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“I’m not pregnant!” Honey yelled from the kitchen.
“I didn’t say you were,” she hollered back. To Dani she said, “It takes me so long to quilt nowadays I have to startbeforesomeone is pregnant, or I can’t finish in time.” She gestured to the quilts hanging on the wall and over the couch, loveseat, and recliner. “I’ve been quilting since I was a young pup. My grandmother taught me. My Ralph and I never had any pups, but my sister had several and I was able to teach my niece how to quilt. She sent me that one for my last birthday,” she said, pointing to a pretty pink and mint quilt over the recliner.
“That’s so cool. I don’t know how to sew.”
“Your mom never taught you?”
“Well, my real mom was killed when I was little, and my adopted mom was a baker and not much for sewing.” She leaned forward and looked at the fabric in Esrami’s lap. The small squares were a mixture of pastel colors and patterns, ensuring it would be perfect for a boy or a girl.
“This is a patchwork quilt. It’s my favorite kind, because you can do anything you’d like with the pattern.”
“It’s beautiful,” Dani said.
“Would you like to learn?”
“I’d love to!”
The scent of pine cleaner drifted into the room and Dani chuckled as she stood to go help Honey in the kitchen. “Maybe not today.”
“Anytime.”
CHAPTERSEVEN
“Ithink we should pack Kammie up,” Dani said as she ended a call with her brother.
“Pack her up what?” Adam asked.
Dani smiled in that way she had that made everything inside him feel toasty warm. “Her apartment. She wants to stay in Oakville, and they’re heading back here with my mom to get her things. I think it would be nice if we packed for her so they don’t have to worry about it.”
He turned from where he’d been looking at the backyard and watching the workers from Ferrity Construction mark the boundaries for the privacy fence. Dani was wearing one of his t-shirts and a pair of lounge pants with pink hearts. He glanced at the coffee table, and the drawer where he’d stashed the engagement ring he’d bought for her a week earlier. He wanted to do something romantic when he asked Dani to marry him, but he hadn’t been able to think of anything.
She joined him at the window, wrapping her arms around his waist, and settling her ear over his heart. He cuddled her close and kissed the top of her head. “You’re very sweet.”
“Well, my mom’s already packed my stuff up to bring with them, so it’s the least I can do to make things a little easier on them here. Plus, I have a feeling that my brother is not going to be interested in staying in Wilde Creek very long.”
He inhaled Dani’s sweet scent, a mixture of sugar and peppermint, and rocked back and forth. “The full moon’s in two weeks.”
She tipped her face up and smiled. “You know the full moon doesn’t have any pull on reindeer, right? I can shift whenever I want to. Though I have a feeling that because of you, I’m going to enjoy the full moons very much.”
He grinned. “I’ll do my best to make sure you have a good time.”
She glanced toward the workers. “You know what I’d really love? A willow tree.”
“Why?”
“The leaves taste good.”
“You can have whatever you want, sweetheart.”
She tilted her head and gazed at him. “You’re all I need.” As he lowered his head to kiss her, she whispered, “And a willow tree.”
* * *
The following day, Adam picked up a stack of DVDs and set them in a box on the coffee table in Kammie’s apartment. Dani was taking care of the kitchen items. Adam’s nerves kicked in every time he thought about meeting Dani’s mom. He wanted her to like him and to be happy that he was Dani’s mate. He didn’t have the best upbringing, but he’d overcome a lot and was determined not to make the same mistakes his dad had made. He would always put Dani first, and when they had kids, he would make sure that they knew how much he cared for their welfare.
“I hope she doesn’t mind that we broke into her home,” Dani said from the kitchen.
“It’s not breaking in if we used the key she hides over the door,” he pointed out, “and I’m sure she won’t mind not having to pack.”
