“Nope.” Isaac shook his head and pulled down his sweater sleeves past his wrists, holding the fabric in his gripped fists. A move he made when he was nervous.
“Okay.” I would let the topic drop for now. “Just know I’m here if you change your mind.”
“Noted.”
For the rest of the afternoon, Isaac and I hit the shops on Main Street. We bought more books, had an early dinner at the taco truck parked next to the library, and then decided to have another binge night back at my cabin.
But my mind was only half with him throughout all that activity. Something else was stealing my attention. Something tiny, and adorable, and quite possibly on its way already.
Am I really about to become a papa?
Chapter Twelve
Jamie
“There, you can see the heartbeats of the two little ones.” Doctor Malcolm pointed at the monitor screen. “Both heartbeats are steady and strong, and the measurements are right on track. As a wolf-fox combination pregnancy, the gestational period is around sixty days. So, you need to plan quickly for these two, not like humans or bears that have a much longer waiting time to meet their babies. Do you have any other questions for me?”
It wasn’t necessarily a surprise that there were twins in there. Isaac had stopped by the other morning for coffee and hinted that his extra-sensitive shifter nose was picking up on a double blessing. It was just that, as a wolf whose nose is slightly less accurate this early on, I was still living in the bliss of denial until the moment the doctor confirmed it.
“You’re sure there are two?” Charlie’s face was a bit pale, but a small upturn to his lips made it clear he was happy with the news. Probably in shock.
Like I was.
“There are definitely at least two in there.” Doctor Malcolm examined the image on the screen. “I mean, I can take another look and make sure none are hiding in there—”
“That’s okay,” I broke in, not wanting him to find a third or, goddess forbid, a fourth pup or kit in there. “We are just a bit overwhelmed that we aren’t just having a baby, but babies.”
“I understand that feeling well.” Doctor Malcolm turned off the monitor after printing a couple of screenshots and handing the prints to us. “It’s a lot to take in. I remember when my mate, Darwin, and I were first told of our triplets. He passed out.”
“Oh, my goddess.” Charlie chuckled and hid the smile behind his fist. “I’m sorry, but I am just imagining myself doing the same. For a moment there, it was a definite possibility.”
“It happens more than you would think, actually.” Dr. Malcolm stood and shook our hands. “Congratulations to you both. Don’t worry about being too overwhelmed to ask any questions. Our office hours are posted online and on our business cards. Feel free to call us and speak to one of the nurses if anything comes up before the next appointment in two weeks. There is also the after-hours hotline if you need to speak to a medical professional at any odd time to verify if there is an emergency or just a normal part of pregnancy that no one ever mentioned to you. We do get quite a few of those calls, and luckily, they are usually just stressed-out omegas who never knew that the omega line may grow red and puffy a couple of weeks ahead of time and that it is not a sign of something going wrong.”
Cleaning up and getting dressed after the doctor left the room, my thoughts were still locked on the idea of becoming a father. My dream of building a family was coming true, and it was all because of my mate. “Thank you. You just gave me the best Father’s Day present.”
“Don’t be silly.” Charlie rolled his eyes. “We were both there.”
“I know. But I couldn’t have done it alone.”
“That is true. And you are lucky you didn’t do it with anyone else. I may have become viciously jealous.”
“There never could have been anyone other than you.” I pulled my mate closer to me as we walked out of the office and into the hospital’s hallway.
“Jamie?” The sound of my name had me turning around. The shocked face of my ex-boyfriend, Zane, stared back at me. “Why are you two coming out of Doctor Malcolm’s office?”
Zane started to get closer, reaching out a hand as if intending to touch me. My mate wasn’t having it, though.
“Excuse me.” Charlie took the hand Zane was extending and held it on his own, a sweet but fake smile on his face. “Jamie and I were just getting a prenatal checkup done. You know how it is with mates, can’t wait to start that family. We’ve got to go, but it’s so good to see you again, Zane.”
Stepping around my slack-jawed ex, I took Charlie farther away from Zane before he could rub it in any deeper. “I think he got the point that you were marking your territory. Man, maybe Isaac is right, and you are a brat.”
“This is one time I don’t mind being seen that way. There’s just something about that guy that sets off my annoyance. You know?” Charlie grumbled beside me. “Like you broke up a while ago and have moved on. Even though you are the most handsome and nicest guy I’ve ever met, you would think the dude would get the hint and move on as well.”
“I’m sure he will. Eventually.” I guided us out of the building and into the fresh, cool air. “Wanna go grab some lunch before heading home? Celebrate our big news together before sharing it with everyone else in the world? Our parents will probably hijack the moment once they find out. It will be all about them becoming grandparents instead of all about us becoming parents.”
“That sounds amazing, actually.” Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Can we try that new Thai restaurant in the next town over? Isaac told me it’s absolutely amazing. It’s owned by two Binturong shifters who were born and raised in Thailand, and the food is authentic and delicious. I’ve wanted to go since Isaac told me.”
“Wasn’t that two days ago?” I quirked a brow at my mate.
