“Yeah,” I said, turning in his arms. “I am. I went to the doctor today because I did not feel right, and it turned out I was just dehydrated… with a bonus of pregnancy.”
“You should’ve called me.”
“Can you save telling me all the ways I was wrong until after we celebrate? We’re celebrating, right?”
“Oh, yeah, we’re celebrating.” He kissed me, and I found myself getting lost in it. And then he pulled back, holding my face in his hands, his smile warm and joyful. “I couldn’t be happier that you’re carrying our child, but don’t blame me for worrying about you first.”
He wasn’t mad at me, he was worried that I was sick. I needed to be better about keeping Lincoln informed. He would do the same for me.
I nipped at his bottom lip. “I’d feel the same if it was you.”
“We’re gonna have a baby.” He rubbed his cheek against mine.
“We are. And I hope they turn out to be just like you, alpha mine.”
“I was just hoping for a mini you, Bronson. I love you, mate.”
“I love you.” I stood up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. It was over an hour later that we finally got to our dinner.
19
LINCOLN
“This is gorgeous.”
We had just gotten out of the car. It was sunset, and we were at the gates of my colleague Richard’s beach house. He rented it out most of the year, apart from the summer when he stayed here, and the family who were supposed to come this weekend couldn’t make it. So he’d offered it to me and Bronson.
It was a long weekend where we had no commitments, Dale wouldn’t be asking me to critique his latest assignment, and there’d be no Ronnie wanting to check items off the wedding planning to-do list. Even my folks had been coming around more often now that I was mated. They’d bring cuttings to plant in the garden or leave leftovers in the fridge because Bronson and I came back from work exhausted.
But for the next three days, it was us, the ocean, and the baby, who was so small they didn’t have fingers or toes yet. Or a brain.
And while I wasn’t expecting a shack, I’d assumed it would be pretty basic, with no frills. Boy, was I wrong.
It sat above an isolated patch of beach at the end of the dirt road, though it was more of a track, and the house was outlined against the pink-and-orange sky behind it.
We trailed back and forth with luggage but mostly food, because the nearest grocery store was thirty minutes away and there were no deliveries out here. And that was exactly what we wanted.
Once the perishables had been put away, we tossed off our shoes and ran down the path to the white sandy beach. Our feet sank into the wet sand as we strolled hand in hand at the edge of the water.
“Would you ever consider moving out of the city?” Bronson picked up a shell. “If we could work from home, that is.”
I’d never considered it, but it was a common mistake holiday-makers made, imagining themselves giving up their current lives and living in the place of their dreams.
“It’s a possibility, but it’d have to be close to a forest.” Much as I loved the beach, especially this one, it wasn’t the best environment for my panther. He needed to be close to prey, and he turned his nose up at catching fish.
“That’s what I thought, and I agree.”
My mate ran ahead, splashing water over his shorts and taking deep breaths of salty air. He hadn’t suffered from morning sickness, and he seemed to have more energy than usual.
“We should do this more often.” He outstretched his hands and twirled around. I loved seeing him so free and at peace. He splashed back to me and dragged me out so the water waslapping at my knees. My panther was none too keen on the ocean and asked if we were going to sink.
“We could.” But It was hard to get away, especially if one or both of us was working late or if we had to catch up on projects on the weekend.
Bronson wrapped his arms around me. “I feel like we hardly see one another. We wake up together, drink coffee, and dash out the door.”
He’d described modern life, and we were fortunate we had our own home and didn’t have to work second or third jobs.
We wandered back to the house, and I cooked dinner while my mate showered and unpacked. Eating on the deck overlooking the dark ocean with the waves crashing onto the shore, my mate commented on the moon reflecting on the water.
