Chapter 39 Merrick
Merrick
“Hails, you have a package!” I called in the general direction of the nest. A large cardboard box had just been left on the porch with her name on it, and I could only imagine what was inside.
Picking it up, I grunted at how heavy it was as I carried the oversized thing into the kitchen and placed it on the island. What on earth had she ordered?
Actually, I knew better than to question whatever my pregnant omega was buying. With her nesting instincts going into overdrive, there had been several bizarre packages arriving at the house.
Quick little footsteps sounded down the hallway, letting me know that Hailey was on her way.
“My fabric arrived!” she called out happily as she saw the box. Running over to the counter, she opened a drawer, pulled out a pair of scissors, and ripped the box open with glee.
Mental note—she is damn good with scissors.
“More fabric?” I asked. It was hard to believe there was any fabric she didn’t have, considering how full her sewing room was getting.
She nodded excitedly. “I found a few adorable prints that I wanted to use to make some blankets for the baby. I haven’t actually made them anything yet, I realized, and that just feels wrong.”
As she spoke, she pulled out several bundles of fabric and showed them to me.
One was garden-themed with little vegetables, another had a fruit theme, and there was even one with little bunnies dotted all over it.
“Aren’t these the cutest?” she asked, lighting up like a firework in July.
“They’re adorable,” I agreed, smiling gently at her as the excitement beamed from her. “What are you thinking about making?”
“Just some regular baby blankets. I was waiting, but the baby’s getting bigger by the day, and they’re not going to wait around. I may as well make some more neutral ones, then I can have fun with more colors once we know the gender.”
She placed her hand on her bump, smiling serenely. When she had admitted to us that she wanted to wait until we were all together to find out the gender, I was surprised for like half a second and then I understood.
This was kind of a symbol of us becoming a family, and we needed Preston here to make that really happen for her.
“You’ve been nesting like crazy lately, huh?”
Hailey had been rearranging her nest almost daily, and even though I kept the kitchen cupboards pretty organized, she had tidied them repeatedly and created a whole new organization system.
“I know. It’s worse than any heat cycle. All I want to do is make sure everything is just right for the baby, and part of that is getting some lovely blankets made.” She nodded to herself, a decision firmly made.
“Well, what do you want for dinner?” I asked. “I’ll have it ready so we don’t have to think about it.”
I knew better than to wait—if she disappeared into the sewing room, she’d be busy for hours and wouldn’t come out until she was feeling hangry. Or worse, we would have to go in and nudge her to remind her to eat while in the middle of something, and that would undoubtedly make her crabby as well.
“The baby is kind of craving steak,” she said, scrunching her nose.
“How about I do some steaks on the grill with baked potatoes and green beans?”
“As long as there’s dessert in the mix, I’m all for it.” She beamed. “Don’t you have to go back to work soon?”
“Not until the morning,” I assured her.
I wanted to be there for her as much as possible, so I had been working a lot of nights, but Walker hadn’t scheduled me until the morning for a rare change.
Her smile widened. “Wonderful. That means you’re in the nest tonight.”
Since I’d returned to doing shifts at the firehouse and had to stay there a few nights a week, any time I was home, I stayed with Hailey in the nest. I wasn’t going to waste what precious time I had before parental leave in a separate bed from her, after all.
“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” I returned, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
“Good, because you don’t have a choice. I love your ass, and I want it in my nest.” She smirked smugly up at me before grabbing an armful of fabric and going to walk away.
My hand shot out, grabbing her upper arm softly and tugging her round to face me. “You love me?”
Hailey snorted. “Isn’t it obvious? I love you, Merrick. Do you love me?”
I stared at her in shock for a second. “Of course I do. How is that even a question?”
Her pointed look made me laugh.
“Hailey Hana, I am in love with you. I love how stubborn and kind you are, how you—”
“Okay, no more!” Hailey laughed, tugging out of my grip. “Say too many nice things, and you’ll make the pregnant omega weep.” She giggled, leaning up on tiptoe and kissing my cheek, lingering there for a moment.
I was on cloud fucking nine. For some reason, I knew we were close, permanently bonded, but there was something about hearing those words out of my omega’s mouth that made me want to puff out my chest and shout in happiness.
Hailey was really settling into our relationship, and nothing made me happier. She wasn’t living in panic mode, thinking this was all temporary. She’d settled into what I considered her true self—the sass, the arguments, the discussions—it was all part of why I adored her.
More than anything.
I followed her down the hallway, half in a blissed-out haze of love, intent on walking her to her sewing room just so I could be with her for a little longer. That was the thing with Hailey; she didn’t see it, but just being around her was addictive.
“Hey, cutie, do you want any company?” Wilder asked as he passed in the hallway.
“You’re welcome to keep me company, but I’m going to put on some trashy TV and do some sewing. What have you been up to today?”
“Hey, man,” Wilder said, nodding at me.
He turned back to Hailey “I’m going to do some volunteering at a local clinic. Actually, I was going to ask—do you have any old quilts you don’t particularly want anymore that you could donate? Those places are always running low.”
Hailey nodded. “I’ve got plenty. Come with me.”
I nodded too, turning down the corners of my mouth.
Was a small part of me happy that Hailey had found a use for the growing pile of completed projects? Maybe.
I loved that making things was enjoyable and relaxing for her, but during her pregnancy, she had gone nuts and made so many quilts that the house was slowly being overtaken by piles of completed blankets draped on every surface.
If she gave some away, then she could make more, a task I knew for a fact she would love greatly.
And they would be put to good use, which would also make her happy.
And me.
Hailey started to drag Wilder into the sewing room, so I called after them, “Dinner will be in like two hours. Make sure she eats, okay?”
“Sir, yes, sir!” Wilder saluted me playfully over his shoulder as Hailey continued to tug him out of sight.
Once I had the steaks on the grill outside, I pulled out my phone.
“Merrick, how are you?” Walker asked. “How’s Hailey?”
“She’s doing well, or at least as well as can be expected. Have you got any updates on that front?”
Walker was quiet for a moment, and over the phone, I could make out a door closing, meaning he was probably going somewhere no one would overhear him.
Smart.
“Honestly, progress is being made. He snuck me some pills to test last week and they are definitely fentanyl. That’s huge. He hasn’t said where he got them yet, but I’m planning on going over there to train new recruits for the wild fires, and I’ll try to talk with him too.”
“Fentanyl, that’s some hard shit.” I knew Preston was dealing with potential drug-related problems in the camp, but hearing Walker state exactly what was involved made the situation feel all the more real. “And it’s circulating through a prison? I mean…damn.”
“It is, but the good news is, now that it’s confirmed, I don’t think it’ll be long before the police can make a move, and we can get Preston out. Hopefully, it’s just a matter of time at this point. We catch who’s dealing in the act, and bam.”
Fuck, I really hoped it was fast. Life was moving quickly, and Hailey needed her last mate back home. The strain had lessened, yes, but it was still undeniable.
“Let’s hope so, Walker.” I nodded, this new information sitting heavy in my chest.” Let’s hope so.”
For all our sakes.