“Just do what’s on the list, please,” Ryder said, dropping a kiss on Tabby’s cheek. “We love you. We’ll be back tomorrow morning to pick you up.” His mate met his gaze and asked for the fifth time, “Are you sure about this?”
Jax smiled. “Aren’t I the one that should be hormonal? We’ve been through this before. It’s time. We can do it.”
Ryder nodded, but neither of them moved. “She’ll be fine. I swear to you both,” Devon reassured them. “Go out and have a good time. Don’t worry, well, don’t worry too much.”
Ryder and Jax nodded and got back in the car. Jax turned to Ryder, and his mate’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “Oh, babe.” Jax leaned in to hug him. Not that it was easy with his current size.
He wasn’t actually that huge, though, and with a baggy sweater, he could still hide his belly—which was what he’d done today.
“It’s not like she’s going away for a week,” Ryder said, chuckling. Jax knew he was trying to convince himself. “We can pick her up tonight when we’re done with dinner if we want. Let’s just go out and see how it goes.”
Ryder huffed and then finally backed out of the driveway. Jax was looking forward to it. It was nice to go out for a meal together—one they hadn’t cooked or warmed up in the microwave, thanks to Ryder’s papa, who dropped by often with casseroles and yummy pasta dishes.
And Jax was happy to be out of sweatpants for a change.
They pulled up at an Italian restaurant, and from the moment they walked in, delicious smells accosted them.
The owners greeted Ryder like family before leading them to a table. They ordered the special, and the food arrived at their table just twenty minutes after they had been seated. The lasagna al forno was delicious. Ryder and Jax focused on the food for a while before his mate looked over at him.
“You having a good time?” Ryder asked.
Jax grinned and nodded. “This is delicious. How did I not know they were here? You would have had to pick up this garlic bread for me every day.” He laughed and took a large bite of said bread.
“Are you holding up?” Jax asked.
Ryder leaned in and pecked his cheeks. “I am, and I’m especially loving the company.”
“Me too.” Jax grinned. “There’s a part of me that still can’t believe this is my life,” he admitted.
Ryder tilted his head to the side. “How do you mean?”
Jax sighed and smiled. “Did I ever tell you about how I would dream of my mate those times?” He knew they’d promised not to talk about babies, or worse, the parts of the past that had been hell for Jax, but the truth was he was getting better at talking about it.
Ryder moved closer to him, like he wanted to share his strength with Jax. “Well, I did. Whenever things would get bad, I would imagine what my mate would be like. What kind of life we’d have.”
Jax reached out and touched Ryder’s hand where it lay on the table. He looked up, and their eyes met as Jax took another bite of his food, mostly to gather his thoughts and swallow the ball of emotions that had surfaced.
“We don’t have to talk about this,” Ryder said.
He took a sip of his water and cleared his throat. “I want to. Because everything I dreamed came true, and even better than I dreamed you.”
Ryder connected their foreheads and stole a kiss. “I dreamed of you, too. While I was away at college, I kept thinking about the life I would have with my mate and kids. How I would return to Wildwood and take over the practice so I could come home for lunch with my mate. Or, if he decided to work, I’d meet him on a park bench and we’d catch up on our days, even though we would be seeing each other in a few hours at home.”
Jax smiled because Ryder did come home for lunch every chance he got.
“I would help my kids with homework and tuck them in at night.” Ryder got a smile on his face. “I would always protect them.” Pain flashed on his mate’s face, and Jax squeezed Ryder’s hand, telling him it was okay. He knew Ryder was working through feeling like it was his fault they’d gotten taken, but he was getting better. He shook it off and said, “My point is, you, Tabby, and our little one, you were my dream, but this … what we have is better than any dream could be.”
“I know,” Jax whispered. “Wanna know when I knew?”
“Knew what?” Ryder asked.
Jax chuckled. “That I loved you.”
“Tell me,” Ryder said and interlocked his fingers with Jax’s.
“I knew when my heart skipped a beat every time I looked at you. My mind was always with you. My heart raced every time we touched. And most importantly, I knew whenever I saw you with Tabby and saw what an amazing father you were even when you weren’t calling yourself that.”
Ryder’s cheeks heated. “I always thought of myself as her Dad.”
