This baby with Max could never replace Craig, but the image of my sweet boy in heaven looking down and being a guardian angel to his little sibling brought a smile to my lips. Craig would have been the best big brother.
“Pierce? Everything okay? We can head back if you’re getting tired.”
“No, I’m fine. Let’s walk over to the pond. There.”
I led Max to the grassy area I’d picked out to propose. It was picturesque. The perfect place to propose to my omega. A spot on my residual limb ached, but I ignored the pain. Max deserved to have his alpha down on bended knee, even if one of those knees was a mechanical marvel that still didn’t fit quite right.
It took some doing, I made it to the ground with a gasp from Max without killing myself. The pain was worth it when his eyes spied the box I pulled out of my pocket.
“Max. I love you. I’m an old fool, but if you agree to be my omega, it would make me the happiest man in Sugar Beach. Please say yes.”
With tears running down his face, Max was suddenly on his knee with me. Nodding his head, he whispered a trembling yes.
“Wait, there’s something I need to tell you before you slip that ring on my finger,” he said as the gold band went past the first knuckle.
“I’m pregnant. And the baby is yours.”
Smiling, I leaned forward to kiss Max’s trembling lips. “I know, Max. I know the baby is mine. I would never have thought anything else.”
“You knew I was pregnant? How?
“I saw the positive test tucked away in the medicine chest. It doesn’t matter, baby or no baby, I love you. I’ll love this baby. So much. Please, Max, say you’ll be mine.” The half a second it too before my omega spoke was too long.
“Yes! Yes, a million times yes!”
I hadn’t been looking forward to the holidays, but with Max by my side, I had learned to enjoy the season once more. It was what Grant would have wanted, of that I was sure. The New Year was looking brighter than I could have expected. I’d have Max by my side and the child he carried. Christmas next year would be a little bittersweet as I celebrated with a newborn while missing my oldest son. Life moves on and I couldn’t regret meeting Max or the life he carried inside him.
Chapter Eighteen
Max
There was something magical about conceiving a baby on Christmas. I know it was probably all in my head, but my whole pregnancy had been magical. As Pierce and I rang in the New Year, I’d known instinctively I’d conceived despite being on suppressors and hadn’t been in a full heat. It had been a scary time, knowing Pierce was still grieving for the family he’d lost and being unsure how he’d react to starting a new family. I shouldn’t have worried. He’d embraced the idea of being a father again.
I looked down at the ring I wore on a chain around my neck these days because my fingers swelled too much by the end of the day now that I was near the end of my second trimester. Swelling in my fingers and ankles was one of the few pregnancy symptoms I hadn’t been able to escape. Considering how much worse things could have gone, I’d happily take it.
Deciding which house to live in had been an easy decision. While our two houses were similar in size and layout, Pierce’s house had already been heavily renovated after his accident to accommodate a person who needed a wheelchair at times so I moved all my stuff for the second time in a year. Happily. We’d talked about the possibility of making renovations to my house, but in the end, decided not to for the moment. I hadn’t sold it, but it was something we were considering in the future.
Our wedding had been a quiet affair. We were married standing before the magistrate in a little office in downtown Sugar Beach. The small ceremony had suited us. My family had all come in for a reception party a couple of weeks later. Settling into my new last name had been complicated. I hadn’t realized how many things I needed to update because of a change in name.
Movement in my baby bump made me jump. Feeling the little flutters was a new experience. They always brought a smile to my face. That’s how Pierce found me a few minutes later, with a dreamy smile on my face, looking off into the distance at nothing. It was a common occurrence lately. Soon, Pierce would be able to feel the baby kick. I was looking forward to the day I got to share that little milestone with him.
As his hand snaked around me to cradle my belly, I leaned into him. He had a new prosthesis which fit well, allowing him to be on his feet for long stretches of time. My alpha was fiercely independent, prosthesis or wheelchair, it didn’t matter. He used whichever tool was needed for the day and moved on. I admired him so much. He’d been through so much, but never once had I ever seen him lose his cool even when his frustration levels were through the roof. He’d be a wonderful father.
“The baby moving again?”
“Yep. He or she is very active today. I was thinking of getting a snack. I don’t suppose we have any of those anchovies left do we? A peanut butter sandwich with bananas and anchovies would really hit the spot.” I could feel Pierce shudder behind me. He hated the smell of the little fishes, but happily kept me stocked in cans of the salty food since my craving for
