Maya Banks - Colters’ Promise

Dr. Burton sighed. “I’m going to write a script for some vitamins, and I want you to start taking them. You’ll also need to make another appointment on your way out. I want to draw some blood before you leave just so we can take a look at things. My suggestion is to take a few days and think this over. Don’t react in the moment. Give it some time to settle in and then you might see that it’s not such a bad thing after all. You know those boys will be all over you, and their parents won’t be any different. You’ll have help, Lily. You won’t face this alone.”

“Thank you,” she murmured. She even tried to return his reassuring smile, but she failed miserably.

The rest of the visit was a blur. Tina came in and drew several vials of blood before handing her a prescription along with some samples of prenatal vitamins that she wanted Lily to start on right away.

“And if you’re still taking your birth control pills, you need to discontinue those immediately,” Tina said.

Lily nodded numbly, only wanting to get out so she could breathe again.

A few moments later she stumbled out of the doorway into the brisk, cold morning. Her breath escaped in a visible puff and she stood there a long moment, gulping in the chilly air.

Then, realizing she was standing on the sidewalk for anyone to see, she hurried around the corner of the building to the small parking lot in the back where she’d parked her SUV.

After she climbed in, she started the engine but didn’t turn on the heat. Her fingers curled around the steering wheel, and for the longest time she simply stared forward out of the windshield. Then she lowered her forehead to the steering wheel as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

CALLIE Wilder trudged into her house, dropped her purse onto the floor, and promptly flopped onto the couch. Face-first. She groaned once but couldn’t summon the energy to adjust her position. She was so tired, and she felt like complete and utter crap.

She wished Max were here. She missed him dreadfully. Especially now that she’d come down with the creeping crud, and all she really wanted to do was curl into his arms and sleep for about a week.

He didn’t often go anywhere without her. One of the benefits of being married to a man who had a Midas touch when it came to business and investments was that she could often indulge in one of her greatest passions. Traveling. And Max was every bit as much of a free spirit as Callie was herself. It was how they met. Only Callie had been backpacking through Europe and Max … Well, he had much more luxurious accomodations than she’d had. But that had all changed soon enough.

From the moment they’d met, there was an undeniable spark between them. She’d been drawn to him, found him irresistible. He’d taken over, lavished luxury on her, and she’d spent every available moment with him in his hotel suite.

The only problem was that their meeting hadn’t been accidental at all. Max had targeted her and purposely seduced her. All over a piece of land that he considered his legacy.

Just remembering had the power to send shadows through her mind. She hated that the way they met and the wonderful month they’d spent together was forever tainted because it hadn’t been real, even though Max swore he’d fallen hard for her from the start.

He’d come for her, all the way to Clyde where she’d sought refuge in the bosom of her loving family. Thus had begun the long, rocky climb to where they were today. Happily married. Forgiveness given. It hadn’t been easy, but looking back, Callie knew she didn’t regret a single moment because everything that had happened had brought her to where she was today. Stronger. Loved.

Happy.

No, he didn’t often go anywhere without her at all, but his sister had called, and Max had left suddenly, worried and quiet. The worry aspect didn’t bother Callie so much. Max was a born worrier when it came to the people he loved. But the quiet part was what bugged her. He hadn’t said a word. He’d simply told her he had to go and then left.

That had been two days ago. He’d called but he hadn’t volunteered what the issue was and she hadn’t pushed. She’d find out when he returned even if she had to drag it out of him.

He was getting better about not being so closemouthed about personal stuff, but he was still a clam. Callie was working on him.

Her cell phone rang, and she groaned again because she didn’t want to move in order to answer it. But it was one of her brothers calling—they all had the same ringtone—and if she didn’t answer, they’d only worry and come out to check on her.

She fumbled with her pocket and finally dug the phone out, putting it to her ear while she still lay facedown.

“’Lo,” she mumbled.

“How are you, baby girl?”

Dillon. Just hearing his voice sent warmth through her chilled veins. Of all her brothers—and she loved them all dearly—she and Dillon were most alike. The rebels or free spirits of the bunch. She’d always shared a closeness with Seth, a bond that she treasured, but she and Dillon had been cut from the same mold.

“Tired,” she said, not even bothering to lie and say fine. If it had been Michael or Seth, she could have gotten away with the lie, but Dillon had tossed her out of the bar bright and early, and he knew she didn’t look good.

She could hear him frowning through the phone.

“I think you should come over here until Max gets back. Let Lily fuss over you. Or if you won’t come here, at least go over to Mom’s so she can baby you.”

As tempting as the suggestion was, she was simply too exhausted to move. Going anywhere would require far more energy than she possessed. She wanted Max and Max wasn’t here.

“I’ll be fine,” she croaked out. “Just tired.”

Dillon snorted. “And don’t even think about coming back to the bar. You’re done. I’ll throw your scrawny ass out of here if you show your face.”

Callie sighed, not that she’d argue. She only worked in Dillon’s bar when Max was gone, which wasn’t often. It gave her something to do to pass the time. She knew Max wasn’t particularly fond of her working in the bar, but he didn’t say anything, which likely killed him.

She and Max … Well, they shared a different type of relationship. Which when she considered that her fathers and her brothers all had a very nontraditional relationship with their one wife, her and Max’s situation wasn’t that eyebrow raising.

Max was dominant. He expected—demanded—submission. Her submission. But he cherished it and her. But just because she willingly chose to submit to him, he never attempted to curb her free spirit. He loved it too much. He often told her that caging someone such as her was to squash everything that made her the woman he loved.

He was dominant, yes, but he spoiled, pampered, and lavished her with so much love and understanding that she simply couldn’t imagine her life any other way. His dominance settled her. Provided her a much-needed sanctuary and haven. She was safe with Max. And she was free to be herself because he loved everything she was.

“Going to bed now,” she mumbled to Dillon. “Promise.”

“Take care of yourself, Callie,” Dillon said. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

She ended the call and dropped her arm over the edge of the couch. The phone dangled from her fingertips before hitting the floor with a thud.

It was cold. Her chill bumps even had chill bumps. But she was too miserable to get up and get something for the fever she was sure she had.

Going to her mom and dads’ place sounded good, but it would require moving. She could call her mom to come over. If she hadn’t dropped the phone already. Being babied by Holly Colter would make anyone feel better.

She tucked her hand back underneath her body and then turned to face the inside of the couch. She reached blindly for the blanket that lay over the back of the couch and pulled it down, drawing up her knees so she could huddle under it.

Oh bliss. She closed her eyes and immediately drifted off.

MAX Wilder pulled into his drive and turned off the windshield wipers. The snow was coming down harder, adding to the few inches already accumulated on the ground.

He got out, eager to see Callie again. He didn’t spend much time apart from her, but when Lauren had called, and he’d heard the quiet desperation in her voice, his single-minded goal had been to get to her as fast as possible. In retrospect, he should have taken Callie. It would have been good for Lauren to have Callie there. He hadn’t thought. He’d simply reacted and had done as he’d always done. Gone immediately to protect his family.

Only now his family went beyond Lauren. Their mother had passed just a few years earlier, leaving Max and Lauren alone. He’d always been fiercely protective of both his mom and his sister, and he’d been used to being a lone wolf. He was the protector. The provider. He didn’t depend on other people. His sister depended on him.