Working twelve hour shifts while eight months pregnant was far from easy. By hour seven, I was leaning against walls whenever I could, by hour ten, I was contemplating drinking all the coffee in the building even though I knew that was the last thing baby needed, and by hour twelve, I was texting Ren to pick me up, fearful I’d fall asleep at the wheel.

Something had to give.

I found myself heading into Sally’s office instead of heading down to the parking garage to meet my man.

“Sally, got a minute?” Not that I was really asking.

She waved for me to come in as she finished typing something into her phone. “Sorry about that. What’s on your mind?” She bit her bottom lip, not even hiding her nervousness. She had to know this was coming. I was about to have a baby for goodness sake.

“The full shifts are too much for me.” I leaned back in the chair, rubbing my belly which earned me a little kick from my sweet one. “I was hoping to possibly go on some shorter shifts. I’m usually fine for four hours, and then it goes downhill.”

I hated that I was unable to be the best I could be at work, and it was not safe for me to come in anything but—not for the patients anyway. That made this my only option, even if it felt sucky.

“Oh yeah. Sure.” Relief filled her face. Odd.

“Why did you think I was here?” I felt compelled to know her reason. She’d been acting weird around me ever since the accident, and my spidey senses were telling me they were somehow related.

Technically, it hadn’t been an accident. Both Ren and I knew that. We also knew that Mapleville was a small town and sometimes it’s better for the town to have accidents be accidents when no good could come out of knowing the truth. Sure, we probably could’ve sued his estate, but what would be the point? We had enough to survive comfortably, and Dr. Hartman’s brother who was inheriting the money was a good man with a house full of children.

No. Some secrets were best kept secrets.

“I just thought maybe being here after watching Dr. Hartman—you know, might have been too much for you.” Sally meant well, but she was clueless when it came to the disdain people had for that man even before he went over the edge.

“No. I’ve moved past that,” I reassured with my best I’m caring but can handle it voice. “So you can let me know my new shifts? I’m off tomorrow.”

“I absolutely can. Can you possibly work four days instead of three if they’re four hour shifts?” She was tapping away at her tablet, and my guess was that if I didn’t say yes, they would need to move someone not overly suited for the NICU to fill the gap. They had a new person starting, a transfer from one of the big children’s hospitals and someone Joaquim had worked with in the past, in another couple weeks, but until then, scheduling would be an issue.

“As long as it isn’t a week from Thursday. I have plans.” Huge plans, birthday plans.

“That will work.” She nodded as her phone rang. There was no part of me that would ever want her job. Give me patients to care for over administrative garbage any day of the week.

I stood up as she answered the phone and gave a little wave before heading down to see my alpha, and just as I walked through the doorway, he turned into the lot. Perfect timing.

“Hello, love.” I climbed—or more accurately wedged myself into the car, kissing his cheek before struggling with the seatbelt. “I’ve got some good and bad news.”

“Start with the bad.” He put the car in park, not even pretending to care we were in the middle of a driving lane.

“The bad news is money is going to be tight for a little bit because I told Sally I’m only doing four hour shifts until the baby comes.”

I don’t even know how he did it, but he had me in his arms in seconds, peppering my face with kisses. He’d been wanting me to stay home ever since the nearly-getting-smashed-by-a-huge-vehicle incident. I’d been the one to insist I continue working until my replacement came.

“We have plenty,” he reassured before letting me go and putting the car in gear. The person honking their horn at us had more to do with it than anything that had transpired between us. “I have news, too.”

He pulled out of the driveway and down the road in the opposite direction of our house.

“Jeremy Jonathan Jones was arrested today on forty counts of things ranging from bank fraud to embezzlement to identity theft.”

Ren seemed far too chipper about the entire thing as he grabbed a parking spot in front of The Diner. Good alpha. I needed a burger or five and a pile of cookies.

“I’m supposed to be happy they arrested a random crook?” I unbuckled, ready to pounce on Karen the second we walked in. I didn’t need a menu, I just needed food. How had I not known I was so ravenous before he parked? He officially knew me better than I knew myself.

“Here.” He swiped his phone and tapped a few times before handing it to me.

My jaw dropped.

“Holy shit, this is him.” The news article had a picture of John Juan, my first date, the one who had led to me finding Ren. It was an awful way for fate to make it happen, but in the end, I was the one winning with both an amazing alpha and a growing family. “Says here he’s looking at spending the rest of his days in prison.”

“That it does. And if you decide you want to add to his list of charges, I’ll support you a thousand percent.”

“And if I don’t?” Because the thought of dealing with all that with a baby on the way or with a newborn sounded all kinds of evil to me, especially since he was never breathing air outside of a prison again based on the article.

“Then I will support you a thousand percent.”

“You’re the best alpha ever.” I squeezed his knee.

“You don’t know the half of it.” He took the phone back and tapped on it again before handing it back to me.

On the screen was an order for all my favorite things for dine in at The Diner.

“My assessment stands.” I unlocked the door to find Ren already there, offering me a hand. “How did I get so lucky?” I asked as he wrapped his arms around me—or attempted to anyways, my preggo belly always in the way.

“That is where you’re wrong, omega mine. It is I who is the lucky one.”