The Polar Bear's Baby (Honeypot Babies Book 1)

by Sophie Stern

  Richard is tall. He’s tall for a shifter and definitely tall for a human. I’ve never considered myself to be short and even I find myself craning my neck to look at him. Today he seems even taller than usual, which I chalk up to the fact that he’s obviously here to talk about Mia.

  He doesn’t look mad or upset. That’s not Richard’s style. Instead, he looks confused, pensive. One thing I’ve always respected about Richard is that when he has a problem with someone, he goes directly to that person.

  The only downside to this is that obviously, today I’m that person.

  “Richard,” I say, coming into the front of the bakery. Sunlight streams through the open windows giving the space a warm, welcoming vibe. It’s one of the reasons I love my bakery. I’ve tried to make it as comfortable and cozy as possible. I get a lot of customers and I want them to keep coming back again and again.

  Part of the appeal of living in Honeypot is the close shifter community. Having a great place where people can get together, eat cookies, and have pie is part of how I give back. I do a lot of discount days, freebies for fundraisers, and donations for special events in town, but I also make enough money at the bakery where I don’t have to worry about losing my shop or stressing about prices.

  Now, as I stand in the center of my quaint little shop, I try to figure out how I’m going to tell Richard the truth about me and Mia. Obviously, he knows. Mia and I have kept things low-key in Honeypot. She spent last weekend here and I drove up one night and saw her, then came back early enough to open my shop the next morning. Aside from that, though, we haven’t really gone to any social events as a couple or come out publicly with our relationship.

  It’s not that we’re hiding anything or ashamed of our relationship, it’s just that until she talked to Richard, we didn’t want things to get too crazy. Our community might be close-knit, but part of that means anything you do quickly becomes everyone’s business. It’s hard to have secrets in a small town. That’s doubly true when shifters are involved. Maybe it’s because we can smell each other’s emotions or because our senses are heightened, but I’m not terribly shocked to see Richard in my shop.

  Now the time has come for me to be honest with my friend. I need to tell him the truth about me and Mia. He’s going to be able to handle it and even if he’s a little weird about things at first, there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll end up being completely supportive of us and our relationship.

  That’s just the type of guy Richard is. Maybe it has to do with him being a therapist or maybe it’s because he just has a tender soul. I’m not sure.

  “It’s been awhile,” Richard says, then he crosses the room and gives me a hug. He’s definitely a hugger. I am, too, and that’s another reason we’ve always gotten along so well: neither one of us feels like our masculinity is threatened by physical touching.

  “How’s it going, man?” I ask, patting his back.

  He lets go and looks around the shop.

  “You know, it’s been awhile since I’ve stopped by,” he says casually.

  “That’s true,” I wonder when he’s going to bring it up or if I should first. Does he know about the baby or just that Mia and I are dating now? Does he know I want to marry his sister or that I plan to spend the rest of my life with her? I need to address any concerns he has, but I don’t want to jump in with too much information, either. In a situation like this, I feel like it’s best to wait and see what Richard says.

  “I want to-”

  “I’m in love with her,” I blurt out, interrupting him.

  “-Order a dozen cupcakes,” he finishes, his face looking shocked. “Wait, who?”

  So much for playing it cool, you stupid bear. There goes my great plan to be awesome and suave and chill about this whole thing.

  Only now I have Richard’s full attention, so I don’t really have the option of trying to backtrack. Because he’s a therapist, Richard knows better than most all the diversion tactics people try to use when they don’t want to share information about something.

  “What kind of cupcakes do you want?” I ask, grabbing an order pad.

  Smooth, real smooth.

  “Um, I want a mixed dozen,” he says, giving me a weird look.

  “Special event?”

  “No, they’re for Mia.” I drop the pen on the counter.

  “Mia?”

  “Yeah, she’s been pretty tense lately. I’m not sure what’s going on with her.”

  “Well, cupcakes are one way to cheer her up,” I say.

  “Yeah,” he says slowly, and I can tell Richard is about to go full-shrink on me. We lived together long enough for me to know that when he slows his voice down, he’s preparing to ask a question. The way you answer or deflect the question determines the direction the rest of the conversation will take.

  If you’re honest about his question, he’ll help you figure out a way to solve your problem, but he’ll do it in this roundabout way that makes you think you solved the problem yourself. It’s genius, really. People think he’s a great counselor and he gets to know he helped you help yourself.

  If you deflect Richard’s question, though, he won’t let it drop. He’ll want to talk about not only the real answer, but why you deflected and why you did so in that way. What’s the harm in talking about your problems? What’s the point of avoiding conflict if it means you won’t be able to heal? These are the type of questions he’ll ask.

  “Let’s talk about you,” Richard says casually. He leans against the counter, but doesn’t pretend to look inside the glass case to see what I’m selling today. Instead, he looks at me, waiting to see how I’m going to respond to his question.

  This is it.

  This is the moment where our relationship changes forever.

  This is the moment where I tell one of my favorite people that I not only slept with his little sister at his birthday party, but where I tell him the two of us made a life.

  We made a child.

  This is the moment where I tell Richard his future is going to be bright, where I tell him things are going to be very different than he thinks they will.

  “What would you like to know?” I ask.

  “What would you like me to know?” He shoots back.

  “Well,” I say. I run my palms across the glass countertop, then I take a deep breath. “It’s Mia. I’m in love with Mia.”

  “I know,” he says, and my jaw drops. “Was there something else?”

  “We’re going to have a baby.”

  “I thought as much. Shall we have a drink? I’m parched.”

  Chapter 12

  Aidan

  I grab a bottle of whiskey I keep in the back, then Richard and I sit at one of the little tables in my shop. Once we each have sip our drinks, I wait for him to tell me what’s really going on.

  “How did you know I was dating your sister?” I have to know. “She told me she hasn’t had a chance to talk with you yet.”

  “You know I work in Honeypot, right?”

  “Right.”

  “I was going to stop by on Friday after my last therapy appointment. Her car was here. It was late.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything.”

  “It does when it’s my little sister, Aidan. You know as well as I do that Mia doesn’t do serious relationships. She doesn’t just jump into bed with people. She certainly doesn’t do that with people she doesn’t care about. When did the two of you get together?”

  “At your birthday party.”

  “I thought that might be the case,” he smiles and takes another sip of whiskey. “Congratulations, friend. I’m sure the two of you will be very happy together.”

  “You aren’t worried about me dating your sister?”

  “Aidan, please. I’m sure you already have your entire wedding planned down to the last layer of your wedding cake.”

  “Really?”

  “You’re a serious person, Aidan. For you to get together with Mia, for you to actually tell me about
it, I assume I’ll have an invitation to the ceremony in the next month.”

  I down the rest of my whiskey quickly. This definitely wasn’t what I was expecting when Richard walked into my shop today.

  “This does explain the cravings,” Richard says. “Once I figured out the two of you were together, I started paying attention to the things she complained about. She’s been commenting on feeling sick a lot, on struggling to sleep. Coupled with the weird things she’s been eating, it made sense she’s pregnant.”

  “You aren’t mad?”

  “For you and Mia? Of course not. You’re going to make wonderful parents.”

  “I feel like you’re taking this really well.”

  “I’ve had some time to think about it.”

  Now it’s my turn to raise an eyebrow. I thought he just found out about us. How long has he been thinking about this? As if reading my mind, Richard laughs.

  “I saw the way you two looked at each other at my party. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out you two are attracted to each other.”

  “I’m going to be good to her, Rich.”

  “I know you are. If you aren’t, I’ll beat your ass. Shifter or not, I don’t care.”

  We clink our glasses and chat for awhile about life in Honeypot and the direction he wants to take his counseling here. Right now he only works in Honeypot two days each week, but Richard is actually thinking of moving here permanently and working full-time in shifter town.

  “What gives?” I ask, and now it’s his turn to be secretive. “Is there a special someone in your life?”

  “Something like that,” he says. “But it’s complicated.”

  Complicated.

  It’s such a simple term that can encompass just about anything. Your car broke down? Your day was complicated. You’re having a baby and you hadn’t planned for it? Things are complicated. You want to date someone who won’t look twice at humans? It’s complicated.

  “I’m here if you want to talk,” I tell him.

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate that.”

  He gets up and I walk him back to his car.

  “Do me a favor,” he says. “Don’t tell Mia we talked. I want her to tell me when she’s ready. This is tough for her and I don’t want her to feel like she’s being judged or like I won’t listen to her.”

  “Of course. I’m going to come out tomorrow morning to help her move.”

  “I’ll be there with breakfast. What time are you arriving?”

  “Nine.”

  “I’ll be there at eight.”

  Chapter 13

  Mia

  “I wasn’t expecting you today,” I say when Richard waltzes in at eight in the morning. I haven’t showered, I haven’t had coffee, and I certainly haven’t had anything to eat. Once my morning sickness started full-swing, I cut out extra food because I just throw it up, anyway. Breakfast was the first thing to go. I already miss it, but when I do eat breakfast, I eat it too fast. Then I spend the next half-hour puking.

  There’s no such thing as pacing yourself when you’re Mia.

  “Surprise,” he says coming inside. Richard holds up a bag of food and a drink. “I brought you a milkshake.”

  “I don’t think I can eat this morning,” I say hesitantly.

  “I didn’t bring you food. I brought you a milkshake.”

  “That’s…weird.”

  “I didn’t think you’d feel like eating this early,” he shrugs. “Besides, I think we should hang out for a little while. We’ve both been so busy lately that we haven’t really had time to spend together.”

  He comes further inside and starts making himself at home. If Richard notices the stacks of boxes or piles of trash bags sitting out, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he sets the food on the table, along with the milkshake.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” I ask, trying to remember how to be a good hostess. It’s been awhile since I had anyone over.

  “Water would be great.”

  I hear him start to eat and I turn to the fridge and try to calm down. This is the perfect chance to tell him about the baby. It’s the perfect opportunity to let him know I’m moving to Honeypot and that I’m going to move in with his buddy.

  Only my heart is swelling with desperation and nervousness because I don’t want to let Richard down. He’s always been one of my best friends, one of my closest allies. For a long time, it felt like it was us against the world. No matter what happened in my life, I always knew I had Richard. I always knew I could count on him.

  What if that all changes?

  What if this makes everything different?

  What if I tell him the truth and the truth isn’t good enough?

  What if I tell Richard about Aidan and he gets upset?

  I grab a bottle of water from the top shelf and close the fridge door. I turn around. Richard is sitting at the table and he’s casually eating a breakfast sandwich. It’s time. If Richard gets upset, we’ll work through it. He’s my brother. He won’t walk out of my life over this. He won’t pressure me to make a different decision about the baby. He won’t be upset I’m choosing to have the child. He might disagree with me or he might completely agree. I don’t know. No matter what, though, he’ll tell me that it’s my choice. He’ll tell me this is my decision.

  “I’m pregnant,” I blurt out, and Richard doesn’t react dramatically. There isn’t a giant earthquake and the sky doesn’t fall. The world keeps turning. Nothing bad happens.

  “Congratulations, Mia,” Richard says. He takes another bite of his food and reaches for the water bottle. Somehow, I move toward him and hand over the drink. He has a little. “When are you due?”

  He didn’t freak out.

  He didn’t yell.

  He didn’t scream.

  He didn’t look like he was disappointed in me.

  “Um,” I haven’t actually gone to the doctor yet. I have an appointment next week in Honeypot. When Aidan and I talked, we agreed I should see a doctor who is familiar with shifters and shifter pregnancies. My normal OB/GYN is awesome, but she deals exclusively with human pregnancies. I want what’s best for my baby, even if it means getting a new doctor. “About seven months,” I manage to tell him.

  Now Richard smiles, stands up, and hugs me.

  “Congrats, sweetie,” he whispers. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Don’t you want to know who the father is?”

  “Sure, if you’re ready to tell me.”

  “It’s Aidan,” I say. Surely this will elicit some sort of reaction.

  “I stand by my earlier congratulations,” he says. “Aidan is a great guy, Mia. I hope you two are really happy together. You’re going to make wonderful parents.”

  And then it hits me.

  Then it really hits me.

  I’m going to be a mother.

  I knew this before. I’ve known it for a little while now, but suddenly, it’s like it sinks in.

  I’m going to be somebody’s mother.

  “I’m going to have a baby,” I say. Then I burst into tears. Richard is right there with me, hugging me, holding me. He whispers that everything is going to be okay. He whispers how proud he is of me for handling everything so well. He promises he’s going to be there every step of the way. He tells me I’ve got this. I can do this.

  I’m going to be a mom.

  “No matter what happens, I will always be here for you.”

  “How did you get to be so cool?” I ask through my tears. “You’re the big brother. Aren’t you supposed to get mad or angry on my behalf or something? Aren’t you supposed to give me some sort of ‘safe sex’ talk?”

  “Would me doing any of those things make you feel better?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Does me being supportive make you feel better?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then there you go. Mia, there will be people who don’t like that you’re pregnant. People will tell you that you’re too young, that it’s a mist
ake, that you should give your child up for adoption. There are people who won’t like that you’re human while Aidan is a shifter. There will be all sorts of people, but nobody’s opinion matters but yours.”

  “I’m nervous. I don’t know anything about being a mother,” I admit. “And my baby is probably going to be a shifter, Rich. What if I’m no good at being a mom to a shifter baby?”

  “Even if your baby is a shifter, he or she won’t be able to transform for awhile. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So you’ll have a little bit of time to get ready. You’ll have some prep time.”

  I pull back from the hug and reach for the milkshake. Suddenly, I’m starving and I’m not sure if it’s because this huge weight has been lifted. I told my brother the truth and he was fine.

  Everything was fine.

  “Thank you,” I finally say to him. Then I notice he’s got more breakfast sandwiches and I reach for one, hoping I’ll be able to handle it without puking. “Hey,” I ask, motioning toward the bag. “Why’d you bring so much food? Even with the two of us, that’s a lot of sandwiches.”

  “Oh,” Richard says with a twinkle in his eye. “Didn’t I mention? Aidan says he’ll be here at nine.”

  Chapter 14

  Aidan

  Our first night together in my house – our house – is a rainy one. The storm rages outside, but Mia and I are warm and safe inside. Most of all, we’re together. My girl is finally home.

  “Whew,” she peers out the front window. “I’m glad we got all the boxes inside before it started to rain.”

  “Same,” I say, coming up beside her. I drape my arm over her shoulder and pull her closer to myself. “You smell like cupcakes.”

  “Maybe that’s because you kept feeding me,” she laughs. “Seriously, I don’t think I’ve had that many cupcakes in my life. Not ever.”

  “I’m going to spoil you all the time.”

  “I look forward to that.”

  “How are you feeling tonight?” I press my hand to her belly. She hasn’t felt the baby move yet and neither have I. It’s still too early for that, but I can’t keep my hands off her. I’m so anxious to see our cub, so excited to see what our little baby looks like. Every time I touch her, I get a mental image of our sweet little family.