Standoff
Page 54
“Aww, Nina. I don’t think that’s possible.” Grace fluttered her lashes and Megan burst out laughing.
“Ha. So funny. Now that you’re abandoning me and I won’t have a cool, fun baby doctor anymore and what I have a puppy instead of a pink, wrinkly thing? Huh? What then?”
“Was that even a complete sentence? The first one about me abandoning you? Because, if you recall, my ridiculous husband is going off to do some sort of cage match with my insane, homicidal brother. I’d rather be back in Seattle watching you eat eight of those tiny chocolate donuts at a time and scaring all the guards.”
“They were already scared before Lex put me in a family way. And those donuts are Satan! I hate them, they leave a film on the roof of my mouth and yet I can’t stop eating them. I blame you for that too. I don’t quite know how it’s your fault, but it is. Cade is just a big dumb wolf who’s swinging his tool around. That’s what they do. But you’re supposed to be all higher brain functioning and stuff. I think his penis has brainwashed you or something.” Nina moved around again, restless.
Grace pulled a pack of the cinnamon donuts from her bag and tossed them to Nina. “Here, crybaby, try those. And I now have a vision of Cade’s penis in a tiny lab coat and a white Einstein wig as a mad penis scientist.”
“Oh, these look good. Don’t think so, Megan, get your own fetus that may or may not be a puppy and you can have your own donuts. Also, Grace, I will giggle when I see Cade and think of his penis. And that’s your fault too. I hope you’re happy.”
Cade walked into the cabin and froze, blushing. “Um, do I even want to know what you’re discussing?”
Grace waved at him, laughing. “Nothing unusual. Nina is telling us how she’s thinking of your penis. But, as it makes her giggle, I’ll let you, and her, live.”
“Oh, Tiny, that’s the first real laugh I’ve had since these dumb tools decided to take Warren up on the whole Challenge thing. And, these donuts are preferable to the chocolate ones. But if I have a puppy I’m gonna hunt you down.”
Grace leaned over and touched Nina’s knee. “I will be there when the baby comes. Unless you go very fast and early that is. I’ll fly out before the due date and deliver her or him myself. I wouldn’t miss that you know.”
“Oh now you’re going to make me cry.” Nina shoved a donut into her mouth and Megan hugged her and handed her a handkerchief.
“We’re nearly there, ladies. I came back to make sure you were all belted in and ready to land.” Cade kissed Grace and she reached up to touch his face.
He took her hand and kissed her fingertips. “It’s going to be all right.”
Once he’d made sure everyone was belted in, he went back up with Lex, and Grace tried to force down her nervousness. But it lay in her gut along with the nausea she’d been feeling for the last week.
Cade held back, waiting for everyone to get off the plane so he could escort Grace himself. She held her back straight, he knew she wasn’t feeling her best, chalked it up to worry. And yet, in her elegant black trousers and the blood-red blouse, she looked like a queen.
She took his hand and looked up at him. “I love you,” she said before they left the plane.
They were blessedly alone for the moment and he dipped down to steal a kiss. “I love you too.”
“Good. Because I’m pregnant. So you really can’t die now.”
He blinked and fell to his knees, putting his arms around her, burying his face in her chest. “Are you serious?”
She caressed his neck and he looked into her face. “Yeah. I found out this morning before we left. I had a feeling but I kept thinking that after the attack, I’d have lost it. But apparently not.”
“Are you all right? Is the baby all right?”
“I’m fine. Nauseated but not too bad. I measured my hormone levels and they looked really good. I’ll do some more tests but I have no reason to be worried.”
“Holy shit, you’re having our baby. You’re so amazing.”
“Meh, it’s not that big a deal you know. Sperm meets egg, there you go.” She grinned and he felt her joy through their bond.
“You’re a miracle to me, Grace.”
Her eyes filled with tears and her smile wobbled a bit. “I never thought I’d have anything like this, like you.”
He stood, kissing her again and then laughing. “You do know that if you thought I was overprotective before, I’m going to be insufferable now?”
“It’s another reason for you to win tomorrow, Cade. Now, come on, people are waiting.”
He swept her up into his arms but the look of outrage on her face was enough to put her down before they hit the stairs to the tarmac of the small, private airport. “Sorry, got carried away.”
“Wait until you get a room for that stuff, tough guy.” Nina pretended to tap her toe. Cade just grinned. He wanted to share the news then but he knew it was better to share in relative privacy instead of in public.
“Good God, she did blow you didn’t she?” Nina took in his look and Grace threw her hands up.
“Let’s go, my fragile flower.” Lex took Nina’s arm and guided her to the waiting car while Cade and Grace, flanked by guards, did the same.
While she’d seen many werewolf females through pregnancy, Grace hadn’t been prepared for the exhaustion of the first six weeks. She didn’t have to worry like Nina did—natural wolves were a hearty bunch and even though it was difficult for many to get pregnant to begin with, once they were, problems were rare. Still, after four hours of endless protocol, she was ready to take a nap.
“Ha. So funny. Now that you’re abandoning me and I won’t have a cool, fun baby doctor anymore and what I have a puppy instead of a pink, wrinkly thing? Huh? What then?”
“Was that even a complete sentence? The first one about me abandoning you? Because, if you recall, my ridiculous husband is going off to do some sort of cage match with my insane, homicidal brother. I’d rather be back in Seattle watching you eat eight of those tiny chocolate donuts at a time and scaring all the guards.”
“They were already scared before Lex put me in a family way. And those donuts are Satan! I hate them, they leave a film on the roof of my mouth and yet I can’t stop eating them. I blame you for that too. I don’t quite know how it’s your fault, but it is. Cade is just a big dumb wolf who’s swinging his tool around. That’s what they do. But you’re supposed to be all higher brain functioning and stuff. I think his penis has brainwashed you or something.” Nina moved around again, restless.
Grace pulled a pack of the cinnamon donuts from her bag and tossed them to Nina. “Here, crybaby, try those. And I now have a vision of Cade’s penis in a tiny lab coat and a white Einstein wig as a mad penis scientist.”
“Oh, these look good. Don’t think so, Megan, get your own fetus that may or may not be a puppy and you can have your own donuts. Also, Grace, I will giggle when I see Cade and think of his penis. And that’s your fault too. I hope you’re happy.”
Cade walked into the cabin and froze, blushing. “Um, do I even want to know what you’re discussing?”
Grace waved at him, laughing. “Nothing unusual. Nina is telling us how she’s thinking of your penis. But, as it makes her giggle, I’ll let you, and her, live.”
“Oh, Tiny, that’s the first real laugh I’ve had since these dumb tools decided to take Warren up on the whole Challenge thing. And, these donuts are preferable to the chocolate ones. But if I have a puppy I’m gonna hunt you down.”
Grace leaned over and touched Nina’s knee. “I will be there when the baby comes. Unless you go very fast and early that is. I’ll fly out before the due date and deliver her or him myself. I wouldn’t miss that you know.”
“Oh now you’re going to make me cry.” Nina shoved a donut into her mouth and Megan hugged her and handed her a handkerchief.
“We’re nearly there, ladies. I came back to make sure you were all belted in and ready to land.” Cade kissed Grace and she reached up to touch his face.
He took her hand and kissed her fingertips. “It’s going to be all right.”
Once he’d made sure everyone was belted in, he went back up with Lex, and Grace tried to force down her nervousness. But it lay in her gut along with the nausea she’d been feeling for the last week.
Cade held back, waiting for everyone to get off the plane so he could escort Grace himself. She held her back straight, he knew she wasn’t feeling her best, chalked it up to worry. And yet, in her elegant black trousers and the blood-red blouse, she looked like a queen.
She took his hand and looked up at him. “I love you,” she said before they left the plane.
They were blessedly alone for the moment and he dipped down to steal a kiss. “I love you too.”
“Good. Because I’m pregnant. So you really can’t die now.”
He blinked and fell to his knees, putting his arms around her, burying his face in her chest. “Are you serious?”
She caressed his neck and he looked into her face. “Yeah. I found out this morning before we left. I had a feeling but I kept thinking that after the attack, I’d have lost it. But apparently not.”
“Are you all right? Is the baby all right?”
“I’m fine. Nauseated but not too bad. I measured my hormone levels and they looked really good. I’ll do some more tests but I have no reason to be worried.”
“Holy shit, you’re having our baby. You’re so amazing.”
“Meh, it’s not that big a deal you know. Sperm meets egg, there you go.” She grinned and he felt her joy through their bond.
“You’re a miracle to me, Grace.”
Her eyes filled with tears and her smile wobbled a bit. “I never thought I’d have anything like this, like you.”
He stood, kissing her again and then laughing. “You do know that if you thought I was overprotective before, I’m going to be insufferable now?”
“It’s another reason for you to win tomorrow, Cade. Now, come on, people are waiting.”
He swept her up into his arms but the look of outrage on her face was enough to put her down before they hit the stairs to the tarmac of the small, private airport. “Sorry, got carried away.”
“Wait until you get a room for that stuff, tough guy.” Nina pretended to tap her toe. Cade just grinned. He wanted to share the news then but he knew it was better to share in relative privacy instead of in public.
“Good God, she did blow you didn’t she?” Nina took in his look and Grace threw her hands up.
“Let’s go, my fragile flower.” Lex took Nina’s arm and guided her to the waiting car while Cade and Grace, flanked by guards, did the same.
While she’d seen many werewolf females through pregnancy, Grace hadn’t been prepared for the exhaustion of the first six weeks. She didn’t have to worry like Nina did—natural wolves were a hearty bunch and even though it was difficult for many to get pregnant to begin with, once they were, problems were rare. Still, after four hours of endless protocol, she was ready to take a nap.
