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“No need to remind me of what I said,” he groans, looking from me to the pups and then to Valentine, who’s taking care of momma now. Licking her face and grooming her until they both curl up.
All six babies curled up with them like a strange doggy puzzle that has all the pieces fit back together again.
“They are cute,” Conor says finally, his mood softening. I can almost hear him thinking about what to name them all.
“It would explain a lot too, where he’s been going all this time. I think he was looking for a mate.”
I take his hand in mine again, bringing it down to my belly, feeling better once it’s there.
“Conor?” I ask him, not looking up, but looking at his huge hand instead, picturing him holding a different kind of baby.
“Do you think you’ve found your mate?” I ask him, pressing his hand on my belly firmly.
“You know I have, baby,” he says, leaning over to kiss me, stopping once our eyes meet, my face uncertain.
“You mean?” he asks innocently, making me wonder if the man knows anything about how babies are even made.
I nod slowly. “That’s right. We’re gonna have our own little wolf, how do you think he’ll get along with all those puppies?” I ask him.
But he’s speechless, a line of silver at the edge of one of his eyes.
“I’m gonna be a daddy?” he says before he asks, “He? How do you know?”
“Isn’t that what the little blue plus sign means on the test?” I ask him.
I try to keep a straight face, and I almost have him, but we both burst out laughing.
Overjoyed at our own little family on the way.
“I’ll make an appointment, we’ll go see the best doctors,” he promises.
“Maybe call the store first, honey,” I remind him, glancing over at our most immediate brood.
“There’s one new momma to feed, and by the looks, it won’t be long before all those puppies are gonna want some real food,” I observe.
“Spoken like a true queen,” Conor says, kissing me.
“I love you, baby,” he adds, and then kissing my belly, he says it again. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Conor. Just remember that.”
Extended Epilogue
Two Years Later
Conor
“Honey? We’ll be late.” I call up to her, not really minding but the kids have just gone down and the dogs have finally settled too.
“You sure you’re okay with this?” I ask her dad, my dad now too, by default since I married his only daughter last year.
“Will you stop babying me,” David says, lowering his voice like an old mother hen.
“I got the restaurant’s number and both your cells, if anything happens I can’t handle you’ll be the first to know,” he says with a firm grip on my shoulder.
“Now, go out and have yourselves a night off without the kids for once, will ya? You owe her that much at least,” he quips, giving me a sly wink as we hear her coming down the stairs.
The limo’s waiting, but that’s what they get paid for and our reservation is still good, a window table anytime we want. Booked six months in advance.
But it’s the sight of her coming down those stairs that has us both spellbound.
She’s got on a long sleeveless dress I’ve never seen before, it shows all her curves and as much of her chest as I’ll allow in public.
She has on the pearls I gave her on our honeymoon. My god, she’s beautiful.
I’ve never seen her look more beautiful, and her dad butts in, beating me to it when he tells her so too.
“Hey, hands off my wife,” I tease him, nudging him out of the way, slipping him a twenty.
“Here, order a pizza if you get hungry, and don’t drink the liquor, I mark the bottles ya know,” I warn him.
Rachel laughs softly and kisses her dad on the cheek.
“Don’t mind him, Dad. He’s just scared he’ll actually have to sit still for a few hours and watch a show before having dinner. And we don’t keep liquor in the house,” she whispers to him, making him smile.
“I know honey, now go have a nice time, won’t you?”
He sees us off out the front door, and I can’t tell who’s more nervous Rachel or me.
It’s only been a couple of years, and how they’ve flown by.
“Are you sure they-”
“Did I remember to-”
“Maybe I should just make sure-”
“Will you stop it, Conor,” she finally says once we’re in the car. Too late to turn back.
“You’re making me nervous now just cut it out. Dad’s fine with them all, you know he is. Geez, he’s around most days isn’t he?” she asks me rolling her eyes.
I know she’s right, but it feels so odd even just leaving them for a few hours.
“Hey,” she reminds me gently. “It’s our Valentine’s anniversary remember and I want us to enjoy it, okay?”
