His next patient came in to sign in then, and he knew his bacon sammie would be waiting when he was done with Melanie’s ultrasound.
Laird glancedup to where Devon was sitting with his feet in the coolest of the hot springs pools, which was specifically cooled with fresh water for anyone who couldn’t be in the hot pools.
He was swimming laps, as he had a membership to the pool for just that purpose. It was still pretty cold, so Devon was bundled up in a blanket or two and a coat, but he was laughing and chatting with Mrs. Clinton, who owned the Crapitorium, and who was also soaking her feet and legs. She said they got sore, as much as she stood.
God, he loved his life.
He struck out to do another lap, cutting stronglythrough the water. He did enjoy working off the work week by doing something like swimming or hiking.
He and Devon still went running every now and again, but they took it slow and didn’t go as far. Devon insisted it was perfectly healthy to do light runs in the third trimester, but it made Laird very uncomfortable, and he absolutely didn’t want him racing.
They still went together three or four times a week, but it was more slow and steady runs the race. On his next turn, he heard Devon laughing over the splashes he was making, and he lifted his head in order to squint over.
Owen Benson was sitting next to Devon, chatting away, and his husband, Jeb, slipped into the swim lane next to Laird.
He nodded at Jeb. “Hey, man, how’s it going?”
Jeb chuckled and grinned back. “Good, good. We’re gonna have another baby. Did I tell you?”
Jeb owned the Bad Badger Tavern, and he and Nick and the crew all tended to stop in about once a week to have an IPA and a chat.
“I hadn’t heard, no. Congratulations, man!”
Jeb beamed at him. “Yeah, it’s early days, very early days, but we’re pleased. Our little one is two, so it’s a good spread.”
“Well, that’s amazing! I’ve got about six weeks left before I’m the new dad.”
“That’s nuts, man. Have you done the baby shower yet?”
“No. My mom has plans to do it next weekend, I think. Did Owen not get an invite?”
“I don’t think he did, no.” They were both treading water while they chatted because talking while they swam was tough.
“Shit, I’ll make sure she gets him one. You too, if you want to come. It’s not like we’re doing omegas only or anything. But I thought maybe the alphas would want to do something with the Alpha Club, you know?”
Jeb laughed. “I tell you what, how about you do the shower however your mom wants to do it, and then week after next you guys come down to the tavern and we’ll do something there.”
“That would rock.” Devon had no trouble drinking 7UP, Sprite, or ginger ale, and the smell of alcohol didn’t bother him anymore, and it wasn’t like anyone could smoke inside, so it was safe. And the Bad Badger had some great pub grub. “I’ll still talk to Mom about Owen and you coming because I know Devon would love to have you there.”
“Cool, we’d be happy to come eat cake.”
Laird snorted. “Yeah, like that’s the only thing you’d have to do with my mom’s baby shower. I went to one for my sister right before I met Devon. And let me tell you, my mom does games and weird music and all kinds of crap she sees on Pinterest.”
“Owen will love that. He’s a schoolteacher, don’t forget?” His husband Owen taught at the elementary school, and the kids adored him. Laird had actually heard that from more than one ambulance patient.
And how weird was it that ambulance patients tended to talk about elementary school teachers?
Jeb gave him a curious glance, a tilt of the head. “So, do you get a lot of invitations to the hotel for that alpha thing?”
Laird shrugged. “I mean, I guess Devon knows everybody,” he said. “He’s literally been the accoucheur for everyone in this town for the last ten years or so, so yeah, wild huh?”
“So…is it cool?”
He shrugged, rolling his shoulders. “Honestly? It’s a little uncomfortable. I mean, I’m not a pillar of the community or some such.”
“Maybe we should start our own.”
He tilted his head at Jeb’s word. “How so?”
