Chapter 12 #3
A couple hours later we left the doctor’s office in Uptown Briar with the confirmation that Nic was indeed pregnant.
Our baby hadn’t been conceived during our honeymoon but instead sometime during that week I had her out at the hideaway spot.
That actually tracked because we never used protection given I knew where this was going and there was no need to prevent anything or try to fight fate.
While she never pictured this shit, I knew we’d have this because even before my lil mishap with the law I was putting this together.
I knew we’d have this because it was meant and I was serious about that.
Eight weeks… A life we created that I had to protect with everything in me.
“Where are we going? This isn’t the way to your mother’s house.” Nic’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
We stopped at that bakery and got pastries after we left the hospital, a box for our house and some for my mother’s spot.
The only difference was Nic had taped one of the sonogram images in the box for my mama.
Shit was sweet because even though moms knew by way of me, she still didn’t ask Nic.
She just did that mama shit, overfeeding her at the barbeque and making sure she was hydrated.
“I know. I wanna show you something.” I felt her looking at me, but I didn’t look at her. I kept my focus outside.
“Hondo,” she said to grab my attention.
“I thought I told you to give me a nickname or something?” I said, trying to change the subject.
She laughed then shrugged. “I thought about it, but I like your name so much that it isn’t necessary.”
I grinned. “I feel you. Tell me something.”
“Anything.”
“You miss living out here?”
She was quiet for a moment, then she began to rub her hand up and down my neck. “I thought I would, you know everything being accessible, but I like my wedding gift. I like putting together each room and damn near building my dream home.”
I nodded, my eyes locking on the set of open gates we were about to drive through. As if on cue, the questions started.
“Hondo, where are we? Why are we at a zoo?”
“Why ask me where we are if you see we’re at a zoo, baby?” The car slowed before it came to a complete halt.
She nailed me on my shoulder. “That’s not answering my question.”
“’Cause I don’t intend to verbally answer your question. I told you I wanted to show you something. Can I do that?”
The door was opened for me to exit first. When I was out, I turned to get her. Once she was on the ground, she accepted my hand almost instantly. We stood there for a minute. She stared at the entrance of the zoo before looking back at me.
“You said you’d show me. I’m waiting.”
I chuckled, then led her impatient ass into the zoo.
It was open for business, so there were a lot of people here.
As we moved, the guards moved as well, ensuring nothing or nobody got too close.
I still had to move like someone was after her because with Shamus you never knew, especially since he didn’t yet know I was on to him.
We reached the back of the zoo in no time and that was when she saw it. The outside of the building wasn’t finished just yet, but there was a name on it… her name.
Patience’s Animal Sanctuary
I could tell the exact moment she saw what I saw because her jaw dropped and she stepped forward. “You bought me a zoo.”
When I didn’t respond right away, she turned and looked at me.
I shrugged. “I want you and everything you are outside of me. I don’t want our future or our family to be your everything because I know who you are and what makes you smile.
This and that mean ass tiger cub makes you happy too.
So hell yeah I bought you a zoo, and as you can tell, I am in the process of getting a state of the art sanctuary built for you to work out of.
This is your space, so nobody can ever attempt to use it to control you. ”
She was in my arms immediately, crying into my neck as I held her. “You really did this for me?”
“Told you I’d do anything, so this ain’t shit. Are you ready to see the main course?”
“You’ve already done everything. What more could you do, Hondo?”
I didn’t respond. With her body in my arms, I carried her toward the building. Once we entered, we were greeted by the staff assistant and one of the zookeepers already aware that we were coming through.
“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Carter. Would you like a tour of the entire facility?” the senior zookeeper asked.
“Nah. Take her to him.” I put her down and followed her and the zookeeper.
Even though we weren’t on a tour, we still had to travel through the other big cat territory before we reached the one where Zar was.
As soon as she saw him, she ran to the glass.
She was so happy that it oozed from her pores.
Shamus had sold Zar to the Briar South Public Zoo and I was able to get him and most of the big cat collection back for a fraction of the cost and a lot of work on Otto’s side.
As if the cub sensed her presence, he went from lying on his back playing with a ball to standing on all fours.
He looked in her direction before he rushed the glass, his tail wagging as he focused on her.
The entire time she had been away from him, she feared he wouldn’t remember her or that he’d be mistreated, yet here he was.
She turned around and looked at me, her eyes holding a gleam I hadn’t seen since Shamus attempted to take him away from her.
“He’s yours, Nic,” I reminded her.
Her smile was so fucking bright I was smiling. Less than ten minutes later, she was in his habitat and he was all over her. He recognized her and from out here I could tell the lil motherfucker even missed her.
“It’s like he knows her. It’s been hell trying to get him to open up since he got here,” the zookeeper muttered.
“She’s been in his life since he arrived. All he knows is her.”