Free Rocky (Tales of the Were) by Bianca D'Arc Page A

it still made her blush. His parents no doubt noticed, but didn’t say anything.
    “How are the boys?”
    “Sleeping again.”
    “Enjoy it while it lasts,” his mother advised. “They’ll be little balls of energy soon enough , and with two you’ll have a hard time keeping track of them. I remember how it was with Rocky. Until we pooled our resources with Tony’s parents, each of us were having trouble keeping up with our boys individually. It’ll be easier here in the woods with so many other shifters around, but the little ones could still easily get into trouble when they start to roam.”
    “Which is why we’re discussing these plans.” Rocky’s gesture invited her to take a look at the drawings still spread on the table.
    It was another house, very similar in style to Rocky’s growing cabin, but definitely different. And they were professionally done. Very slick with measurements and calculations along the borders.
    She gazed up at the elder Garibaldi. “Did you do these, Mr. Garibaldi?”
    “I think you’re old enough to call me Joe now, don’t you, Maggie?” Rocky’s father winked at her and smiled, though it felt strange to think of him by his first name. “I couldn’t sleep last night so I went out and prowled around. There’s a beautiful spot right nearby—close enough for safety and far away enough to give you a little privacy. We could build there easily and the position would be very defensible should anyone or anything threaten the boys.”
    “We’d be nearby to babysit whenever you needed it,” his mother added with a smile. “We could connect the yards so the boys would have plenty of room to prowl but still be in a safety zone as they get older. Between Rocco and Jo e… ” she patted her husband’s arm, “… they would be well protected.”
    “Wow.” Maggie sat back and took it all in. “You’ve certainly thought this through.”
    “We want to help you, Maggie,” Marissa said kindly. “We’ve always thought of you as one of the family. Since before you married Tony. You’re home now, among friends. If you let us, we’ll protect you and the boys. But if you feel like we’re overwhelming you, we’ll back off.”
    “No,” Maggie was quick to clarify. “Oh, no. If anything, I’m overwhelmed that you’re so eager to help and so accepting of me when I’m not…like you. Not a shifter, I mean.” She blushed but Marissa’s sparkling eyes put her at ease again. “I’m not saying this well. I’ll admit it’s confusing and a little scary to go from being all on my own to having you and Rocky and all those wolves willing to help us. I’m just trying to take it all in and realize that we’re safe—or as safe as we can be—for the moment. Believe me when I say, the last thing I wanted to do was bring danger to you, but I’ve been running from Tony’s killer for months and it’s more than I can handle now that I have the boys to consider. I don’t know what I would have done if Tony hadn’t made me promise to come here. As it is, I feel bad for sticking you with my problem.”
    Rocky put his big arm around her and drew her to his side as they both sat around the kitchen table. He was such a comforting presence.
    “None of that, Maggie. You should have come right away. I can’t believe you ran all over the place with a murderer on your trail. You’re more resourceful than I thought, but it ends now. Now we’re a team. United against anyone or anything that would threaten you or the boys. All right?”
    His big brown eyes dared her to disagree, but not in a threatening way. She knew he had her best interests at heart. He loved her—if she dared believe him. Maggie nodded and gulped back the emotion that threatened to escape.
    “All right.”
    “Good.” Joe looked pleased. “So then what do you say to grandparents living nearby? Would you mind having us around?”
    “Are you kidding?” Tears spilled down her face as she looked at Rocky’s parents.