“Hell if I know.” Slade shrugged.
“I’m guessing deer,” Brass whispered. “There are a lot of them out by his place.
Deer steaks do sound good.” He stepped closer to the table. “Let’s get this into the kitchen.”
“Use the back porch, please,” Trisha instantly corrected. “That way you can hose the deck off after you cut it up.”
“Yeah.” Slade grinned. “That way you can hose off the deck once you cut it up, Brass.”
“You’re helping,” Brass growled at Slade. “I’m not a butcher.”
“Neither am I.”
“Well, don’t look at me.” Trisha frowned when both men turned to stare at her.
“You are a doctor and should be good at cutting things apart.” Slade flashed a hopeful grin.
“No way. Nu-uh. I’d be so sick. I’m the pregnant one, remember? I feel morning sickness coming on just at the thought of doing that.” She put her hands over her stomach and batted her eyelashes at Slade. “You are the big predator, after all. Isn’t that what you always tell me? So go…hunt up a knife and get busy.”
“So bossy,” he groaned.
Trisha laughed. “Want to watch me storm away?”
Brass chuckled. “You look at her ass and I’ll find some sharp knives and freezer storage bags.”
Trisha turned, presented her backside to Slade, and smiled at him over her shoulder. “Call me when you’re done. I’m going to go get naked and take a bath. Thank you!”
“Tease.”
Trisha strolled toward the stairs. “You got that straight. Call me when dinner is ready. You’re the best.”
“Keep walking,” Slade growled. “Shake it a little, sweet thing.”
Trisha walked into the master bedroom still feeling highly amused. Some of her clothes had been returned to her that morning. Someone had salvaged them from the 205
damaged cabin. She pulled out a summer dress and underthings from the dresser then moved into the bathroom.
She studied her naked body in the mirror, seeing that she’d already starting showing her pregnancy despite the early stage of it. It worried her a little, no one knew what to really expect, and it could be dangerous. She had already experienced morning sickness, which marked the pregnancy as odd right from the beginning.
Slade had sneaked her into the new medical facility earlier that morning before dawn where they had an ultrasound machine. The facility wasn’t up and running yet but the equipment had arrived. The baby measured bigger than normal. It made her wonder how large a New Species baby would be at birth. The baby seemed to be developing at an accelerated rate as well. The way Slade had grinned at the sight of his child had warmed her heart. She had no doubt he wanted the baby as much as she did.
Slade was mixed with canine and their pregnancy cycles were far shorter than a human’s. She worried that the baby might grow and develop faster with Slade’s altered DNA. She’d have to keep a very close eye on the baby’s development to figure it out and try to estimate a due date. She’d talked to Justice by phone and asked if he would order more medical equipment to do just that. He’d readily agreed to get whatever she wanted.
“What’s that look for?”
Slade entered the bathroom and walked up behind her. His hands slid around her waist to gently cup her slightly rounded belly. Their gazes met in the mirror while his hands caressed her stomach. He kissed the top of her head.
“What look?” She leaned back against him.
“You’re worried.”
She smiled. “I am a little. I don’t want anything to happen to our baby or anything to go wrong.”
“You’re alarmed because he’s bigger than he should be and you’re advancing in your pregnancy stages faster than normal.”
She nodded. They’d had this conversation when she’d noted her discoveries at the clinic. “Yes. Stop calling the baby a ‘he’. What if it’s a girl? You’ll give her a complex. I couldn’t get a clear picture of the sex yet.”
He laughed. “I will not give our baby a complex. You just get annoyed when I say we’re having a boy. It’s a shame his legs were up and together so you couldn’t get a view of his sex.”
“It should be too early to tell but the baby is measuring at almost a twelve-week gestation. I don’t really care what sex it is as long as our baby is healthy.”
“Me neither.” Slade hugged her against his chest a little tighter. “It’s going to be fine, sweet thing. You’re an amazing doctor and Justice will get you anything you request. He’s looking for a trustworthy, excellent doctor to assist you who specializes in 206
high-risk pregnancies. You can stay on top of this. You stated the baby looks perfect and has a strong heartbeat despite the anomalies with his size.”
“I know. I just worry.”
“I know that.” Slade grinned. “I could spend the next hour up here distracting you.”
