The Reluctant Romantics Box Set (The Fall, The Mind, The Heart)

“I’m not complaining, I swear. I just want to help her.”

“The only thing that is going to help her is getting your son out.”

I looked down at my rattling phone with a sigh.

Rose: Babe, will you grab some cream cheese, salami, pickles, and horseradish?

Rose: Some tortillas and white fish.

Rose: Snickers ice cream bars. No fish.

“Grocery list?” she said with a chuckle.

“Yep,” I said as I gathered my strength and gave her a weak smile. “Or a recipe for Voodoo.”

“It’s worth it,” she said with encouragement.

“I know,” I said as I grinned down at Annabelle, who gave me a shy smile from behind her mother’s legs. I stared down at the little beauty until I saw her father grab her with a “There you are.” Dean peeked over at me with a mile-wide grin and came to the conclusion his wife just had.

“It’ll be over soon, man,” he said as he kissed his wife’s cheek and took off down the hall with his daughter in tow.

“Well,” I said, gathering my wallet and keys off the table next to the bed. “Guess I better get to it.”

“Jack?” Dallas said as she stood in the doorway and briefly pressed her lips together to suppress another laugh.

“Yeah?” I said, feeling slightly rejuvenated and ready to take on the night ahead.

“You might want to put your shoes on.”

“This is an eviction, baby boy. I want my body back. I’m giving you notice,” she said breathlessly as she lunged through the house, all baby up front and very little else. My son had completely taken over her small frame. I kept my laughter inside as I watched her from the doorway of our bedroom while she talked to our unborn son and frantically jumped around.

“Out! Come on! It’s not so bad out here,” she coaxed as she continued to do pregnant lunges across our living room.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” she pleaded as she wiggled and lunged in a pattern. I was about to lose my shit as I watched her tiny frame awkwardly bounce around. “You come out today and I’ll give you a brother,” she said as she took deeper lunges and strained to get back up from them. After another minute of bargaining with our unborn baby, she stopped then suddenly turned my way.

I was busted.

Her beautiful green eyes narrowed on me as I lifted her bag full of demands in front of my face as a peace offering.

“How long have you been there?” she demanded with her hands on her hips.

“Seconds,” I lied as I discarded the bag on the counter, walked over to where she stood, and then placed a soft kiss on her lips. Her face was covered in moisture as she slumped into me with a heavy sigh.

“Did you get the chicken?”

“Chicken?” I asked as I looked down at her with confusion.

“Yes, I was specific. I need a whole chicken,” she mouthed into my t-shirt. She looked up at me with wide eyes, and with a sigh, I turned back in the direction I came then started to walk out of the door with a new list flying at me.

“Make that two!”

Hours later, after she successfully dissected and repaired two whole chickens, we lay in bed, our new routine in full swing. She claimed she didn’t want her surgical skills to get rusty, but I knew it was the restlessness in her that kept her moving. No matter what we tried, she couldn’t get comfortable. After I’d finally talked her out of the kitchen and into a shower, she decided to attempt sleep.

“I’m so hot,” she said in agony as she pushed the covers off with a huff. “Jack?”

“I’m on it, beb,” I said, keeping my groan inside as I walked with my hands in front of me to avoid the wall I’d smacked into every night for the last week as I tried to maneuver in the pitch-black room to find the thermostat. Back in bed, I felt the first slap of a limb hit my chest as she tossed her small baby-filled body around without regard.

An hour after that, she curled up to me with freezing limbs. I jumped as her ice-cold hands wrapped around me. I pulled her to me tight as she looked up to me, eyes wide open.