Mini Bonus Chapter Two
A Little Something Extra
Six Months Later
Juliette loved fall. She loved the way the trees at the house had turned orange and gold, and how the river seemed darker with the earlier sunsets. The air smelled like fresh water and pine and called to something inside her that made her think about warm blankets, cozy fires, and her sexy mate.
She was always thinking about Sigh, though.
She’d left the kitchen that Friday night to get some fresh air and clear her head. Sigh had been elbow deep in orders, so she’d told him she’d be right back and walked out. She’d detoured to the bar to get a ginger ale from Dare, who looked at her curiously but didn’t pry.
She lifted the drink to her lips and the lights under the canopy made her engagement ring sparkle. She smiled, then took a sip. She was so dang happy.
The door opened and Sigh joined her, wrapping his arms around her, his wolf rumbling curiously.
“Are you okay, baby?”
She leaned over and set the glass down, then turned in his arms. Resting her hands on his broad shoulders, she stared up into the eyes of the man who held her heart.
“Sigh…” She started, but stopped.
After a moment, he said, “Talk to me, baby.”
“After work I stopped at the pharmacy.”
He went still. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’ve just been feeling a little off lately. Tired, kind of sore in a way I couldn’t really explain. And then I realized why I was feeling like that.”
He stared at her, like she was speaking a foreign language.
She continued. “Sigh, I bought a test. Because I didn’t get my period this month.”
His gaze sharpened and his arms tightened around her. “You’re pregnant?”
“Maybe. Probably. I want to take the test, but I want you to be there with me.”
“Hell yes, I want to be there!” He whooped out a cheer, kissed her, then swung her around in a circle.
“Not at the tavern,” she said. “At home.”
“I can leave right now.”
“No, it’s okay,” she said with a laugh. “The tavern will be closed in another hour, don’t leave Marco to fend for himself.”
“Fine, but he’s doing the cleaning. Do you want to stay out here some more? You do look a little flushed.”
“Yeah, I do, actually. It’s a beautiful night.”
He kissed her. “It’s beautiful out here, but so are you. My sweet, precious female.”
She smiled at him, kissed him, and then watched as he strode back inside. The music was loud as the door opened, and then as it closed with a click, she was left in the quietness of the patio with her ginger ale and the sound of the river.
The hour couldn’t pass fast enough.
Sigh stood next to her in their bathroom as they waited for the timer to count down. The test was upside down on the counter, and her gaze tripped from the test to her phone screen.
She turned and rested her hip on the counter. “I don’t want to be an unwed mother.”
He grinned. “How about a Christmas wedding? Whether you’re pregnant or not, I want you to be mine.”
“I wish we could get married on the deck, it’s so beautiful there.”
“Too cold, though,” he said. “But we can clear out the tavern and get married there. Because it’s where we met.”
“You’re such a sentimental guy, I love it.”
He kissed her forehead with a smile. “I love you.”
The timer beeped and her heart jumped into her throat. Turning to face the counter, she swiped and turned off the alarm and then put her hand on the test.
They were both ready to start a family. They didn’t use protection, so it was an inevitable event at some point. She’d spent the evening thinking about how their lives were going to change with a baby, but she was so happy.
And Sigh was too.
He was practically vibrating with excitement.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Let’s see if we’re going to be parents, sweetheart.”
She turned the test over, and there in the little window was the word she’d wanted to see: pregnant.
She stared at it until her eyes blurred with tears and then she turned to Sigh and he let out a hell yes and hugged her tightly. “Yes, baby! We’re going to have a baby! Holy shit, Juliette.” He cupped her face and brushed her tears from her cheeks. “I love you so much.”
She gripped his wrists. “I love you too.”
He kissed her, and it was suddenly deeper and sweeter, full of promises and a future that waited for them.
It wasn’t just good news, it was the most wonderful thing to happen to her since she’d taken a chance on a tavern in a shifter town and met the love of her life.
One choice had changed her life forever.
And she’d never been happier.
Sigh swung her up into his arms with a low growl. “We need to celebrate.”
“I think you have some ideas?” She snuggled into his arms, sinking her fingers into his hair and nuzzling his throat.
“Many, many ideas.”
“Take me to the moon, Sigh,” she said. “Again and again.”
Don’t leave just yet! Want to see artwork inspired by Sigh & Juliette? Check out the next page!