31. THIRTY ONE
Natalia
I stare at the letter in my trembling hand for a long moment, my other pressed to my lips and noise from the speakers outside pumping cheerful music through the house.
The curtains flutter in the light autumn breeze and cool the sweat on the back of my neck, giving me brief respite from the heat that still hangs on with a vengeance despite it being well into October.
No. It can’t be.
The specialist back in L.A. said it was impossible.
My stomach flips, and I hurry to the pantry and stuff three crackers into my mouth to calm the rising tide of nausea. I guess I’m not drinking at the party.
“Are you in here, babe?” Colton’s deep voice cuts through the faint buzz of nerves ringing in my ears.
“Yeah. Yeah. Right here,” I call out, not moving from my spot facing into the pantry.
A moment later his big warm hands slide over my hips and around my belly, dragging me a step back against his firm body, and his lips graze against my neck.
“Mmm, a snack sounds like a good idea. I’m hungry. All these good smells are driving me crazy.”
He nuzzles my neck, and I try to compose myself. “Where’s Jayden?”
“Mom and Dad took him for a walk, so we have the place to ourselves for a moment…”
“Sorry, I’m a bit distracted.”
He steps back, giving me a little space, and his voice is soft. “Hey, that’s OK. You want some help with something? Can I run to the store and grab something?”
“No, it’s not that. Everything’s pretty much ready. I just—” I break off, deciding it’s easier just to hand him the letter.
He takes it from me, and his brows crease into a frown while he reads. I map his expression, catching butterflies low in my belly all over again when the frown of concern spreads into a look of wonder. “Positive? Wait, this is a—”
“A pregnancy test. I went to see the doctor this week because I thought I had to be wrong.”
“But positive means pregnant, right?”
I bite my lips. “It’s still very early.”
“Babe!” He picks me up and spins me round, laughing in delight. Then just as suddenly, he puts me down and steps back, horrified. “Oh shit. Do we have to be careful?”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “No, I don’t think so. Not that careful. So you’re happy?”
“Of course I’m happy. As long as you’re happy.”
I burst into tears. Luckily that doesn’t freak Colton out quite so badly anymore. He just kneels down and softly plucks my hands away from my face. “Good tears, right?”
I nod. “Good tears. I’m so happy.”
He pulls me into a long hug. “Well I wasn’t expecting that. How far along?”
“Well I didn’t go into heat this month. Maybe seven weeks.”
“Wow. Fuck. I’m so happy. Can we tell everyone? Or do you want to keep it secret for now?”
I chew my lip. It’s reckless, but more than ever these days I’m a believer in fate. I mean how can I doubt when she’s brought me everything I ever wanted?
“Let’s tell them! I will probably be dashing to the bathroom and eating everything in sight, so it’s going to be obvious. Your mom already asked me. I swear she knew before I did.”
He laughs. “Your scent has been especially sweet lately. I thought it was just me.”
I lean in for a kiss, and then I just look at him in wonder for a moment.
“You better pinch me. I didn’t think my life could even get any better, but this—” I’m crying again.
I wipe my eyes, ruefully wishing I hadn’t just applied makeup for the party.
“OK, go start the grill. I want all the corn done when the kids get here so they don’t just pig out on paletas.
” I shoo him out of the kitchen and get myself under control. Well, I try.
I have a street party to host. I cannot be crying in the kitchen over a result that’s made me the happiest I’ve been since I met Colton. No way!
Today we’re celebrating. Maybe not everyone would celebrate their parents moving in next door, but to me it feels like another way fate has blessed me.
“Mija, you want me to start the tortillas?”
I roll my eyes. “Mami, you’re supposed to be the guest of honor. You’re not supposed to be cooking!”
She stops, frowning. “Natalia, have you been crying?”
I wipe under my eyes one more time and pull her into a hug. “It’s nothing, Mami. I promise. I’m just so happy.”
She pulls back suspicious, but then a curse comes from outside where my dad is starting up the grill, or trying. She waves a hand in my face. “Your father is already at the grill. Give me those tortillas unless you want the whole place burned down.”
In the end I’m forced to relent, and then the other guests are arriving and Jayden is getting into everything and the beautiful chaos of life rolls in and sweeps me up.
Leroy walks in with a big smile and a half hug for me. “Hey, coz.”
I grin. Ever since finding out I’m a goat shifter like Leroy he’s convinced we’re related. We’ve been looking into it, but so far we haven’t been able to trace the exact family connection, but I’ll happy claim him as my cousin.
Leroy’s mate, Sarah, has brought an apple pie that’s too big for our fridge, and the twins from down the road get into the extra batch of paletas I stored in the ice chest in the garage and emerge with pink lips and noses, and we’re all laughing and eating too much, dancing on the lawn to the music Leroy sets up on two enormous portable speakers.
The sun goes down and the fairy lights come on, and there’s a pink stripe along the horizon, like Mosswood had too much ice cream.
Colton slips his hand into mine as the closing bars of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” play, and I squeeze.
Some secret signal passes between him and Leroy, and his friend cuts the music, and everyone turns to us.
Someone produces a karaoke microphone, and I blink because that’s a detail I hadn’t planned. Colton clears his throat. “So I had a little surprise planned for tonight to welcome my mate’s family to the neighborhood, but, ah… it turns out fate had a bigger one for me. Natalia?”
He hands me the mic, and this is the moment, I guess. I look around at everyone and take a deep breath. “OK, well, I’m a little nervous now. I’m not really a fan of surprises.” I glare at Colton.
He looks a little guilty, but my mom pats him on the back. What are they up to?
“Ah, anyway. So I might have some pretty amazing news and am still coming to terms with it myself.”
Leroy cups his hands over his mouth and shouts. “It’s OK. You gave it your best shot, but he wasn’t even MVP this season. No one could blame you for leaving.”
I burst into tears. Not because of Leroy’s terrible joke; well sort of because of his terrible joke. It’s because I’m standing here with our families and new friends—the kind of friends who rib each other—and neighbors who know my name and where I keep the sugar in my kitchen.
Sarah elbows Leroy in the side. “Now you’ve gone and done it.”
“No, no. It’s not that.” I wipe at my eyes.
“I’m just so blessed to have you all in my life, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I have another blessing to add to the list. I found out today that I’m pregnant.
” There’s a gasp from my mother, and Colton’s mom lets out a whoop of delight.
“And I don’t know if you know this about me, but for a long time I thought that wasn’t possible.
So I’m putting it down to the magic of Mosswood. ”
“I knew his magic was strong,” Demi says a little too loudly.
Everyone laughs.
Colton wraps his arm around me and gently takes the mic, which is good because I’m quickly becoming less and less coherent.
“So about that surprise…”
I blink, wiping away tears.
Then he gets on his knees.
Oh god.
“Natalia Elisa Martinez—”
I lift my hands to my mouth, pressing trembling fingertips against my lips. He used my full name. Somehow that makes this more special, as if Abuela is here in spirit too.
“—mate of my soul, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Now my mom is crying too, and Jayden starts wailing in Demi’s arms.
I laugh, dragging Colton to his feet and gesturing for Demi to bring our son over. When I have Jayden in my arms he settles, and I lean in so Colton can hug us both. “Yes. Of course I will. Now someone put the music back on so we can dance!”
“On it!” Leroy hits play, and Jayden waves his hands and squeals.
Colton spins us both into his arms. “Whole family hug. How soon do you think we can get our family big enough that I can’t hold all of you at once?”
I nestle my face against his broad chest. “I think you’ve got us covered a while yet. After all, weren’t you saying you never fumble a pass? Lucky fate found me a mate with long arms. We can have ten kids!”
“Ten!” He chuckles. “I’d better start talking to Leroy about extending the house.”
“You do that.”
Soon everyone is dancing and laughing and the stars come out to look down on us almost as if they’re jealous. And to be quite honest, there’s a whole lot to be jealous of right about now.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to shift deliberately the way Colton and his family can.
I don’t know if I even want that. I don’t know whether our baby will be a goat or a bovine shifter or human, but I know it doesn’t matter.
We’ll love them no matter what. And I do know I trust that fate has something wonderful in store for me, that will allow me to weather whatever hardships come our way, with this wonderful man at my side.
THE END