Felix
THREE WEEKS LATER…
So much has happened in the last month. Getting shot wasn’t on my list of things to do, but it is what it is, and the incident brought Riley and me closer.
She didn’t leave my side for the first week after the shooting. And when she did, it wasn’t farther than the next room. She’s gotten better with her need to know I’m okay and I think I’ve convinced her it’s okay to leave the cabin to help Granger with our firewood business.
The weather is about to turn the corner into full winter and with the excitement of my shooting, most residents of Winter Lake left ordering their supply to the last minute. I’m not up to manning the shop while Uncle Granger delivers orders and honestly, I’d like some time alone.
I love my wife, I tell her every day, but after years of living on my own, this constant hovering is a bit much.
Plus I’m waiting for a few minutes without Riley around to call a friend with a strange request I don’t want my wife to hear.
“I’m going.” Riley steps out of our bedroom bundled up like she’s heading to the arctic and I smile.
“You won’t need all those clothes at the shop.”
“I’m walking there.”
I sit up straight. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. I know the way and Granger is already out delivering. I need to be at the shop by nine.”
“Take the truck. I’m not going anywhere.” I haven’t driven it yet but with the trip to Winter Lake then the hospital, home, and several doctor’s appointments in town, I’ve been in the damn thing almost every day.
“Nope. Granger is coming for dinner.” She nods toward the kitchen. “I’ve got the stew already on the stove. I just need you to keep an eye on it.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t do too much,” she warns before bending down and kissing me goodbye. “I’ll be home by four. Granger doesn’t want the shop open all day.”
“Sounds good.”
“Oh, and do not attempt to shower without me here.” She holds up a hand. “I know you can do it on your own now, but I’ll worry about you slipping and hurting—”
“No showering. Got it.” I grin.
“Okay, I really am going.” She frowns but doesn’t make a move.
My grin widens. “You are?”
“Oh, shush.” With another quick kiss, she pats my cheek and says, “I love you.”
“Love you back.”
“See you later.”
She’s out the door, gone for at least five minutes before I reach for my phone. One thing the shooting did was reconnect me with several people I went to school with.
Brooke Parker and I had gone to prom together. We never dated, neither of us interested in that, but we were lab partners and decided to make the event easier for us both by going together.
She works catering at the hospital. We had some long chats, her, me, and Riley before I was discharged. Exchanging numbers was meant to be for Riley’s benefit. Give her a friend to connect with whenever she wants.
Except I’m the one reaching out.
I need her to do a quick shopping trip for me and somehow sneak it to me without Riley’s knowledge.
Making the call, it rings twice before Brooke answers. “Hello.”
“Hey, Brooke, it’s Felix.”
“How are you? I saw Granger a few days ago. He said you’re doing well.”
“I am. Except for the hovering wife.”
She laughs. “Are you really mad about that?”
“No.”
“Didn’t think so.”
“I need a favor.”
“Of course. What can I do?”
“First, keep this between us, yeah?”
“Ah…”
“You’ll understand when I tell you what I need.”
“All right. What is it?”
“A home pregnancy test.”
“A…for Riley?”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know. I’m not sure she suspects anything. She’s been so busy taking care of me and all but we…um…didn’t use anything the night before I was shot and well…”
“I get it. I’ll grab one from the pharmacy at the hospital before I leave today. I can bring it to you after my shift.”
“That would be great. You can stay for dinner. Riley’s got a stew on and Granger is coming over after they finish at the shop.”
“Oh, I, okay...”
Her hesitation has me concerned. “Something wrong?”
“No, it’s just…” Her sigh gusts over the line. “There was an incident with my ex that you uncle helped me out with.”
“Okay.” Sounds like him.
“Since then I might have used him to get out of a situation in a way that isn’t right.”
I shake my head. “Brooke, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“My ex cornered me again yesterday. I told him the guy who ran him off last time was my boyfriend,” she blurts out.
“Oh. Well, did it work?”
“For now.”
“You think he’ll pester you again?”
“I do. But it’s okay. I can deal with him.”
“I’m sure you can, but it’s always nice to have back up.”
“It is.”
“Then come to dinner and we’ll figure out how you can continue to use Uncle Granger to keep your ex away.”
“Oh, I couldn’t do that.”
“You can. I’m sure he’d be more than willing to help you.”
“I. No. It’s fine.” Someone calls her name. “Listen, I gotta go. I’ll grab that thing and see you later. Still live in the same place, right?”
“Yes. Same as high school.”
“Okay, see you later.”
“Bye.”
After I hang up, I keep thinking about what Brooke told me.
I don’t know who her ex is, but I do know my uncle would be the first to jump in and help her.
Which he’s already done. And the more I think about it, the more I think it’s a good idea that she continues to tell her ex that Uncle Granger is her boyfriend.
I’m sure he’ll be willing to offer his help any way he can.
And it’s not like my uncle has a girlfriend to challenge Brooke’s claim. I don’t remember him ever having one. I know nothing about his love life and now that I have one of my own, I’m curious.
Hours later I still haven’t been able to get Brooke’s situation out of my head. I’m slowly setting out plates and utensils for dinner when Riley bursts into the cabin like a whirlwind. Slamming the door behind her, she gasps and bends over, hands on her knees.
“What the…” Rushing over as fast as I can, I grab her shoulders, pull her upright. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
“No. No. I...” Her breath saws in and out of her chest. “Ran home.”
“You ran? What the hell for? You could have tripped or fallen down that section where the mountain drops—”
“Didn’t. Doesn’t matter. Felix!” Her fingers curl into the front of my shirt. “I’m pregnant!”
I can’t tell if she’s horrified or shocked or confused. Smiling, I move my hands to her face and cradle it in my palms. “I thought you might be.”
“What? How? What?”
“I called Brooke earlier, invited her to dinner, and asked her to pick up a pregnancy test for you to take.”
“Oh. Really?” She’s grinning. “I had the same idea.”
“You did?”
“Yes. She must have thought it was really strange we both called her for the same thing.”
“You already took it?” Disappointment flashes through me.
“No. But I’m sure.” She lets go of me and waves her hands around. “I’ve got all these symptoms, and I was researching them in-between customers and well, I’ll still do the test but I don’t need to. I’m definitely pregnant. Or dying.”
“You are not dying. I did not take a bullet and survive for you to die on me.”
Grinning, she pushes to her toes and presses her mouth to mine. “I promise I’m not dying. I’m doing the opposite,” she says against my lips. “I’m making a baby. Our baby.”
“I love you more than anything. You make me happy, but I think that happy just got better.”
“Yes, it did. We’re going to have a baby!” She does a little shimmy thing with her hips that has my cock hardening.
“Riley?”
“Hmm…”
“What time is Uncle Granger getting here?”
“Not for another hour. And Brooke will be thirty minutes later than him.”
“Wife,” I growl. “It’s time to celebrate our new life. The one we’re building and the one you’re growing.”
“We are not making love, Felix. You’re still recover—”
I scoop her against me. “I’m recovered.” To emphasize my point, I press my hard length into her stomach.
“Oh.”
“Yes. But because I know you’ll worry, you can do all the work.”
“I can?”
The hope in her eyes has me grinning. The one and only night we were together, the night we made our child, she mentioned wanting to try being on top next time. Something I was eager to learn about. And who am I to hold my wife back?
“Time to learn to ride.”