“Declan Summers, you were so confident in Jaxon’s plan that you told the doc not to bother looking for homes?” His green eyes sparkle with amusement as I grab his face between my two hands and smack a kiss to his lips.
“Yes, baby, I wasn't leaving those cubs behind even if it meant Princess needed to make room for them in her enclosure. I saw how devastated you were about the parents. There was no way we were leaving Nyx behind either. She’s like a large version of Princess; who knows where she could have ended up? Nope, you are the best bet for those cats,” he says with a stubborn set to his jaw.
Aww, my serious man has a severe cat addiction. It’s so freaking sweet. I rest my head on his shoulder. “Thank you,” I whisper to him, and he squeezes my leg where his finger has been drawing circles on my thigh.
“I know you’ve had a long day. How about we check on the cubs and Nyx and then head to bed?”
“Actually, I need to feed them now, and they're going to need a feed in the middle of the night, too. I’m wondering if it will make sense to sleep in my own room. I’ll grab a sleeping bag, and...” Before I can finish anything, he shifts me off his lap and stands up, holding out a hand.
“Babe, I’ve already arranged everything. Doc told me they would need feeding during the night, so I grabbed some bed sheets from Melinda. Your bed is already made up.”
Seriously, who is this man? Fucking hell, scoring points with every move he makes.
“Shit, why didn’t we think of that?” I can hear Oli complain once more, and my heart rate picks up with my worry. I really need to check in with these two to make sure everything is okay. I’ve neglected them a little since we returned from Prague, and I just want to touch base, make sure everything is okay. I'm hoping that it’s just a need to get home to our own things and back into our own routines more than any real jealousy.
“Stop, Oli, I know you’re joking, but Harlow’s going to think you're serious and start to worry we can’t share.” I hear Holden scold him, and he’s not wrong. I turn, a frown on my face.
Before I can say anything, Oli jumps to his feet and pulls me into his arms. “No, don’t worry, Holden is right. I’m only joking, but I’ll stop being an ass. I don’t want you to worry. It’s fine. Go take care of your cubs, and I’ll see you in the morning. Text us if you need anything.”
They both kiss me before they gather the bowls, empty beer bottles, and my half-drunk glass of champagne into a basket. Jaxon, Thomas, and Kai gather the candles and blankets. They all wish me good luck and leave.
“I need someone else to help us, but I’m not sure who to ask. I know Oli was joking, but I really worry about it.” I turn to Declan, who has a mischievous look on his face. I have a very strong feeling that both great and equally terrible things come to pass when that look is on his face.
“Did you know that Thomas is quite the voyeur? He likes to watch.” Holy shit, is he suggesting what I think he is? I mean, it’s fun when Den and Oli share me, but I hadn’t quite realized it would be a possibility with any of the others... Which, now that I think about it, was kind of a stupid assumption considering the situation Kai and Thomas are in with Veronica. I grind my teeth at that thought. Now I’m determined to wipe that experience from his mind. Poor Tom was screwed over by yet another fucking woman.
“Tom,” Declan calls just before he gets to the door, “would you be able to help us feed the cubs? It’s easier with more than four hands. And hey, you might need the practice in case it comes back that you’re Veronica’s baby daddy.” My mouth drops open, and I smack Declan in the stomach. A loud whoosh escapes his mouth, followed by what could only be called a cackle. Thomas’ face gets dark like a thundercloud, and he flips him off.
“Fuck you, Dec.” I hurry to his side and tuck my hand under his arm.
“He’s just trying to wind you up. Ignore the asshole. We’ll worry about all of that once the DNA results come back. I mean, the likelihood that she was successful in inseminating herself with your and Kai’s junk has got to be slim, right?”
He runs his free hand through his hair and sighs as Dec catches up to us. “Actually, it’s more common than you think. I did a search.”
“Shit, man, I’m sorry. I was joking because I thought there was no way,” Declan apologizes, looking all cut up for his brother. “Has Forrest had any news?”
“Veronica was put on suicide watch because she was making threats while she was being booked. They’re pushing through a court order for an amniocentesis to test for DNA as soon as it’s possible. Due to the circumstances, he says he doubts it will be denied. God, I just want to know one way or another. No matter what, she won’t be able to keep the baby. There’s a clear case against her and her poisoning attempt. She’ll be going to jail for a long time. I just want to know if it’s one of ours so we can plan for it. She was spouting about termination too, but I worked it out; she’s got to be at least 14 weeks. It’s too late to have one unless there’s something wrong with the baby. Forrest also added another court order for immediate neonatal scans to make sure it’s healthy.” Poor Thomas sounds defeated; it must be terrible to have that hanging over his head. “And if it is mine or Kai’s, where does that leaveus?” I realize he’s looking down at me when he asks that.
“Oh, well, huh. I haven't really thought about it because I didn't believe it could be true. I thought it was all a littleDays of our Lives-ish.”
His question does do one thing without a doubt. Now, I’m thinking about the future and what it could look like if Veronica’s schemes prove true. How do I feel about Thomas or Kai having a baby? I guess it’s no different than if they already had kids with another woman before we got together. In fact, there’s a tiny part of me that’s internally cooing with joy at the thought of a baby joining our family. You don’t have to be biologically related to love someone like they're your own. Look at Melinda and Chuck, they gave me all the love and support that was sorely lacking from my blood relatives.
“Nope, I’m good. It doesn't change a thing,” I assure him, and the tension in his body begins to ease. “Come on, let’s check on these animals. Good practice for when we literally live in a zoo.”
An excited thrill runs through me at the thought, and it’s all I can do to stop myself from skipping to my barn. Luckily, Thomas has a hold of me; otherwise I might fly off into space in my excitement.
Declan pulls open the door to my barn, and I flick on the light switch in the stable area.
Nyx is happily chewing on her deer leg, so I leave her in peace and turn the light on in the clinic. When we left the cubs earlier, they were safe in the playpen, and I had put some heating pads under the blankets for warmth. They’re all sleeping where I left them, so instead of disturbing them, I decide to set my phone for two hours. I’ll come back to check on them then.
“Let’s get some rest. I don't want to wake them up.”
“What time do you want me to come back?” Thomas asks, pulling out his phone.
“Why? Where are you going?” Declan asks.
“Well, to bed, of course,” he responds, sounding like he thinks Declan’s an idiot for asking.
“I set up the pull-out sofa as well, thinking that Harlow was going to need help through the night. It’s all yours.”
