Page 53 of Omega's Triplets

“That’s going to make all the difference in the world,” Jamie said. Though he hadn’t told the kids, not wanting to put pressure on them, their reserves had been getting low again. With the babies coming, having another income would take a huge load off Jamie’s mind.

He dumped the rest of the potatoes into the pot, picked up the masher, and began mashing them. Maddy got to her feet to clear away the peelings. “Sit down,” he said. “Piper will do that.”

“I can do it,” she protested.

“You’re pregnant. Sit down.”

“What? She sputtered indignantly. “Mark just had me out jogging, for God’s sake! I think I can manage to clear the table without rupturing anything.”

Jamie stood, took her by the shoulders, and gently steered her back to her seat. “You’re pregnant,” he said again as he eased her down. “Will you let us baby you a little bit please?”

“There’s no need—”

“For me?”

“Oh, fine,” she said, mock irritated, and craned her neck up and around to kiss him again. “Only because it means so much to you, though.”

“I know you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself,” he assured her, picking up the potato masher again. “If you want to help, you can dice up the onions. But be careful with the knife.”

“I’m surprised you’re letting me handle a knife,” she grumbled, but she pulled the knife and the onions toward her and commenced chopping.

A timer went off, signaling that the venison in the oven was ready. Reese came skidding into the room, grabbed the hot pads, and lifted it out, placing it carefully on the stovetop. The mouthwatering aroma of perfectly cooked meat filled the air, and Jamie felt a swelling of pride in himself. He had been the one to catch the deer for tonight’s dinner. He had made the kill. Usually, it was Mark who brought home meat for the family. Harley was fairly reliable too. But today, Jamie thought he had proven that he could be just as adept a hunter as his brothers.

And tonight, they would feast.

One by one, everyone came to the table and took their seats. Jamie dished up servings of meat as plates were passed to him. He made sure Maddy was given a little extra—probably more than she would eat, truth be told, but he wanted her to have the option. After all, she was eating for—

Well, for who knew how many?

Jamie wondered how big the litter would be, how many children would be born to them. Would there be just one alpha among them, as was normal, or would there be a group, as there had been in his generation? What would it be like to raise infants? To raise toddlers?

He didn’t know. He couldn’t imagine. All he could do was watch Maddy as she ate the meal he’d brought home to feed her and their babies, flush with pride and satisfaction that he was able to provide for the woman he loved and the children that would be theirs.

***

THAT NIGHT, HARLEYand Maddy lay in bed together. It was the first time he’d taken her to his room.

She rested her head on his arm and traced patterns with her fingers in the air. “Where will the babies sleep?” she asked.

“In the common room of our suite,” he said. “With you. We’ll convert it into a bedroom for you to share.”

“The others won’t mind?”

“It’s what they want,” he said. “We all voted on it. We’re agreed.”

She turned and kissed his cheek, and he closed his eyes and enjoyed the touch of her lips to his skin. “I like that,” she said. “Say it again.”

“What? We agreed?”

She kissed him again. “It felt like you would never stop fighting,” she said. “It felt like I’d driven you apart forever.”

Now he turned his head to meet her and kissed her back, his lips catching hers. “You didn’t drive us apart,” he said. “You brought us back together, Maddy. You and the babies. You made us remember what was important in life.”

She took his hand and rested it on her stomach. He imagined he could feel a soft swell just beginning to grow there, a little bump that hadn’t been present a week ago. “What do you think it’s going to be like?” she asked.

“I think you’re going to get as big as a house.”

She swatted him. “Take that back, Harley Driscoll.”

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