Page 65 of The Coyote's Veterinarian Omega

Caroline crossed her arms. “He’s underage.”

“It’s the Fourth of July,” Cam argued. “He’s eighteen, and he’s not leaving the property. He could have one.”

Caroline pursed her lips, then turned to me. “You hear that, Wyatt? I hope you know what kind of parent he’s going to be.”

I seized up, as did Cam. Caroline’s smile dropped. “Oh,” she said, her eyes widening. “Um. I’m sorry—”

“No, no,” I said, glancing at Cal, who was holding out a paper plate. His eyes were wide. “It’s okay.”

“We were planning to tell everyone today anyway,” Cam said.

“Really?” Cal asked, drawing my gaze back to him. “Then you’re …?”

I swallowed hard and nodded. Gingerly, I accepted the paper plate from him.

Cal blinked at me, then snapped back into action. Caroline rushed the table, grabbing the bowl of potato salad and marching back to me, brandishing the serving spoon. “Here honey, let’s load up that plate.”

“It’s okay,” I said, trying to dodge out of the way as both she and Cal assaulted my plate, heaping more food on it.

“You want anything else?” Caroline asked. “Karla makes amean blueberry grunt.”

“I think I’m okay for the moment—”

“Hey, Wyatt!”

That was Vern, who was standing with Burt near the cooler Cody had been poking around in. I turned to him, eyes wide.

“Catch,” the older vet said, and I barely had the presence of mind to shove my plate at Cam and snatch the airborne can out of the sky.

I looked it, then bellowed, “I can’t drink, Vern, and you know that!”

“Oh, you toldVern?” Cal looked offended.

“I couldn’t help it,” I protested.

“It’s non-alcoholic!” Vern shouted to me.

I glanced at the label again, and sure enough, it was a mocktail. “Well,” I grumbled, then popped the tab.

“Here,” Caroline said, taking me by the wrist, “sit down, honey. We don’t want your feet to swell up.”

“Uh, I don’t think—”

She pointed at a lawn chair, and I plonked myself down. There was no sense in arguing with a woman wearing an expression like that, especially not one who could turn into a coyote.

A ball came sailing through the air toward the house.

“Hey!” Cal barked. “Away from the windows, you assholes!”

“Sorry!” Connor called, but he was grinning. Behind him, Cody and another man were laughing.

Caroline put her hands on her hips. “You boys better smarten up! You’re all uncles now, you gotta look out for your little niece or nephew!”

“What?”

“Huh?”

I took a deep breath, putting a hand on my belly, listening as the brothers trotted closer.