Chapter 36
TANNER
It ain't donuts
I watched as my stubborn mate tried on one shirt after another in the hopes of covering his belly.
In fairness, he was huge. I was smart enough not to even consider saying that word in any context around him, but it was a fact.
He was growing every day and was at the point where he needed to buy more paternity clothes.
He refused. If I thought for half a second it was about the money, I’d at least understand where he was coming from, but it wasn’t. After his experience with losing everything to that fake grifter, my mate was careful with money even though he was rich.
But Candrin just didn’t want to admit that he needed to size up. And it was getting to be absolutely ridiculous.
“I think these got put in the dryer on hot.” He grumbled and threw the last two shirts into the pile of ones he’d decided were too small.
They’d been hung on the line to get the “crisp awesomeness” he loved. They hadn’t been anywhere near the dryer. I wasn’t going to be the one to tell him though.
“What can I do?” It was a much easier route to take. A safer one anyway.
“Make these bigger?” He choked on his words and came over to me, sinking into my embrace. It was a side embrace because his belly prevented any other kind, but it was the best I could do. Pregnancy was rough on a good day and when your clothing didn’t fit, that wasn’t a good day in anyone’s book.
“I wish I could make them bigger. Want me to get you some new ones?” I braced myself for his ire. None came. Instead he looked up at me with tears in his eyes.
“Would you? I can’t… I… maybe we can get the same ones?”
“And this time we won’t shrink them.” I kissed his forehead. “Let’s find a shirt that’s good enough.”
It took a bit of doing, but we eventually found one he was comfortable leaving the house in. It fit pretty much the same as it did yesterday—not at all—but today it bothered him and today I planned to do something about it.
“I know a place.” I assured him as I helped him buckle his seatbelt. He was at the stage in his pregnancy where everything was more difficult. Even brushing his teeth was harder, his belly getting in the way as he tried to rinse.
The last time we got him new clothes, my brothers and I ordered a bunch online and snuck them into his dresser with his other clothes.
He’d not been impressed, sure that he was fine in his regular clothing, and he was for a half a second.
We didn’t regret having them there for him when he needed them, but it was going to be nice for Candrin to be able to select his own clothes today.
“How far is it?”
“It’s about an hour. But before you get grouchy about it we are passing Mrs. Piper’s Donuts along the way.”
It was his universal pregnancy craving, the only one that was there from nearly the beginning and all the way through. It wasn’t like the dreamsicle craving phase. That fun time currently had our freezer packed with the ice cream on a stick and Candrin no longer wanting any part of them.
“It’s forbidden donut day,” he squeed. “It’s forbidden donut day.
” Forbidden donuts being the shop’s name for a chocolate cake donut with chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles.
Why they named it that they refused to say, but they sold out every time they had them, which was only twice a week. “You need to drive faster.”
“I’ll drive at a speed that keeps my mate safe.
” And I had already placed the order via their app when Candrin used the bathroom right before we left.
I knew better than to show up there and have none of his favorite donuts waiting for him.
Candrin was a forgiving man, but I doubted him forgiving that one.
“If they don’t have my donut…” he didn’t finish his thought. Instead he reached for the radio and skipped from channel to channel, not settling on any of them the first go through and eventually stopping on a song about goats.
“Is he singing about a goat?” I asked.
“Yep. Apparently the lead singer has a pet goat and it got sick while they were writing their album. The goat got better and they have a hit song.” He started to sing and then turned back to me. “And I am assuming you aren’t taking me on a fool’s errand regarding the donuts.”
“That is correct.”
And back to singing he went. Pregnancy was so weird. His emotions were all over the place, but also, he was easily distracted in a way he hadn’t been before. We didn’t mind. My brothers and I loved him exactly how he was. But it was bugging our mate and that we felt bad about.
We arrived at the shop and decided to eat inside.
Not only did we pick up the goodies I ordered, but Candrin added some maple bacon ones to go with them.
Nothing sounded good about bacon and donuts.
Candrin told me I was wrong and insisted I try them and when I did, I immediately bought half a dozen more to bring home.
“That stop was worth the trip.” Candrin kissed me, his body going slightly off balance thanks to his middle.
“Any time.”
I helped him back into the car and carefully stowed the donuts for our second leg of today’s journey. The paternity store was in a strip mall and turned out to be much bigger than I had expected.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.” He unclicked his seatbelt. “I don’t know why it was so hard for me to agree to come here. You all have been offering for over a month.” It was more than that, but I wasn’t about to correct him.
“You weren’t ready.” I opened my door. “And now you are.”
I walked around and helped him out of the seat.
“I think we need to get a new car.” He groaned as he managed to get out. “One that doesn’t sit this low.”
We had multiple vehicles and until today, this had been his favorite.
“We can do that.”
“Maybe after I get a shirt that fits.” Candrin slammed the car door shut. “You know some people use the dressing rooms as a place to… you know… help their mate out.”
“Help them out how? Did you want me to hold your clothing like a hanger?”
He rolled his eyes, as well he should given the shitty joke I just attempted.
“I was thinking you could suck me off since I haven’t seen my dick in three weeks and can barely reach it, but sure, you can hold my clothing like a coat tree.”
“Let’s see how they are set up and if it’s not conducive to us staying out of jail, I’ll be sure to pretend I’m in a dressing room when I blow you at home. Deal?”
“Deal.”
The dressing rooms were not suitable, the clerk standing there and talking to Candrin the entire time and basically cock blocking me. The clerk didn’t care. They were there for the commission. And they earned that commission.
“Am I getting too many? I’m not going to be pregnant forever.” My mate held up a bunch of shirts he liked while I had the rest of them over my arm. Was he splurging? Absolutely. Did he deserve to be comfortable in his own skin? Also yes.
“No, but who said this will be your only pregnancy?” The four of us had already agreed that we wanted a big family. I hadn’t thought my words were too controversial. Boy did I hit the mark wrong.
“Maybe let me get through this one first.” He shoved the shirts at me. “Look at me… this is all your fault.”
“And I one hundred percent take responsibility.” I took a step toward the register. “Anything else? Maybe a hoodie?”
That had him running to the rack of hoodies. And to be fair, his running was more of a waddling shuffle, but he moved faster than I’d seen him in weeks. The cashier had about half of his items rung up when he came over with a sweatshirt that said, “It ain’t donuts.”
“You won’t tell anybody that it really is donuts, will you?” he sassed.
“No. I won’t.”
“I might,” the cashier piped up.
“Then no maple bacon donut for you.” Candrin leaned into my side.
“Did I say that I would? I meant I wouldn’t.
” She finished ringing everything up and nearly knocked me over with the total.
For clothing that was designed to only last a handful of months at the longest, they sure did charge a bunch.
But things were different now… better. The cost was no longer the difference between us eating or not. It was just an expense we could afford.
We paid and true to his word, Candrin brought her a donut while wearing his new hoodie. I didn’t need a sugary goodie. I was going home for my dessert.