Chapter 24
Wes
Two Months Later
“Thanks for seeing me,” I said as I sat across from Anthony in his office.
I’d been here for a few minutes, speaking with Skye and playing with the twins.
Given how many children Livvie wanted, I’d thought several times about how cool it would be to have twins, or at least have a few kids close to the same age.
Even if we adopted, taking on a group of brothers and sisters would be wonderful, and we’d be able to keep a family together.
“No problem,” Anthony replied. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“Well, I’d like to formally apply to be a member of your clan,” I said, feeling more nervous than I’d expected to.
Anthony’s brow furrowed, but then he burst out laughing. “Wes, man, I thought that was a given.”
I sighed in relief and sat back in my chair. “Nothing in this world is a given, I’ve learned. Unfortunately.”
But Anthony shook his head. “You’re welcome here.
Absolutely. We’re all connected now, from Jace and Porter to Toby and now you.
You’re family. Plus, even if we didn’t have that connection, we took care of the rogue wolf together.
Unless I’m much mistaken, that forms a pretty good brotherhood. Don’t you think?”
“I do think,” I said with a laugh. “And thanks. I’m happy to say I’ll be a member of the Bluewater Clan.”
We chatted for a few more minutes before I headed home. We were in the final stretch of the bed and breakfast renovations and I really wanted to surprise Livvie the next week with a completed project.
The next Monday, though, we were very close, but not a hundred percent. Still, I couldn’t wait for Livvie to get home so I could tell her it would be done in the next couple of days. It was close enough that she could start booking people.
When I got to the cottage, which I’d fully moved in to, I didn’t expect her home yet. She’d texted me to tell me she had a late appointment but would be here soon.
I’d given up my rental a month before, and we had plans to drive to California next month to get all of my stuff.
She didn’t want to move out of the cottage, so we’d make do with a storage unit.
I loved living cozy with my mate in the little one-bedroom.
It would work just fine for now, and probably would for a long time to come.
After my shower, I started dinner, a simple fry-up of sausages and veggies. Even that was finished, plated, and put in the microwave to keep warm, and yet still, no Livvie.
I double-checked the text she’d sent me. I knew she had a hair appointment sometime this week, so when she texted to say she’d be late, I’d assumed she was at the salon.
I shot a quick message her way. You okay?
She didn’t reply. Either she was in the middle of whatever the appointment was, or she was driving. She never got on her phone to text while driving, a subject we both agreed on.
With a sigh, I turned on the TV and flipped through the channels with my ears on high alert for her return.
It wasn’t that I needed to know where she was.
But just a couple of months before, we’d gone through a particularly insane event that kept me slightly anxious for her well-being.
I didn’t care if she wanted to do something dangerous like walk on glass or go to a party without me, or any other pastime that some men might find intimidating. It wasn’t about control. Just safety.
When I heard the crunch of tires over the driveway, I relaxed, and my dragon settled. Perhaps humans didn’t mind when their partners went here and there without knowing, but dragons, apparently, weren’t so laidback.
The sound of her engine hit my ears next, calming me further now that I knew for sure it was her.
Humming happily, I hopped up and hit the buttons on the microwave to heat up dinner, then sat at the kitchen table on my phone as if I hadn’t been totally worried about her for absolutely no reason at all.
“Hey, you,” I said warmly when she walked in and dropped her purse.
I glanced at her, then glanced again. “Uh, your hair doesn’t look any different.
” Oh, crap. That wasn’t the sort of thing a man was supposed to say when his lady came home from the beauty parlor, was it? “I mean, you look beautiful. New hair?”
Livvie burst out laughing. “Don’t be a goof. I wasn’t getting my hair done.”
“Oh, well, then, your hair looks nice anyway,” I retorted with a grin as the microwave beeped. “Hope you’re hungry. I made dinner and I’ve got good news.”
Livvie beamed at me. “As it happens, I do, too. Two bits of good news.”
“You first,” I said.
She shook her head. “No, I want you to go.”
As I dished out the meal, I chuckled. “Okay, if you insist. We’re on track to complete the renovations in the next two to three days. You can start booking again, and if you don’t mind a bit of noise, you can open the restaurant immediately.”
She’d already hired a young woman to be the restaurant manager, someone she’d said she’d liked before Leonard screwed it all up.
Livvie stared at me with her mouth slightly open. “Seriously?”
I nodded eagerly. “I am.”
With a squeal, she jumped up and threw her arms around my neck. “I thought it would be weeks longer!”
Staggering backward, I wrapped her in my arms and squeezed her tight. “I’ve been dying to tell you but wanted to wait until I was absolutely sure.”
As she beamed, Livvie sat back down.
“Okay, your turn!” I set a glass of ice water in front of her along with her food before joining her.
“Okay, so the first bit of good news piggybacks on yours.” She beamed at me. “Skye asked for my help organizing a party, and I wanted to get a few things in place before telling you.”
“Okay,” I said, eager to hear what kind of party she meant. “What is it?”
“Anthony wants to do a formal ceremony to welcome you, Porter, and Toby to the clan officially. And he’s asked me to host it at the newly renovated bed and breakfast.” She beamed at me.
“That’s awesome,” I said.
“That’s not all. I called your parents and they’re coming into town for it, along with several of your clan members from California. They’re all staying at the bed and breakfast.”
Rising from my seat, I circled the table and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re so sweet to me. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I thank the heavens for whatever it was.”
Livvie tugged on my arm. “Come here. That’s not all.”
Grinning, I leaned down and settled onto one knee. “What?”
“Well, how much do you like living in the cottage?” Her blue eyes flashed as she waited for my answer.
“I like it here,” I said. “The property borders the clan land, so I can run through the woods and go shift if I want to. You’re close to work, and I’ve already got jobs lined up after I finish yours. I’m happy here.”
She nodded. “I am, too. I’ve thought about buying a house offsite like Nana did, but it doesn’t feel right.”
“Okay, so we’ll stay here. Problem solved.”
Livvie sucked in a deep breath. “Maybe. Would it make more sense to build a new house on the property or to expand this one? Is this a house that you’d consider expandable?”
Cocking my head, I tried to figure out what she was talking about and why she wanted to know about making the cottage bigger. Tuning in to our mating bond, I was met with overwhelming excitement.
Livvie reached into her back pocket and pulled out a grainy black and white photo. My brain stuttered to a stop when I realized what it was. “Is that…?” I whispered.
Livvie nodded eagerly. “But look, Wes. Really look at it.”
Doing as she said with tears filling the back of my eyes, I studied the photo. It looked like a little white bean against a field of black. There was something typed on the screen. “Baby A,” I whispered.
“Turn it over,” she said in a high-pitched voice.
The other side was another picture just like this one, except the writing was slightly different. “No.” I rocked back on my heels and looked at my mate, totally stunned. “Baby B?”
“Yes!” Livvie squealed, then launched herself into my arms, knocking both of us backward onto the kitchen floor. “Twins!” she crowed.
Stretching out, I turned and cradled my mate and by extension my babies, in my arms. “This is amazing, Livvie.”
“This whole time, us together, it’s been chaos. Fast and passionate.” She grabbed my cheeks and pulled my face to hers for a kiss. “Why not add to the chaos? It seems to be our forte.”
“I agree.”
Settling her gently on the kitchen floor, I moved my head to her lower stomach and pressed my ear to it. Focusing with my dragon hearing, I breathed softly and sure enough, a few seconds later, I heard them.
Two tiny, fast heartbeats. “How did I not hear this before now?” I asked.
“I asked the doctor. I had to have Anthony handle it. And Liza is a nurse on the OB/GYN floor, so she helped. They said a human baby gets a heartbeat at around six weeks, maybe a little sooner. But they figure I’m four, which matches up with what they know of when a dragon baby gets a heartbeat.”
Tears dripped from my eyes and soaked into her shirt. I lifted it up and pressed my lips to her still-flat stomach. “I promise, I’ll do my best by you. I may not always be the best dad or best mate, but I promise to try my hardest.”
Livvie pulled me toward her as she sat up.
“Are they healthy?” I asked, but as I did, I knew they were. And somehow, I’d know if that changed. I could feel it.
But her nods and sobbing yeses made me feel all the much happier.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you for being my best second chance. I love you so much.”