Roseville Romance

by Lorelei M. Hart

  Our appointment was at eight o’clock Monday, and we were there at seven thirty, right after we dropped Anderson off at school. Lucky, too, because just like any other medical professional, they had a huge stack of paperwork for new patients to fill out. I always wondered why that couldn’t be done online, but the fellow, who looked more like a lumberjack than a receptionist, said it had to do with their concern for privacy and the insecurity of the Internet. When I pointed out they would be loading it all onto their Internet-connected computer which was subject to the same dangers, Edison dragged me away to a comfortable seating area and handed me a pen and one of the clipboards.

  “Just fill in as much as you can, okay?” he said, starting to scribble on the other.

  I did my best, but after a few minutes, I became aware of how short a time we’d been together. “Have you had measles, mumps, chicken pox?” The list went on and on.

  “None of those.” Edison kept his head down, continuing to fill in the form.

  “Stroke, heart disease...it might be easier if you told me what you have had and I can just mark the others no.”

  He grimaced. “Umm...flu, colds, I broke my leg…”

  “It doesn’t want those things. So I think it’s nothing.” Good to know he’d had a healthy life so far. There were a lot more things I needed to fill out as well, but the midwife appeared in an open doorway beside the desk.

  She was a middle-aged woman, with a matronly waistline, a red braid streaked with white wrapped in a corona about her head, and a face wreathed with smiles. I liked her immediately. “Come right in,” she said, stepping aside. “We’re all ready for you.”

  Edison waved his paperwork. “We still have a lot to fill out.”

  “That’s fine. Bring it along and your alpha can keep working while I examine you. Any idea how far along you might be?”

  “Not exactly. But less than two months.” If we’d been together longer than that, I’d be doing a better job at the paperwork.

  “That’s fine. It’s good to start off on the right foot. I’m Myrna, head midwife here.”

  We both stood and introduced ourselves and moved past her into a long hallway with doors on either side. The midwifery was a converted home with a cottage-feel at the front, but clearly had been added onto over the years.

  “First room on the right,” she called after us. “And, Edison, if you would disrobe and put on the gown hanging on the back of the door, I’ll be there in a moment.”

  Inside the room, which looked like a regular doctor’s exam room to me, I sat down with both clipboards and asked Edison for the necessary info while he changed into the knee-length blue-and-white dotted gown. The midwife took a little longer than she’d indicated so by the time she entered, accompanied by a young man who she introduced as her trainee, Sandros, we had all the lines filled out and were ready to pay attention to what Midwife Myrna might have to share with us.

  An hour later, we were out on the sidewalk again, with a tentative due date, a prescription for vitamins, and a booklet entitled, Morning Sickness and You: Keep Hydrated!

  “Looks like you were on the right track with the water bottle, Edison,” I said, opening the passenger door for him. “Is your stomach doing okay now?”

  He sat down and buckled his seat belt. “Not bad, at the moment. Do you mind dropping me off at the center on your way to the shop?”

  “It’s what I planned on.” I shut the door and moved around to my side. As I maneuvered into traffic, Edison groaned. A glance showed his “not bad” status no longer held sway. “You’re green.”

  I pulled over and he opened the door and leaned out. A moment later, he sat up, hand over his mouth. “False alarm. But ugh. Another month and some of this? How do omegas who have large families survive it?”

  Handing him his bottle of water, I nodded sympathetically. “I don’t know. Just tell me anything I can do to make it easier. Ready to go? Do you want me to take you home?”

  He shook his head. “I need to go to work. The kids count on me.”

  I started to argue then stopped. Nothing I’d hate more than someone telling me what to do. Instead, I took another tack. “You know what you’re up to. But I want you to promise me that if you change your mind, you’ll call for a ride home.”

  “I can’t do that...you’re so busy getting ready for the holidays at the shop and then—”

  Okay, non-bossy alpha, down. Original plan in play. “That’s not going to fly. If we’re a team, then when one of us needs the other, he has to be there. If I was sick, wouldn’t you want me to call you?”

  “Of course...oh.”

  “Yeah, oh. You and the baby and Anderson come before business. You’re the reason I get up in the morning. I can’t even imagine what I did before I knew you. You’re bearing the brunt of this pregnancy. Don’t make me feel helpless. Let me do my part.”

  Still greenish, he nonetheless gave me a bright smile. “Okay, alpha. Message received. Do you mind driving through the Mexican place for a breakfast burrito? I’m starved.”

  Blowing out a deep breath, I girded my loins for the next seven-plus months.

  It was going to be a bumpy ride.

  “How about the bakery instead. For one of those ham-and-cheese croissants you love?”

  “Oooh.” He threw his arms around my neck and gave me a big kiss. “Best idea, best alpha ever. Maybe a cinnamon roll, too.”

  “Love you, Edison.”

  He settled back in his seat with a happy sigh. “Love you more.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Edison

  Everything was ready. The house was clean, thanks to a local cleaning service because me and brooms and enormous belly didn’t really get along lately.

  Liam had been busier than usual. He’d gone all out on his window display for his first Father’s Day.

  He would be home any minute. Every day, he texted me when he was walking out the door.

  Our life had been crazy since finding out I was pregnant. Plus, the holidays were tough on my alpha. He was expected to work miracles and somehow he did, in the form of fourteen-hour days and sometimes sleeping on the futon in the back of the candy shop.

  I hoped he liked this.

  Loved would be a better word.

  “He’s on his way,” I screamed at the people piled into our house. Everyone was dressed in their best and had helped me decorate the place.

  “Hide, everyone!” Anderson yelled and then waved his hands around making sure everyone was in their places.

  Liam’s suit hung in the closet. Damon had been keeping it at his place so my man wouldn’t find it and had brought it over that morning.

  Minutes later, I heard the jangle of keys in the lock and the shutting of the door.

  Gods, please help this work.

  Liam came in, looking worse for wear and absolutely dragging. I immediately thought I’d screwed up. He was too tired to party.

  He was way too tired for what I’d planned.

  What a turd I was, trying to plan a surprise wedding.

  A tear slipped from my eye.

  “What’s happening?” he said, going to the fridge and getting one of the cold coffees he’d become addicted to almost as much as me.

  “Um, it’s…”

  That was the cue.

  “Surprise wedding!” everyone yelled and popped out from their hiding places. Liam’s eyes went wide, and he stumbled back two steps until his back hit the fridge.

  Yep, I’d fucked up hard.

  “Liam? Shit. You’re too tired. I knew I’d mess this up.” Fucking hormones and emotions and goofiness.

  “What? No. We’re getting married? Today? Now?”

  I nodded and looked down at my white shirt and pants, the ones I barely found to fit over my belly. We’d had the license for a while, but with all his work and my pregnantness and still working at the center, we never had the time or energy...but with the help of our friends, I found a little well of it.

  “Om
ega mine, you are a treasure. I’m going to need this, it seems.” He chugged the cold coffee in one tip and then clapped his hands. “Where’s my outfit, and who’s my best man?”

  Patrick, Damon, and even Hal, who had become a good friend to us, led him to the bedroom where he would get dressed and ready.

  “You’re okay with this?” I bellowed to him, wondering still if I’d done the right thing.

  “I was wondering when you’d make an honest man out of me. Now is the best time.” He ran back to me and kissed me, tipping us both back in a grand gesture of affection. Everyone cheered and then chanted to go get dressed.

  This might just work after all.

  After the door was shut, I rushed to the backyard where an arch was set up with daisies and tulips galore. We’d placed chairs and a plastic walkway to the altar, and Amy was officiating.

  She was a social worker and a justice of the peace. Who knew?

  I waited on my heels for my alpha to come out. There would be no “Wedding March” or walking down the aisle. We would meet under the arch together and let everyone know that he was mine and I was his, both in our hearts and legally.

  “I’m here, babe,” Liam called out. I turned my head to him, dressed in white like me and smiling ear to ear.

  Damn, I loved that man.

  “Get down here and let me make you mine.”

  He joked with our friends, now sitting and waiting for the ceremony. “That’s what you said the first time…”

  Everyone gasped and laughed.

  Amy began the ceremony with a small prayer and within minutes, we were married.

  I’d planned for three months, something that took minutes to seal.

  Such is life.

  “You’re mine now, Husband,” Liam cooed and then pulled me against his chest. I sighed and nodded.

  “I didn’t know you’d be so exhausted. I’m sorry.”

  He chuckled, and the sound reverberated through me in the best way possible. “I’m not. I was worried you were stalling on purpose.”

  I laughed and swatted at him. “Never ever.”

  We laughed and ate the food, courtesy of the local Asian catering company, Liam’s favorite. They had champagne while I loaded up on orange juice.

  “Um, Daddy Edison, what’s that? I think you had an accident.”

  I looked down to where Anderson pointed and saw my pants, soaked from groin to knees.

  Liam gasped, and so did everyone else.

  As usual, I was the last to know.

  Of all times.

  My water broke.

  Liam laughed hard and loud. “Right on time, baby. Right on time.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Liam

  When I said “Right on time,” I meant in terms of Murphy’s Law. In fact, it was a month early, and while I kept smiling, inside I quaked. Was everything all right? Midwife Myrna and her trainee, Sandros were present for our nuptials, and they didn’t want us to go to the cute cottage.

  They escorted my brand-new husband into our bedroom, leaving me outside holding Anderson’s clammy hand. Sandros, a trim Hispanic omega in his early twenties promised we could come in in just a few minutes, and not to worry at all.

  Neither of us bought it. Anderson was pale, and after a tear trailed down his cheek, I got down on my knees to be eye to eye with him. “Buddy, what’s wrong?” Yeah, I knew but rather than address the elephant in the room—something Edison hated to be called—I thought it might be better to just address his specific concerns.

  “When the baby comes, will he truly be my brother?”

  I reeled. We actually didn’t know if it was a boy or girl because we had wanted to be surprised, but Anderson always called him his little brother. He’d sat beside Edison for hours, having long talks with him. He called him Freddie.

  But he’d never asked this question before.

  “Of course, he will,” I promised, breaking every promise I’d ever made to myself not to lie. But was I really?

  “What if I go back to live with my dad?”

  Shit. Totally not the time I wanted to have this conversation...but… I sank down to sit cross-legged and tugged him into my lap. I had one ear on the muffled sounds coming from behind our closed bedroom door, but I couldn’t do anything about that for the moment. And I could do something here.

  “Anderson, you know that your dad’s status and how it relates to you is still up in the air. But no matter where you live, you are our family, too. We all hope your dad will be okay, but you also know that he has some serious charges against him.”

  I was talking to him like a grown-up, but his little face was serious, and he nodded. Edison had explained to me that kids like him, who had rough home lives where they had to take care of themselves as often as not, were a combination of child and adult. We’d seen that with Anderson.

  “So, let’s take this one day at a time. Today, looks like we might be having a baby. And he’s your brother. He already loves you.”

  “He tries to kick me, through Daddy Edison’s belly,” he offered. “Is that good?”

  Despite my worries, I felt a smile lift my lips. “Yep. It’s the only way he has to communicate from in there, I guess. And he kicks more for you than anyone else.”

  Low voices came from behind the door and my anxiety ramped again, but my foster son laid his head on my chest and patted it with his little hand. “It’s okay, Daddy Liam. Freddie will be here soon. And we’ll be even more of a family.”

  I hugged him tight. “You’re right, Son. The more the merrier.”

  He tipped his head back and looked at me. “Can we have a sister next?”

  My chuckle made his head bounce. “Let’s let Edison have one baby first. He’s gonna be tired after this.”

  “No, I mean Janelle at the center. Her foster mom is sick and she’s scared of where she’ll live next. Can she come live with us? I’ll share all my games.”

  Holy…

  “Let’s talk about that after the baby comes, okay? But you’re a good person to think of her. I’m proud of you, Son.”

  Wait until I told Edison. Would he mind having three kids in the house?

  “Liam?” Myrna held the door open. “Come on in.” She held out a hand. “Anderson, I need you to wait a little, okay?”

  A furrow developed between his brows, a sign of the storm of protest to come.

  I laid a hand on his shoulder. “Anderson, we still have a lot of guests. Can you play host? Make sure they are all having a nice time? Tell them we will update them as soon as possible?”

  His brow cleared, and he scrambled to his feet then offered me a hand, to help me up. The little grown-up again. “Sure. I can do that.”

  I accepted his grip while pushing off the floor with my other hand. “Thank you, Son.” It sounded good. I sure hoped we’d be able to call him that until he grew up. Nothing we’d heard about his dad made me want to give him back.

  As he stuffed his hands in his suit pants pockets and headed for the stairs, I followed Myrna inside the bedroom. “So, are we having a baby today? Do we need to go to the midwifery?” My new husband lay on the bed, his face sweaty, locks of hair clinging to his forehead. He was panting, and I was scared.

  “No,” she said, moving to Edison’s side, where Sandros already stood. “Because you’re having a baby in a very little while. We didn’t want to alarm your son, but we’ve already called an ambulance, but we don’t want to move him just—”

  Edison let out a groan and curled up in a ball.

  “Breathe,” Sandros encouraged. “Just like you practiced. Liam, get over here and coach your hubbie.”

  Me? Coach? I didn’t know a thing about babies, and the classes we’d taken were a blur. Panic fizzed in my veins until he called for me.

  “Liam! It hurts.”

  “Daddy up,” Myrna said, close to my ear. “He needs you.”

  Damn right. “I’m here, Husband. I got this.” And I did. Because there’s a time for all t
hings, and this was the time for stepping up to the plate and greeting the arrival of our son.

  Freddie.

  No child was ever greeted by more loving friends and family. They crowded the doorway to get a peek before the ambulance arrived to carry our son and the man who birthed him off to the hospital to make sure the early arrival hadn’t caused any harm.

  When they got downstairs with the gurney, Edison waved them to stop. “Wait, we can’t leave until Freddie says hi to his big brother. Anderson, get over here, Son.”

  Sure, we were both going on the assumption he’d be with us forever, but even if his dad got out of jail eventually, he’d always be our son, too. And we’d be there the day he turned eighteen with college money and whatever he needed. Today, nothing was going to cut through the joy.

  Not when Anderson crept close to the gurney, all wide eyes and silly grin. A picture of wonder. He reached out and touched Freddie’s hand, and the baby curled his fist around Anderson’s finger. “Hi, Freddie,” he said in a low voice. “Glad you’re here. You just missed the wedding, but we have video.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Edison

  Freddie stayed near us for the first month. Since he was a little early, we had home health nurses come and check on him once a week. Instead of the baby sleeping in the nursery, we’d moved the bassinette into our bedroom because neither of his papas wanted him so far away just yet.

  “This is too much, George. I mean, it’s a big grant, I know, but gods it’s killing me.”

  He nodded and helped me file through the paperwork from our living room. I was still on paternity leave, so I was working from home, and he’d come by to work on this most important project with me. The grant application was due in three days, and we had to make sure every t was crossed and every i was dotted.

  These grant people didn’t play around.

  Our proposal was twenty-three pages long.

  We wanted a new building for the center that included some big dream options like a playground and maybe a pool.

  I figured I’d been pretty damned lucky lately with my mate and my kids, so I was going to push that luck to its limits.