“We do. Didn’t you see the flyer? They left one on the door here.” Raven pulled out his phone. “They have a website and everything.”
“Then I would love to have a bagel from Alicia’s with bacon on it, as long as it’s crispy bacon.”
“I will specify crispy bacon.”
“You’re the best best friend ever,” he grinned at Raven, feeling like things were going right with the world. He loved that.
He put one hand on his belly, and the baby started kicking and moving. It was happening all the time now, and his belly was getting pretty good size. He was nesting, and he knew it. Getting ready.
“How areyoufeeling?” Raven asked. Hitting send on the order, he thought. Because then he put his phone away.
“Pretty good. I’m feeling a little bit messy, I guess is the word for it, but I’m not feeling physically bad in any way.”
“Yeah, this is really the good part, where you’re not puking, you’re not miserable, and you’re glowing.” Raven chuckled softly. “So, have you got the baby’s nursery all done? Does it look great? I know the last time I saw it, it was really starting to sparkle.”
He nodded and smiled. “You know, it looks amazing. It’s not too classy, because it’s for the baby, but it’s still very in keeping with the rest of the house.” It was cozy and warm, filled with light. “I like it. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that I’m super proud of it. And the way everything’s put together, it would make a great bedroom or an office or whatever. I’m really pleased.”
“That’s too cool, honey.” Raven beamed at him. “I’m so pleased to see you so happy, love. I swear, Laird is not the kind of guy I saw you with in my head, but it’s so cool.”
“No. You didn’t?” Laird seemed perfectly wonderful to Devon, the man was just his type.
“He seemed so much a dude-bro, and you seemed so much not, you know?”
Devon chuckled. “I can see that. I mean, you have the same sort of problem.”
Raven arched an eyebrow and shot him a wicked glance. “Well, I think that my situation with Ben is a tiny bit different. Our sexual relationship, anyway?—”
“I don’t wanna know! No talking. No talking.”
They both started laughing, just giggling to start, but then the laughter became kind of hysterical.
He knew Ben and Raven had a bit of a wild side sexually, and it was kind of a secret, so that wasn’t up for public consumption.
He and Laird were not quite so adventurous. He really wasn’t into adventure. Devon had enough excitement in his work. It made him want his home and his relationships to be soft. Well, not all the time, obviously…
Once the snort-laugh fit eased back, he sucked in a deep lungful of air, trying to catch his breath.
“Is Laird looking forward to heading back to school?” Raven asked, going to get them both a bottle of water.
Devon shrugged. “I think he’s nervous. He’s really ready to be home with the baby. I know he’s happy for more normal sleep schedules, and I imagine he’s a little scared. School’s a big thing, and his parents weren’t the most supportive about it.” Though Laird’s folks had decided it was a good idea after Devon had sort of pointed out how important it was to back Laird up.
“Yeah. I can see that. Sometimes parents see a good job in the hand as better than a maybe someday job in the future.” Raven shrugged. “But I think Laird will really find his niche in the therapy and rehab thing. And it’s something we really need here. There’s a large blue-collar population around Secret Springs, and a bunch of elderly in the community too.”
“That’s my thought as well. And I think he’ll be in demand in Montrose and maybe Telluride too.”
“I can see that.”
Yes, Raven got that, because their birth center was super booked all the damn time from folks not from Secret Springs. Their reputation preceded them.
And Laird was such an amazing healer.
The baby kicked hard, moving vigorously as if to agree with him. “Ooof.” Devon put a hand on his belly. “Wow.”
“That good, huh?”
“Wild.” He was a little breathless with it in fact, but it passed quickly. He was practicing for when it was time, he guessed.
“Breathe through it. It gets a little hairy at this point.” Raven winked, and then they were giggling again. And it felt great.
