“I don’t know where to start.”
While I wasn’t fussed about the cheese, I picked upa handful of the chocolate version. Yum. Maybe Reed was onto something. This was good. I’d have to make this again.
“Thank you.” My mate pulled me close and we smooched. “Oh.” He put a hand on his belly. “Perhaps our daughter is a popcorn fan.”
I hoped she didn’t crave pizza crust and cream but if she did, I’d make it for her.
I placed a hand on Reed’sbump and our daughter kicked against my palm.
“She gets excited when you're around.” He leaned on my shoulder. “She knows your voice.”
I rested my head on Reed's tummy. “Hello, little one. Are you going to keep your daddy awake again tonight?” The baby kicked again.
“That's a yes.” Reed laughed before attacking the cheesy popcorn and more of the pretzels and ice cream.
I took another handful of the chocolate popcorn and my mate complained there might not be enough for him but he zonked out with half the bowl remaining. He lay down with his head on my lap and moaned.
“I ate too much. But while you were gone I was thinking about the files in the office. We should reorganize them before the baby arrives.”
“Why?”
“Because we might need to find something in there from 2015.”
I sighed and brushed a hand over his head. This was the nesting instinct and next week when we moved back into the house, he’d be doing nesting, not just in his small office, but the entire house. Thank gods before we moved out, we went through everything and got rid of years of junk, only keeping things that we needed or that had a special place in Reed’s heart.
From the corner of my eye, I noted the boxes piled high on one side of the room. Baby clothes, equipment and paraphernalia. And the rest of the baby stuff was stored in the barn along with many of our possessions, and old and new furniture.
“Are you ready to be the best papa in the world?” my mate asked.
“The best that I can be.”
“I’m a little scared but can’t wait to have our daughter in my arms and not be lugging around this bump.” Reed was quiet for a moment. “I want to meet her, but I also want to make sure everything's perfect first. The nursery still needs the final coat of paint, and we haven’t even moved in yet.”
“You're going to be an amazing father,” I told him. “You have more patience than anyone I've ever met. You talk to trees and make them thrive. Our daughter is going to be so lucky to have you.”
Reed had tears in his eyes. “Pregnancy hormones.” He wiped his cheeks with his free hand.
“That's completely normal and also kind of adorable.”
“I’m an emotional wreck who eats toast with melted gummy bears. How is that adorable?”
“Because you're carrying our baby. And because you worry about watering the basil and organising the files. All of it is just so cute.”
FIFTEEN
REED
We'd been living in the renovated farmhouse for three weeks when I woke up with a severe backache.
“It’s from me not listening to Roscoe and everyone else and lifting things I shouldn’t have.” It was lousy timing with the move and the imminent birth but the pack had worked as fast as they could and the house was beautiful.
Despite not wanting to spend money on our bedroom, I was pleased we did. It was spacious and we now had a king-sized bed with plenty of room for me and the bump and my mate no longer had to sleep diagonally. Best of all, we had a reading nook by the windows, which is where I’d feed the baby when we weren’t in the nursery.
We’d been unpacking boxes even before the house was officially move-in ready and my achingback was a product of that. I’d been doing it from the couch but taking things out was easy, it was the getting up and putting them away that was the hard part. Roscoe and I had argued with him saying he’d do it all but that would take twice as long even with his shifter strength.
The August morning dawned outside. It was still summer but fall would be here soon and the oak trees would soon be turning orange. Work on the farm would be ramping up soon but this year, I had an army of helpers, not only from our pack but from a reindeer pack that lived in the next county.
Our daughter was due tomorrow. The nine months had at times passed slowly when I was eager to meet our baby. But when I checked my to-do list and thought of everything I had to accomplish before she arrived, time hurtled toward me.
