Page 45

Makayla blinked up at the bright sky. The entire roof had been removed.

"As you can see, there was a lot of fire damage to the interior. We're reinforcing the beams and rebuilding the roof. Then we need to redo all the wiring since it was all original, then new plumbing, and finally, new paint."

"Seems almost like you should have just torn it down and started from scratch."

"We thought about it, but the church has a lot of significance to the pack. My parents were married here. Your parents. A lot of the older couples as well. A formality really, but they had to do it for the state records."

“I never realized my parents were married here.” She calculated all the work still to be done. "How long will it take?"

"With good weather, the roof will be done next week. The wiring and plumbing done by the end of the month. Then it's all cosmetic from there. I'm hoping to finish before the baby is born." His gaze fell on her and her stomach fluttered at the words he didn’t vocalize.

He hoped it was where they would marry civilly.

She smiled. He shifted the crate to his left arm and led her around the structure to meet his men. One by one Caleb introduced her and every man bowed in respect and gratefully accepted a piece of pie or cake. Some took two to her delight.

They exited the back door, and someone called Caleb from inside. "I'll be right back."

She stood on the top step of the rear stairs and craned her neck to see where the men were laying beams. In the sky she spotted a large bird. A smile spread across her face as she recognized it.

"Oh my gosh! Is that a bald eagle?" Makayla took a step back to get a better look, and her foot slipped. She screamed and reached out in vain to grab the railing, but missed and tumbled down the steps to the grass below.

She hit the ground with a bump and lay dazed, her body aching.

"Makayla!" Caleb tore out the back door and jumped the steps, landing at her side.

She clutched her abdomen as a pain shot through her.

"Oh shit, babe, are you okay?"

Pain cramped her abdomen again, and she moaned.The baby. Their baby…

Suddenly she was surrounded by men, as Caleb lifted her into his strong arms. She slipped her arms around his neck hanging on tighter than necessary. Needing to feel his strength as pain cramped her abdomen again and tears squeezed from her eyes.

"Take her to doc," said one man.

"No, the emergency room," said another.

"That's forty minutes away," said a third.

Caleb rushed with her to his truck as she continued to hang on his neck and breath in his soothing scent. Caleb’s expression remained panic-stricken. She wanted to reassure him but she couldn’t even reassure herself. What if the baby was injured? Or died? How could they live with that. Especially Caleb. He would blame himself forever.

One of the men opened the door, and Caleb slipped her inside and buckled her in.

She grabbed his shirt trying to keep from completely losing it.

He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead. "It's going to be okay."

He released her and shut the door, running around the front and ignoring all of his men as they continued to volley suggestions at him. Like a man with laser beam sight, he hopped behind the wheel and started the truck.

They tore off down the road, and Makayla's stomach clenched. She rubbed it and whimpered.

"Something's wrong," she whispered. "Something's wrong, I know it." Tears coursed down her cheeks, and her wolf trembled.

Caleb grabbed her hand tight. "You're going to be okay. Both of you."

Minutes later the truck stopped, and Caleb didn't even bother turning it off before lifting her out of the vehicle. He rushed to the front door of a small office building and kicked the door.

"Doc! Doc! Open up!"