“Fine.” I looked away. “Why?”
“No reason. You just seem… I don't know. Different lately.”
We’d known one another for lessthan a month so we barely recognized each other’s habits. But my heart trotted, galloped, and then thundered and ouch, it hurt. Did his shifter traits include sensing my emotions? Or had he figured out what I'd been doing?
“Different how?”
He studied my face but I looked away, fearing his dark eyes were looking right through me. “You've been distracted. And you keep touching your stomach.”
Shit. I dropped my hand because I’d been doing exactly that. “I have not.”
Roscoe put a hand on my hip and pulled me closer. Along with his usual scent, he carried the aroma of paint and wood shavings.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” He put his other hand under my chin and tilted my head. Damn my shifter mate wanting to know what was going on.
But him questioning me broke my resolve of keeping everything a secret and the truth tumbled out. “I went to the pharmacy and bought tests. You know tests?”
I was almost screeching and the trees stilled. Thank gods we were some distance from the customers who were browsing.
“Tests?” His eyes were darker, like they were when his beast was close to the surface or he was yearning for something, often me.
“Pregnancy tests. For a week maybe. Sometimes twice a day. And I’m not pregnant. Why? I don’t want to be. I do want a baby but this is our honeymoon period and and and…”
I gulped in a huge breath.
“But why am I not pregnant? You said I probably would be and we both took that chance knowing the odds. Well, where are those odds, because they need a talking to.”
“My love.” Roscoe's voice was almost amused. “Breathe.”
“There’s something wrong with our bond and you think it’s funny? We need to get it fixed. Is there a doctor for that?”
He was pursing his lips, trying not to smile. I might not know everything about my mate but I could tell when he was tamping down a chuckle.
“You're adorable.” He bopped my nose. “And I wish you’d shared your concerns.”
Why hadn’t I? Because I wanted to surprise him when the test told me I was carrying our baby?
“I have a confession. I can scent whether you're pregnant.”
I stared at him. “What?”
“Shifters can smell a pregnancy within a few days of conception.”
I pulled away and folded my arms. “Did you knowwhat I was doing?” Not wanting to leave them in the bathroom trash basket, I had taken the tests and tossed them in the garbage outside.
He put a hand over his heart. “No, I swear. I was worried because you seemed down but I waited until you were ready to tell me.” He tugged at his hair. “Perhaps that was wrong and I should have asked you.”
We both had a lot to learn about being in a relationship.
“So you’ve known the whole time I wasn’t pregnant and I let myself obsess over it.” I put my hands over my face to hide my embarrassment and tears of frustration.
My mate removed my hands. He had a faraway look in his eyes. “Have you taken a test this morning?”
Something in his tone made me pay attention. "No. Why?" I had one left and I’d shoved it back in the cabinet earlier, thinking what was the point.
He put his mouth to my ear and I shivered at his cool breath. “Because.” His voice was deeper than usual, almost gravelly, giving me hope he was going to give me good news. “You should take one more.”
Before I could respond, a gust of wind swept through the farm. Every tree swayed and rustled at once. The Noble Firs shimmered, the Fraser Firs sang in the breeze, and Doug's Christmas lights were brighter.
