Lucas nodded again.

  Harriet knocked him on the shoulder. “I thought that was beyond rude?! I can’t believe you did that to me!”

  Lucas laughed. “So, you’re glad I’m not your brother, huh?” His eyes sparkled.

  Harriet laughed nervously and moved away from the table. She could feel her cheeks burning. “Shut up. I’m going to see my brother right now. You misheard things!” Who the hell was this guy?

  Lucas got up and followed Harriet to find Max and the kids.

  Chapter 5

  “So, let me get this straight, Harriet,” Bill said. “Max has been missing his own kids for over a year. A year! And not only that, but his own sister didn’t even know he had any, any at all!”

  Harriet took a deep breath. The café was closed, and they’d been trying to figure out what had happened. It had been going badly, Lucas thought. But he didn’t know any of these guys, and Harriet seemed to be handling them like they were poor students in her classroom. He had no idea how she did it, but she seemed to wield an enormous amount of clout with them.

  He watched her as she patiently began explaining again. Evidently, this was the Lawson Bear clan, where Max had found himself when all his plans fell to the ground. Well, he found his sister first, or she him. Lucas was impressed with the Lawsons. There wasn’t a flash of doubt of Max, or his story, amongst any of them. He was one of them. They were really a true pack. Nothing like where Max had come from, where backstabbing and betrayal was the name of the game.

  Harriet was quite an authority here, he realized as he watched. The men, including the Alpha, watched and listened with respect and curiosity. She is quite beautiful, he thought. He wondered that none of the bears had claimed her but put it down to the orneriness of Bears in general. Maybe they just didn’t respect a strong woman, maybe it was the magic.

  Lucas watched as she gestured and sighed. He knew she wasn’t aware, but her breasts moved with every gesture, and Lucas was entranced. He could feel his cock swelling and cleared his throat and looked away to get himself back together.

  It was easier when Max walked in. Finally, someone else would be responsible for the story. The crowd of Bear shifters and Harriet stilled and got silent. Max stumbled in to sit in the middle of the crowd.

  Lucas watched how compassionately the men treated Max, even though he’d kept so much of himself from them. Max began explaining that losing his children had cut off a piece of his soul and he couldn’t bring himself to talk about them, ever, not even to Harriet. Lucas could see Harriet’s eyes welling up as she moved across the room to hug Max. The whole pack moved in to share a loving group hug with Max. Lucas was shocked to find himself getting choked up.

  Tim stood, breaking up the love fest, saying, “Okay, okay, we love Max. We feel for him. Enough already.”

  Harriet laughed.

  Max laughed, saying, “I can’t believe I have them back! I just can’t believe it! Lucas, how did it happen exactly?!”

  Lucas filled him in on the story and explained that he’d left the pack when the kids had disappeared. He’d been so disillusioned by the lack of loyalty and the viciousness that had settled on the pack with their new leader, that he’d gone AWOL. He’d lost himself for a few months, being without a pack, but deciding to find the kids had given him a purpose, a focus that kept him from going entirely feral. He’d known where to find Max because Mossy Ridge was well-known, in the old pack, as the place of Max’s family. He’d been everywhere, chasing down information. He found artifacts of Max and Harriet’s childhood, he found artifacts of Joe and Lucy, but it had been a tip about an old boyfriend along the way that had finally brought him to the end.

  “Lucas. I can never repay you for this,” said Max. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much it will mean to my life, and theirs, for us to be together again. I do know that I will pledge my life to trying to repay you.”

  “No, Max, don’t, please,” said Lucas. “It is the way a pack should be, and I think you know that more now, here.”

  Lucas was deeply embarrassed by the idea that Max would be indebted to him. Not with what he knew would have to happen.

  Chapter 6

  Harriet couldn’t believe the weight that Max had been carrying by himself. She felt an intense guilt that she hadn’t known. What kind of sister am I? Was I so concerned about the pack and my power in it that I forgot what was important? My brother!? My parents had taught us to take care of each other, hadn’t they?

  Harriet hung her head as she cleaned up the café counters. It had really been a brief meeting; Max could barely stand to be away from the kids for thirty minutes and no one had blamed him. The café was closed, the last Lawson, Kurt, maybe, had grabbed Lucas and taken him out to have a drink. Lucas would be bunking with one of the Lawson’s until he sorted out what he was going to do now that he’d completed his mission of finding the kids for Max.

  Lucas is really curious, she thought, and ridiculously handsome. What kind of man devotes all that energy to righting someone else’s wrong? And still has little curls in his hair? And what was that he said about artifacts? Of me and Max? And those shoulders? Gawd. Harriet giggled and started shutting lights off. There was a clatter of noise outside, and Harriet froze.

  “Raccoons would be the absolute best possible cause,” she whispered to herself. She moved closer to the windows at the back of the shop and sent out her magic to see what she could ‘see’. “Nothing,” she grumbled. She flipped the switch that turned on the floodlights outside. “Nothing, again.” Harriet sighed. “I’ve got to get out of here, or I’ll flipping stay here overnight, waiting for God knows what.” Her car was out front, so she moved out, locking the door behind her and hustling across the pavement to her car. She had keys in fingers like she’d always been taught, but there was no bogeyman, and no surprises. She sat in her car, breathing just a little bit heavily, and laid her head on the steering wheel. She heard a noise up ahead and looked up to see Kurt, Mike, Tim, and Bill Lawson all crossing the street, with Lucas trailing just a bit behind. They had clearly been carousing, and their steps were none too steady. They look very happy, she thought, even Lucas, though he is clearly more sober than anyone else. They are really a sweet bunch of men, she thought. And then, I’m very glad I’m on their side, I’d hate to find out what it was to be an enemy of the Lawsons.

  As she turned the car on, she realized she was officially on vacation. Her plans to stay in bed for a few days might have to shift a little, she realized with not just a little bit of joy, as she now had a niece and nephew to get to know. And she had an artifact to explore. This might just be the better way to spend her staycation, most definitely might be.

  Chapter 7

  They are really great guys, Lucas thought. He was surprised that all four of them came out to celebrate, given that they were the top four shifters of the pack. Bill confounded him by having faith in all the shifters in town to take care of themselves for one night. It was just such a novel way of running a pack. Lucas was really struck by how much he appreciated it. He’d thought there was only one way to be an Alpha, based on the Wolf pack he’d come from. They were vicious, domineering and ultimately ruthless dictators. My way or the highway was putting it very, very lightly. If you challenged your Alpha, even casually, and lost, you were run out of the pack entirely, and sometimes, your children disappeared.

  Lucas shook his head as he got in his truck to drive several Lawson men home, all of them, in fact. He got a drunken town tour as he went. He saw Max’s house with the lights all off.

  “The kids! The kids are sleeping!!” Mike was yelling in the back.

  Happily, Mike was the first to get dropped off. He was the biggest and loudest of the brothers, covered in tattoos and a giant black beard.

  One of the brothers had confided that he was the softest of the bunch, but Lucas would not ever want to find out what Mike was like in a fight, that’s for sure.

  Kurt started singing once Mike was dropped off, and as they rolled by Harriet’s sweet little yellow house, Kurt started in on “Black Magic Woman” until Bill punched him less than lightly. Harriet’s light came on.

  Lucas looked over at the two men, “You have a problem with Harriet’s magic?”

  Even tipsy, Bill had the grace to looked shocked. “Hell no. She’s the most amazing addition to our crew. We can do so much, with her as part of our team, that we’d never get done otherwise. Kurt’s mate is a little witchy herself. She can undo spells, sometimes. We love the ladies of magic. Kurt’s the baby of the family, he just can’t handle his alcohol yet.” Bill laughed as Kurt tried to rise up in defense of himself. Bill just pushed him down like a puppy.

  Kurt stayed down, and to Lucas, it looked like he rolled over and went to sleep.

  “Here, this is Kurt, here. Lila, his mate, will take it from here. I’m just around the corner, I can make it to Alice’s in a flash. It’d be good for me to shift, since I need to be sober before I walk in her door or she’ll boot me back out anyways. You know, the shifting clears the system. It’s late enough that I’m in the clear. Can you go make sure Harriet’s not pissed? Kurt was just being a drunken pisser, that’s all. If you tell her it was Kurt, she’ll understand. Okay?”

  Bill was halfway out of the car before he turned back. “Lucas, what you did for Max will never be forgotten by any of us. I just want you to know how we all feel. You are welcome in Mossy Ridge anytime, forever. We consider you family now. I need you to know that. We good?”

  Lucas nodded. He was touched, despite himself. He turned his truck around on the dark road and saw what must have been the lumbering shape of Bill moving off the road in front of him. He drove back to Harriet’s, saw that the light was still on and approached the front door.

  Harriet opened the door before he even knocked. They were both equally surprised to see each other. Harriet was in her pajamas, a loose-fitting tee with matching shorts, exposing most of her shapely legs to Lucas.

  He felt inexplicably happy to see her still awake.

  Harriet laughed, “Well, this is a change. Usually, it’s a Lawson come to give me thanks with a bunch of flowers they’ve taken from my neighbor’s yards. They really are sweet, but when they are celebrating, they get a little lovey-dovey and a little casually destructive.” She looked him up and down. “What are you doing here, Lucas? Did they send you? Are you lovey-dovey or casually destructive?” Harriet laughed again, leaning on the open door.

  Lucas felt like he should be holding a hat in his hand and shuffling his feet. What the hell am I doing? “Well, Harriet. I, uh, Bill sent me to apologize for Kurt’s caterwauling as we passed your house. He thought we might have woken you. And I, um, already do what Bill tells me. Alpha practice and everything.” Lucas turned away. “I’m glad you’re not mad. Those Lawson boys really think you’re some kind of hero woman. I’m sure they’d hate to upset you. I’ll be out of your way. Have a good night, Miss Harriet.” Lucas stepped down a stair to go.

  “Wait! Lucas, don’t go. I−I want to ask you about something, if you have the time. I mean, I know it’s late, but I’m up and you aren’t drunk, so come in, if you want. I can make us some tea, and I’ve got plenty of food if you’re hungry.” Harriet stepped back into the house, gesturing.

  Lucas couldn’t believe how pleased he was to walk in.

  Chapter 8

  Harriet really wanted to know about that artifact. It helped that Lucas was so damn charming, and handsome, and utterly lickable. Lickable? Oh my god. It was late, but Kurt’s screeching had actually woken her from a stupor on the couch, where she’d fallen asleep with her chips and salsa on her chest. The staycation had started, and a little late-night research with Lucas would be a welcome addition. Research? Harriet laughed to herself as she walked Lucas into the kitchen. She’d been single a long time… a long time.

  He smiled at her. She felt it right down to her toes, and all the pieces in between heated up nicely.

  “What’s funny, Miss Harriet?”

  Harriet sighed, laughed, and looked up at him through her suddenly fluttering eyelashes. “What will the neighbors think, Mr. Lucas? Miss Harriet having a gentleman caller at this hour of the night?” She laughed again, shaking her head. She moved around the kitchen table to put the kettle on and pull some biscuits down from the cabinets. “How do you like your tea, Lucas? Or do you want tea at all?”

  Lucas sat down at the table rather heavily. “I’ll try to be gentlemanly, Harriet, but you flirt with me anymore and I might throw gentlemanly out the window. Tea, please, milk and honey if you have it.”

  Harriet’s eyes were wide as she turned back to the kettle. Damn. It isn’t just my imagination. She had been flirting with him but had been passing it off as humor. Humor with men was so different than humor with women. There was always an undercurrent with men. She’d just gotten so used to the Lawson’s treating her like one of the guys. She’d forgotten that there were non-Lawson men out there.

  She turned back to face him. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I wasn’t trying to flirt. I’ve just been working with men for a long time, and it seems like that’s just the way I talk now. I will do better. I’m sorry. There’s really no excuse.”

  Lucas’ eyes were wide now. “Harriet, I was totally kidding. I mean, not about throwing you down on the bed if you gave me a chance, but you haven’t been inappropriate with me at all. I was just kidding, Harry, I swear. God damnit, woman. Give me some tea, already. It’s late. What’d you want to talk to me about anyhow? Besides my good looks, I mean.” At this, he winked.

  Harriet laughed again. This guy. He’d just called her Harry, which she’d hated from childhood, and she didn’t even mind. He made her feel so damn attractive, even while being completely goofy. She looked him over as he stirred the honey into his tea. Those little brown curls above his ear would be so satisfying to run her hand through. He was blowing on the tea now, pursing some sweet, full lips as he blew softly through the steam. She could feel her own temperature rising as she stared.

  “Oh, right.” She winked back. “The ruse I used to get you into my lair...” She smiled at him. “I want to pick your brain about the artifact you found from my childhood. I don’t have much from that time. I’d love to know what you found, where, how? All of it.”

  “Aha… the research… I get it now…” His eyes twinkled.

  Harriet dropped her teacup with a clatter. “Lucas Sargent! You do not have my permission to listen to my thoughts! I mean it, not ever!” She reached over and slapped his shoulder, hard. “I mean it. Don’t. It doesn’t matter how good looking you are, you are not welcome in there. It’s not fair. If I can’t see into you, you have to block yourself or something. I can’t be around you if I think you’re going to see everything I’m thinking!”

  Lucas held his hands up. “You are right. I don’t know how to stop it, though. I mean, it’s so damn strong with you, Harriet. Your thoughts are loud as bells to me. I mean,” he ran his hands over his head, “it’s impossible not to hear you. I think we’re on the same wavelength or something. I haven’t had it happen before like this, Harriet, I swear. I know you like me, Harriet, and I really like you, but even I don’t want to know everything you’re thinking. It really isn’t fair. I want you to tell me how much you like my lips, like, out loud, so I can tell you how much I want to slide those shorts off your hips.”

  Chapter 9

  Lucas meant it. He’d been doing so well ignoring her arousal, but then she started in on his lips, and all he wanted to do was throw her over his shoulder and take her to bed. But now he’d gone and said it out loud and had no choice but to wait and see her reaction. Right now was not the right time to try and listen in.

  He watched her face as she translated and processed what he’d said. She seemed to be doubting that he’d said anything, and he almost wondered if she was going to say anything about it. Her green eyes were flitting back and forth between his face, his lips and the teacups. He really had no idea what to expect. He watched as she stood up from the table, pushing it out of her way.

  She walked to the doorway, paced, then she turned and looked back at him finally, directly in the eyes. “Well? Now or sometime later? I really like your lips, Lucas…. You saved my niece and nephew, and now, I’d really like you to say what you need to say about these shorts.”

  She looked so damn enticing in the doorway, those little shorts just barely covering the curve of her ass. She was still questioning whether he really wanted her. He could see it all, but the lust was clouding out any ability he might have had to ‘see’.

  “Thank God.” He stood up and moved in close to her, reaching his hand down to cup her chin. “You know what the best thing is, Harriet?” He paused. “I just figured out how to stop listening in. Right now, I can’t hear a damn thing.”

  Harriet put her head down on his chest, her breathing slightly hitched. “Thank God is right, Mr. Sargent. Even a big man like you would be blushing right now with the thoughts going through my head.” She slid her hand down his chest to his hand and led him into her bedroom. As they crossed the threshold into her room, Lucas pulled her close and lifted her off the ground with a growl, carrying her the next five steps to the bed. She let out a little gasp as he did, and his cock throbbed.

  He laid her down gently on the bed, resting his hand, palm spread out, in the middle of her chest.

  “Don’t move,” he said quietly.

  Harriet froze, her eyes drifting closed and a half-smile rising to her lips.

  Lucas ran both his hands from her shoulders down, pausing to slide under her shirt to cup her breasts. He ran his thumbs across her hard nipples, eliciting another gasp. He smiled wickedly.

  “I’m just warning you, Harriet… I like to take my time.”