“Mom said she and Jake can come stay with me,” she insisted, wiping a stain off her shirt.
“I’m glad they’ll help, but they can’t be there every minute. You need someone to help once you return home from work, get dinner prepared, do laundry, and then do homework. Will you please consider it while I’m here?” he asked.
“Kassie already called the nanny. I’ll use her and my parents while you’re away,” she promised.
Leo knew she must feel extremely tired if she agreed without too much fuss.
“How do you feel?” he asked, not wanting to broach the pregnancy topic when he sat thousands of miles away.
“Oh, you know, the usual, morning sickness and then afternoon and sometimes the evenings,” she joked as she yawned. “Kassie’s working around my schedule. Addyson agreed to take some extra shifts, and a couple of nurses asked about more hours.”
“Good,” he said, sounding relieved.
“How did the K-9’s do on the flight?”
“Liam and Cole handled them like champs. Liam already used it to sniff out a bomb under my cot. They’re solid,” he said without thinking.
Her eyes grew huge. “A bomb?”
Leo held up his hands, realizing his mistake. “No, it’s nothing like the real thing. We did a dog sniff test,” he reassured her by lying.
“We’re in rough terrain. I don’t think I’ll catch you every day. I set your prenatal vitamins to auto-delivery at the hospital. They’ll bring them to your office. Then, you won’t forget them,” he reminded her.
“Thanks,” she said unenthusiastically. “I need to do my rounds. Kassie will be here shortly, nagging me.”
“Will you start using the nanny today?” he pressed.
“As soon as I get some decaffeinated coffee in me and check the floors. Tell the guys hello. We’re getting together for a ladies’ night.”
“It’s a good idea. Why don’t you use the code to access the facility and use the pool and hot tub?”
“I’m not in the mood to swim, and the hot tub’s out of the question,” she said, glancing down at her belly, reminding him of why.
“Plus, we might head over to Samantha’s. The spa sounds like heaven. She employs enough people now, she can focus onmaking more products for the line,” she lied to keep him from finding out about her admission into the hospital.
“I’ll let you get back to work. When I get a chance, I’ll call in the evening and speak to the kids,” he said, gazing at her.
“I’m sure they’ll love it. You can finally show Grace a real tank,” she giggled.
Hearing her laugh for the first time since discovering her pregnancy, Leo smiled. “If we keep growing, we can buy a tank and use it on the practice field. Better yet, Wolf told me one of his friends built a miniature version for his daughter. When I get home, maybe I’ll call him,” he said excitedly.
“Leo,” she warned. “I’m already under stress as it is. I don’t need Grace in a mini-tank terrorizing the mountain.”
“All right, I love you, Kit Kat,” he said, turning serious. “Take care of yourself,” he admonished.
“I’m doing my best. Be careful. I love you, too.”
Leo leaned in and disconnected the call.
Something seemed off, but lately, feeling unsettled turned into the norm.
* * *
Catherine sighedwith relief when Leo hung up. She held her stomach and called Kassie’s number.
“Hey, you,” Kassie grunted.
“I need you,” she said before doubling over in pain.
