Chapter 28 - Craig #2
“You’re still ok with my parents staying with us after the baby is born?”
“Mm-hmm. Or Mom and Papa have said they can stay with them if we want some privacy.”
I chuckled. “Heck, they might prefer that. Dad and your mom really bonded over meat-smoking techniques.”
“I think our papas got along ok, too. Still figuring out that common interest, but I bet they’ll get there.”
I laughed. “If nothing else, that common interest will be making an appearance soon.”
Randy lightly shoved my shoulder with his, which left him slightly off-balance.
“Careful,” I chuckled as I steadied him.
We paused to kiss.
“Have you decided which cravings you want to hit up on the way home?” I asked as we started walking again.
My sweet omega harrumphed. “What I really want, I can’t have.”
“I give you my knot almost every night,” I teased.
He laughed. “That’s nice, but right now I’d give that up for some sushi and a cold cut sandwich.”
I put my free hand over my heart. “Oof, that hurts.”
He laughed, then a booming voice caught our attention.
“Is that my Spud?”
Russy barked excitedly and pulled at his leash.
Randy looked over, laughed, and dropped his hold on the restraint.
Russy took off across the grass to where an older man was kneeling—leash flapping behind him.
Randy and I were a bit slower to get there, but the man gave us a grin as we stopped beside him.
“Well, look at you,” he said to Randy. “Last time I saw you, you said you were a confirmed bachelor. Now you’ve got an alpha on your arm and a bun in the oven.”
Randy chuckled. “Surprisingly enough, it’s partly your fault.”
The man stood and handed Russy’s leash back to my mate. “How do you figure?”
“Jim, this is my mate, Craig.”
Jim nodded as he stuck out his hand.
“Craig,” Randy said as I accepted the handshake. “This is Jim. He’s the one who retired from the mill right before you started.”
I stared at him for several seconds, then we both seemed to burst into laughter at the same time.
“You’re the new guy?” Jim asked.
I nodded. “I am, though it’s been over a year now.”
Jim turned to Randy. “And you met…”
Randy nodded. “At the mill.”
Jim burst into laughter again. “I guess it was my fault.”
“I should thank you,” I said.
“For what?”
I glanced at Randy beside me. “If you hadn’t retired, I don’t think they’d have hired me. Who knows if I’d have ever met Randy otherwise.”
Jim smiled. “Life has a funny way of making things happen. I bet you’d have crossed paths.”
“Still…”
He chuckled. “Come on. My Miles is over there. He can say hi to Spud while you tell me all about it.”
I glanced over and met Randy’s eyes. He nodded.
“Lead the way,” I said.
A minute later, we were seated around a small picnic table while Randy and I told Jim and his omega about how we’d met and mated.
∞∞∞
~November~
Russy had been all but glued to Randy’s side for two days.
My omega and I decided that the dog sensed something, and neither of us were surprised when the contractions started.
We’d decided that a small SUV was in the budget—something that could make it up and down the driveway in the winter—and I’d put the go-bag in it as soon as Russy started acting like he was permanently attached to Randy.
We spent the early hours of labor at home, relaxing and calling family. My parents said they’d be there in a couple of days, while Randy’s parents agreed to take Russy while we were in the hospital.
Simon—from the resort—said he’d check on the chickens on his way to and from work. Then he’d muttered something about needing a distraction from how weird his dad and the new resort manager they’d hired were acting.
The sun had long set by the time Randy’s contractions were close enough to head to the hospital—though it was still before midnight.
We dropped Russy off, and—though tired—Randy’s parents insisted on following us to the hospital to park the car.
I wasn’t about to argue. It meant I didn’t have to decide between leaving my laboring omega at the door so I could park or risk a citation for leaving the SUV unattended at the emergency entrance.
Triage went smoothly, with the nurses agreeing that my mate was in active labor and that the contractions were close enough. Then they took us up to a room. We rested as well as we could with people coming to check on him several times an hour. The epidural helped with the pain.
Randy was declared ready shortly before dawn and was bathed in golden light while he was pushing.
Both he and I sobbed as our son was laid on his chest for the first time.
“What’s his name?” the nurse asked, standing by with a tablet.
“Chance,” Randy said softly before handing him over to be weighed and measured.
I shared a glance with my mate, and we smiled.
He had a dog named after a potato, and our son was named after an act of courage.
Randy had given me—and our love—a chance.
And our son would be a reminder of that for the rest of our lives.