She laughed. She needed that.
He was only half right.
Arik was getting close to being what Hunter said.
If he didn’t cut her some slack and back off on wanting answers, she was going to tell him she needed some space, but didn’t want to hurt his feelings either.
She got it. He was excited. She was too.
She was a planner and he wasn’t.
In his mind, he thought he was helping.
He wasn’t.
“Neither of you is that. Congratulations are great. I’m due mid to late January. The slow time of the year.”
Hunter waved his hand dismissing her concern. “We’ll get it covered. Are you going to return after the baby is born? Which is your choice and I’d never hold it against you, but I understand, considering what I know of Arik, there is no need for it.”
“I’ll be back.”
“I won’t hold you to that if you change your mind or want to cut back hours. Not that I want you to go, but I had to deal with this with Kayla.”
Hunter met his wife when she was hired to work the front desk. The funny part, Kayla ended up pregnant too.
At least she wasn’t the only one in the family that had a little oops. There were others too.
“Sometimes I think he wants me to return fast. He’s all about being a stay-at-home dad. I’m feeling a little inferior with it.”
“There isn’t anything wrong with him doing that,” Hunter said. “I can’t say I don’t enjoy my time with the boys, but Kayla handles it better.”
“Every time Arik is around Luca he has to be fought to let someone else have him.”
“You should see how your face just lit up talking like that. Sounds as if things are good even if they are fast.”
“Good enough,” she said.
“Been there too. You’re feeling okay?”
“Feeling great. No signs of anything changing that I can see or feel.”
Which was another fear in her mind, but her appointment last week showed everything going as planned.
“We have time yet to get things squared away, and if I know you, you’ll be on top of it. Just keep me informed or let me know where I can help.”
“I will. And I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Don’t overdo it,” Hunter said. “If I think you are, I’ll make you take time off.”
“I won’t. It’s the busy season and I’ll pay attention to how I feel. I promise.”
She left and returned to the ground level. She was one step into her office when her phone rang on her desk.
She snatched it up. “This is Natalie.”
“Sorry to bother you, Natalie. Arik is at the front desk looking for you. He wanted to go to your office, but I told him he couldn’t.”
“I’ll be right up.”
