Page 70 of Wynter

“You didn’t kill her,” I tell Amber. “I’m impressed.”

“Can’t say I didn’t come close a time or two.” Amber snorts.

“Very funny.” Mini rolls her eyes and then starts to coo at baby Nathaniel as she and Amber get him out of his snowsuit. “Who’s an adorable Nate? Yes, he is! Yes, he is!”

“Wow, that was unexpected,” I tell Amber, who shakes her head.

“You’re telling me.”

We all take turns playing with the baby until Xavi arrives.

“I got my job back!” he calls out, and we all cheer. Except the baby, who gets startled by all the noise, and starts to cry.

Mini soothes Nathaniel while Xavi plants a happy kiss on my lips and pulls up a chair.

“Congratulations,” I tell him softly. “I’m so glad you didn’t have to come up with a backup plan.”

“Ghost told you about that?” Xavi’s cheeks flush.

I shake my head. “He mentioned you had one, but not what it is.”

“Oh.” Xavi suddenly looks even more flustered. “It’s probably stupid.”

“Just tell me. Please?”

“I was thinking of writing a book about Shifter Bay. Maybe even starting a blog.” He rubs the back of his neck. “To normalize the sort of shifting I do.”

“I think it’s a great idea, Xavi,” I tell him.

“So do I,” Leith agrees. “People really seem to freak out every time I ice block.”

“Tell me about it,” Amber chimes in. “I shifted during the morning rush and made an old lady faint.”

“Was it your sister?” I tease, since she tends to shift into a grandmother.

We all laugh, and then go back to chatting and playing with the baby. Mostly Mini, who doesn’t seem to have eyes for anyone else in the room.

“I didn’t realize you were this into babies,” I tell her. “Maybe you could open a daycare? Or—”

“That is so not happening.” Mini rolls her eyes. “I don’t like babies. I just like this baby. How could his mother just leave him like that? I’m never going to leave you. Isn’t that right, Natey-Nate?”

I can’t help but smile. “You know you can’t keep him, right? Liam said someone from the system will be by to pick him up in the morning.”

“But he’ll go to Lupine’s orphanage until his dad’s out of jail, so I’ll be able to come visit. Maybe even foster him.”

“You’ll need a job first,” I remind her.

“And a place to live.” She lets out a dejected sigh.

“You can stay at my place till the end of the month, when the rent runs out,” I suggest.

“Really?” Mini perks up.

I nod. “I actually haven’t really thought about where we’ll all live,” I add with a look at my guys.

“Way ahead of you, baby.” Leith tightens his arms around my waist. “I got us upgraded to a suite at the inn.”

“And we were thinking we could start looking at houses?” Ghost adds. “Something big enough for all four of us.”