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Joss shrugged. “Okay.”

I strode over to him and swiveled the chair to face me. “Don’t have more questions like will our little one shift in front of human visitors?”

He tapped my nose. “Shifters have existed for centuries without humans being aware of them. That was what you told me. Or Harold did. One of the two.”

“Okay.”

“That wouldn’t have been possible if every shifter kid blabbed about the animals, so shifters must have some method of keeping the secret.”

Huh. I’d never thought of it like that.

“We do.” The universe had made sure of it.

“Cool. If our child is a shifter, I’ll have years to prepare.”

“Maybe we’ll have more than one.” I’d always wanted to be a dad and wished both my fathers were around to enjoy being grandparents.

“Wait, do foxes have litters?”

“In the wild they have four or five little ones.”

Horror was etched on Joss’s face. “Maybe we need a bigger house.”

20

JOSS

When I was single, I didn’t realize just how much my life revolved around work. Now that I was mated and pregnant—and feeling the exhaustion that came with growing a little one…or possibly multiples, the whole fox litter thing still freaked me out a little—I could see clearly how encompassing my job had been.

And I loved it. I loved my work. Loved Harold. Loved all we accomplished. But I loved Garner more.

It was time to shift priorities.

I’d talked to my mate about it, curled up in bed with him the night before while his hand rubbed gently over the growing swell of my belly. His first suggestion had been simple—just take leave. Tell Harold I needed time off. He’d understand. Harold was a shifter. He knew the difference between mates and random hookups or even long-term human partnerships. He’d get it.

And he was right about all those things. Harold was amazing, and our bond went far deeper than simply co-workers. He was my brother in all ways but blood.

I had to admit, it was a tempting prospect. I almost said yes. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wouldn’t be home with Garner if I did that. I’d just be home. Alone. Garner would still be working. That wasn’t what I wanted either.

That’s when I started to consider the idea of working at Redtail, not as a consultant this time, but as an actual employee.

I already knew the ins and outs of the company after my time consulting there. I loved the people. They were my kind of people and now were my den. Smart, kind, collaborative… family. And more than that, I wanted to be near Garner. I didn’t want to waste a second away from him. I wanted our lives fully meshed together—not just mornings and nights, but the in between too.

Of course, I didn’t want to let Harold down. It would be so much easier if I’d had a random job. Then I could quit with none of the guilt. But our company had been everything to both of us for so long, and just because my life choices were going down a different path, that didn’t give me the right to force him to do the same.

We had built Denmarke Global together. We were a team. I needed to talk to him before any decisions were made. It was the right thing to do.

“I’m going to do it today,” I said aloud, more to myself than anyone.

I set my tea down in front of me, eggs untouched on the plate. I’d thought eggs were the best idea ever until I smelled them. Pregnancy was wild like that—everything I once loved turned against me, and things I used to avoid suddenly became cravings.

“You’re going to do what today, love?” Garner asked, glancing at me from across the table. He was dressed for work, enjoying the last of his breakfast before he had to leave.

“I’m going to talk to Harold. See how he feels about everything. He’s important to me too.”

I loved that Garner trusted me unconditionally. I had dated guys in the past who were jealous of Harold, who thought I needed to spend less time with him because obviously, since we were both hot, we’d bang. It was exhausting and a big part of the reason I’d given up on dating altogether for a long time. Garner never once even looked at Harold sideways. He understood that Harold was my den before I even knew what one was.

Garner reached across the table, placing his hand over mine, his touch exactly what I craved. “Whatever you decide to do,” he said, his voice soft and sure, “I’ll be right beside you. If the two of you talk and you don’t want to make any decisions yet, that’s okay too. If you want me to come in with you, just say the word. One phone call and I’ll be there. Just tell me what you need.”