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“The best daddy. You’re going to be incredible.”

“And so are you.” He beamed with joy. “And guess what else? We have everything we need right here.”

“No. This is for people in need. I’ll buy you and our babe anything you want. As long as the two of you are healthy and happy. That’s what matters.”

I convinced my mate to leave the store and let me take him to dinner. He wanted a sandwich from the PBJ place and that was what he got.

That night, I spent the night at his house, with him fast asleep in my arms. I thought about what this meant for us. We couldn’t raise a child with each parent living in a different home. We would have to find a solution for that but tonight, I wanted to hold my family in my arms and let the worries wilt away. Today was a day for celebrating.

Chapter Twenty

Rue

“You’re sure you want to live in my place instead of yours?” I’d asked him this about fifty times, but I didn’t want him to do this just because I loved my home so much. He’d already made great strides in redecorating his own, and it seemed like a kind of slap in the house’s face to move out on it. “It’s so small.”

“I’m not answering this again, omega.” He tapped the tip of my nose with a finger and grinned at me. “You’ve got such a large lot, we can add on later, but right now, I think you have the coziest cottage in Oliver Creek. Why wouldn’t I want to live in it?”

“Because you’ve been traveling the world and staying in hotel suites with bathrooms bigger than my house.”

“First, that’s an exaggeration, I’ve never stayed anywhere where my bathroom was bigger than your cottage. And second, you are doing such an amazing job on your house. Don’t you want to finish it?”

“I will. And, I think I’ll be renting it out after that. As long as you’re sure you want to keep me around.”

“After you’ve got everything all packed up? I should hope so. You don’t have any bad habit or anything I don’t know about?”

“No. You already know I snore when I’m overtired. And sometimes I drink too much coffee.” He tapped his fingers on his chin. “Other than that, I’m perfect.”

“Okay, then you can stay.”

“Whew! I was afraid you were tired of me.” He continued emptying his dresser drawers into a box.

“No, but I wish you’d let me help. I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”

“And I’m your alpha. You’re carrying our child and that’s enough hard work for anyone. That’s not even mentioning the shop.”

I sank back on his bed. “I’m going to get another assistant trained before we go on paternity leave.”

“Good.”

“Can’t I even pack up your socks and underwear? Really I feel like dead weight.”

He sat down next to me and gave me a sweet kiss. “You’re not dead weight. But if you want to do something, how about I settle you at the kitchen table and you can wrap the glassware up so it doesn’t break.”

“Deal.”

All day, I negotiated bits and pieces of helping because he was so considerate he was afraid of me doing more than I should. I was a little irritable about it at first, really feeling like I could be doing more. But by lunchtime, I was ready for a nap, and my wonderful alpha tucked me into his bed and kissed me on the forehead.

“When I wake up, I am going to help you some more.” The moving truck would be here the next day, and he needed to get everything done. “So, don’t try to stop me.”

“Never, omega. You’re a big help just being here. Rest up and you’ll be fresh as a daisy.”

My half-closed eyes snapped open. “Fresh as a daisy? My grandmother says that. How old are you again?”

“Just sleep.” He kissed my cheeks then my lips. “Want me to sit with you while you drift off?”

Of course I did. He had a lot to do, but I’d gotten a little clingy as my pregnancy went on, and I told myself I’d really be helpful when I woke up.

Which was at six o’clock, just as a food delivery arrived for our dinner. My mate had finished nearly all the packing withoutmy nagging attempts to help, and the fact he’d never called me out on that was one more reason why I loved him so much.