Michael pulled her bra off and tossed it on the floor with her shirt. “That definitely had to go.”
Chloe bit her lip and studied his face a moment.
“What?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Something,” he said.
“It’s just… this is the first time you’ve seen me without clothes since I’ve been pregnant. Well, as a human anyway.”
He kissed her tenderly and caressed her pregnant stomach. “You’re beautiful, even more beautiful than the day I met you.”
Chloe smiled and kissed him back, her fears forgotten.
Chapter Twenty-One
In Ashton Grove, Ramsey arrived home feeling tired and haggard. He was glad he’d been able to help the Colorado pack, but he was happy to be home. The psychic warned him that things had changed. He was a little worried about her cryptic message, but first he wanted to shower and get things settled with Chloe. He knew she was mad at him. It hadn’t escaped his notice that she’d moved back into the apartment the last time he’d been home. He’d be lying if he said it hadn’t hurt, but he hadn’t wanted to deal with it at the time.
Dropping his bag on the kitchen floor, he headed straight for the bedroom. Stripping off his clothes, he climbed in the shower. The hot spray washed away the nightmare of the past few days. Sabrina had been all over him while he was in Colorado, regardless of how many times he’d told her “no.” He’d thought of walking away and just coming home, but he’d given his word that he would help so he’d stuck it out. The alpha had been appreciative and had paid him well for his trouble.
Getting out of the shower, Ramsey dried off and pulled on a pair of jeans. He dried his hair and went to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. He only hoped Chloe had kept the refrigerator stocked.
When he flipped on the kitchen light, the first thing he noticed was the folded piece of paper with the key on top. He picked up the key and a feeling of dread settled in the pit of his stomach. He recognized it as the key he’d given Chloe to his house. Opening the letter, he read it – twice.
With shaking hands, he sat the letter down on the counter. She’d left. She’d not only left, but she’d asked to be mated to someone else. Ramsey stared blankly at the counter. He’d rushed home, anxious to see Chloe and mend his relationship with her. She’d thought he didn’t want her? That he didn’t love her?
He pushed away from the counter and paced the kitchen. The note said she was already married. It was too late, he’d already lost her. Or was it? Everyone thought he was coming home tomorrow.
Rushing to the bedroom, he quickly finished dressing and grabbed his wallet and keys. Hurrying out the door, he jumped in the Hummer and drove over to the Victorian. If there was still time to stop the wedding, Kiera and Gabriel would know.
Ramsey stormed up the walkway of the Victorian, ready for battle. Wedding decorations were still scattered around the yard. He was too late. He banged on the front door, making it rattle on its hinges.
Kiera opened the door with wide eyes. “Ramsey, you’re home early.”
“Where is she?” he growled, slamming the front door behind him.
Kiera gulped and scurried backwards into the kitchen. She’d never seen Ramsey so upset before. “She?” she asked, deciding to buy some time by playing dumb.
“You know very well who I’m looking for, Kiera.”
“She’s married now, Ramsey. There’s no point starting any trouble.”
“Dammit, Kiera! You knew how I felt about her!”
Kiera winced. “I know. I tried to talk her out of it.”
Ramsey sighed and sank into a kitchen chair. “Why did she do it?”
“She thought you didn’t want her.”
“Why? Why would she think that?”
Kiera shrugged. “You went off to play at being someone’s mate.”
“I told her the Colorado pack asked for my help.”
“Yeah, but when she moved out to the apartment, you didn’t exactly go after her either. You just left again without one word.”
Ramsey hung his head. “I was going to go talk to her when I came back tonight. It’s why I came home early.”
“I’m sorry, Ramsey,” she said softly. “I truly am. I tried to get her to wait, but she said if you had cared for her at all, you wouldn’t have left the way you did. She said you would prefer to pretend to be someone else’s mate than to be her mate for real, or something along those lines.”
He nodded. “So she’s married to Michael?”
“They were married this afternoon.”
“Did she move out already?”
“No. They went on their honeymoon right after the wedding.”
Ramsey winced. The thought of Chloe and Michael together was too painful. “I can’t think about that right now.”
“You’re not going to have a choice, Ramsey. You’re going to see them together.”
“I know. I’m just not ready to deal with it right now. Maybe I’ll take some time off and … I don’t know, travel or something.”
Kiera placed a comforting hand on his arm. “I wish there was something I could do.”
“Undo the past twenty-four hours,” he said quietly.
“I wish I could,” she said. “If it’s any consolation, I think he’ll treat her well.”
Ramsey gave a harsh bark of laughter. “Have you already forgotten their fight? The nurse’s orders that Michael was to stay away from her? His iron grip on her arm?” He ground his teeth together. “I swear Kiera, if he harms one hair on her head I’ll tear him to pieces.”
“You’ll have to get in line,” Gabriel said from the doorway. “But I don’t think it will ever come to that.”
Ramsey looked up at the alpha. “Why did you do it? When she asked you to choose a mate for her, why did you choose Michael?”
“Because he loves her.”
“So do I,” Ramsey said, anguish written across his face.
Gabriel nodded. “I see that now. I’m sorry, Ramsey. She asked me to make a decision.”
“I don’t know if I can stay and see her with Michael, not right now.”
Gabriel watched the other werewolf thoughtfully. “I may actually have an assignment for you.”
“What is it?”
“There’s a young woman in Mississippi who wants to move here. She was raised by werewolves and her family has recently passed away. She’s petitioned me to join our pack.”
“And you want me to go get her?” Ramsey asked.
Gabriel nodded. “She’s going to have her things moved here professionally at a later date, but she’ll need someone to pick her up. That should get you out of town for a little bit.”
Ramsey sighed. “I don’t think forty-eight hours will be long enough.”
“So leave now and help her pack. She won’t be ready to move here for another month or two. I can call and see if she has space to let you stay with her. Then you can bring her here when she’s ready to move.”
Ramsey eyed the alpha. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more?”
Gabriel shrugged. “She’s gotten some threatening messages from the local pack. One of their youngsters wants to marry her. He’s been pressuring her to be his mate.”
“So since I just finished pretending to be someone’s mate, you figured I could do it again?”
“Actually, I thought a mate might take your mind off Chloe.”
“What?” Ramsey asked in surprise.
“I’d like you to consider being mated to her.”
“I’ve never even seen her!”
“Just consider it, Ramsey,” Gabriel said.
Ramsey sighed and nodded. “I’ll leave in the morning.”
“I’ll call and tell her to expect you.”
“What’s her name?”
“Luna. Luna Delgado.”
Ramsey grinned. “Well, at least she has an appropriate name for a werewolf’s mate.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Maple
Falls, Georgia
The next morning, Chloe woke to find herself wrapped in Michael’s arms. For a moment she puzzled over the fact that she was suddenly so happy to be married to him, but she shoved the thought aside.
Snuggling into his embrace, she smiled. She should be exhausted after making love most of the night, but she felt rejuvenated.
“Good morning,” Michael said.
“Morning,” she replied with a smile.
“What did you want to do today? We can stay in the cottage or we can explore the town.”
Chloe gave him a naughty grin and reached under the covers. “Why don’t we stay in?”
Michael chuckled. “Honey, if we stay in, I don’t think you’ll be able to walk by tomorrow.”
Chloe laughed. “Good point. I guess we could go sight-seeing.”
“I’ll just call our host and hostess for some recommendations. Why don’t you start the shower and I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
“Be quick,” Chloe said before she kissed him and scurried out of the bed.
Michael smiled as he watched her sashay into the bathroom. He was glad to see Chloe getting back to her old self. He knew a lot of her personality changes were due to the pregnancy, but he preferred her being sassy to being a watering pot.
Walking into the kitchen, he picked up the phone and called Jesse and Lissa. They told him about a little café in town and few quaint stores along the main strip. Lissa gushed about a baby store that carried handmade items so Michael added it to the list of places to see. Hanging up the phone, he went to join Chloe in the shower.
The ringing of a cell phone stopped him before he reached the bathroom. When he saw Gabriel’s number, he stopped and answered the phone.
“Hello.”
“Michael, how’s everything going?”
“Good,” he said with a grin.
“That’s good.” Gabriel paused. “Ramsey came home early.”
Michael glanced toward the bathroom. “And?”
“He was livid. He came over to the house in a rage. If the two of you had still been here, I think he would have stopped the wedding.”
Michael sat on the edge of the bed. “Is he on his way here?”
“No. I sent him on an errand.”
“What kind of errand makes a man forget the woman he loves?” Michael asked with a snort.
“The kind that involves him finding a mate.”
“You’re mating him to someone?”
“Maybe. I think he should mate with the newest addition to our pack. A woman from Mississippi petitioned to join us now that her family is gone. I’ve sent him to help her pack and sell her house,” Gabriel said.
“That seems a little beneath him.”
“She’s in trouble. He seems to like a damsel in distress.”
“What kind of trouble?” Michael asked.
“The local pack is causing problems. One of their pack members wants to mate with the woman, but she’s not interested. I’m hoping that by planting the idea in Ramsey’s head that he’ll step up and claim her when things turn ugly.”
Michael sighed. “It’s times like these that I know why you’re the alpha.”
“Because I’m smarter and better looking?”
“No. Because you’re more devious than the rest of us. I gotta go, Chloe’s waiting on me.”
“Stay out of trouble down there.”
“I will. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Michael hung up the phone and stared at it dumbfounded. He wasn’t sure what to tell Chloe. She’d have to find out sooner or later. Setting the phone down on the nightstand, he went to join her in the shower. Later was definitely the best option.
***
During the half hour drive into Maple Falls, Chloe talked non-stop. It was the most animated Michael had seen her in a while.
“You know, when we get back to Ashton Grove we should be able to find out whether or not we’re having a boy or a girl,” she said with a smile.
“Do you want to know? You don’t want to be surprised?” he asked.
“I want to decorate the nursery.”
“Guess that means I’ll be painting the spare room.”
“On the plus side, you said it didn’t have any furniture in it. At least you won’t have to move anything out before you move the baby furniture in.”
He grinned. “You have a point there.”
“We should probably come up with a name pretty soon.”
“You didn’t have any picked out already?” he asked in surprise.
She shook her head. “I was a little preoccupied I guess. I figured there was plenty of time, but now the baby will be here in a little over three months.”
“I always liked the name Morgan for a boy,” Michael said.
“Morgan is nice,” Chloe said. “What about Madison for a girl?”
Michael smiled. “Like M’s?”
She grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with a name that starts with M.”
“What if I wanted the names to start with a C?” he asked.
“You’re the one who picked a boy’s name that started with an M,” she pointed out.
“True.”
As they drove down Main Street, Chloe looked at the picturesque shops. “It’s a rather charming town.”
“Here’s the spot,” Michael said as he pulled into a parking spot in front of a yellow café with a red door.
“Oh, Michael, I love it.”
“It was recommended by our host and hostess. After lunch, I thought we’d browse through some of the shops. Lissa mentioned a baby store around the corner that carries handmade stuff. She thought you might like to go there.”
“Oh, could we?” Chloe asked, her eyes lit up with excitement.
Michael smiled, happy to see her so animated.
“Of course. We can go there first if you’d like.”
Chloe smiled and nodded.
“Wait right there,” Michael said as he turned the car off and got out. He quickly walked around to the passenger side and opened her door. Helping her out of the car, he pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss.
Michael escorted her into the café. The hostess seated them by a window and handed them their menus. After their waitress had taken their orders, Chloe tried to fill the silence with conversation.
“Did you always want to be a mechanic?” she asked.
“Not exactly. I just kind of fell into it. Dad owned the garage and we all worked there during high school. Cole’s the only one who went to college after we graduated. Gabriel and I stayed on to work the garage.”
“You never thought of going to college?”
Michael studied Chloe. Was she thinking a mechanic wasn’t good enough to be a father to her baby? Or was she just curious? “I wasn’t very good with school work. I’m better at working with my hands. Besides, Gabriel and I own the business together so we split the profits fifty-fifty.”
“I wish I'd gone to college,” Chloe said. “If I had, maybe I could have gotten a better job.”
“What about the job you have with Matt?”
She smiled. “I enjoy working with him. He said that after the baby’s born he might let me show some houses. I think I’ll like real estate. I might work on getting my license if he’ll let me.”
Michael returned her smile. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your work. Matt’s a good guy. You won’t have to worry about being fired or laid off. He’s been dealing in real estate in one form or another pretty much since he moved to Ashton Grove.”
“That’s good to know.” She paused, not quite sure how to phrase her next question. “What about the rest of the family?”
“You mean the extended family?”
She nodded.
“Most of them showed up when Cole found Marin. I told you a little of her story. When the guy who held her captive showed up in Ashton Grove, our cousins came in town. They decided to stick around after the guy was caught.”
“And the others?” sh
e asked.
“The others were mostly reinforcements when Kiera came into the picture. She was literally chased into the garage. Gabriel saved her, but we needed back-up to make sure she stayed safe. Most of the guys stuck around instead of going back to their hometowns.”
Chloe’s thoughts drifted to Ramsey. She guessed his hometown had been in Colorado, which meant he was close to Kiera because he had helped the pack save her. “Kiera and Ramsey seem close,” she said quietly, deciding it was better to just get the conversation out of the way.
Michael tensed. “They are. When Gabriel wasn’t around, Ramsey was usually her assigned bodyguard. If she needed more than one, Hunter helped out.”
“I guess that means he’ll be around a lot.”
“What exactly are you asking, Chloe?”
Chloe sighed. “I’m not ready to see him,” she said quietly. “We’re just starting our life together, and I …”
“You what?”
Chloe reached across the table and held her hand out to him. When he didn’t take it, she slowly pulled her hand back. Fighting back tears, she said, “I want a chance for us to have a real marriage, a chance for us to get to know one another again. I don’t want Ramsey hanging over our heads all the time.”
“Then you should be delighted to hear he won’t be there,” he said matter-of-factly.
Chloe wanted to ask why, but she merely nodded.
Their food arrived and they ate in silence. Chloe started to say something a few times, but she couldn’t find the right words. She had known her questions would upset Michael, but they had to discuss Ramsey at some point.
“Michael, you can’t ignore me forever.”
“I’m not ignoring you.”
“I’m sorry if I made you angry.”
He heaved a sighed and set his fork down. “Chloe, I’m not angry with you. I’m upset with myself. I should have known that you cared so much about Ramsey. I should have insisted that Gabriel marry the two of you.”
Chloe stared at him, stunned. “After everything we shared last night, how can you say that?”
“It’s obvious. It was only a matter of time before his name came up. I’m just surprised you didn’t say something before now.”
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