He nodded. “I agree. Ice cream? At Cindy’s Sweets?”
Cindy was a town local who had an ice cream parlor that also boasted desserts and candy by the pound. She always joked that her fathers should’ve named her Candy instead of Cindy.
“That sounds great, actually. Are you hungry for dinner? I have some leftovers.”
The alpha shook his head. “My bear wants some of their honeycomb blondies and then, there’s something else I’m even more hungry for.”
“What is it?”
“You, omega. Tonight, we’re going to celebrate, just you and me, in this bed.”
That sounded like the best plan ever.
Chapter Fifteen
Edris
“Is that everything?” my mate asked. He didn’t realize it but, when his hands were idle, they’d drift to his belly even though there was only a hint of our little one growing inside. Protective of our baby already. I couldn’t have been blessed with a more caring omega.
When I told him I’d made some decisions about my career, decisions that involved him, I thought he’d explode with happiness.
The distance wasn’t working for me. Neither was my career. There was no way I would ever make the difference I wanted to in the big city. Too many invisible boundaries to cross. Too much paperwork and bureaucracy. You had to know people to get things done, and others had connections I didn’t because of their families or, worse, their wealth.
But there was one place I could begin to make a difference.
In Autumn Hills.
That one decision made everything better, instantly.
The mayor here was looking to make some improvements to the town. There were buildings that had once been prominent businesses but could be made into places that helped people, benefitted the community.
For instance, Autumn Hills had no library. What a shame.
“I think so. I did a walk through the rooms. I didn’t see anything. I’m all packed up.”
Zac ran his hand up my arm. “Are you making this decision for you or because of us?”
“Both. We’re mated now. Our fates are intertwined. This is better for our family and for me. I can’t take missing you anymore, sweetheart.”
Movers were too expensive, and Zac had furniture for his home, so I sold most of my big items. All I packed were some of my books and personal items, along with my clothes. I wasn’t in love with my furniture anyway, except my recliner that I would pick up later. The only thing that mattered to me and my bear was being near my mate and our cub.
“Let’s go home, then.”
We made the drive to Autumn Hills, but this time it would be permanent. We had to go into the bigger town for the big warehouse stores and shopping, but the rest of our time would be here.
A few hours later, I was all unpacked. This traveling light was great!
While Zac started dinner, cutting up all kinds of vegetables for a chopped salad, I stood next to him and seasoned the meat. Such a simple evening and at the same time, perfect.
We ate our meal and had sat down to binge a new series when Zac’s phone rang. When he stood up with a rueful shrug, I knew he would have to leave. I would never complain about it, either. Zac made a real impact on the omegas and families nearby. Some of them could even afford care in big, fancy facilities but my omega’s doula reputation had made them choose the Autumn Hills Birthing Center instead.
“How far along?” he said, walking to the bedroom, pulling off his shirt. He listened for a few minutes while pulling out his scrubs. “I’m ten minutes away. Meet me there.”
He looked so cute in his pale-green scrubs. He said he didn’t have to wear them but it made things easier when cleaning up.
“An omega in labor?”
“Yes. One of the locals. This is his fourth child, so he waited until the contractions got close together to call, and now, the baby is coming any minute.”
