Read Unexpected Mates (Sons of Heaven) for Free Online

though.”
    Janice appeared at her side, sinking to the floor beside her. “What do you think?”
    “I think, when I hand her the bottle, she’s done eating. Sammy will drink her calories rather than eat them.”
    “Is that why the bottle is behind you?”
    “You’ve got it.” Meredith considered their options. “We’re going to have to ease her into real food.”
    “What’s your plan?”
    Sammy finished the first cookie and peeked at Meredith. When she raised another and held it out, the toddler ran over, grabbed it, and retreated again, half tripping over shoes Meredith guessed were too large for her feet.
    “Can your cooks make little baby-sized pies filled with fruits and vegetables?”
    “They can make anything we want.”
    Meredith considered what she knew about Alice. “I take it it’s normal for Sakk children not to eat eggs and meat. We noticed early on that Alice didn’t eat anything but fish and tofu proteins...and the occasional chunk of cheese.”
    “That’s typical,” Janice confirmed.
    “Have the cooks ever tried to make soy burgers and soy chicken nuggets?”
    One of the healers ruffled his wings at the suggestion.
    Janice shot him a quelling look. “I think I see what you’re getting at. Convenience foods. The mother could tolerate meat and eggs. She was trying to feed Sammy what she ate, but Sammy wouldn’t tolerate it.”
    “She was hungry enough to eat it,” Meredith corrected. “She just couldn’t keep it down.”
    The healer gasped. “She was feeding the young one...fowl?” His horror at the suggestion was impossible to miss.
    Sammy appeared again, rocking her back foot. She stood on tiptoe, probably searching for another cookie. Meredith raised it but didn’t extend her arm. The toddler walked to her calmly, took the cookie, and sat just more than an arm’s length from Meredith’s feet to eat it.
    “That’s right. A few days of eating food you don’t puke up, and you may actually trust me.”
    Janice sighed. “I knew you were the right woman for the job.”
    “What job would that be?”
    “What would you think of being mother to these three babies?” After a moment of hesitation, she continued. “In fact, I believe I’ve found the perfect punishment for your crime.”
     
    ****
     
    Meredith paced the floor of the large suite she now shared with all three children.
    Alice and Sammy had matching cribs on one side of the combination nursery and library, and Todd’s crib was along the opposite wall. A changing table sat between them, stocked with Pull-Ups and two sizes of diapers, wipes, and pajamas for all three children. A large wardrobe near the door held clothing for all three.
    Two highchairs were pushed close to the dining room table, and one of the chairs had been outfitted with a booster seat for Sammy. Alice’s playpen sat in the center of the living room, a smaller playpen was nestled next to it for Todd, and a wide variety of toys were scattered around the floor for Sammy.
    And more toys arrive every hour. It seemed each of the warriors at the consulate wanted to give the children a toy. Or a dress for one of the girls. Meredith guessed that the vans the Sakk warriors took to shop in town were full on every run.
    The large screen on the wall would play practically anything Meredith asked for, thanks to the generosity of the Sakk consulate. So far, she’d learned that Sammy liked Caillou , Bear in the Big Blue House , and the Sesame Street sing-along specials. Meredith hadn’t been desperate enough to attempt Barney ; that would have been a last resort, and thankfully it wasn’t necessary.
    “It looks like a fricken day care center,” she muttered.
    Not that Meredith minded having the three children around. She’d always promised herself a big family. She just hadn’t expected to get it this way.
    Three children under the age of eighteen months in one fell swoop.
    And then there was the rest of Janice’s plan. Meredith could hardly fathom