“You shouldn’t have come in here. You don’t need to see this,” she gasped out just before her stomach heaved again.
“Doesn’t bother me,” Ty replied, holding her thick hair in one big hand and rubbing circles on her back with the other.
After what felt like a small eternity, Parker’s stomach finally settled down and she leaned back. Ty scooted back and leaned against the counter, studying her as she avoided his gaze.
“Sorry about that. It hits unexpectedly sometimes. Well, every time, really.”
Ty waved her words off. “Are you feeling better then?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine now. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Ty shoved up onto his feet and held a hand out to her. “Let’s get out of the bathroom, then.”
Parker hesitated and then placed her hand in his, letting him help her to her feet. They walked back into the room and Parker had just taken her seat when her stomach growled, long and loud. Blushing, she put her hand to her stomach.
“Sorry. I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” she told him, avoiding looking at his face.
“Since breakfast?” Ty rumbled back at her, voice filled with disbelief. “Dammit, Parker, you’re pregnant. You’re eating for two now!”
Parker stole a peek at him, surprised. “I was nervous. It was hard enough to eat breakfast.”
Ty glowered at her for a moment. “I’ll go get you something. Wait, you’re feeling sick. Maybe I can get some crackers or something. Crackers are okay, right?”
“I’m not feeling sick anymore, but I can eat later.”
“The hell you will. You need food now. What sounds good?”
“Pizza!” She blurted enthusiastically, blushing when her voice came out too loud.
Ty smiled at her, a genuine smile that reached his eyes and stole her breath. “Pizza it is, then. I’ll go grab one. What toppings?”
“Just cheese is fine for me,” Parker replied, keeping her voice at normal volume this time.
“I’ll be right back,” Ty said, heading for the door. “And we’ll talk when I get back.”
He left the room without another word, and Parker flopped back onto the bed, filled with nerves again. How would he react when he got back? As hungry as she suddenly was, she couldn’t help hoping he would take his time. She wanted to delay the coming conversation for as long as she could.
Chapter Four
Tyler walked slowly down the street to Eagle Creek’s only pizza joint, mind in turmoil. Parker was pregnant. With his baby. Nothing could have shocked him more. When she’d said she wanted to talk, that had been the last thing on his mind. No, it hadn’t even been on his mind at all.
A baby. A pup.
Shit. How was he going to tell Parker that she carried a wolf shifter baby inside of her? His mind flashed back to Cassie’s reaction when she got pregnant with Jared’s child, and Ty broke out in a cold sweat as fear filled him. He never admitted to fear, but he was admitting it now. It couldn’t be avoided, though. He’d have to tell her eventually.
He pushed all of that out of his mind. He couldn’t think about that right now or he’d go crazy, and he was already on the verge. He opened the door of the pizza joint, going up to the counter to order two pizzas, a cheese for Parker and a pepperoni for himself. He could eat a large pizza by himself, and Parker had been so enthusiastic about the prospect of pizza that he wanted her to have her own.
A smile curved Ty’s lips as he thought about her reaction. He wondered if she was craving pizza. Was it too early for cravings? He didn’t know. He knew less than nothing about pregnancy or expecting women. He guessed he’d find out, though.
His smile disappeared as he remembered her telling him she was going back to California tomorrow. The hell she was. He didn’t know how he felt about having a child, but he knew he wanted to be there. For her and for the pup. He wasn’t going to be a deadbeat like his own father had been.
Tyler felt his wolf stir in his chest, finally coming out of the daze he’d been in since Parker had announced her news. The animal was snarling at the thought of Parker leaving, and not only because she was carrying his pup. Ty felt his eyebrows twitch at the possessiveness the wolf was exhibiting over Parker. What the hell did that mean?
He was distracted from those thoughts when the guy at the counter called his name. He picked up the pizzas and walked back to the hotel, moving faster this time. He didn’t want Parker’s pizza to get cold.
Ty got back to her room in record time, knocking on the door and waiting impatiently while she answered it. She opened the door with a hesitant smile, eyes widening when she saw the two large pizzas in his hands.
“Are we having company?” She asked, letting him in the room.
He put the pizzas on the table and then indicated for her to take the chair so she’d be more comfortable while she ate. He’d take the bed.
“No, one of them is for me. I’m pretty hungry,” he replied.
She flushed as she opened the pizza boxes and then grabbed a slice of cheese. “I’m sorry. You should have eaten while you were at the diner.”
Ty took a bite of his pizza before he answered. “Who could eat with those witches there? Besides, you’d left. Why did you, by the way?”
Parker gave startled laugh when he called Wendy and Hannah witches. “I might have called them something different,” she said with a wry laugh. “I left mostly because they showed up. They’ve never been nice to me, as you could probably see, and I wasn’t in the mood to listen to any more insults. Wendy can get vicious.”
Tyler nodded his agreement, and they ate in silence for a little while before Parker spoke again.
“Plus, you were… different at the diner. You seemed like you didn’t want to be there.”
Tyler swallowed his last bite of pizza hard before looking up at Parker. Her eyes were cast down and she wouldn’t look up and meet his gaze. “Sometimes I… feel things for you, Parker. I’m not always good at handling it, and I’m not sure how soon I’ll get better.”
“Oh,” she replied softly, not saying more and continuing to look down.
Ty sighed. It was time to get into the harder discussion, now that it looked like they were both done eating. “You said you work from home?”
Brow wrinkling, Parker finally looked up to meet his eyes. “Yeah. I can work from anywhere as long as I have my laptop. I don’t have an office I physically go to.”
He took a deep breath. “Then I think you should stay here. In Eagle Creek. At Red Moon, preferably.”
Parker stared at Tyler, knowing her mouth was hanging open but unable to close it. “You want me to stay at Red Moon?”
Tyler’s chocolate brown eyes met hers. “Yes. I want you close.”
Parker’s heart leapt at those words before she reminded herself that he was saying them because of the baby. Not because of her. “Tyler… you don’t have to do this. You will always be welcome in our child’s life, no matter where I live.”
He frowned. “I want to be in our baby’s life, Parker. No,” he said when she started to interrupt. “I wouldn’t really be in it if you lived all the way in California. I wouldn’t get to see the p--baby often at all. Just... stay. Stay at least until we figure this out.”
Parker frowned over the stutter in his voice when he said baby and then dismissed it. “Okay. I’ll stay for a while. But that doesn’t mean I need to stay at Red Moon. I could stay at my parent’s house for a while.”
Ty shook his head, eyes never leaving hers. “I’d rather have you at the farm. We could spend some time together, get to really know each other. We need to do that, anyway, if we’re going to raise a child together. You can have your own room, and we can just get to know each other. Be friends.” He swallowed hard, looking down for a moment before locking gazes with her again. “I need you close. It’s important to me. Please. Stay at Red Moon.”
Parker got lost in his gaze for a moment, pushing aside the disappointment she felt at hearing him say she c
ould have her own bedroom and they’d just be friends. This was about so much more than her and her silly dreams.
Her hand dropped to her belly. This was about their child, and doing what was best for him or her. There was no denying that having both parents around was in the baby’s best interest.
“Okay, Ty. I’ll stay at Red Moon, at least until we figure this out.”
Chapter Five
Parker pulled up to the house at Red Moon, looking around her with interest. She’d never been here before, and her breath had caught as she pulled up the driveway. It was gorgeous out here. The house was a two story traditional white farmhouse with green shutters and a red door, with a large porch gracing the front of it. There was a porch swing on one end, but otherwise it was bare. She could picture some rocking chairs on it, though, to sit and rock while watching the sunset.
There were two towering oak trees on either side of the house, and the lawn stretched for ages. A large barn sat off behind the house, along with a smaller barn and what looked like a pig pen close by. On the other side was a large equipment shed, doors open with an array of farm implements inside that she didn’t know the names of.
She got out of the car, gazing at the land, taking it all in again. There wasn’t much in the way of flowers or decorations, but it really didn’t need it. It was beautiful out here, the forest on one side of the house and the mountains in the distance the perfect backdrop.
Parker jumped as her name was called. Turning, she saw Chase coming toward her from the big barn, a puzzled smile on his face.
“Hey! What are you doing out this way?”
Parker bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to say. Ty obviously hadn’t filled his brother in, and she didn’t know how to respond. “Hey, Chase. How are you?”
Before he could respond, Ty’s deep voice came from the house. Thank God, because that had had the potential to go awkward fast.
“Parker! Glad you made it.” Walking to the car, Ty told his brother, “Parker’s going to be staying here for a while.”
“Um, that’s nice,” Chase answered, clearly confused. “Glad to have you, Parker. What are you going to be doing here?”
When Ty hesitated, looking torn, Parker jumped in. “Oh, I’m staying here so I can get an in depth look at the farm. You know, for the website I’m building.”
Silence met her announcement, Ty’s lips quirking while he shot her a loaded look, and Chase looking at her like she’d suddenly grown an extra head. For some reason, Parker got the idea that he didn’t believe a word she’d said.
“Ooooookay,” Chase drawled out. “I’ll leave y’all to it. Got work to do.”
Giving Parker a salute, he shot his brother a look before turning around and heading back to the barn. Tyler turned to Parker, lips lifted in a full on smile.
“Designing us a website, huh?”
Parker had to remind herself to breathe as she took in Ty’s smile, her whole chest tightening up. “Well, I mean, it could happen,” she forced out. “And you didn’t look like you were going to answer, so…”
Ty shook his head, still smiling a bit. “Yeah, I haven’t told anyone yet. I will soon, though; don’t worry.”
“It’s okay. No rush. Tell them when you’re ready. I haven’t told anyone yet either,” Parker replied.
They stood awkwardly for a moment before Tyler clapped his hands together. “Okay, let me get your bags into the house. We’re going to have a pretty bad storm soon.”
Parker cast a puzzled look at the cloudless blue sky. “We are? I don’t see a cloud in the sky.”
Ty froze for a second before sending her a strained smile. “Um, yeah, that’s what they said on the news earlier. Do you have a lot of bags?”
Parker shook her head. “Only two, in the backseat.”
She moved forward to get her bathroom bag and Ty blocked her. “I’ve got it. You shouldn’t be lifting anything.”
She laughed. “It’s just toiletries, not a bag of bricks, Ty.”
He shook his head stubbornly. “I’ve got it. Are stairs okay? All of the bedrooms are upstairs.”
Parker laughed harder. “Stairs are fine. I promise not to trip.”
Tyler gave her an alarmed look. “That’s not funny. You said you’re clumsy. Maybe we should make you a room downstairs.”
Still chuckling, Parker reached into her car and grabbed her purse. “I’m not that bad, Ty. Besides, I live in an apartment building. I walk up and down three flights of stairs almost daily.”
“That’s a little bit terrifying,” Tyler muttered as he led her inside the house.
Parker was still smiling as they walked into the house. The front door opened up into what looked like an old fashioned sitting room. The furnishings were old and frayed, but the room itself was beautiful and everything looked to be well maintained. There was a big window to the left of the door, letting sunshine pour in, shining off of gleaming hardwood floors that were scuffed but clean, and a staircase to the right.
Tyler cleared his throat, interrupting her perusal, and he sat her bags down by the stairs. “Let me give you a tour of the downstairs before I show you to your room. The less you climb the stairs, the better,” he added under his breath.
Parker smiled slightly as she followed Ty as he walked out of the sitting room and through a wide hallway. They passed a door on the right, and he opened it to show her it was a powder room tucked under the stairway. Another doorway to the left was open, and she peeked her head in when he said it was his office.
“I’m outside most of the morning, overseeing farm hands, crops, livestock, basically all of the farm operations. Then after lunch, I come in here and work for the rest of the day,” he explained.
The room was the same as the sitting room, with mostly old, worn furniture, with an ancient looking desktop computer on an equally ancient desk, but also like the sitting room, it all looked to be taken care of.
They continued on to the back of the house, where there was a kitchen that opened into a large living room area. The living room had a comfy looking couch and chairs, and also the only modern looking furnishing she’d seen in the whole house: a large screen television. Men.
The kitchen was homey, with white cabinets and gleaming counters, the appliances in here older. Standing at the sink was an older woman with graying hair and a warm smile.
“Parker, this is Leah, our cook and housekeeper. Leah, this is Parker. She’s going to be staying here with us for a while.”
Leah came forward with a warm smile, surprising Parker when she pulled her into a hug. “It’s nice to meet you,” Leah said. “It’ll be nice to have another woman in the house for a while!”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Parker replied.
They chatted for a moment more before Ty guided Parker back through the house. “Does Leah know?” She asked him.
Ty shook his head with a smile. “No, she’s just always friendly like that. And she’s been the only woman in the house for years, so I’m sure she really meant that.”
Parker made a mental note to spend some time with the older woman while she was here. They reached the staircase, and Ty grabbed her bags before gesturing for her to go up ahead of him. She walked up the stairs, running her hand along the beautifully carved rail.
“The detail on the wood in this house is amazing!” She enthused.
They got to the top of the stairs and Ty turned to the left. “Thanks. Our great-grandfather built this house and did all the woodwork himself. He was talented.”
“He definitely was,” Parker agreed as Ty opened a door on the right and gestured her inside. Her breath caught as she looked around. It was a beautiful room, with antique furniture. All of the bedding and the curtains over the large window were decorated in pale yellow with sunset orange accents. She’d never stayed in a room so beautiful.
Ty cleared his throat as he set her bags down. “I hope you like the room. Mine is, uh, just across the hall, if you need anything. There’s a bath
room next door to the left. I have some work to do, so I’ll leave you to get settled in. Come downstairs whenever you’re ready.”
Ty left the room, and Parker put a hand on her stomach that was suddenly full of butterflies. His room was across the hall? How was she going to resist that temptation?
Tyler headed into his office, suddenly debating the wisdom of putting Parker in the room across from his. When he’d picked it, he’d only been thinking of how nice the room was. It was the best room in the house, and he wanted Parker to have the best. But how was he going to resist her being so close to him, all night long?
You don’t resist.
Ty blinked in surprise as his wolf spoke inside of him. The animal had sounded so calm, and perfectly sane. He hadn’t sounded like that in years. His wolf was usually a snarling mass inside him, uncontrollable on a good day, in danger of needing put down on most.
He didn’t recognize this wolf. He hadn’t been this relaxed since Ty was a kid and his mom was still alive. When she’d died, taking away any hint of security in Ty and Chase’s lives, his wolf had slowly become unmanageable, only the need to take care of Chase keeping him in check.
Then Chase grew up and Cassie had chosen Jared. What had really sent him over the edge, though, had been Cassie’s death. She had been the only light in an otherwise dark life, and even though she’d chosen Jared, she’d still been there. She’d still been his friend and in his life. When she died, his wolf went insane. Ty felt like he’d been a breath away from being put down for the last four years.
Mending fences with Jared, once one of his best friends, a small bit last year and courtesy of Adara not taking his shit, had helped; but he’d really thought it was only putting off the inevitable.
Then he met Parker and the constant, crushing pressure had eased up a bit. Now here she was, just up the stairs, staying in his home, carrying his pup…
Unexpected Mates (Red Moon Shifters Book 1) Page 3
