Page 14 of A Hutch for Hoover (Omegas of Animals #15)

Grant

My mate had left for work, and I should be up and moving as well, but I couldn’t bring myself to climb out of bed. Every time I tried, my head spun and my gorge rose until finally I texted Ronny to come in early and open.

I tried to think what I might have eaten the night before that could have done this to me, but we’d cooked chicken and dumplings and both eaten them. In fact, Hoover had seconds, and he felt good enough to eat a big breakfast before leaving this morning. Maybe a stomach bug.

Whatever it was, I wished it would stop because I had things to do and places to go.

No time for an upset stomach when I had an appointment at two to sign the lease for my second shop.

The original location in Phoenix was still available, and my alpha and I had swung by for a look over the weekend.

Lucky I didn’t go there first because it was a former ice cream shop and would require a whole lot less work to get it ready to open.

It would have been a huge shame had I not stopped for lunch at the outlets. I wouldn’t have made the connection with Karma and Animals and maybe never have met my mate. Was that even possible?

The thought made me shudder.

I fell back asleep for a while, and when I opened my eyes again, the morning was gone, and I had just an hour to get to Phoenix for the signing.

Kicking my legs over the side of the bed, I stood up too fast and had to brace myself until the dizziness faded.

Whatever this was, it wasn’t gone. I went to the kitchen and made a cup of mint tea, sipping it slowly.

When that stayed down, I ate a piece of buttered toast. Better. Was all of that low blood sugar?

Another couple of slices of toast tasted good, and I felt well enough to take a quick shower and get dressed.

Whatever it was seemed to have passed, and I texted Hoover to let him know I was heading into the city, and Ronny to ask him to stay until I could get back.

Not that he’d leave the shop unattended, but I wanted to make sure he didn’t have other plans.

Fortunately, he and Jen had everything covered, and I climbed into the car and drove to the big town. I’d only been there a couple of times ever, but I was always struck by how quickly the city was growing, and being part of that appealed to me.

The landlord who met me with the paperwork was in a hurry, and I was worried I might miss a signature and feeling as if my insistence on reading the document was unreasonable.

But of course, it was not, and although my nausea was starting to return, I went over it line by line, asking questions and making him cross out some things that I didn’t like.

Then I did the bank transfer and received the keys to my second smoothie shop.

Who ever thought I’d see the day? This wolf did.

I had a contractor coming at the first of the week, so after giving myself another tour of the shop, I made a few more notes on things I needed to do or get done then went outside into the afternoon heat.

It hadn’t been too bad when I arrived but since then, the temperature had kissed the hundred-degree mark.

I picked up my steel water bottle and drained the last of the water I’d brought with me.

Nobody went anywhere in Arizona without something to drink, and I hadn’t realized how much I must have been taking in this afternoon.

I didn’t think my stomach would tolerate much in the way of food, but getting dehydrated was always a danger when a bug settled in, so I pulled into the next convenience store I passed to get a refill.

Or an Icee. Not the healthiest of things to drink, but they were cold and refreshing, and if I wasn’t up for eating, I needed something with calories. Amazing what a grown wolf shifter would use to convince himself frozen sugar was a health food.

The store was cool as well. Almost cold, but it felt good, soothing, and I covered my mouth to suppress a burp as I stood in front of the Icee machine deciding between cherry cola and blue raspberry.

I chose to mix them, probably not a good idea, but it sounded delicious and my first sip was ambrosial.

Topping off the frozen treat, I became aware of a couple standing in the next aisle. Their conversation carried over to me. “I don’t know which one to get,” one of them said. “Aren’t they all the same?”

“Some are difficult to read, and I think others you have to do first thing in the morning. Oh, and length of time.”

They were talking about pregnancy tests.

I smiled to myself, thinking of how lucky that alpha and omega were, about to have a little one in their life.

Maybe one day, we’d join them. Acid burned in the back of my throat, but I washed it down with the frosty, cold deliciousness.

I’d go home early and sleep off whatever was making me feel so cruddy.

It would all be fine and good. For sure. Really.

I couldn’t afford a serious illness that would keep me from work.

At the last minute, I grabbed a pregnancy test. Not that it was likely, but it would explain the upset stomach. Tossing it onto the passenger seat, I promptly forgot about it. It was too soon for anything like that in our relationship.

I didn’t even know if my mate wanted a family.

As beautiful as they were, children were not everyone’s cup of tea, and it was something we’d have to discuss down the line.

Sounded like a good plan until I got home and barely made it out of the car before vomiting an unholy color of purple, matching the mix of cherry cola and blue raspberry I’d just drunk down.

Grabbing the test, I went inside and into the bathroom.

“Omega, are you home?” My mate’s voice carried through the closed door. “Something really bad happened in the driveway.”

I was staring at the stick at the moment, comparing it to the examples on the tiny printing on the brochure from the pregnancy test box. “Y-yes. I’m in here.”

“Come out. Is anything wrong?”

“Depends.” I leaned back against the door. “How do you feel about pups?”

“Dogs? We talked about that, right? They’re great. Why? Did you find one?”

I straightened and opened the door, holding the stick in front of me. “Not dogs.”

He squinted in the hallway’s low light, but I knew the moment he realized what he was looking at. A smile inhabited his whole face. “Is that? Are you…are we? Omega!”

Any doubts I had about his being happy were gone before his lips descended on mine, kissing me until my knees went weak. I clung to him, allowing joy to fill every cell of my body. “We’re having a baby,” I said when we paused for breath. “If that’s okay?”

His next kiss confirmed the fact it was more than okay with him. And I felt the same.