Free A Mate for the Alpha and His Brothers by Cara Adams

someone who’s been working for you and has to leave, is he?”
    “No, but it’s connected with work.” Amory leaned back in his chair and told his father about Elsie and JJ.
    “What did you say their father’s name was again? That name is ringing bells in my mind.”
    “Their father was Lewis Clyde Parker. Elsie was named LC for him. Why he didn’t call her Lois or Louise or something I don’t know.”
    His father just grunted, and there was a moment’s silence.
    “You might be thinking of the criminal, Lewis Lutterworth. We thought of him as well, but likely there are a million Lewises in America, and there’s no suggestion Parker was a criminal. Just not much of a father.”
    “Something is nagging at the corners of my mind. It’ll come to me. Or maybe your mother will remember. I’ll speak to her later. Now, what’s your plan for JJ?”
    “Favian or Brayden, or maybe both of them, will bring him up with Elsie. He needs a family to live with, preferably someone with a boy his age who likes school so he can get back into the habit of going to school. Elsie said his school was not worth shit. Likely he’ll be behind in his work and need a little help as well as a good role model. But if he’s half as smart as Elsie, he’ll catch up in time to graduate with his class.”
    “Are you planning to mate this woman? She sounds like she might be just what you need.”
    “That topic hasn’t been discussed, but Favian, Brayden, and I all like her.”
    “Well, don’t mess around, boy. Get fucking.”
    Amory held the cell phone away from his ear and just stared at it. His father—his father! —was telling him to—
    “Whoa, Dad, TMI there. Way, way, way TMI.”
    “Shut up, boy. You’re getting closer to forty every day. I never thought I’d have to give you a kick in the ass to get your life on track at this age. Let me know when you’re coming. I’ll get everything set up at this end.”
    “I’m not coming. One of—”
    “Of course you’re coming. All of you are. You can mate her on our traditional lands. When the right woman lands in your bed, it’s not the time to dillydally and risk wasting your opportunities.”
    With that, the phone went dead in his hands. Once again Amory stared at it. His dad was approaching seventy, but he hadn’t lost any of his power. Not that he planned on a trip to the UP any time soon. Brayden could handle that for him. He had work to do.
    Although mating Elsie was a possibility that really appealed to him.

Chapter Five

    Elsie was sitting in the back row of the minivan, Amory’s chess set on a lap table between her and JJ, and they were paying chess. She’d taught him how to play when he was very young, just six, and although he was still unable to beat her, she seldom allowed him more than a single pawn as a handicap now. They hadn’t played for a while because she’d sold her chess set, but they were both enjoying this game, and he was remembering his old skills really fast.
    “You’re getting too good, Jay. From now on, no handicaps for you.”
    “Bullshit, El. At least let me win a few matches before you reclaim your pawn.”
    “You can win now if you’re clever.”
    “I can?”
    She smiled as he frowned over the chessboard. Brayden turned around in the seat in front of them and leaned his chin on the back of the chair as he stared at the board. After about five minutes silence, he said, “Okay, I give up. How?”
    “Like this,” said JJ, moving his knight.
    “Well done.” Elsie moved a pawn, but unless JJ was clumsy, he had her in checkmate now.
    He crowed with laughter as he made the final move. “Yee haw! The first time ever I’ve beaten her!”
    “Would you have won if Elsie hadn’t said you could?” asked Amory.
    JJ frowned and stared at the chessboard. Elsie waited patiently. He was a good kid. Life had been really hard for him, much harder than for her. He’d never known their father. LC Senior wouldn’t have won any prizes as the