Chapter Twenty-Two
Tenn
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything?” I was hovering. No, I was more than hovering. I had become his freaking shadow, and I needed to step back before I suffocated the poor guy.
Problem was, I couldn’t. He was pregnant with my baby and had worked so hard he’d ended up in the hospital. Why hadn’t I seen the signs? I was nothing if not determined not to see any future ones.
“Let’s see...hmmm...you bought me all the comfort food I could ever eat and then enough healthy food to counteract it, you won’t let my water bottle get even a quarter empty without refilling it, you bought me three different kinds of vitamins after the first one made me puke, and you rubbed my feet.” He rolled his eyes as he recited his list. “I think I’m good.”
I took his hand in mine. “I am not trying to be overbearing, you know.” I sighed. “I just want to make sure you and our baby are okay.”
“Which is why we are going to the doctor’s in about an hour.” He smiled up at me.
“I thought our appointment was next week.” When I called from the hospital, that was the earliest they could give us despite my protests. Had I my way, we’d have gone straight from the hospital to the baby doctor.
“They called and canceled when you were checking on Pops. They had a cancelation.”
I popped up, all the things needed doing before we left spinning in my head. “Shower.”
“I am guessing there was more to that sentence?” he teased with a grin.
“Sorry, I was—an hour. I assumed you wanted to shower first, and while you do, I can get all the things ready.”
And that was when his all-out belly laugh broke out just as there was a knock on the door.
“The baby isn’t coming today.” He shook his head in mirth as he pushed himself up. “Are we expecting anyone?”
“Nah, it’s probably Pops stopping back with Shrimp.” Shrimp had taken to playdates at Pops. He loved both the older man and Gizmo, and we felt bad he was cooped up in such a small place. If things went well, the house would be finished within the week. But we’d heard that before, so we weren’t holding our breath.
Greer opened the door, and standing there was Jarmin.
“You look good,” his friend said as he pulled him into a hug and patted him on the back. “I haven’t been in this building before. Not shabby.”
“What brings you here?” I asked, not wanting to be rude, but we had an appointment.
“Greer left his phone when the—when the incident occurred.”
Greer took it and immediately brought it to the charger. “You mean I passed out because I didn’t listen to you about slowing down, you smug bastard.”
“That.”
“We’re having a baby,” Greer said as if it were no big deal.
Squeeing and hugging later, the phone in the charger began to explode with notifications.
“I guess I was missed while I was gone. Either that or it is all those scam texts about the home security systems I inquired about.” He walked to the phone and began tapping away, his face growing paler with each tap. “Damn. I need to get back to work ASAP. Jarmin, why didn’t you tell me it was so insane over there?”
“Because you were in the hospital, duh. And I got it covered.”
The two of them talked a mile a minute about the things that needed doing. I knew he had been running himself ragged, but the scope of it blew me away. They needed more employees, a second kitchen, and their own delivery truck. And that was to keep things going at their current speed.
“You can’t do all of that,” I interjected as Greer promised to do far too many tasks the next day. “I will go in and help where I can tomorrow. You will stay here and rest.”
“Caveman.” He hadn’t said it as a compliment, but sure as shit, he was right.
“Sorry. I just worry.” Understatement of the year. “How about we see what the doctor says today and figure out a plan?”
Jarmin jumped in without skipping a beat. “You have more on your plate than you can be expected to handle without jeopardizing both your sanity and health, and that was before you were pregnant. Now it jeopardizes even more.”
Greer’s hand landed on his belly. “Yeah. You guys are right. I just don’t want everything I worked so hard for to collapse.”
I wrapped my arms around him from behind, settling my hands on his and kissing the top of his head. “We will make this work, love. We just need to figure out how to do so without killing you in the process.”
“You got a smart alpha, boss. Does he have a brother?”
I jangled the car keys, ignoring his friend’s comment. He knew I did not and was just sassing. He was a great guy, and if I had a brother, I’d have already offered to set them up.
“We have to go. Baby doctor time.” Thoughts of giving Greer time to get ready had flown out the door once his phone started to explode.
“So no Greer tomorrow”? Jarmin asked as he opened the door, both of us on his heels.
“I will call you. How does that sound?” Greer pushed his friend playfully out the door.
“Sure thing, boss.”
“Ready to go, love?” I asked, grasping my mate’s hand, and he gave a nod. I could feel his nerves pouring off him. I couldn’t blame him. I was just as nervous.
It was one thing to hear you were pregnant, another to know it. We were in the is-this-real phase, and the second we walked into the doctor’s office, that would be over. I wanted any doubt to be over, and the house to be done, and Greer to be working less and growing round as our baby got ready to enter this world. I was ready for so much more than what we had—I wanted it all down to the white picket fence.
“I am, with you by my side.” He kissed my cheek, and we headed down to the car.
Traffic was blissfully light, and we arrived in time to fill out the paperwork and meet Greer’s new doctor. From the quick ultrasound they did, the doctor estimated the date of conception was our first night together, and everything looked perfect. She chastised Greer for working too hard and gave him a prescription for some fancy prenatals, making him promise to take it easy.
I swore to make sure that happened, not only to her, but also to myself. If it meant leaving my job to do his, I’d do it in a heartbeat. He was carrying our child, and nothing on this planet was more important than that. Not my mother’s approval. Not my temporary teaching gig. Not some fancy job at a prestigious university. All that mattered was Greer and our child.