Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
Iago hadn’t considered how much work having a house took, but honestly, it was very, very challenging.
They’d painted, sanded, stained, scrubbed. They’d hung art and bought baby furniture.
They’d painted the baby’s room a mint green and decorated it with all sorts of candy and sweets, making it a huge Candy Land game. It was pretty, festive, and worked.
Xander thought they were going to have a boy, but he was convinced the baby growing inside him was a little girl. They would find out before too much longer, for sure.
He rubbed his growing baby bump and shrugged into a sweater before heading outside to do some weeding.
All of the flowers that had bloomed were browned and ugly-looking, so he’d gone to the store and found a dozen mums in pots.
He intended to put them all over the front porch and in the flower beds so that it all looked nice again.
Xander’s parents were going to come up at Halloween and visit. He wanted the house to look like he cared, because he did. He wanted Xander to be happy here, wanted to build their family in this place.
He felt a little chill as he started pulling weeds on his hands and knees. He looked over to see a pair of old dusty boots next to him. He didn’t look up.
“Hey, Sheriff, how’s it going? I’m sure she’s in the house waiting for you. I’m just pulling some weeds. I’m fine, and the baby’s fine.”
Just like that, the boots disappeared.
The sightings were coming less and less often, which worked out. The sheriff just worried about anything that looked like somebody might be hurt. Last week, Xander had cut his finger, and there had been a little bit of a rush of panic from their ghosts. They were sort of like nannies, really.
It was sweet. In fact he felt really good about having the baby in this house because he felt like there would always be somebody watching over her.
Now if he could just train them to pull weeds, it would really be handy. Iago chuckled, because of course they weren’t going to do that kind of physical labor. They were ghosts.
Xander did a lot of the heavy lifting around the house, though.
He didn’t like Iago using chemicals much, so he cleaned the kitchen and bathroom.
He hauled laundry up and down the stairs, and he was talking about putting a little stackable washer and dryer upstairs so they didn’t have to take all the baby laundry down to the mudroom once she came.
Hell, Xander cooked and vacuumed.
Who wouldn’t want an alpha like that?
It didn’t really matter who else might want an alpha like Xander, because this particular alpha was his.
He intended to keep it that way too.
Iago had managed to get the front yard almost finished when he found himself a little dizzy, a little sweaty, and a lot thirsty.
He sat down on the front step, his eyes crossing as he swayed.
Hanging his head to get close to his knees, he breathed deep, trying to get things to stop swimming. Maybe he’d overdone it just a tad.
The sound of a vehicle pulling up in front of the house made him look up, squinting against the light. Xander’s SUV. Wasn’t he supposed to be at work?
“Baby? You doing okay?” Xander hurried over to him, the lock on the car beeping. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I think I’ve been working bent over for too long.
” He smiled at his lover. “What are you doing home? I thought you were going to be at work until eight. It’s good to see you, though.
” He leaned a little harder against the railing, taking a second breath.
“Did you see I got most of the weeds pulled?”
“I saw.” Xander tilted his head. “Did you know it’s hot out in the sun, even in September? I don’t suppose you want to come in and have a drink, maybe relax, hydrate?”
“I could totally use a drink and maybe a hand up?” He didn’t want to fall.
“You got it.” Xander eased him to his feet, letting him press against Xander’s side, one strong arm holding him up. “I worry endlessly about the ghost hunting, and it’s weeding the yard that’s about to lay you low.”
Xander steered him inside, the cool air making him gasp, goosebumps rising on his skin. He wanted to argue, but the man had a point.
He should have taken water and a hat out there with him. “I need to wash my hands.”
“To the sink it is!” They had a whole kitchen back now, the mine entrance sealed up and back behind the cabinet.
Iago washed his hands and leaned against the sink. “So why are you home? They canceled dinner service?”
Xander’s work was a little flexible, depending on the customers or the catering jobs, but Iago tried not to bother him.
The soap smelled so good. The water was cold and bright, and it made his eyes sparkle.
“Yeah, I got everything set up and ready to go. There’s only one family up there right now, and they wanted sandwiches, chips, and stuff, so it was easy to slip away.”
“Oh, that’s good for me.” He rinsed his hands off and stood on his own, feeling sweaty, but way more stable. “I was out working. I want to get the place pretty for the fall. Especially with your parents coming to meet me.”
He wanted them to like him. He already was in love with their son.
“The place is prettier than it’s ever been. My folks will be so happy when they come.”
“Do you really think so? Honestly?” God, he wanted that to be true.
“I think they are going to be amazed at the new kitchen, and you’ve done so much work in the nursery…
But the yard, my mom will be over the moon about.
She was the only one who ever really cared about it, and she had to force me and Dad to do any work on it.
” Xander handed him a glass of water. “Want to sit with me and have a snack?”
“Yeah.” He sank into a kitchen chair.
“Let me run back out to the car. Xavi sent pastry from the coffee shop.” Xander trotted off, and he drank some of the water, which really helped his head stop feeling like it was floating above his body.
Thank God.
He relaxed back into his chair and Xander came back with a load of goodies — flaky, chocolatey, fruity goodness. “They look good, don’t they?”
Iago snorted. “The only thing better is your soup.”
As he said the word ‘soup’, a flutter happened inside him and he gasped.
“What? Are you hurt?” Xander dropped the pastries on the table and knelt beside him, grabbing his hand. “What is it?”
“I— I felt the baby move.” He knew his eyes had to be big as saucers. He felt totally floored.
“You did?” This amazing smile spread over Xander’s face. “Wow. Wow!”
“I did. I mean, I really did feel it. I—I said the word “soup,” and the baby moved.”
“You did what?” His Xander looked at him, blinked. “You’re not serious.”
“I am so serious. I said, ‘soup’ and…” The baby moved again, that little flutter making him chuckle. “See, I told you it wasn’t just me. Someone really likes your soup.”
Xander blinked at him again for a moment and then started laughing, sounding joyous and loud, filling up the whole kitchen. “Well, you tell that little girl I will give her as much soup as she ever wants because it was a very good idea for your cravings.”
“I thought you wanted a boy.”
“I want our baby.”
God, Xander melted his heart saying stuff like that. He was stubborn to a fault, worked a lot, and left wet towels on the floor… But he was amazing.
“Me too. I’m so glad we’re in this together.” He touched Xander’s cheek. “I’m sorry you had to leave work.”
“I’m not. It was a godawful slow day. I was seriously just meal prepping for the ladies.” Xander rolled his eyes, the green so clear this close up, with little flecks of gold for good measure. And his freckles. Iago could rhapsodize about his freckles.
“I think we should go do something fun together.” Xander kissed the tip of his nose. “You want to go play goonie golf? Maybe see a movie on the big screen?”
Iago grinned, because why not. He couldn’t think of anything he’d like better.
“I love goonie golf. I’ll make sure to bring a big water bottle.”
“Ditto. And a hat and some sunscreen.” Xander winked. “How’s your dizzy?”
“Gone. Seriously. Water and pastry did wonders.”
“Okay. If we get to town and it’s still hot for you, though, it will be movie, dinner, and then goonie golf.” Xander pressed a kiss to his nose.
He laughed, grabbed Xander, and squeezed him tight. “I do love you.”
The baby had moved, and that made things real, really real.
There was something inside him that wasn’t him, not a twinge of a muscle, but something living inside him —his child.
“I love you too, babe. You okay?”
Iago squeezed one more time, then backed off. “I’m better than okay. Let’s go. I want to go have fun.”
Xander beamed at him. “Go get your hat. I’ll grab the sunscreen, and the water bottles.”
Time to go play, enjoy the best part of the early fall.
Together.