice a week before she’d moved away from Boston. And now that Lana was no longer there, she keenly felt her friend’s absence. “I’ve missed you.”
“Thank you so much for coming. I know it is asking a lot, considering how much you helped when I was getting ready to open. It’s not going to cause problems for you at work, is it?” Lana bit her lip as she looked at Harper.
“Don’t worry. I have a good team, and as long as I have a good wifi connection I can do my work anywhere.” Harper picked up her suitcase. “Now you said that I wouldn’t need to book a hotel this time. Where exactly is it that I’ll be staying?”
Harper hoped that Lana wouldn’t be taking her to the looming estate that squatted on the outskirts of Lenox, where she lived with Ben and some other people. It seemed like a strange arrangement for the whole fire department to work and live out of an ancient estate, but it must work well for them. But that didn’t mean she wanted to be installed there too. Something about the place gave her the creeps to be honest.
“I’ll take you there now.” Lana moved toward the door and quickly flipped the closed sign. They walked to the back of the shop and her office. She quickly went inside and retrieved her heavy coat. After she shrugged it on, she opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a set of keys. “The apartment is finished and I’d like you to stay there. It seems pretty unfair of me to ask you to come here and then expect you to stay in a hotel.”
“The apartment is finished?” Harper was eager to see what it looked like now. The work had only just started when she’d been here the last time, and honestly, she hadn’t been sure that the apartment was fixable when she’d first seen what the fire in the building had done to it.
“It’s all done. Come on, let’s get you settled in.” They went back to the front of the store and Harper grasped the handle of her suitcase as she hitched her laptop case higher on her shoulder. She walked behind Lana as they left the shop and walked to a solid metal door that was painted bright red and located just next to the bookstore.
“The only way up to the apartment is through this door, so at least you don’t have to worry about a customer poking around the shop and finding their way into the apartment.” Lana reached out for the keys that Harper held, and showed her the one that would fit in the door.
Once the door was unlocked, up the narrow stairs and to another door at the top of the landing. A different key opened this door and they went into the apartment. Harper put her suitcase down and looked around. The apartment was much bigger than she expected, and was very bright and open.
After giving her a quick tour of the apartment, Lana brought Harper back to the living room.
“You may be wondering why I asked you to come here to help me.”
“I assumed that it was because that shop is a lot busier than you thought, and you need a hand until you can find some help here among the locals. And knowing you, I had expected it to take a while since you will want to find a person who is an absolute perfect fit.”
Lana gave a rueful smile. “You know me so well. And yes, the store is a lot busier than I had ever expected, and I can use some help. But I have some other news too.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. What is it?”
A joyful smile, one that Harper had never seen cross her friend’s face before, stretched Lana’s mouth. “Ben and I are going to have a baby.”
A baby? Harper blinked for several seconds as she tried to absorb what her friend was saying. Her mouth worked a little before her brain told her that she better say something quick.
“That’s great.” Even to her ears, her words sounded forced.
“I know, it seems like it is way too soon. And it is true that Ben and I hadn’t even talked about starting a family before I found out I was pregnant.” Lana stepped forward and took hold of Harper’s hands. “Please be happy for me. This baby is wanted, and I have never been more happy than I have been since Ben came into my life.”
“Of course I’m happy for you.” Harper squeezed Lana’s hands. “You just caught me off guard.”
That much was certainly true. In their phone conversations since Harper had left Lenox, Lana had not once mentioned anything about a baby. And while she thought that her friend was jumping into the whole family package much sooner than she herself would, she would support Lana no matter what.
“How far along are you?” Harper let go of Lana’s hands and took a step back.
“About a little over two months.” Lana gave her a smile as Harper’s eyebrows climbed to her forehead. “I can’t wait until I start getting a baby pump.”
“I’m sure you’ll look beautiful with one. I’m just shocked that you’ve managed to keep this under wraps every time we’ve spoken to each other. You’ve never been this good at keeping a secret from me before.”
“I know, but Ben and I wanted to hog the new to ourselves at first. You’re the first person that I’ve told, aside from Ben of course. But I need help with the store and I have been dying to tell you, so now you know.”
“Now I know.” Harper plastered a smile across her face that she hoped her friend thought was genuine.
“I should be getting back to the store. I’ll leave you to unpack.” Lana turned on her heel and walked toward the exit of the apartment. When she turned her head to look back, Harper made sure that her smile was firmly in place. “I’m so glad that you’re here.”
It was only after Lana walked out of the apartment that her smile fell away and she felt like a slightly deflated balloon. She was happy that Lana was happy, that wasn’t what this feeling was all about. It was only that once upon a time Harper thought that the kind of life Lana was living right now was meant for her too. A strong, steady man, children, the whole thing.
As she turned away to unpack her suitcase she sighed, knowing that such a life was not for her. Not anymore.
22
Harper
The rumbling in Harper’s stomach finally drove her out of the apartment. The new paint smell had hardly faded from her new temporary residence and there wasn’t a stick of food in the shiny new fridge nor in the cupboards. If she was going to be staying for any length of time she was going to have t
o remedy that.
Grabbing her pocketbook, pulling her heavy coat back on and wrapping her scarf around her neck she walked out of the apartment and locked the door behind her. She searched her brain to see if she could remember the way to the grocery store and drew a blank.
With a shrug she walked down the street. Maybe she’d explore the town a little and find the nearest grocery store after.
There was a bite to the air, and her exploring was cut short when she came to a family-owned grocery store not too far from her apartment. It would probably be a mistake to go shopping while she was hungry, but the little store looked so inviting that she went in.
A short time later, she came out of the store laden with two reusable bags full of food and was thankful that the apartment was only a short walk back. The weight of the bags would have the handles of her bags cutting into her hands in no time, so she turned toward the apartment with a hurried step.
“Harper!” A deep male voice called her name and she stopped where she was. She automatically looked in the direction of the sound of the voice. Her hands clenched around the handles of her grocery bags when she saw Josh hailing her from across the street. Her feet were frozen in place as her eyes swept from the top of his short dark hair down to his boot-clad feet. He was a man who made her mouth go dry, and she ruthlessly shoved aside the feeling as she watched him quickly cross the street.
“Josh, how are you?” When she asked the question, the last time she’d seen him came flooding back. She remembered the shock and terror that had gone through her when the gun had been fired. She remembered the way he’d fought to keep on his feet when it was apparent that he’d been in agony, and the way he’d used his big body to shield her protectively when they’d tried to make their way back to the bookshop as quickly as she could. Considering that she’d been certain that he would die, she was glad to see that he was standing in front of her now.
Firefighter Wolves Shifters (A Paranormal Romance Series Boxset) Page 10
