“That’s a small part of it.”
“Is it because we’re having a baby?” Evie asked, with eyes wide and bright.
Xonos couldn’t stop smiling. “Evie is correct. Smart little girl. I ran the tests this morning after my call and, Victoria, it confirmed my suspicions. You’re pregnant.”
Tears gathered in Victoria’s eyes. “Really?”
He nodded.
“Oh, Xonos!” She scrambled out of her chair and threw herself into his lap, her arms winding around him. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
“Me too,” Evie piped up. “I told you I wanted a baby brother or sister, and now I’m going to get one.”
Xonos smiled at his daughter. “Yes, sweetheart. You’re going to get your wish.”
Victoria eased from his lap and sat in her chair once more. As Xonos went to take another bite of food, his cell phone chimed with a message. He’d put the ringer on silent so they wouldn’t be disturbed, but it seemed someone wanted him regardless. He listened to the message and frowned.
“I have to return to the clinic. It seems there’s an emergency.”
Victoria stood and helped Evie up from her chair. “We’ll go with you. We can always grab something on the way home.”
“Hmm. Speaking of home, I think we should start looking for one. Maybe a big house with an even bigger yard. We could put in a play set for Evie, maybe even a tree house.”
Evie chattered nonstop about the home she wanted all the way to the clinic. When they reached the Terran station, Xonos wasn’t sure what to expect, but a pacing Thrace with a squalling infant wasn’t it. By the black hair, red skin, and fangs, Xonos could tell the baby was a Drelthene. The question was how did one get to Earth?
“She won’t stop crying.” Thrace looked panicked.
Victoria rushed forward. “Give her to me.”
Xonos’ eyebrows shot up at how accepting his mate was of an alien baby as scary looking as the one in Thrace’s arms. He watched as she cuddled the baby close and then wrinkled her nose.
“Did no one think to check her diaper?”
Thrace looked sheepish and handed her a bag. “She came with this and a note. It seems her mother couldn’t handle raising an alien baby. She got ‘knocked up’ by a Drelthene when he captured her a year ago. Once she was pregnant, he returned her to Earth, which I still don’t understand, but she had nowhere to go. It said she delivered the baby at a Terran station out west and then moved here for a job. She thought we’d be able to find the little girl a home.”
Evie peeked at the baby. “Can we keep her?”
Xonos couldn’t help but smile at her. “No, I’m afraid we can’t. Your mommy is going to need her energy to take care of our baby and you. I’m afraid two babies at once might be too much for her.”
“What are you going to do with her?” Victoria asked.
“We’ll have to find her a home. I’m sure the intergalactic adoption agency can locate someone to care for her.”
Thrace looked horrified. “You can’t send her to that place!”
“Well, what else do you suggest?” Xonos raked a hand through his hair.
“I…” Thrace swallowed hard. “I could take her.”
“Won’t that make finding a mate a little difficult?”
Thrace shrugged. “I can’t stand the thought of her going to that place. If it means I have to adopt her, then I’ll do it. I always planned to have a large family. I’ll just be going out of order.”
Victoria finished changing the little girl and handed her back to Thrace. The gentle giant cradled her in his arms as if he’d been her father all along. Victoria walked him through changing a diaper and making a bottle of formula. According to the blanket the little girl was wrapped in, her name was Lily.
“Don’t worry about Lily,” Thrace said. “She and I will get along just fine. Won’t we, little girl?”
The baby babbled at him.
“Looks like you’re going to need the daycare center that just opened,” Xonos said.
Thrace nodded thoughtfully and gathered the baby’s bag. “I’ll go talk to the lady now. See what needs to be done for Lily to start staying with her while I’m working.”
Xonos watched Thrace walk off, a bemused expression on the warrior’s face. Then he turned to Victoria. “You didn’t really want to keep the baby, did you?”
“I wouldn’t have minded.” She shrugged. “But I’m not heartbroken that she isn’t coming home with us. I think we’re going to have a big enough family as it is.”
Evie tugged on his shirt. “Can I have two baby brothers?”
Xonos laughed and gathered his daughter in one arm and his wife in the other. “You can have as many baby brothers and sisters as your mommy will allow.” He winked at Victoria. “I’m more than happy to help her make them.”
With his family held close, they ventured back outside into the sunshine. What had started as a good day turned into a fantastic day. Everything was turning out wonderfully for his small family, and Xonos would thank the gods every day for the blessings of Victoria and Evie, and now the little one growing inside of his mate. He didn’t know that he deserved them, but he was going to do everything he could to make sure Victoria never regretted choosing him as her mate.
His smile broadened. Who’d have thought a quiet alien doctor would end up with one hot woman and the cutest daughter in all of the galaxies?
Jessica Coulter Smith
Jessica lives in a world where warlocks, shapeshifters and fairies exist, and everyone deserves a happy ending -- from tragic vampires finally finding love after centuries of being alone, to super hunky womanizing werewolves finding their destined mate -- it’s all in a day’s work.
Unable to find a werewolf of her very own, she decided to marry someone who thinks he’s one -- minus howling at the full moon, fleas, and a rousing game of chase-the-mailman. Okay, so he sometimes howls at the full moon.
When she isn’t writing, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, reading (mostly romance), or going to the beach. She’s especially fond of bookstores and Starbucks! Jessica loves to hear from her fans! You may email her at [email protected] or visit her at her website: http://www.jessicacoultersmith.com. Find more titles by Jessica at changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=144.
Victoria and the Alien Doctor (Intergalactic Brides 2) Page 9