He sleepily sighed.“You’re bound and determined to make me think before coffee, aren’t you?I don’t even think my body clock has fully reset yet.”
“That’s not a noooo.”
He snorted, nuzzling her nose.“My answer is the same—I’ll tell you if there’s a name I do not like, or if I have suggestions.I think Eliza Bryn is beautiful.What made you think of Eliza?”
She shrugged.“I dunno.It’s just been swirling around in my brain.”Dewi rested her head against Ken’s chest, listening to his heart gently thumping under her ear.“I want more, but I want them close together in age,” she said.“This way, they grow up together.Then, when I decide that’s enough, we don’t have to worry about it any longer.”
“You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself.I still say that’s up to you.It’s your body, sweetheart.I would prefer we don’t have our own football team, but within reason, yes.As many as you want.”
“I’ll slow down on the field work.”She closed her eyes.“When Peyton’s back and we can all sit down and, you know,breathe, I’ll ask him about hiring more Enforcers.”
“Okay, where’s my wife, and what’d you do with her while I was in the UK?”
She playfully goosed him, loving his laughter.Looking into his eyes, she studied his gaze.“Idowant a balanced life.I admit it, it’s something I didn’t have before now.In most ways.I want our kids to have balanced lives.If I want them to do that, I have to show them how.Mom and Dad wouldn’t want any of us killing ourselves with work.”
She loved the sleepy smile that played across his lips.“I won’t lie and say I hate your idea,” he said.“Just likeyouknow I’mnottrying to make you stop all field work.You have a lot of talented people you can draw from for the iffy stuff.Plus, we just gained Jake.”
“If he survives the lab attack.We may lose a lot of talented people and need to hire and train a new generation of Enforcers.”
Ken’s smile faded.“Yes.But can we please not talk about that right now?”
“I think we need to.”She rested her head against his chest again.“I know Peyton will go.He’s a Prime.He won’t let me go.I accept that.If something happens to him…”
She swallowed back the too-familiar sensation of tears trying to break through.“I’ll end up being the Pack Alpha.I’ll have to take over.Badger and Trent and everyone’s right—I’m the best long-term choice to protect the pack going forward if Peyton’s gone.”
Another sigh.“I know, baby,” Ken said.“But let’s not bury him yet.”
“I’m not.I’m trying to get myself used to that possibility.I know damned well you all were worried about my reaction when you told me about Peyton being abducted.”
“Gee, ya think?”
She snorted.“I know, I know.And I also know I can’t let that kind of thing happen now.I don’t have the luxury of acting impulsively.No more running off.”
“No more wood chipping cartel drug lords without warning,” he teased.
“Hey, I’ve been really good about that,” she joked back.
He kissed her.“You have, baby.I’m proud of you.”He reached up and brushed the hair out of her eyes.“I’mveryproud of you,” he said again, no hint of mirth in his tone or expression.“I know this is a huge change for you in how you work and how you think.Thank you for working on this.I’m not asking you to be perfect.I know I’m not, and I’ll screw up plenty of times, too.But that youaretrying means more to me than I can ever tell you.”
Her vision blurred as those sneaky motherfuckin’ tears escaped anyway.“Is this our new foreplay?Because it’s kind of a buzzkill.”
He smiled.“I also understand that you working on gracefully accepting compliments will take a lot more work.”
She stuck her tongue out at him.
“I mean it, baby.I’m not kidding—I’m proud of you.”
“So why did you get up so early in the morning?”she asked, diverting his attention.
He lifted an eyebrow at her, obviously knowing what she was doing, but he humored her.“Like I said, my body’s still messed up.I slept, what, literally a whole day?I messaged Peyton.Then, when he said they didn’t need me for today, I realized I was an idiot and came back to bed to be with you.”
Ken
He belatedly realized he’d just opened a huge-ass conversational door he didn’t want Dewi walking through.
“What’s happening today?”she asked.When he didn’t respond at first, she added, “No, I won’t bug Peyton with questions.”
Then again, Peyton hadn’t expressly forbidden him from telling Dewi.“He and Jake and Alvarez went on a quick fishing expedition in Mexico.”
